i am new here and looking for a place to help... i am SO AFRAID of my upcoming spinal fusion surgery. it's a COMPLEX surgery... and the risks are high and frightening. first surgery will be 4-6 hours and is L2-S1 anterior spinal fusion, graft placement. they go through my stomach to do this surgery.

the second surgery will be 2 days later and is: T10-S1 posterior spinal fusion, T10-illium, L1-5 decompression. the risks are high here (will need blood transfusion and will be in ICU for 2 days). this surgery is estimated to last from 8-12 hours.

i will then go to my room and will begin walking on day #3 with a walker. home after 7-9 days in the hospital, although they could send me to a care home (they can't, i'm a single mom, with no family except my children). no driving for 2 months, etc.

i'm in a TOTAL PANIC. i am thinking i need to endure the pain for a few more years, delay the surgery.. my children are still so young (14 and 12) and i've got pets depending on me.

i really need to talk to others who have had spinal fusion surgery and can help alleviate my concerns or maybe help me make the decision to go through with the surgeries, or not.

lastly, the doc wants to do my cervical fusion approximately 3 months after this lumbar fusion is doing, depending on how i'm doing.

PLEASE HELP ME. i don't know how to post... hope this goes through. i need to post more, i think, so i can chat? how does this work? i'm so overwhelmed.