BuddySharp-
After canceling my first scheduled surgery (due to all the negative blogs I read), I spent the next 5 months in ever worsening pain. I had been unable to walk more than two blocks for years, but this was getting quite debilitating. When I finally decided I had to do it or quit living, I found nothing but positive at every turn and raves about my doctor. I am so glad I did it now. I am nearly at 4 weeks and today I have felt totally normal; no pain, lots of walking, etc. I am a bit tired after a busy morning and still coughing to clear my lungs, but feel I'll be able to start back to work Monday. Hope to get clearance to drive when I see my doc on Friday.
So- after saying that, I would go for it. Get it done. I found out that my surgeon is one the doctors use for their personal back surgeries. He does the less invasive. I just have four to six tiny incisions at the point where the screws, etc. went in. He extracted bone cells from my hips via a needle and had them compressed to inject at the fusion site. Also used bone from the hospital bone bank.