Thanks again, Dr. Smith! Your links and quotes made me smile.

I would get a dog, but I'd feel bad since I couldn't really walk him. Dogs are much more work than cats. I love both though. My sister has this adorable chocolate lab named Cocoa. (They didn't name her, but I got used to the name now. :P) The poor girl has been through knee surgery, and she is still a young adult. She's super cute and obedient for the most part though, she was already trained in many basic commands when they got her. So cute.

But yeah, I just want to have a clear picture of all the options and opinions. That way I can say and know that I have done everything possible for myself, and I'll be able to explain it better to others--including doctors.

I've heard the same thing about back surgery, though. It seems best for people with 'mechanical' problems, rather than chronic pain. I'm sure some people do get pain relief, but from what my doctors have told me I doubt I'd be one of them. I also have another herniated disk lower than the other, and 3 bulging disks as well. So treating the one disk might not end up helping at all, maybe. It just seems way too uncertain for something as serious as all that, but I still want to hear what they have to say about it and get a more definitive answer.