Wow, thank you everyone for your insight. i appreciate it very much! Makes me feel like i am not alone in this process. i have an update on my condition and i wanted to see what everyone thought. i need advice here. The pain has just been getting worse and i am getting to the point that i am just miserable.

So, i finally gave in and went to the docs, my family doc. he referred me to a different ortho surgeon (that works in the same office as my first surgeon). I went to see him and they did a good exam on me, asking me to bend and tell them where the numbness is, pain points and locate sharp pain. After reviewing x-rays he wanted to send me for a CT mylegram to get a better look.

I had a CT- mylegram done about 2 weeks ago (giant needle in my back so not cool) I went today to have the text read by my doc. i have 2 broken vertebrate. L5 and S1. I am already fused from T14-L4 and he now wants to fuse the L5 and S1 to fix the breaks then fuse that to my pelvis. Also he wants to remove my current hardware.

I am a very active person. i golf, bowl, fish, bike... everything. i love to be on the go. Doc says that if i have this fusion i will not be able to bowl or golf anymore. Not because he is going to restrict me but because i physically wont be able to do it anymore because i am going to lose alot of motion. Anyone out there had this done? If so, how much was your motion decreased?

He also suggested cortisone injections to see if it will help manage the pain. Has anyone had any success with that? i have never had it done. But doc wants to take this route because he said that the surgery will be painful, way worse than my first.

Lastly, he said that lots of people live with this everyday. and that i should hold out as long as possible before i have this procedure done. But from my perspective, i am already in a ton of pain all the time. everyday all day is like a 7. if i do any type of lifting (like simple housework, laundry and dishes) i am unable to stand without my pain being like an 8 or 9. He said that it would improve my quality of life by like 30%. He said if that was enough for me then he would do it. i am just afraid of how restricted i will be. i want this to be a fix not create more problems....

any input yall have i would really appreciate!


Photo 12 is what my back currently looks like, you can see one side of the break on L5

Photo 13 is a sample of what i would like after this surgery, if i elect to have it.

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