hi! i am new here, and was hoping someone might have had experience with this surgery. i just had the first appointment with my new neurosurgeon on 1/26, and he says i have L4-L5 instability w/ DDD and facet hypertrophy.

i had a failed microdiscectomy in 8/11 and my life fell apart. i never worked as a nurse another day. after a fall at work in 1998, i struggled with my back and had every treatment out there- but i still managed to work 8 hours/ day. as long as i had a daily routine and knew i was helping my patients i could manage.

becoming disabled is the worst thing imaginable. i feel like a different person. i am unable to perform any housework, and even showering my lower body is difficult. we just moved to phoenix and i have no supports here at all. my husband does the best he can, but i am always acutely aware that the house is only superficially clean and this makes me so guilty.

my neurosurgeon said he felt confident he could "fix me". i want to believe this, but i just can't allow myself false hope. he said he's done hundreds of these surgeries (his credentials are impressive, and i really like his manner).

i'm scared and not afraid to admit it. maybe it was the failed surgery that has me feeling so negative.

i hope someone has undergone this procedure, and i thank you in advance for any help you can give.