Hi Joely ~ I'm sure you ARE angry and depressed. I wouldn't be very happy either.

You know, you CAN get more opinions Joely. Does your insurance allow for that? Most insurances do. You really SHOULD get at least 2 more opinions BEFORE you have ANY surgery. NEVER accept one doctor's opinon, and I'm glad you went to see the Neurosurgeon, but you really should get another opinion, preferable from another Neurosurgeon. If it were me, I think I'd rather have a Neurosurgeon working on my spine than a pain management doctor.

I had 2 open spinal surgeries, but I DID have a stimulator put in -- and that lasted 6 months before it had to be removed. You see, they didn't account for the fact that I was thin -- and the 'generator' of the stimulator started working itself OUT of me!!! I didn't have enough "fat content" in me to hold it in! They should have known that before they even put it IN. So now I have all this scar tissue in my upper back, where the leads were, that's driving me mad!

Anyway -- get another opinion -- I think I would opt for the decompression before I would the stimulator but that's your choice. Maybe the stimulator WOULD be a better choice, I really don't know.

I wish you the very best my friend. Make sure you research what you're having done. God bless and please take care. Hugs, Lee