Hello Everyone,

I have a herniated disk between my 6th and 7th vertibrae. I've been told it is very bad and one of the worst the doctors have seen. It is causing severe back pain and my entire right arm especially my right tricep and hand have become extremely weak and numb. I'm 39 years old and have no idea as to what caused this. I have 4 kids at 9, 7, with twins at 2. So making the right decision is very important to me.

The idea of cutting out my disk and fusing a titatium plate does not sit well with me. I don't see any other alternatives at this point.

The first Dr. I had wanted to do the surgery in 3 hours. After his very graphic discription I walked out and found another NS that walked through the whole process in detail and said the odds of it healing itself or slim because of the severity.

The Dr. Jho method doesn't seem to be a proven method yet for more severe cases.

I've always been a very independant person. I guess my question is: Is this going to limit me in what I do for activities with my kids? Are there alternate options I can take? What have been your experiences?

Thanks,

Bill