About doctors
 

It is important NOT to feel pushed around by a doctor. It happend to me and I was older. I walked out. Find a doctor you can truely talk to. Any surgery is serious and you want to be absolutly sure it is the right thing to do. I wish you all the best. ginnie:hug:

Thanks! And I agree. I got a call from my neurosurgeons assistant today calling me in for an appointment tomorrow, I guess my neuro called him after reading the MRI report... I'm going to give him a shot as he's widely respected as the best in our area... I'm just nervous that he will recommend fusion since a discectomy was already done at that level.... Fusion has always been a fear of mine... :(

Hi Nacho
 

If you do consider fusion, just know that they too can turn out OK. My first at C6-7 did not. I did the domino thing. Now fused C3-7, and he did a good job. This surgery was successful, so it can turn out OK. Believe me, I was freaked too. I sought multipal opinions before I agreed to it. It was Leesa, who helped me understand my own MRI when I came here. I wish you all the best. ginnie

My surgeon said he does NOT want to operate which was pretty comforting.... Trying some epidurals next week and follow up before Christmas... Hopefully it works and I can put this bs behind me. I'm not trying to go the pain management route either as I know pills aren't the best idea...

I am not a doctor. I am also not an advocate for surgery either. What is kicking my teeth in lately is this bandwagon all of these docs are jumping on with these shots like they are the miracle cure all.

Honestly how is a a nerve root block going to improve that situation? There is a foreign mass touching/rubbing/compressing the nerve root, which is the cause of the pain. Unless the magic formula they have in the shot is a shrinking solution your problem will be there indefinitely. I also don't think medication is always the best answer, but I know of more than a few people who have received the epidurals and after they essential overdosed the body over a series of injections they are worse off than they were before. The steroids are TERRIBLE to the rest of the body!

I could be wrong. It is open for discussion as this is a discussion board, but that is the way I see it. Dubious may chime in and have a better perspective but so far as I know there isn't a therapy that will retract that extrusion, nor a shot that will either. The body will not absorb it either. From what I read it seems that it would be a simple procedure to remove that piece with no other ortho work needed just a snip and cauterize, if that is even needed. It could probably even be done arthroscopically. Just my himble .02 and whatever way you go you have my thoughts and prayer's!