Geri
After 4 herniated disks (3 at L4 level and now currently L5 level), my neurosurgeon wants to fuse the levels with either cadaver bone or my hip bone, cover over with a small steel plate. Has anyone gone thru the fusion and if so, how was it? My Doctor told me I will be in quite a bit of pain for 3 weeks afterwards but will be covered with pain meds. I will be in back brace 3 months, unable to drive 1 month. Terrified because in 1994 my disk re-ruptured immediately following surgery and because the doctors did not believe me, I suffered tremendous pain for approx 6 months till they decided to do another MRI and saw the disk. I also saw a man in back brace one time and he was in soooooooo much pain! Surgery scheduled May 30. I fell at work 2/8/2000 and at first my doctor told me that since I was unable to keep my diabetic sugars under control, that I was suffering from neuropathy when I complained of severe pain and numbness in my foot. After 6 months, I couldn't walk more than 10 feet without crying and insisted on seeing a specialist. Thats when the herniated disk was discovered! Any thoughts?