It was a good thing I copied my response below, before I submitted, as again I was "timed out" and was unable to post. I find this one of the most frustrating features on this website. How the heck was Fran able to type and submit such long posts earlier . . . I type as fast as I can and try to reply thoughtfully, which unfortunately takes some time . . . grrrrrr!
MB:
I swear you are my "spinal twin!" Mentally and physically we seem to be experiencing many of the same physical symptoms and mental anxiety. Plus we both like to ask a lot of questions!!!
I don't know where to start. . . other than I'm trying to still "wrap my mind" around the fact that I even have back problems. In "my mind" it seems like the answer is simply. Minimal invasive incision to as someone said "sand off the unwanted calification causing the stenosis or narrowing of the canal and pressure on my nerves. No fusion, no instrumentation, just a "cleaning out" of build up and I will be fine!!!
So, until I find . . . what I'm looking for, I thought my best option was to suck up the pain, deal with epidurals and keep on keepin' on . . . but, I'm now beginning to wonder, like you . . . if prolonging surgery will deal with irreversible nerve damage. My latest epidural block, seems to allow me to stand a little longer and walk like a neandrathal a little farther, before I have to sit down to relieve the pressure and or pain. Sitting down is what I do best these days . . . the thought of being confined to a wheelchair of one of those motor chairs advertised on TV makes me angry . . .
My problem is that because of the epidural block, I know I stand a little longer and push the boundaries, because the "pain" sensors don't tell me to stop. At night when I finally do drift off to sleep, I can be randomly awakened by such blood curdling muscle cramps and ankle or foot spasms, now in both legs that are probably involuntary muscle reactions accumulating from daytime activity . . . My ankle and foot can become so contorted that it is quite scary.
When I have time, I am constantly searching for something closer to home . . . but it will entail enlisting the doctors in the larger Dallas metroplex. I'm afraid Sherman just doesn't have the talent or answers for me. I am encouraged by my local pain med doctor that he agrees with me to keep a graduated approach, with levels of surgery as the last option. I'd like to hang on with the epidurals till next summer. Then, I will take the bull by the horn and be in a position to make a surgical decision. Hopefully I will be in a better place to decide what options are best for me. So, I haven't ruled out laser surgery. Infact, I'm 75% sure that this will be my response.
Rich T: I believe either LSI or Bonati will be fine for laser surgery. If LSI can provide you with Medicare relief, I too, would be considering them. The thing I like about LSI is that they combine surgeries and you seem to be under only one time . . . So both places cost the same amount of $$$, with Bonati insisting that they do one procedure at a time. This can be viewed both as being cautionary or just another way to arrive at the same financial endpoint. Either way, we go in with good faith that we come out intact. I believe both places operate on that basis.
The underlying problem is that with age, our symptoms will eventually come back . . . so we are all at different places in this journey. There is not life long guarantee by ANY surgery to solve all future problems. Sometimes I wonder if it is realistic to think that we will be magically free of all pain. Heck, even as a younger woman, I realized different levels of what is now my advancing stenosis . . . I just didn't know it!!
I try to keep the meds to a minimum, because it makes me very mentally foggy . . . but I've got a super pain tolerance limit, or I'm just plain stupid. I haven't quite figured that out.
Rich T: I got to do some "sprucing up around the house" today and felt wonderful to be out trimming and weeding etc. It was an absolutely gorgeous TX morning . . . but I was only able to do about two hours worth before I had to stop. This I've decided is better than nothing!
MB: My only question right now is that by keeping the epidurals going and blocking pain, I sure hope I'm not causing more nerve damage that can later not be undone . . . my gut is telling me that is exactly what I'm doing. I think there is a small window of opportunity that we have that diminishes and will result in narrowing our surgical options down the road.
Fran: That was an awesome response to MJ57!!! we are fortunate to have your knowledge shared on this forum!!!