EllenH....You are embarking on a major operation on your spinal column and I assume your doctor is a spinal surgeon. You probably know all of the negatives about an invasive procedure, so I won't bore you with all of that.

However, I am about your age and have battled DDD for seven years and after reading all the posts on this forum, I have become interested in laser surgery. There is a thread on here run by RichT that has a lot of information about the procedure and it is very encouraging. Of course, it is not covered by all insurance plans and it is very expensive, but it is a non-invasive procedure. You are up and walking the next day and there is no anesthesia to get over.

I have also exhausted every avenue to ease the pain, but it is still a struggle day-by-day. Oh, just FYI, I took a discogram a couple of years ago and was not a candidate for fusion. My surgeon said my bad discs were separated by a good disc, so the fusion wouldn't hold and I would have to return every few years to have another fusion.

I was virtually pain-free for four years as I loaded up on major-league pain meds--Norco, Oxycontin, Morphine--but it ruined my life as I became dependent on them just to exist. I finally quit in February and it took me until May before I really felt better. That was one of the most difficult things I have ever done.

So, now I am trying pain management with massage and acupuncture. It is still too early to see whether either works for me. I know you said you have tried non surgical remedies, but just a few questions for you:

Have you had lumbar injections, either steroids or pain meds? Have you had a nerve block injection? What about radiofrequency ablation? What about facet injections? I have had all of these and some several times.

I have tried to keep surgery as a last option, so I guess if you feel you have reached that point, then go for it. Even though I have had four major surgeries, I am still a little scared of another one.

The best advice I can give you as you go into surgery is to believe in your surgeon and just think about how close you are to relieveing your pain. I wish you luck.