As one of the first ones to say nice things to me when I joined up I have always looked forward to your posts. I am so sorry to hear of your diagnosis, but that is the first step in beating this thing. I know from personal experience that surgery is scarier that dying in some ways because of all the "what ifs." Everyone has a horror story of some distant relative who had "exactly what you have" and ended up having their leg amputated or some such rot. Most of it is pure baloney. Neurosurgery has improved light years recently, and if your MRI indicates surgery, trust the docs.

I had a herniated disc and basically had to live on Percoset for 6 weeks. The feeling when I woke up in recovery was indiscribable. The pain was gone and I knew I could get back to my life. I know it is scary, but the alternative is simply not a choice.

My deepest thoughts and prayers to you and yours,

Freightdawg