[Maria]

J,
First of all~ no one can guarantee the outcome of surgery so I'm sure you're aware of this and secondly different people have different surgical outcomes even with the same surgery and different healing timelines. Don't expect your timeline to be just like your friends or better just because you are 20 years younger. Hopefully it will be a good outcome and a smooth/good recovery for you and whatever procedure you have done.

My recommendation however would be to get a 2nd surgical opinion (and honestly I'd get a 3rd consultation as well).

The reason I say this is if for whatever reason the surgery fails or doesn't end up so well you will at least feel like you got several opinions (not from same doctor or someone in same practice) and did your homework/research.

I hope you will do as well as the surgeon hopes you will w/o any unforseen complications or problems however I do feel it's best to get a few opinions even in the most straightforward of cases.

Good luck. BTW I've had 2 spine surgeries and had 3 discograms and had at least 3-5 recommendations for ADR at 2 levels and/or ADR and fusion or multi level fusion. I had a long history of back pain and back probs and by the time this surgery was actually authorized again (WC) I felt better so didn't have another surgery.

Although I'm used to having flare ups with a day and half down time and don't think anything of that as I've had flare ups that used to last one to two months and spent that much time in bed (and that was after my 2nd spine surgery failed).

I'm not knocking surgery for those that it's indicated just recommend several surgical opinions. Good luck!