Hey cp - it's only money. (easy to say for some)
The end result is less pain and more functionability. I'm on nsaids too and consider my surgery successful but the nerve damage is a b ---. I'm functioning and so are you.
We can all go back and kick ourselves for not making a right decision or wishing we had done something differently. We didn't, it's over and we move on. Why, who, how, what, etc. simply don't matter anymore.
However, all said, it didn't have to be this way and you're angry at the lost money. More than understandable.
Too bad kicking oneself doesn't leave a dent or I'd get to whittle down my butt
Dale