[Maria]

Ok just noticed that part of your post and think that I'd not have spine surgery done before a baby coming into the picture as that might present your wife/family w/more work for her, more attention to you. Definately not what she needs or the baby. Plus newborns being what they are at least you can rest and sleep w/the baby in terms of giving your wife a break.

At least that's my 2 cents with regard to that part.

Re surgery really depends on how bad you actually feel and how limited you are and your findings. I would have liked to have had ADR abroad (needed at least 2 levels when I was thinking about it) and probably vertebroplasty but I didn't have the money for surgery abroad and would have lost all WC benefits (future medical) which at the time was paying for lumbar Epidurals for me which did help with the pain quite a bit for me.


In spine surgeries it seems that discectomies almost always lead to more future spine surgeries. I've had 2 (L4, L5 S1) and then continued to have worsened pain after 2nd discectomy and quite a number of years later was recommended first to have a 3 level lumbar fusion. Didn't do it (am very glad of this). Next I was recommended to have a 2 level ADR (didn't do it) and after that was recommended to have a hybrid surgery (ADR and fusion) didn't do it either as I started to feel better when my L5S1 autofused on it's own (after 25 years since original injury).

Waiting sometimes is the right thing to do and sometimes it's not. Hard to tell and seems that each case is individualized but one thing I'd not do if I had a choice and that's multi level discectomies and multi level fusion **unless there was no other choice/ not a candidate for any other type of surgery and had to do something re pain/dysfunction.

Good luck with all this and congratulations on upcoming baby number 2!!