re ADR or Fusion or hybrid
Army Wife,
the biggest thing when wondering if you're a candidate for ADR is to make sure you see someone that does both ADR and fusion. A surgeon that mainly or only does fusions is going to tell you that you're not a candidate or put this type of surgery down.. even if you might be a candidate.
My findings were an anular tear at L3 which I've had forever, bulging disc at L4 (had surgery on it and it rebulged) and worse disc was L5S1 with bulging and so forth even tho I also had surgery on this disc (discectomy). Also DDD worse L3-L5S1, scar tissue on the rt.S1 nerve root and so forth, so on.
I've developed facet arthropathy too and have SI joint probs in the past and just about every rotten symptom possible in lumbar area then finally after many years living with really debilitating chronic pain my L5S1 area auto fused and that has given me an incredible amount of relief! Not that I don't still have pain because I do with L4 still but I cannot see having more surgery and taking the time out for recovery and not knowing whether I'll function any better than I do or whatever... and probably setting myself up for more surgery.
I'm 58 and if I can keep going like I am hopefully if I do have to have another surgery it will just be one more because of how long I'm waiting!
However you sound fairly young and active still with kids and such so you have to do what you have to do in order to try and regain your life~ that's understandable.
Before you go see anyone else just make sure to find out if they even do ADR if you might possibly be a candidate even at one level. I was offered a hybrid surgery with ADR at L4 and fusion at L5S1 but I don't like the idea of fusions and the screws. Mostly the screws. Plus I was just worried about being worse off and adjacent segment syndrome (fusion putting more pressure on discs above or below to perform) tho not sure if this doesn't happen with ADR too.
Good luck! It's a difficult position to be in re researching surgery and what to do tho hopefully you'll make the best "informed" decision.
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