[rob_zzz]

Thanks everyone for the replies.

Fortitudine/Sahuaro - yes the symptoms in my legs are as you describe - and I get similar stuff going on in my arms/hands. Parts of my legs feel like they are slightly numb, even though I can feel them and everything is working ok. I also get pins and needles running up my legs more often, my outer toes have unusual tightening/motor sensations, there's intermittent buzzing and tingling in my feet and running up my legs, there's a prickly/cold/wet feeling up my legs and in my groin/buttocks, and yes my legs feel heavy and occasionally quite weak. Similar stuff in the hands and arms.

I'm at a point now that I want to have some surgery and I almost don't care what type, and I just hope I can find someone to do something soon. The leg and arm symptoms are definitely much more noticeable than two weeks ago and also much much more prevalent than they were a year ago. I had another MRI and things haven't changed that significantly on the scans, the disc is still protruding and hasn't receded. This stuff has been going on for quite a while now - since not long after the injury, and its slowly getting worse though lately it seems to have stepped up the pace a little.

Hucky thanks for the info - I haven't seen a surgeon for a year but have another appointment with the main surgeon I've been seeing who does fusions. Its interesting that Tim Steel is doing the pro-disc - I think this is a better option than the Bryan for my situation, though I'm thinking that if I go with the pro-disc option it might be better to get it done overseas by someone thats done hundreds of them.

But like I said at the moment I'm just hoping I'll find someone that is willing to do something sooner rather than later.

Do you know how 'painintheneck' is going after the surgery? It is great that there are now people doing prodisc-C in Australia and they will start to build up a good body of experience over the next couple of years.