[rutman]

Thanks for the comments Dale. Interesting! Dr. Beane told me if it had just been the slight bulging of L3 disc he would not recommend surgery, but here's the question to you guys and give opinions or what you know from experience please. You could definitely tell there was a problem at the L4/L5 disc with it ruptured and the annulus slamming into the nerve--I could see the problem without the doctor telling me when I saw the MRI with the doc. Okay he goes and does this laminotomy in that area should he not go ahead and do something with that L3 that appears to be bulging a little. Dale, you mentioned it lasting 8 years or so and then mentioned about another area - maybe L3, that became a problem a year later. I hope when he's in there he can fix that area too or can anything be done on just a bulging disc? Lastly, if he just does the laminotomy on the L4/L5 disc area and does absolutely nothing to the L3 disc bulged out am I looking at going through the same problem of that one rupturing if one has become fized and then I'm relying on another disc that may be questionable? I plan to tell him fix it all, but easier said than done and of course I'm not the doctor--I can't wait till this crap is over, but reading comments it may be going on for awhile. Please advise when you all get a chance and emjoy reading the responses for sure! THX! JB