Back problems
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I am waiting on a (possible) second opinion from a neurosurgeon in Billings to see if the minimally invasive endoscopic technique he uses (laminectomy/microdiscectomy) might be an option for me. My pain comes from an impinged nerve at the L5/S1 level due to several factors - a herniated disc, and also stenosis of the exit canal (due to arthritis and the fact that my vertebrae are not aligned on top of each other any more - called retrolisthesis). There is a “simple” fix for the pain at L5/S1 (enlarging the hole and clipping the disc,) however I also have a misaligned L4/5 space, along with a herniated disc at that level (that is not causing my left side pain, but likely the reason I sometimes have right side pain). And the orthopedic spinal surgeon said there is a chance that if he did surgery on my current issue, it could destabilize the stuff that’s wrong at L4/5 and cause me to need spinal fusion (metal rods in my back). I do not want metal rods in my back. The neurosurgeon apparently does a procedure that takes out less bone and might not cause that to happen. So waiting to see if I’m a candidate. I am better than I was, I am improving, but I am not “good enough” (I still can’t sit for that long in a chair, but longer than before). And I wanted to wait, but was told that if I wait too long, whatever they do might not help as much as it would if I did something earlier. (6 months was mentioned, and I’m at almost 5). It feels a little like flipping a coin, frankly. I have core exercises I do every day. I am walking twice a day (walking and moving around on my feet is when I feel the best) anywhere from 1 - 3 miles total. I can drive short (10 minutes or so) distances. I can sit in my recliner reclined for much longer now (spending almost no time on the floor). But riding on an airplane, or a long distance car ride, or sitting at dinner at a restaurant still doesn’t work.
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My best friend, who lives in Sequim, had (I think) what you described as the minimally invasive laminectomy/microdiscectomy. She had to go into Seattle for the surgery because.... that's where you go for major surgery when you live in Sequim! (There aren't many doctors, and far fewer specialists on the Olympic Peninsula). I don't know the details of her problem, but I do know that the surgery did resolve her pain issues.
I'll be talking to her soon and can try to get more details, though it sounds like your back problems are a bit more complicated than hers. Hoping you can get some relief from the pain. Back pain is the pits, to say the least. Yours sounds like a real challenge.
