OK, I have made the decision. We went to the 'second opinion' surgeon yesterday and he told us just what the first surgeon had told us, 11 months ago. A laminectomy was needed, with fusion. L3 through S5. He explained it all while we looked at the MRI views and there didn't seem to be any way out. If I want quality of life later, I need to do this now.
As he explained; it's big surgery. 5 or 6 hours in the OR and then the possibility of a week in the hospital. Then 6 months to 1 year of recovery. He also explained that it may be possible to return to racewalking. If that's what I want to do and if I heal properly; a slight chance…but no guarantees. There was also the distinct possibility that I would have to give up that dream altogether. I liked that; he wasn't telling me fairy tales.
11 months ago, the first surgeon told me to explore all conservative methods of treatment and I've done that; PT, acupuncture and epidural injections. Nothing worked and so I had the choice of living with it forever or doing something about it. I've seen too many elders that have decided to live with it rather than have the surgery. I don't want to be one of them.
So it's onward and upward…as soon as the first surgeon, the one I like, comes back from vacation and works through the backlog of appointments. I can see him on May 8th, a month from now. And then the surgery comes later. How much later? I think I will call today and see if he will see me when someone cancels. If someone does.
Why not the second opinion surgeon? It all comes down to likeability. And I didn't like him. He has a great reputation in the community, everyone knows of him, but I want to be comfortable with the guy that holds the knife…silly, I know that.
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