Quote Originally Posted by yellow View Post
Thought I'd drop in to say hi!

I'm running a little, tentatively training for a couple of things (end of March and end of May). I'm at decision time re: back surgery, and am thinking a lot about that at the moment. The recommendation is to fuse L5 and S1 and possibly also replace the disk between L4 and L5. I'm intermittently ready to have it and never going to have it, depending upon hormones, number of calories consumed the day before, angle of the sun, alignment of the planets...you get the idea.

I have a discogram (sounds like a singing telegram delivered by the Bee Gees) next week to help us understand the L4-L5 contribution to the overall pain level. The results of that should indicate whether replacement of that disk would really do anything. And then I need to make a decision about what I want to do overall. Scary stuff. I have a great complement of docs and other folks (my PT and all the medical assistants) at the University of Utah orthopaedic center. It's been a long haul.

Even if I choose not to have surgery, I'm thinking that both the March and May events are incredibly optimistic. But I've given myself permission to stop if it gets too bad. I loves me tylenol+diclofenac+tequila (and occasionally + neurontin) cocktails!
I was just thinking about you today while I was biking. I am sorry about your back. Is this a new injury of something that has been coming on?