Testimony after Microdiscectomy
I used to look at this thread a ton as someone who had a severe herniation and fiercely wanted to avoid surgery at all costs, and spent three months essentially bed bound in excruciating pain (i did do two ESIs)
I got operated on over 6 months ago and while it has been a bumpy journey, I am way better than how i was before my pain even became sciatic and am glad i got operated. After my surgery, i've had "ghost nerve pain" rarely (literally maybe 3 or 4 times) but my sciatica has, thus far, been gone.
I am open to sharing my journey but the most pivotal piece is this: if you've lived with back pain for 6months +, you may have a very eschewed sense of what "normal" is or have forgone the idea of living a pain-free life. Explore and consider everything, and have faith in yourself but also the will to change your mind if your current decision is no longer serving you.
While i suffered emotionally, financially and missed out on life events for three months, I am glad I waited until I personally felt ready: this is your life and health alone, and it is unique to you. Only you will know when you're ready to change paths or feel comfortable with the risks of surgery. As someone who believed a pain-free life was not possible for me, I hope you find peace and relief from pain if you are reading this right now.