What to do?
27F here, I got diagnosed with 3 herniated discs at 18, I went through PT and the whole thing, I got better for a while then crippling pain again, PT again and I got better again… that cycle repeated like that for 8 years.
I was living a healthy and athletic life, CrossFit, running long runs and hiking, one day I tripped on one of my runs and within 5 days I could move nor breathe … turns out I have isthmic lytic L5-S1 sponsylolisthesis that caused an extremely painful episode including muscle spasms and contractures. I consulted two specialists (ortho and neuro) and they both agree on the same surgery (spinal fusion with some prosthetics) but they said that I was too young and we should aim to postpone the surgery as much as possible. That was a month ago and since then pain has come and gone, I got zoster herpes and nerve damage from it and I realized that I may not want to live “hanging on” to postpone a surgery that HAS to happen at some point…
I am scared of the surgery but I have three jobs, one of them as a kindergarten teacher so bending and reaching is a must, and I feel like I’m living half my life and disappointing myself and everyone around me…
I don’t know what to do, I need advice, anecdotal information and any additional information you can give me.
Thank you for giving me a community and any advice/info you can give me.
Ps: adding to the three herniated discs and the one fracture, I have four fully black discs, a schmorl node, bone damage on several vertebrae and I think that’s it from my back (I have other health issues not back related).