Cheryl wrote:
> So it seems I will have to have back surgery. The second opinion
> diagnosis today by a neurosurgeon is spondylolisthesis. A dislocation
> at L5-S1. And a cyst. And nerve compression and failure of lumbar
> disks and joints due to the instability of my spine. No frickin
> wonder I'm in such pain. Just sort of venting and thinking and
> planning. I get an epidural on Friday and on a neuralpathic med for
> now until I can do the surgery. *heavy sigh*

I'm not at all suggesting our situations are similar since I don't know
yours more than the few words you've used above, but short story - if
you make your back stronger, you stand a chance of relieving your
symptoms to the point of not needing surgery insofar as the "instability
of ... [the] spine" and "failure of lumbar disks" goes. The cyst is,
I'm guessing, essentially a separate complication that might need
surgery, anyway, but that's a different surgery.

Don't want to bore the newsgroup but if you want to chat via email,
please drop a line. I was about as bad as one can be and still avoid
surgery but my doctor, who would have been my surgeon, told me to avoid
it if I could. It was a long, hard road that I'm still on but I'm very
glad for the choice I made.

Good luck, whatever happens.

-S-