Newly Diagnosed - Severe Foraminal Stenosis

[Guest guest]

Hello all - I'm just getting started on a journey with severe foraminal

stenosis. I've been doing all the non-invasive things like physical therapy,

NSAIDs, even home lumbar traction, but I seem to be getting worse. In August, I

could walk around an amusement park for a day; today, I could barely make it

around the zoo for 2 hours.

My new ortho ordered an MRI and I got the results last week. He's NOT a surgeon

and wants me to try more PT and pain meds. With the term " severe " on the left

side and " moderate to severe " on the right, I don't see myself getting better

without surgery.

Am I jumping the gun? To me, I've waited long enough and " severe " worries me

that there's a greater risk of doing nothing than of having surgery.

Any advice on surgery, pro or con, type of surgeon, type of surgery

(traditional, endoscopic, laser) or other comments or insight from the

experienced would be appreciated.