Intro and Spinal Stenosis

[Guest guest]

Hello to all,

My name is Ellen and I was diagnosed with Spinal Stenosis about three

years ago. At the time it wasn't bad enough to do anything with.

However, the pain got progressively worse the past four or five

months, so I went back to get rechecked. The MRI showed that it was

now moderate to severe along with a slipped disk. I have constant pain

in my lower back along with with severe pain down the backs of both

legs, hip pain and tingling and numbness in both feet along with

tingling up both legs at least to the knees. I saw a neurosurgeon who

couldn't tell me a lot because the MRI place had given me the wrong

films. I saw a spine surgeon with the right films and he said that the

slipped disk is compressing the nerves constantly. I also have

narrowing in the same disks along with osteoarthritis in my spine. I

have done all the other options, so the only thing now left to do is

surgery. I will have to have a laminectomy along with fusion. I'm

nervous about the surgery, but more nervous about not having it and

having things get worse. Any comments? Has anyone had the surgery and

how was it for you? Your help is greatly appreciated. I also posted

this on Care Place because I wasn't sure which one everybody read.

Ellen