Oh thank you! You are a sweetheart and a wise owl! I was worried to take the painful plunge not knowing the depth! LOL

A very happy and safe holiday to you and yours!

You're very welcome and glad I was able to help.

Hi Di, I thought I'd relieve some of your anxiety.  I also had back surgery quite a few years ago.  It's not as invasive as it once was.  Mine was for a collapsed disc, but it's done with Laproscopic surgery.  I only have a small 1 to 2" scar on my spine.  I literally walked out of the hospital and did some grocery shopping before I went home.  I suffered for 4 months before I could get it done, but I would do it again in a heartbeat.  Hope all goes well for you.

Bingo

Hi Bingo. Thanks for the info. Where was your collapsed disc located? Mine is in the lumbar section - I don't recall exactly which one L3, L4 or whatever. I'm certain the type of surgery will depend on how bad the disc is and where it's located.

The doctors here have called my problem a "slipped" disc. I did a little research and discovered -

What Is a Herniated Disc?

People may use several different terms when referring to a herniated disc, including:

• Slipped disc
• Collapsed disc
• Ruptured disc
• Prolapsed disc

I'm going to try to get in to see a doctor that my cousin went to a few years ago. The two doctors I saw previously really wouldn't go into much detail and I didn't like that. My cousin is a retired operating room technician (or surgical technician) and worked with many surgeons in the past. She highly recommends this doctor who did her surgery.

I've been putting up with this pain for about 3 years now. It was first diagnosed as bulging discs and spinal stenosis. Then about a year later as a slipped disc. I'll start working toward getting something done after the first of the year.

Thanks again for your input.

Hi again,  Mine was L4.  I didn't know my back surgeon before the surgery, but I had a very good family doctor.  I think that's what made the difference.  I had back problems,(similar to you) for years, after being thrown from a hay wagon when I was in my teens.  The disc didn't totally collapse until I was in my late 50's.  I hope everything goes well for you.  Let me know how you make out.

Thanks, Bingo. I'll wait until after the first of the year to try and get an appointment. Like most doctors, I expect it will be maybe 2 months before I can get in since I will be a new patient. But that's okay because I know, unless it's an emergency, I need to wait until after school is out for the surgery to make it easier for my son to help me.

My sister and I talk nearly every day but we haven't this week because her husband is home on vacation. I talked with her Christmas Day and Sunday but hadn't since then. I called her today to talk for just a few minutes. She told me she and her husband had been exposed to a people with Covid TWICE this week.

The first time was Sunday when she visited our mother who lives now with our younger brother. She got a call from Mom Wednesday telling her that one of our brother's sons (who still lives at home) had tested positive for Covid. This 24-year old has not had the vaccine nor has anyone else in that household of 7 people. (God will take care of them.) My mom included.

On Monday my sister and her husband visited with her son and his family. People there included her son, daughter-in-law, her two granddaughters (ages 11 & 13), her daughter-in-law's two older sons (in their early 20s) from an earlier marriage. My sister got a call Thursday that one of the sons had tested positive for Covid - Omicron variant. My sister's son and daughter-in-law are vaccinated/boosted but none of the kids are. No excuse for the two boys in their 20s. So my sister is isolating for the time being. The good news is she and her husband have both been vaccinated/boosted.

Myself, I haven't been anywhere. The only people I've been around in the past couple of weeks are my son and grandson. They came here today to help with housework. My son's entire family (including both boys ages 15 & 13) are vaccinated and boosted. I didn't go to his house Christmas Day because my ex and his wife were going to be there and they haven't been vaccinated. I was just being safe.

I wish people would just get the vaccine!!

Wow  just speechless.. I hope this will be a wake up call to some people. Stay safe