u/Peachdeeptea

I have been struggling for years, and these last 5 months have been the worst of it. I'm experiencing saddle numbness but the scans apparently don't show cauda equina (although I'm worried somehow we're missing something). I'm worried that every day incurs more and more nerve damage. I have so much anxiety I feel like I could combust any minute.

Bless everyone who's ever had to deal with a herniation, or any spine issue. This has been the hardest chapter of my life.

I just need to make it 36 days. Praying that insurance approves. 36 days!!!

Hi all,

I am 33F and have been dealing with L5/S1 issues for the last four years.

Long story short: 8mm herniation in 2022 > grew to 12mm in 2024, lost feeling in saddle area and right leg > microdiscectomy 04/24 > long and difficult recovery > reherniated 12/25 at 6mm > latest CT shows 8mm herniation

I'm really tired. I'm being told by surgeons to tough it out if I can, but I don't know where the line is. I got an injection last week and there's been a ton of relief, but pain is definitely still there. Now I can walk for about 15 minutes, be up for 30 minutes total, drive and sit about 10, and I can orgasm again (lost that for the majority of 2024-2025). Pain does dip to 1/10 if I'm laying down, which I'm grateful for.

I don't know when enough is enough. I'm talking to an adr surgeon now and he said "let's get you back to living". That sounds incredible but I don't know if I'm jumping from the skillet into the fire. For four years we haven't traveled, we haven't started our family, and I'm having a hard time seeing a future where we can do either of those things.

Do I tough it out and continue to wait (keep in mind the timer is ticking on kids), or should I just pull the trigger on an ADR or fusion?