Hi, I'm 75. I had the same thing and had the surgery 15 years on the first one ago and 6 years ago on the second one and after that I had one on 10/29/23 that was scoliosis surgery from T2 to S1, it wasn't easy I was in the hospital for 10 days 2 of them in ICU with 4 pt. of blood and on the operating table for 14 hours. My doctor was a specialty spine neurosurgeon in Houston, Texas. After getting out of the hospital I have been in rehab ever since and will be through May. I had to learn how to walk again and set differently because I also had screws put in my pelvis to help hold the hardware up so now, I must bend from hips and not waist I have had to do a lot of things differently. Now I'm doing so much better, not in pain. My problem was caused by degenerative disc disease. My mother and sister have it too, my mother had no surgeries and suffered so much and ended up in a wheelchair I watched her go through all this and didn't want that for myself. I hope I have helped you. I know that every person must decide for themselves what's is best for them whatever you decide I wish you the best and God bless you, lady