@draw I've had two lumbar decompressions. All 5 of my siblings have had a lot more than that for back problems. I seem to have dodged that bullet, except for some stenosis that was probably the result of a fall from a ladder, landing sitting on the ground with my back against a concrete wall. Avoidable. Oops!

The advice from my siblings is that I avoid surgery beyond decompression. Fusions and rods have been hard on them, so unless it becomes clear that such procedures are needed, I'm going with the least invasive treatment. That's not to say that I'd refuse surgery if I get to that place, but if that time does come, I'll be asking for input from more than one doctor, for sure.

I trust that the responses to your post are proving to be helpful.

Jim