@upstatephil
Question for upstatephil. I'm curious about your symptoms and imaging for the decision to have L2-L5 fusion. Do you have degenerative discs, retrolisthesis, spondylolisthesis, any other spine instability issues? Did you have any abdominal discomfort, bowel/bladder involvement, tingling in groin/legs/feet? If you had any of that, has the surgery helped? How is your range of motion now compared to before surgery? Bending, twisting, etc.? I think you said you are about a year out from the surgery, what was it like 3 months, 6 months?
I'm trying to deal with abdominal issues, determining what's causing it, and not sure I want to do fusion until I get that resolved. I've got Dr. appointments soon that may give me answers, I hope. But my lumbar has retrolisthesis L2 to S1, with L4/5 level 1 spondy. One neurosurgeon says to fuse L4/5, another says it wouldn't help. Trying to get a third opinion, but it's going to be August at the earliest and maybe Dec!
I'm not sure how to post so that it prompts your Mayo Connect site, so I'm posting a reply another way just in case. Also adding that my abdominal discomfort is cramping/maybe some distention not entirely sure if it gastric related, abdominal adhesions from GB surgery, or what? I have apt with gastroenterologist this coming week to hopefully provide answers/direction. Also trying to get apt with neurologist with PT background ASAP. I'm hanging in there doing what I can to maintain while the medical appointments play out.