Hi - Hopefully by now you’re well on your way to feeling better. I just joined this group, and wanted to let you know how my situation has progressed. I started being concerned about the pain (as I walked) when I developed foot drop in 2016 - something I had never heard of before. My pain increased continuously. I tried everything I could think of including acupuncture. My physiologist suggested more than once I should consult with a surgeon, but I was afraid of spine surgery and continued to have spine injections (3 or 4) until it didn’t work, and the pain became debilitating. It was torturous pain that plagued me constantly. I lost 20 lbs because even lifting my hand was an effort, and all I could think about was getting through the next minute. I was given opioids which helped to some extent, but I finally gave in and was so lucky to be referred to a neurosurgeon who called me and asked questions and then saw me the next morning - and did a laminectomy the next day. This was possible (and complicated) because it was March 2020 and only emergency surgeries were allowed due to COVID. It was considered an emergency due to the almost complete numbness of my left leg & foot and partial of my right, extreme pain and most concerning, urinary retention. The surgery was done to relief the pressure of the severe spinal stenosis (1 of 3 DX). The pain didn’t go away as quickly as it would have had I had surgery sooner, and not needed so many pain pills - but I didn’t know that then. About a month after surgery I just stopped taking the opioids because they didn’t seem to be helping. Within 8 months I went back because the pain was starting again, and I didn’t want it to get worse. Again, lucky to live where I do - Seattle - where there was a neurosurgeon who did the specialized surgery I needed. I had 2 surgeries on December 6 & December 9, 2021 an anterior with a transplant specialist who moved my organs for the neurosurgeon to “install” the base structure and posterior to “install” the spinal prosthetic to grow the new spine. All was titanium (of course) and my surgery was a Complex Multi-fusion Spine Surgery, T-11 - S-1. I could say it was a tough recovery but although it was a long recovery, I only noticed I was no longer in the pain caused by my spine “deformities” and I kept improving, except for what I believe is permanent nerve damage caused by waiting too long. I still have some numbness in my feet, and still take Gabapentin due to some weird leg feelings when I’m in bed at night (bedding touching can be uncomfortable sometimes) but I’m grateful every day. And just had a TKR so becoming a complete Cyborg!