@ibarrow It has now been almost nine months since my back surgery, and I am doing well. Surgery does not make you the person you were before your back problems developed, but I have an active life largely without pain. There are some yoga poses that I will never do again due to the loss of flexibility, but my goal was to retain the best quality life possible. I succeeded. All of the osteoporosis drugs have the potential to cause side effects, and these can vary widely. Some people seem to take these drugs without any problems. Others have debilitating side effects. There seems to be no certain way of predicting how an individual will fare. For me, high blood pressure was the critical problem that I had with Evenity, but I was able to manage that with medication from my primary care doctor. I quit Evenity after six months and several weeks before my surgery. Now, about ten months later, my blood pressure is normal--managed with a very low dose of BP medication. I had reviews from four back surgeons at four major medical institutions before my operation, and each recommended a different procedure. The one thing about which they all agreed was the necessity for being on Evenity for at least six months prior to surgery. Forteo seems to be a good medication, but it requires daily injections. I preferred to get the monthly injections with Evenity. So, this is probably a decision that you will have to make regarding what you feel is best for you. I will be on Prolia for the remainder of my life to "lock in" the benefits of taking Evenity. I have had one shot of this drug and no issues from that shot. I actually was on Prolia for a while prior to developing serious back problems and had no adverse effects from the medication during that period. I do not know if this helps you in your decision making, but the best advice that I can give you going forward is get as many opinions as you can about the various osteoporosis drugs and about your prospective surgery--so that you can make the most informed decision possible.