Hi there @rbcookson. Understandably, you have concerns about how having surgery will affect fibromyalgia pain. As the article you attached previously references, fibromyalgia creates heightened sensitization which means you may feel things a little more severe after surgery. I have not had laminectomy or fusion surgery but can share that when I was at the Mayo Clinic Pain Rehabilitation Center for chronic central sensitization syndrome (CSS), I learned from Dr Christopher Sletten, that the overall management plan of living with chronic heightened sensitivities are to manage emotional, behavioral and physical health in order to strengthen both mind and body to help control pain. And while having surgery may stir up or intensify symptoms, hopefully the reward outweighs the risk for you. My best advice would be to make sure you have emotional support and distraction from friends and family, make sure you use positive self-talk to help yourself get through challenges. Do you practice diaphragmatic breathing and mindfulness? Music helps me for distraction, and guided imagery...sounds fancy, but it's just me imagining a comforting, peaceful place in my head that I can escape to for a moment. How might you escape?

My laminectomy will be Friday. August 18th.