Cindy
I had surgery for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis. It was the best thing I ever did. I was in extreme pain with periods of motor control loss in my left leg. Nothing helped. It would very slowly get better and then one day, doing something innocuous like descending stairs, I would be crippled and in pain again. I finally got to see my surgeon when I was in extreme pain. All other times, by the time I got scheduled in to consult with him, I was on my way to recovery (or so it seemed). And he was reluctant to recommend surgery if there was a chance i was getting better. And after all, he had never seen first hand the extent of my disability and pain. So what I told him was I was going to push the envelope and live my life and do the activities I would do if I wasn't afraid of crippling myself again and I asked him to inform his staff that if I called in pain that he would see me right away. So we did that and the next time I saw him he immediately put me in the hospital on morphine and promised me he would get to me within 72 hours. My pain level ON morphine, presurgery was 8. IMMEDIATELY after my surgery it was a 4. There was more pain to come in the recovery process but I was hiking in 3 weeks. It has been 2 years since the surgery (almost exactly) I can ski and SLEEP again. Anyone with lumbar spinal stenosis should get several opinions. This surgeon did not do the usual laminectomy where they remove the back portion of your spine. My spine is intact. There was no muscle trama. He just got in there with a dremel type tool and made more room inside my spine. The incision is small and healed quickly. I wasted two years of my life in pain and depression before finally finding the right surgeon. If your life is on hold and you are in terrible pain a large percentage of the time, keep looking for an answer.