I'm sorry you had such a bad night. I hope you have a better day and night. I wish I had something useful to say. Hugs.

And your Doctor said that you had to wait because......???????? Age? If is age, that is BS because I know of plenty of teens that had fusion surgeries and are doing fine. Talk to your Doctor tell him what is going on and that you CAN NOT continue living like this! If he doesn't listen, go to another Neurosurgeon for a second opinion, heck, go to a third one if you have to!
I don't know how many levels you need fuse, but depending on what's wrong with you, you might want to consider ADR (artificial Disc replacement). So find a Doctor that does ADR and go from there.
No one should have to suffer this way, when there is technology available. {{{{Hugs}}}}

ooo I can releate, I used to enjoy sleeping back in the day when I didn't wake up 3-4 times a night, tossing and turning endlessly, just praying for daylight.

some things that helped me I got a body pillow to help keep my spine in better alignment, and take any meds that induse sleep.

Hope this helps

I would get a second opinion and FAST. Unless you have a LOT wrong with you, I don't know why you need fusion. You have sciatica. That's where the sciatic nerve is being compromised by a disc pushiing on it. And he says you have to wait as long as possible? That's rich! My doctor waited too long to operate on me for sciatica and now I have it PERMANENTLY!!! I've had it for 24 years now!!! It's awful!! There is NOTHING that can be done for me, as i've gone to the heads of very prominent hospitals for it.

It sounds to me like all you need is decompression surgery, but I'm not doctor. You might have all kinds of things wrong, but TOO MANY FUSIONS are done in this country for NOTHING. And the when you have fusion, the levels above and below become unstable and you end up needing more surgery. It's a never ending cycle. Please get at least one if not 2 or 3 other opinions. This doc isn't thinking of your well-being, especially when he says you need to wait as long as possible. usually that's true, but not when you have sciatica and numbness.

I wish you the very best. Please let us know what happens. God bless. Hugs, Lee

hi there- im 22 and had a fusion a few months ago... I am not your doctor but I do think you should try for a lesser surgery first, I had the decompression surgeries first and fusion as a last resort. Fusion is not the end of the world though if it comes down to it, but of course its best to avoid it if its not completely necessary

Don't know what to say, but just wanted to write that I am terribly sorry to hear that you are going through all that pain. I really hope you feel better. It is just awful when you can't sleep. Please do take care and feel better soon!

i had 3 years of numbness and could not sleep from an injury. Acupuncture has helped numbness, spasms, been able to sleep a little better more nights.

Thank you everyone for your replies. It means a lot to me to be able to vent and talk to others who know what I'm going through.

Tipper - I have had a discectomy & but I slipped a few weeks after surgery and now its an annular tear that is the problem. There is not pressure on my nerve from the disc (or at least there wasn't with my last MRI a few months back) just the acidic disc fluid leaking onto the nerve. So my nerve is always irritated.

The doctor has stated that the only thing that has been successful at fixing an annular tear is a fusion and that we need to postpone it as long as possible because a fusion does not always make the pain better. Also because of the percentage of people who have to have more surgeries afterward. I'm 40 years old, so I don't think its an age thing. I have to get my finances a little more in order before being out of commission for a long period of time or be in so much pain that I can't take it any more. Whichever comes first.

Leeall - I have worried about permanent nerve damage. I'm sorry you have had to deal with it as long as you have.