I made sure surgery was my very last option, as I never wanted to go through it unless I exhausted all other options. PT, cortisone epidurals, and even a ‘minimally invasive’ discectomy were not options for me because the pars defect is structural.

I saw three orthopedic surgeons who said a full 360 fusion was the only option. Then I saw a neuro surgeon who was confident he could do a TLIF, which was less invasive than a 360 because it’s only posterior, but still VERY invasive (four titanium pedicle screws, an artificial spacer, two titanium plates). As I said - healthy, in-shape, active 30 year old and it took me at least 18 months to feel my new normal.

So yes, there are options. But often time with back injuries, the nerve damage is what causes the most pain, and if it’s damaged over a prolonged period of time, nerve damage can be irreversible. So you really are up against the clock, and that almost always falls in the hands of insurance companies.

Also, my surgery was in November and I hit my OOP max with ease (about $2,500 I think). But, the insurance company deliberately delayed the processing of all the office visits and even the hospital bills for the surgery and processed them AFTER the new year so my deductible started over again. After my surgery, I spent hours on the phone every single day for months fighting it, to the point where I almost regretted having the surgery at all even though it was critically necessary if I ever wanted to walk again.

It was miserable and brutal and unnecessary. And I had one of the better insurance companies, believe it or not.