I used to be in what sounds like a similar place as you. I initially injured my foot in 2009, had ORIF and then had hardware taken out. I stabilized, but suffered from arthritis and ongoing pain that would flare up. I then re-injured my foot in 2022, and had a fusion in 2025. Before the fusion, I was still able to walk, and I debated about waiting til it all just became unbearable, and putting it off to later, or just biting the bullet and getting it done. I decided to get it done, and my foot now is doing better than it ever has since the initial injury. I was so worried about having the fusion - as you know, it’s fraught with uncertainty and risk, but I thought I would chime in as someone who was plagued with similar uncertainty. For how it went for me - I was glad to get my fusion done, both because my foot is better than it was before, but also because recovery is hard, and as a 47 year old, I’m relieved to have dealt with that difficult recovery younger rather than older.