Been living with it too long myself, Charlie. They told me I needed a 4-level lumbar fusion in '91, but it would be such a long operation that I didn't have a good chance of surviving it. Less than 50-50 they said. And even if I did survive, about every three years I'd have to have the level above that one done, then the next and the next and so on... And I'd never be able to work again, no matter if the surgery was successful or not. So I said NO THANKS!

I am able to walk but not much more than a mile before I have to rest and let the pain subside. And I keep finding new numb spots. Like the other day I was scratching an itch on my belly and found out the left side right at the level of my navel was numb. What ticks me off is it's only the spots that don't hurt that are going numb. [:@][8D]