I have high hopes. And if those fail, I have a better handle on how to use OTC drugs to combat the pain. And if THAT fails, I do have narcotic options, I just find them unpleasant.

While I'm sure I will be whiny and bitchy for the next few days and John will probably breathe a sigh of relief when he puts me on the plane... I'm largely okay with temporarily increased pain in order to get rid of the long-term pain. What's killing me has been that the pain never goes away, and no matter how many times I beat it into submission with drugs it will still come back. That we're looking at non-surgical options to make the underlying problem go away is all sorts of happy.

Up until this, the most successful way for me to reduce the pain was to go for a walk around the mall until something moved and I was in excruciating pain while I hobbled back to my car and for a couple hours afterward. As the pain subsided, it would generally go down to levels lower than when I started-- but it would take a day or two. This isn't all that much different, except that I get to be sedated and it will speed up healing instead of just moving what the disc is pressing on.