[ADRADR]

Dear Gene,

Thank you for your response. I understand I am not in constant severe pain and disability at the time, but its been basically determined that it will not get better and is going to continue to get worse over time. Little evidence supports that waiting is the best option, aside from to avoid risks with surgery -- the likelihood for a good outcome decreases. Things I love are no longer options, and that is unacceptable for me, and worth the risks associated with surgery to correct. Anyway I appreciate your advice, and I have given everything months worth of careful consideration as far as whether I want to do the surgery. If I am able to get the money together I've already decided that I want to do it. I miss living my normal life too much, and have little value for the life I live now.

I've come to that conclusion about Ritter-Lang and Clavel, but didn't know there was a better way to reach Clavel so thank you for that.

With regards to surgery in the US, if I'm going to do this, I'm going to either stack the odds in my favor or not at all. I am far too young to let anyone put a ball and socket design in me I think. I feel as if long-term results will be questionable. I think the Freedom disc is going to end up the best disc on the market, but I haven't read many reviews from people who have seen Rischke which concerns me. The M6 is also very good minus the amount of disruption to bone and precision required for placement, and Clavel has outstanding reviews.

I can probably save enough money if I did the surgery a year from now, so if that's the option than I'll take it, and I think by that time it will be more certain whether ADR is the best option, even though I already personally believe it is. The longer I wait, the more likely more degenerative changes to other structures.