Another update. I've been doing PT for the last 4 weeks. Some progress - much less pain - times with no pain. Walking or standing is what gets it going again though. Sometimes I can walk 25 steps and be hurting like hell, other times it takes 200 step. Beyond that - well, that always ends up hurting.
I saw the neuro surgeon today as well. Kind of a frustrating experience. His first comment was "you have quite a large rupture there". Initially, he was plowing straight down the path of " you need surgery", He seemed to be describing a partial disc ectomy - cut away the parts sticking out where they should not be. Then it seemed out of now where, he was next saying "let's try 4 more weeks of PT and see how you are doing then". At one point I mentioned the dirt biking - he glances at my chart (to note my age), and responds " at 35 maybe, but at 45 you had better stop riding motorcycles". Getting any clear answers out of this guy was not so easy - I walked away not really knowing what the hell to think! Kind of reading between the lines of some of his comments, my guess is he has concluded surgery is the way to go, and that ulitmately PT wont do it, but no harm in trying it for a few more weeks just in case it might be enough.
Bottom line is, I plan on getting a second opinion now that I have my first. I dont want surgery, but I do want to know for sure that PT only is the right course for me. I did not get clear enough info from this guy to make a decision either way. So...I will keep up with the PT while I get an appointment made for a second look see by a surgeon and go from there.
Fred T - are you familiar with Saginaw Vally Neurosurgery (Dr. Malcolm Fields)? If so...what do you know?