why surgery?

from an e-mail to a friend:

I got a fusion. I had two discs (L4/L5 & L5/S1) which were so squished it was basically bone on bone. So they fused three vertebrae together. I waited as long as I could, really didn't want to get surgery at all. Thought I might try disc replacement, but in the end, opted for the old tried-and-true procedure. I've been suffering with constant pain for almost 3 years, taking pain medication and trying various remedies to little avail, and it seemed like things were starting to get worse, so I decided to go under the knife. Hoping and believing that I will be pain-free after the recovery. It's been just over a week, and I'm still hurting pretty bad -- hard to say at this point. Call or e-mail if you want to discuss.