Medical Endeavors w/ my Herniated and Degenerative Lumbar Disc

I consider myself pretty literate on the spine. I've read over a thousand articles, forums, posts, testimonials, success and tragic stories, etc... I've also visited a bunch of doctors, all of which have completely different views on the subject.  In new york, one of the top doctors in the US on the field, Dr. Frank Cammissa, recommended ALEVE and physical therapy. If that didn't work within 6 months, he wanted to cut me open for a micro-discectomy. In costa rica, a well-known orthopedic surgeon recommended spinal decompression. I tried the DRX-9000 machine, which they had, with absolutely no change in pain levels or even MRI results. In other countries, they recommended massages. They got rid of a few knots on my upper back. That's it. Other people recommended that I just pray. Sure, this is a good idea, but I can't JUST pray. I have to pray AND try to do something about the problem and hope it works. (Recommendation for believers in miracles: stop telling peop...

Alright guys! I'm back from the Stem Cell Re-Injection! Boy has it been a busy and eventful day. Let me guide you through the details: I traveled alone and arrived in Denver at 11:00 AM on March 21st. I went to pick up my car rental and drove to the mall near the clinic to get some food before the 3:00pm appointment (I got some sushi because I heard fish oil is good for joints!). I arrived at the clinic at 2:00pm only to be greeted by the $3000 for the stem cell re-injection.  Anyways, they took me inside at 2:45pm, took my blood pressure, and injected me with an antibiotic. They say the antibiotic was necessary to prevent infections, given the size of the stem cell needle. Finally Dr. Schultz walks in and guides me through the process. We go over the MRI's and he develops an injection strategy (I guess it depends on where the herniation is and where you pain travels to). He decided to go with a LEFT approach. Also, he decided to do only ONE (1) stem cell re-injection for t...