Spinal Fusion: Relief or Regrets?

Apologies for assuming that there is someone in this age group who, like me in my 70s, has arthritis which has adversely impacted my spine. I hope instead that you’re all avid runners and golfers and have no aches and pains. Unfortunately I do and the orthopaedist said that my MRI results indicate slippage of my vertebrae among other things including nerve compression resulting in pain along one side of my body. The “only way to fix” this is spinal fusion a procedure about which I have VERY SERIOUS reservations. I will be receiving an epidural injection to see if that helps and will be seeking second, perhaps third, opinions but wondered if anyone out there has had this surgery and lived to tell about it. Ironically my late DH was scheduled to have it in 2016 but never did because preliminary tests revealed lung cancer which eventually killed him. He had already had one less invasive back surgery (doc says I’m not a candidate for that) and a number of interventions that weren’t able to alleviate his pain so he decided to have the procedure.