what an interesting thread. the last several posts mad me wand to laugh and cry at the same time.
hold someone responsible for lecturing people in cp about the evils of (gasp) DRUGS!? i used to think my mom and dad knew evcerything and when that opinion changed i thought that I did. see how wrong we can be? we get oldeer, some people (maybe noty e, but some people) grow and admmit their prejudices and mistakes. it's called "growing up" and, in my experience, sometimes it's blinking painful. besides that, i'm not responsible for anything. not my fault. 
i had two back surgeries. at the tinme that i had my first in 2001, i waas vitutally unable to walk due to constant back pain. i was able to walk slowly and painfully with a walker. asfter the surgery i was also to walk unaaided for almost a year and, even today, usually onoly need a cain. i don't know why the pain came back after about a year - my life and activity hadn't really altered. the dr "took out come hardware). it has been very painful since that surgery and, as i saud, i've needed a cane to walk. i was taking vicodin/lortaab before the first operation prn. now i take persc 3x/day and morphine sulfate as needed (a few times a week usually). would i have the operations again? probably not. new studies have found that patients who have laminectomies fare bo better than patients who do not and who use pm. i am leary of these studies, but still pay attention.
hope these ramblings help someone.
warren