Everybody has an opinion...

...the question is when do I listen and when do I learn to block some out or just let them roll off me? I have gotten SOoooooooo many people's opinion about my back and my upcoming (gulp) surgery...what I should do, how I should do it, when or not to do it etc.

So yes this post is devoted ONCE again to my darn back and it's issues (I'm getting bored with this topic...dunno 'bout you?!). Many of the people that give opinions are family and friends that I care so much about and VALUE their opinions. I try to take what I can from them, either learning more, finding out I need to do more research, or putting it in my thought bank to come and discuss it with my awesome, loving, sounding board of a hubby. And BOY have I really come to him A LOT about this. He truly is the opinion that matters the most to me... I want him to see me healthy. I want him to really know how happy I am - where we are...

It's so hard to hear EVERYBODY and what they think - especially when I get people who barely know what is going on, they don't know the pain I have (as I sit here typing this half standing/half sitting because I hurt SO bad tonight), they just want to throw their thoughts in... maybe to get heard, maybe because they only think a certain way, - or maybe they do truly care. But I got bombarded with some comments earlier and WOW... I just got all stressed & second guessing our decision... one we have not taken lightly, one we, as a unit, my wonderful mr sounding board & I, have discussed for MONTHS... not days my friends, MONTHS & MONTHS.

A light example~

"well is he the best surgeon you could possibly have? You need to check EVERYONE and only let someone "cut you open" (yeah I love that line when I am looking at doing it in only a few short days - like i'm not scared enough with hearing CUT you OPEN...) that is experienced.

or
it's your back... "(Really? It is? It's my back and my body?).


Or there's this one:
"why would he put the metal in the front? are you sure that is the best place? maybe you should see how many he's done?!! (Nah... he's a newby - why not?!)
you should try to exhaust all your other options.... (Oh come on... seriously?! Really?! - do they honestly think that I haven't done EVERYTHING I could have??).

Here's a recent good one:
will it rust?! (I cannot even COMMENT on this one).

And the best comment ever...

are you sure you want to do this?! (NOOOOOoooooooooooo!!!! But do I have any other choice?)

Man it was rough to hear some things. But I guess I need to hear them. I need to be sure, convinced that I am doing the right thing. That I am truly ready to be done with a disfunctional back, done with pain and ready for the hard road to recovery. We've done everything we can, researched EVERY option available, and I would just end up here eventually. I am scared. Sure I would be dumb and kidding myself if I didn't admit to that. Maybe I should think about that and really focus on getting that feeling unraveled... but right now I am miffed. Miffed that I feel I am second guessing myself from other opinions that were forced on me.

(second edit - i had to make sure I didn't post right away - that i vented some feelings - and then reeled some in...that way i could actually feel ok by posting! hehehehe)

Musing on dumb opinions...