Been a long while since I posted, but after reading Hatchet's post and the replies, I had to chime in. I was in a car accident 12 years ago---sitting at a red light when a lady driving a Suburban rear-ended me [bet Hatchet replies that he HATES getting rear-ended] at 45 mph. She was texting, never touched her brakes. My truck was totalled, her Sub was totaled, I was really screwed up. Within an hour, she was back home in Mexico and had no insurance. I had two major operations on my shoulder, 2 of the 4 detached muscles were destroyed and could not be saved, and I had a fragmented disc at c6/c7. Went thru 11 weeks of hell, pain was awful, playing games with my insurance company since the lady had no insurance, going thru phys therapy, but I finally lost all sensation in my right hand and began to lose use of the muscles. Began to stumble. Neurosurgeon contacted insurance company and told them that if I didn't have major surgery they would be in a heap of deep legal shi.. Had surgery 2 days later. 2 screws, titanium plate, cage, cadaver bone, stem cells---the whole shebang. Could not lift anything over 5 pounds for 45 days. But, within a day after surgery, no pain at all. A month after surgery and up until now, pain 1/10 what it used to be. Downside is that you lose flexibility in your cervical area and that puts a strain on the other discs. c5/c6 are starting to get pissed off but I think it will resolve on its own.
Google the surgical procedure and it will scare you. They go in thru your throat, move the esophagus and trachea aside, and attach all the hardware from the rear. That avoids having to cut the muscles in the back of your neck. I went in at 6:30 AM and was discharged a bit after noon. Basically a painless recovery. It's a lot less painful than ablation but the insurance companies don't like it because it costs so much.
In terms of the level of pain and suffering, I would rate it about the same as having to sit thru Biden's State of the Union Address.
I will be selling a bunch of firearms over the next few months at prices far below Gunbroker or elsewhere. Will give substantial discount to veterans. Stay tuned for more info. Not quitting hunting at all, but I need to face reality. Too many guns, too little time left, someone else who can use them should own them.