hi,
thank-you for your brief history.
I also agree to your friend and ex-wife. Rather going for an implant it's better if you try out a different alternative medicine. Since medicinal part must have almost been tired to support your system and your system didn't cooperate now it will be time to try out the alternative medicine.
To start with I will recommend you to do regular
meditation and breathing exercises.
meditation will help control the mind to be under control and keep your mood swings at bay.
Later on breathing exercises to help improve the
oxygen saturation levels in the blood. as healing of cells takes place by good oxygen saturation.
then I want you to perfrom some upper limb and lower limb exercises. later to focus on core stability and spine muscle Strengthening.
As exercise will improve the muscle strength and keep the spine stronger to avoid any compression pain and aches. Also exercises will help improve the
metabolism of the cellular functioning which later on help the medical treatment to respond well
I have seen many cases where the combination of all things with variation from time to time to its implementation will be surely helpful.
you should try this out, incase this fails you can go for spinal implant.
99% of the problem of you will be solved for which I am very hopeful without the need of implant.
with the grace of God I wish you a speedy recovery