Thank you guys so much for your support! I'm very interested in the suboxone program. I have a pain management doctor and I can ask him. He wants to put me on a spinal chord stimulator which I won't do. I want to resume my occupation.
One reason I wanted to get off was that I have an upcoming interview in China for a cargo pilot job and I would have to pass the CAAP medical exam, which takes days. They told me the surgeries were not disqualifying, but medications are. I am certain they will test for everything. I just talked this over with my wife. It's too hard to go through the w/d in such a short time so I'm going to go to Shenzhen and take the tests, and if I pass, fine, and if I don't I'll take the couple of weeks and do the suboxone and go try another country. Japan and India are hiring pilots frantically, even though the airline I was out on medical leave/ret. went out of business this year, so I can't go back there. But and I could possibly get a better-timed interview in India or Japan.
Thanks a whole bunch.