http://www.bigstory.ap.org/article/p...l-need-surgery
["NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Pelicans forward Ryan Anderson says doctors want him to rest for about two months before they determine whether he needs neck surgery to repair a herniated disk.
Anderson said he is now nearly pain-free with the help of medication, and is optimistic about his long-term future in the NBA. However, he is unsure whether he will be able to play again this season, his sixth.
"Obviously, I want to get back as soon as possible, but this is something that if I got hit again, it could be more than just career ending. I want to be careful about it," Anderson said, speaking publicly Monday night about his injury for the first time since it occurred in a collision with Boston's Gerald Wallace on Jan. 3. "We're going to find out pretty soon how it's healing and depending on if it's healing (on its own), then we'll just keep going with that. But if not, we'll do the surgery."
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Anderson, who was taken off the court in traction after the injury, said he never lost feeling in any extremities, but initially had "terrible" nerve pain shooting from his elbows to his fingers, making it difficult to do something as simple as scratch his own nose. ..."]