“I neglect I even had surgical procedure; I really feel so regular.”
That is Mary Miller. Six years out from her spinal fusion surgical procedure at UVA Well being, she says she couldn’t be happier along with her selection. “I’m nonetheless pain-free, and I can do any exercise I would like,” she shares. “I neglect I even had surgical procedure; I really feel so regular.”
Mary had suffered from a herniated disc, a painful backbone situation. She confronted the identical tough resolution many individuals face: Ought to she have backbone surgical procedure? And the place ought to she go for care?
When Surgical procedure Makes Sense
Mary needed to do one thing. A nurse for UVA Continuum House Well being, ache made caring for her sufferers tough. She had to surrender yoga, which she liked. The day by day ache left her feeling depressed.
Nonetheless, Mary frightened concerning the restoration time after surgical procedure. Fortunately, her backbone surgeon, Chun-Po Yen, MD, used a minimally invasive method. This helped Mary get better sooner with much less ache. She was in a position to get again to her regular life before she anticipated.
Have Again Ache? Mary’s Recommendation
Mary shares her recommendation for others contemplating backbone surgical procedure: “Don’t surrender and don’t wait,” she says. “I believed surgical procedure wasn’t price it and I lived with ache for years. However the know-how and experience is so superior. I bought nice care at UVA Well being all through my complete expertise.”
Learn this put up Mary shared in 2019 about her spinal fusion at UVA Well being.
Sooner or later in 2007, my again began aching for no obvious cause. Inside 24 hours I had taking pictures, searing ache down my proper leg. My main care physician mentioned I almost definitely had a herniated disc and would wish surgical procedure. However I used to be afraid there could be problems, or the surgical procedure wouldn’t repair my again ache. I made a decision to powerful it out. The ache ultimately bought higher however by no means actually went away. I continued to have numbness in my leg and foot.
In 2014, I had one other massive episode and once more in 2017. The final time, the ache was fixed and there was nothing I might do to make it higher, together with ache medication. I used to be on the level the place I couldn’t bend over and decide issues up off the ground. I couldn’t get garments out of the dryer.
As a Continuum liaison nurse, I used to be making an attempt laborious to not let my sufferers comprehend it damage after I was leaning over to take care of them. I liked yoga, however typically it damage so badly I couldn’t rise up off the ground. It damage to show over in mattress, and getting up within the morning was torture. I contemplate myself a reasonably constructive individual, however the power ache was making me very depressed.
Through the years, I attempted bodily remedy, neurostimulation, and ultimately, a chiropractor. Sadly, that made the ache worse. My chiropractor felt I wanted additional imaging and ordered an MRI. After seeing that the imaging confirmed I had a big herniation, she urged I see a backbone specialist.
Getting Assist From UVA Backbone Heart
From the second I contacted Nicole Gibson, senior medical workplace coordinator, each single individual I encountered was pleasant and conscious of my distinctive wants and difficult work schedule.
Nicole promptly responded to all my telephone calls and MyChart messages. She even scheduled the wanted assessments and appointments round my work hours.
Nicole additionally made positive all of this might be performed in calendar 12 months 2017, as I requested, as a result of modifications coming to my insurance coverage in 2018.
I expressed to neurosurgeon Chun-Po Yen, MD, my want to get again to work as rapidly as attainable, and he urged a modified, minimally invasive strategy to my L5/S1 fusion surgical procedure. This was out of the norm and tougher for him however drastically diminished my restoration time.
This allowed me to return to work sooner than most sufferers who obtain a spinal fusion with a spacer. A spacer is a overseas object a surgeon locations to carry the vertebrae aside so the nerves should not compressed by the ruptured disc.
Lara Myers, NP, taught me what to anticipate throughout and after my surgical procedure. It was very reassuring figuring out I might attain out to her at any time.
My Uneventful Surgical procedure Journey
Each encounter in preparation for my surgical procedure was easy and thorough, and I felt assured main as much as my December 1, 2017 operation. On the day of surgical procedure, the employees was informative and guarded my confidentiality. I additionally felt they had been genuinely involved for what I used to be going by means of. My husband was pleasantly stunned at how typically the employees up to date him on my standing all through the day.
I awakened on 6 West, and so they handled me like a queen. I used to be so impressed with the brand new mattress and its fancy USB port and the consolation measures, like an eye fixed shade and headset.
My ache was managed very nicely — the nurses knew higher than I how you can keep away from extreme post-op ache. They walked me by means of each side of my hospital restoration and checked on me ceaselessly. I not often had to make use of the decision bell. I additionally actually appreciated the assistance I acquired from occupational therapist Erica Umback and bodily therapist Chad Aldridge, who taught me how you can do my day by day actions and stretches with out additional injuring my backbone. Even the meals was good and scorching!
Again to Life & Ache Free
I returned to work on December 26, 2017. Now I really feel like a brand new individual! I not have a limp and may train and transfer. I’m lastly having fun with life once more! I’ve gotten again to all of the issues I had given up for the final couple years, like working within the backyard and lifting heavy issues. Typically I even neglect I had a foul again.
Contemplating Backbone Surgical procedure?
Name 434.243.3633 to make an appointment with a UVA Well being backbone surgeon.
If I speak to somebody who’s experiencing power again ache, I inform them to go see Dr. Yen on the UVA Backbone Heart. I additionally inform them to not be afraid, like I used to be. The nurses, medical doctors, and full UVA workforce actually cares concerning the affected person’s expertise. They’ll do the whole lot attainable to satisfy their each want.
Watch Mary’s Again Ache & Spinal Fusion Story
Mary was so relieved to be freed from her again ache that she wrote a letter to UVA Well being management describing her expertise. Watch her learn it.
