One of the things I was most impressed by was that the doctors were very thorough in explaining to me exactly what was going on with my body during this process . They make sure their patients know what ’ s happening , what they ’ re going to do , why they ’ re going to do it , and what the results should be .
conditions to scoliosis to trauma patients and specialize in specific areas of spine care which allows patients to get the treatment that is right for them ,” she says .
Her confidence was well placed . “ I remember laying in the hospital bed right after my neck surgery and I said to my husband , ‘ I can feel the strength returning to my hand ,’” she says . “ A couple of days later , I went to get something out of the refrigerator and before I knew it , I had grabbed a drink and as I pulled it out , I was reaching over with my left hand to try and help my right hand to keep from dropping it . Suddenly , I realized , I ’ m not going to drop it . I can hold things now .”
Her neck fusion required a 24-hour hospital stay and a six-week recovery period , before her back surgery . While the neck fusion alleviated the numbness and lack of strength in her hand and arm , her back surgery was becoming increasingly more urgent as she was losing the ability to use her right leg and walk . “ My right leg under my knee felt too heavy to pick up when I tried to walk ,” explained Cheryl .
When it came time to address her back , Dr . Arakal re-evaluated her completely and determined that while he could do a fusion on her back that wasn ’ t what she needed . “‘ What you need ,’ he said , ‘ is an ultra-minimally invasive discectomy which is done endoscopically so that it doesn ’ t disrupt your tissue but more importantly so that it doesn ’ t disrupt your bone ,’” details Cheryl . In this ultra-minimally invasive spine surgery , relief is generally immediate and it requires a very small incision .
Armed with this information , Dr . Arakal referred Cheryl to Dr . Peter Derman a fellow orthopedic spine surgeon at Texas Back Institute who specializes in this specific procedure .
Sending her to Dr . Derman further bolstered Cheryl ’ s confidence in Texas Back Institute . “ They will refer you to the proper doctor for your specific needs and they will ensure the right surgery for you . I ’ ve always known that , but as I was going through the process , it struck home in a different way ,” she says . “ Why would you go anywhere else ? You would want to go to a place where you know no matter what ’ s wrong with you , you ’ ll end up with the surgeon right for you .”
“ One of the things I was most impressed by was that the doctors were very thorough in explaining to me exactly what was going on with my body during this process . They make sure their patients know what ’ s happening , what they ’ re going to do , why they ’ re going to do it , and what the results should be ,” Cheryl explained . Six weeks after her neck fusion , Cheryl went in for back surgery at 1 p . m . and was home by 5:30 p . m . the same day . “ I ’ m an insider and work for these doctors , I get it , but when it happens to you , it ’ s weird . I had just gotten back from recovery , and they said , ‘ You ’ re going home .’ I thought , ‘ I can ’ t walk , I just got back from recovery ,’” says Cheryl , who was pleasantly surprised to find out she could walk without any issues .
Not only is she pain free , but she also has full mobility , and her headaches are a thing of the past . She ’ s also gained a fresh perspective on her job . Roughly three months post-surgery and Cheryl reflects on her positive experience as a patient of Texas Back Institute . “ It may sound cliché but going through this situation motivates me more to help get patients who are suffering with neck or back pain or issues to our doctors who can help get them back to their lives .”
As Cheryl embarks on a pain-free life , she ’ s excited for a future that includes holding her grandchildren . “ I have a one year old granddaughter that I had not been able to pick up . Especially over the last year , I was afraid I might drop her . I love being able to pick her up now without having to sit down first and have someone hand her to me !”
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