Free from pain , back to her best life .
Nicole Schussler , a nurse of 10 years , was no stranger to back pain . “ 75 % of the job is back breaking ,” she said . “ Lifting patients , running around all the time .” But her pain was never debilitating until 2018 . As much as she loved bedside patient care , she took a desk job as a nurse case manager , hoping that would help .
Fast forward to February 2022 when Nicole ’ s pain had become so unbearable she went to the ER , where she was prescribed a muscle relaxer and steroids to reduce inflammation .
By mid-March , she had lost sensation in the back of her leg and two toes . Nicole went back to the ER , where she was referred to Lara Massie , MD , an AHN neurosurgeon . One MRI later , Dr . Massie explained the issue : a herniated disc in the lumbar region of Nicole ’ s spine . The solution ? A same-day , minimally invasive microdiscectomy to relieve the pressure . Immediately after surgery , Nicole was pain free and able to walk . She soon returned to her passion , bedside patient care . A few months into her new job , she started having arm pain and weakness . She soon went back to Dr . Massie . This time , it was the nerves in the neck region that were causing the problem .
Nicole needed a second surgery — a disc replacement . As fate would have it , Nicole learned she was pregnant during the pre-op process , so the surgery was delayed . “ The plan was to wait till after delivery ,” she said . “ But I wasn ’ t sleeping . I couldn ’ t write , couldn ’ t play with my four boys , couldn ’ t work . I was depressed . I couldn ’ t get out of bed .”
Dr . Massie — along with Mark Rubino , MD , Nicole ’ s AHN OB-GYN — decided Nicole couldn ’ t wait six months for the surgery . “ We determined the safest time to do the procedure would be the 2nd trimester .” Nicole had the surgery during her 17th week of pregnancy , and she went home the following morning with a full range of motion , and a healthy fetus .
“ There ’ s that saying , ‘ Nobody cares how much you know until they feel how much you care ,’” Nicole said . “ I felt that with Dr . Massie . She and her whole team went above and beyond to do what they had to do to treat my pain and give me my whole life back . I ’ m so happy I can be my best self as a mom and a nurse . I tell my husband all the time , Dr . Massie is like an angel to me .”
NEARLY 30 % OF ADULT WOMEN SUFFER FROM LOWER BACK PAIN .
Source : www . cdc . gov
“ I ’ m so happy I can be my best self as a mom and a nurse . I tell my husband all the time , Dr . Massie is like an angel to me .”
Nicole Schussler