Orthopaedics
Tina’s Story - Page 4
Isthmic Spondylolisthesis and Spinal Fusion Surgery
Tina had an unexpected setback when she found she needed more surgery, unrelated to her back problem. It slowed her rehab process down and she began to worry that the bone graft wasn’t taking. Than at three months, the x-rays showed new bone growth. “I don’t know whose smile was bigger – Debbie’s, Dr. Rubery’s or mine,” Tina recalls.
It’s been almost a year now, and Tina can hardly wait for her anniversary visit to Dr. Rubery. “I went from being bent over to standing straight! There’s no pain at all now and I can do everything I want to do. I have energy I’ve never had before. An unexpected plus is an issue with my stomach. I’ve always had problems. It appears that my whole frame had been putting pressure on my digestive tract. And guess what? I’m an inch talker. I was 5’2” and now I’m 5’3”. People keep asking me if I’ve lost weight because I look so different now that my posture is normal.”
Tina doesn’t plan on doing any triathlons but she is looking forward to a normal life, walking, visiting her now-grown children and even learning to golf with her golf-addict husband.
She’s so appreciative of her happy ending and says, “Dr. Rubery gave me back my life.
I can’t say it strongly enough. Anyone suffering with this condition should deal with it sooner rather than later. My quality of life is much improved. You don’t actually know how much of a drain it is until you have no pain.”
All treatment and outcome results are specific to the individual patient. Results may vary. Complications, such as infection, blood loss, or nerve damage are some of the potential adverse risks of spinal surgery. Please consult your physician for a complete explanation of indications, warnings, precautions, adverse events, clinical results, and other important medical information.