I was preparing for another 60 miles
I write this note as a sincere voice of gratitude to the Touch of Health Medical Center and as a personal testimonial to the public of my experiences both of medical success and personal appreciation for the care from the entire staff at Touch of Health. This is my story…l had been an enthusiastic “walker” for years and was preparing for another 60 miles, 3-Day Breast Cancer walk in 2013. I assumed my low back pain was due to the miles I walked in preparation for these events. I visited my primary physician for a routine tetanus injection and mentioned my increasing lower back pain and bilateral lower extremity numbness.
My primary physician ordered a STAT MRI; as I was driving back to work that day my primary physician called and directed me to go to Touch of Health, immediately. I was alarmed to learn a tumor was strangling a nerve along my spine. Surgery to remove a Nerve Sheath Tumor at l4-5 was immediately scheduled; this was late summer 2013. My immediate post-op pain relief was amazing! Recovery with physical therapy was inconsequential. Years went by then in 2016 my aching back returned! I returned to Touch of Health. The alignment of L3/4(forward displacement) had been affected due to the process to remove the tumor in 2013.
I was hoping surgery would not be needed when Touch of Health allowed me a choice of nonsurgical/ conservative interventions, first. I was referred and treated with physical therapy and interlaminar epidural steroid injections though Touch of Health had advised surgical spinal fusion to correct L3/4 3rd-degree spondylolisthesis. These nonsurgical interventions were ineffective. Looking back, I wish I had agreed to move forward with the surgery Touch of Health had first advised in 2016. My increasing low back pain convinced me it was time for surgical repair as Touch of Health had originally advised; a fusion to L3/4 and l4/5 TLIF (Transforaminal Spinal Fusion) was performed-6/2016.
My first 9 months of post-op with physical therapy were unremarkable THEN back pain and ambulation difficulty returned in late Spring 2017. What was going to be my final one-year post-op checkup resulted in scheduling surgery for L3/4 hardware removal; l2/3 and l4/5 TLIF with l2/S fusion was performed in 7 of 2017. “Bittersweet” was so applicable! I dreaded more surgery; HOWEVER, it is now June 2018 and I am returning for my one-year post-op appointment with HUGE gratitude. I have some flexibility limitations due to fusion L2/5; I have adapted to these minor limitations! MOST IMPORTANTLY, the excruciating pain and ambulation limitations are no longer a part of my everyday life. The entire Touch of Health team-office staff, PAs and of course Dr. Michael Thomas were ALL pleasant, calm, thorough and professional in their care pre and post surgeries! I have been an RN, BSN for many decades so, my heartfelt and professional trust is genuine and comes with a medical background and with experiences from both sides of a medical equation patient and professional.
Dr. Michael A. Thomas is a board-certified neurosurgeon who practices general neurosurgery with a specialty in minimally invasive spine surgery, skull base and endoscopic brain surgery. He treats conditions and diseases affecting the nervous system, which includes the brain, spine, spinal cord, and the peripheral nerves. Dr. Thomas has been referred to as a patient-focused professional and a conscientious and skilled neurosurgeon by his colleagues. He is certified by the American Board of Osteopathic Surgeons with a Neurosurgical discipline and the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners.
Patient’s names and details were changed due to HIPAA privacy policy.