Approximately five years ago I injured my neck, bulging a disc between C-5/6. It was a type of excruciating pain that would not be relieved. At the time, I chose to forgo surgery and did years of PT, chiropractic treatments, steroid spinal injections and isolated muscular therapy. These treatments helped but the lost feeling in my left arm and fingers, along with relapses of severe pain in the neck/back, caused me to reconsider the surgical options. It was impacting my quality of life and I could no longer pick up my grandchildren. So I decided to reconsider surgery. After meeting with Dr. Bartie at TCO, I decided to undergo a discectomy. He shared with me that I was a candidate for this surgery versus a typical fusion. As he described the difference, it made the most sense for me. This was great news since I had a colleague undergo neck fusion six months prior who shared that her recovery took 3 months and her neck mobility was still limited after a year. My surgery took place and after waking from the anesthesia, I realized all feeling had returned in my hand and arm. I also no longer had pain associated with the bulging disc. Two days after surgery, I was off all pain medicines and felt vastly improved from the surgical procedure. I returned to work within 2 weeks with full mobility. It’s foreign to be without pain but I consider it to be a miracle. Forever grateful to God, Dr. Bartie, and his team.
