On January 3, 2016, Dr. Jeffrey Carlson performed a revision of a lumbar decompression and fusion on me at the only 5* orthopedic hospital in our area, Mary Immaculate Hospital. His care and concern for me were above and beyond what I could have expected.
After talking to many people who had similar pain, I began to think that my golfing for 2016 was out of the question. I was expecting a 6-8 month recovery period and that made me kind of blue. My family and I decided that the best plan for recovery for me was to spend some time in a rehabilitation facility so that I would have constant care and therapy. When it was time to go home, I had learned to walk independently and go up and down steps. Walking was my best therapy when I got home. But, what I really wanted was to play golf!
My lucky story is that on April 19, 2016, 3 ½ months after my surgery, I played 18 holes of golf with no pain. Though my golf game really did not get any better, my spirits did as I played and laughed with my friends. Three and a half months and I was back to my own life style. Since that time, I have climbed the peak of a mountain in the Carpathian mountains in Romania, toured London walking 6-8 miles a day, and begun training for walking the One City Half Marathon.
I am proud of our work. I realize that I am blessed and luck to be back to a better normal. Thank you, Dr. Carlson, for making me well.
—Sandra K. Pullen-Droessler