Eliana Kurti

I woke up one morning in August 2014 with excruciating pain in my neck and down my left arm. After going to hospital I was told I had a herniated disc. I received no referrals from the hospital and found my way to a pain management doctor who sent me to physical therapy. PT did help at the beginning to bring the pain level down from excruciating (level 12 on the pain scale) to a manageable level (level 6), but still I faced the possibility of constant pain. I spoke to doctors from another spine hospital who were pushing for injections. I was uncomfortable about that considering they couldn't tell me if it would work or for how long. It just seemed to be a band aid over a serious wound. A friend of mine who had back surgery at HSS strongly urged me to reach out to the doctors there. I found Dr. Girardi on the site doing an insurance search and sent in my films and reports. They called me back and after my visit he told me what I already knew, this wasn't going to go away on its own. I had spinal stenosis and the ruptured disc was pressing on a nerve. I scheduled surgery with him for January, but had to suffer through December where I had repeated flare ups of pain that honestly left me in tears and had to cancel Christmas celebrations as I was incapable of cooking or just being around others. I was also having to use pain killers on a daily basis just to get through the day. It was miserable. I was nervous about the surgery as this was the most serious procedure I had ever had. However, the reputation and words of other patients in my similar situation helped to make me feel more relaxed. After my surgery, I could tell immediately that it had worked. The pain in my neck and the nerve pain running down my arm was gone! They recovery went well and I didn't have any complications of any sort. I'm now in physical therapy again, and can report that I have a very good range of motion with my neck and can do most of my regular activities. Dr. Girardi ended up doing a three level fusion on me. I'm working to get my muscles back in good working order, but it is an enormous relief not to have daily pain. My friends and family can see on my face how much better I am. Chronic pain will change your personality and it just makes you miserable. I feel like I have my life back. I can't say enough about HSS. My experience was great. The hospital itself was wonderful and the staff were so kind and caring. I really would like to thank all of them who took such good care of me. I don't remember your names, but will never forget your kindness, care and attention. I have talked to a few people since my surgery who say they are having problems and I've been telling them to find a doctor at HSS. I will be eternally grateful. Keep up the good work.