Lindsay

It was Halloween weekend in 2021 when I first felt the excruciating pain going down my left leg. It was a challenge to stand up for more than 20 minutes at a time without having to rest on the couch. I have two young kids and they were so excited for Halloween so I did my best to power through the weekend, but I knew deep down that something was seriously wrong. Over the next few days, the pain level went from an 8/10 to a 12/10 and the only position I found some sort of relief in was lying on my stomach while on the floor. The pain in my left leg was unlike any pain I've felt before. It was relentless and took away my mobility almost instantly. I couldn't stand/sit/walk for more than a few minutes at a time without collapsing to my stomach for relief. By the 2nd week of pain, I started experiencing loss of sensation from my left glute all the way down to my left foot. My leg was getting weaker too and I was growing more and more scared.

By mid-November, I was able to get an MRI and it showed a massive herniation of my L5/S1 and I was able to set up an appointment with Dr. Evan Sheha fairly quickly. The moment I met him I knew he was going to be the one to help me. He was kind, took my pain seriously and was always honest about the path we were going to follow. Nobody wants to hear that they are going to end up needing spine surgery, but I have never been more grateful to have had this option. I trusted Dr. Sheha 100% and knew that he would do an incredible job. He walked me through the procedure, he listened and answered all of my questions without any sense of arrogance and he even helped me find some laughs despite the pain I was enduring. So, on 12/1/21, I actually looked forward to my microdiscectomy because Dr. Sheha made me feel so hopeful. Additionally, I'd like to take a moment to highlight Dr. Thomas Quinn, my anesthesiologist for the procedure. He had such a calming presence and explained everything in great detail. He was wonderful!

As I write this, I'm a little over 3 months post-op and I will say that on average I feel 85% better! Recovery has been a journey, but I believe I am still recovering and healing. My sensation has been restored in my left foot to almost 90% of what it was and my leg continues to grow stronger and stronger each day. The nerve pain is a 0-1/10 95% of the time now and because of this I have been able to swim, walk, stand, sit, drive and most importantly, keep up with my husband and children again. So, Dr. Sheha, THANK YOU for giving me my life back. I'm so lucky our paths crossed and that you were the one to operate. Your incredible knowledge, kindness, honesty and optimistic nature makes you a one-of-a-kind surgeon.