Thomas knows how to deal with chronic pain. After suffering from a work injury decades ago, even relatively simple tasks like bending over to tie his shoes sent pain throughout his body. The resulting immobility and headaches lingered for so long that Thomas grew accustomed to this decreased quality of life.
“I thought that was just natural,” he shared. “I thought I was going to live that way the rest of my life.”
When he tried to set up appointments elsewhere, Thomas was told he would have to wait several months before he could even speak to a provider. Then he called Hillsdale Spine Center, and within a month he had his first appointment with Dr. Amritraj Loganathan, the hospital’s spine surgeon. After an initial consult, he was scheduled for an artificial cervical disc fusion due to the deterioration in his cervical spine.
“Thomas had a very large disc herniation between the C6 and C7 vertebrae that was pinching the spinal cord significantly,” said Dr. Loganathan. “He also had some arthritis in his cervical spine at this level, including some changes in his ligaments that were also putting pressure on the spinal cord.”
Dr. Amritraj Loganathan, Neurosurgeon
Dr. Loganathan educated Thomas thoroughly about the next steps in his journey to better health, even calling him personally to answer any questions he had about his upcoming procedure. “When we see some of these other arthritis changes and changes in the ligament behind the spinal cord, sometimes somebody is not a great candidate for an artificial disc and rather is a good candidate for a fusion instead,” Dr. Loganathan said. “That was the case for [Thomas].”
On the day of his cervical fusion, while the nursing staff prepped Thomas for surgery, they kept him comfortable and relaxed. When Thomas woke up after surgery, one of the first things he did was stand up and bend over to see if he could tie his shoes. To his amazement, he could do it without any pain.
“At 60 years old, I woke up to a whole different body,” Thomas said.
Without a headache clouding every moment, Thomas was shocked at how clearly he could think. With this clarity came the realization that enduring chronic pain for so many years had impacted more than just his physical well-being.
“Even my emotions, I could feel them,” Thomas said after the surgery. “You know, it just sounds so crazy, but I was just…in a different state of mind because everything I felt was pain.”
After surgery, Thomas’ team from Hillsdale Hospital designed a recovery plan to fit his individual needs and continued to monitor his progress closely.
From his doctor at Hillsdale Hospital calling him personally about his treatment plan, to the kindness of nursing staff on his surgery day, to the outpatient therapy services, Hillsdale Hospital’s team supported Thomas in every step of his journey to relief from pain. Now, Thomas has a new outlook on life.
“I wish I would’ve gotten the operation done 20, 30 years ago,” he said. “I feel so good.”
Learn more about Hillsdale Spine Center or call (517) 439-5411.
