It all started in 1996—I was out raking leaves and I felt all this pain in my back. Went to a doctor a friend recommended. Had an MRI—they found a herniated disk and they wanted to operate right away. I asked if I could try physical therapy first, before any surgery, and they said yes. I got better, but it never went away. I suffered with pain—but not severe. Over the years I developed spinal stenosis. It hurt to pick up my granddaughter. I couldn’t straighten up and my back was really hurting.
I went to a second doctor, who recommended spinal fusion. I agreed to have it done because I was in so much pain, so I had it done. Initially it seemed better. But after a while it just got worse. Still hurting. The surgeon said sometimes it could take a year to heal. Tried water therapy. Nothing. It just got worse. I was bent over, I couldn’t straighten up.
Diane // Age: 62
Condition // Spondylolistheses/Failed Fusion
Occupation // Teacher (NY)
How did you feel after your surgery?
After the surgery, as soon as I awoke, I knew that my pain was gone. I could feel immediately that my pain had been lifted away. And I knew that my surgery pain would be going away. Dr. McCance’s staff at Mt. Sinai were really terrific. They all treated me very well.
Dr. McCance was very attentive. I saw him a few times in the hospital—which was more than I expected. He was there to answer all my questions. He assured me that the pain I was feeling was normal and it would go away.
I was in the hospital for 3 or 4 days. They start you walking practically as soon as you wake up. I trusted them. I felt very comfortable getting advice from Diana, his Physician Assistant. She let me know she was always available. She even attended the Spine School at Mt Sinai I attended. It was great to see her there. After surgery she came to the hospital to check up and examine me. Diana is a great resource for Dr. McCance. I trust her as much as I trust him.
The follow-up office visits are perfectly timed for the steps in your recovery. It was a new experience to not feel back pain anymore. After a lifetime of having back pain—it was amazing. Dr. McCance prescribed being out of work for 8 weeks, but I felt so good I went back after 6 wks.
How do you feel now?
Getting out of bed, working at my desk—everything feels completely different without the searing pain.
Dr. McCance is knowledgeable, attentive, experienced, caring and smart. I recommend him to other people with the utmost enthusiasm.