Independence Restored
Marla Mabin’s career as a pre-school teacher requires a considerable amount of bending, working on the floor, and moving around to interact with little ones ─ an often difficult task for even the healthiest of adults. But with monstrous back pain looming, these tasks became impossible.
Marla’s severe pain began at work, when she moved a sleeping four-year-old out of the way from several children who were playing nearby. All of a sudden, she heard a loud “pop” from her lower back. Over the next few days, the extent of her injury began to make itself known, as Marla experienced swelling and numbness in her legs, feet, toes, and lower back. The pain grew to be so terrible that she was unable to walk without a cane or some sort of support. She could not even get out of bed or take a shower without assistance. “I was in pain constantly and immobile more often than not.” Ceaseless pain and complete dependency upon others led Marla into a depression, which in combination with her lack of mobility, resulted in her gaining more than 75 pounds.
When Marla decided “enough was enough,” she turned to Dr. Gray Stahlman of Tennessee Orthopedic Alliance to reclaim the life she deserved. Dr. Stahlman removed half the disc that was causing a bilateral impingement, and the results were immediate. With her mobility and balance back, Marla says she finally was able to regain her independence. The effects went beyond allowing her to move again; Marla could do all the things she enjoyed, like camping, hiking, and working out. After her operation, Marla lost more than 90 pounds, and at 40 years old, is now in the best shape of her life. Today, she is training for her first women’s figure skating competition, a feat that would have been unthinkable before her procedure.
Marla describes her experience with Tennessee Orthopedic Alliance as amazing, and she appreciates the warm care she received from Dr. Stahlman. “From the moment we met, he immediately set me and my husband at ease with his comforting smile and his smooth, educational approach. The actual surgery and recovery were much easier than I’d anticipated, and he was there each step of the way.” Before her operation, incessant back pain forced Marla to surrender control of her life, but Dr. Stahlman showed Marla and her family hope ─ that pain could be lifted, that mobility could be restored, and that life could continue in its fullest form.