Mother and Daughter Share Success of Spinal Fusion Surgery
Shannon Rucker Prince, a physical therapist tech from Murfreesboro, loves being newly married. You can see it in her pretty smile.
It was just a short time ago, however, that she was living in pain all of the time. “During my last semester at MTSU, I was thrown against a fence by a cow and injured my back. I found no relief from pain medications or physical therapy. It was a difficult time. I was depressed and losing weight. I couldn’t sleep lying down because it caused severe headaches. I had to sleep in a recliner and with very little sleep, was tired and angry all of the time. It was not a good time in my life, especially for a 24-year-old.”
This is when Shannon turned to Tennessee Orthopaedic Alliance’s Dr. Juris Shibayama in Murfreesboro for help. “We looked at many options to help reduce my pain, and decided that spinal fusion surgery would be the best solution. Within a week of the surgery, I had significantly reduced the amount of pain medicine usually needed and began to walk without any pain.
My energy came back, food was tasty, and I wanted to eat again. Today, I am more active than I used to be and have no pain! In April, I married my best friend, Adam. My life is back!”
Shannon says her experience was “phenomenal” and believes Dr. Shibayama contributed to the success. “My spinal surgeon listened to me, and tried everything he could before even suggesting surgery. But when nothing else worked, he went ahead with the surgery, and I am so grateful for the result. It was so important to have a surgeon who cared about me, and worked with me to find a solution to my back issues.”
Sue Rucker understands her daughter’s pain. She’s been living with back pain for awhile. “I somehow managed to blow out 3 discs in my back over the years,” said the retired psychiatric nurse. “I had the telltale pain running down the back of the leg constantly, I could never find a good position to reduce pain, and medications never helped. I had 3 back surgeries over the years, but couldn’t find relief from back pain agony.”
This is when Sue decided to try a new doctor.
“I chose to see Dr. Shibayama after seeing the great success Shannon was having from her spinal fusion.
I explained to him that I needed to find comfort, and that I was retired and could take the time needed to heal from potential procedures or surgeries. I also knew that because of the damage to my back over the years, any surgery wasn’t going to be quite as simple as Shannon’s surgery. I was amazed when Dr. Shibayama suggested the same spinal fusion that Shannon had. It was like a mother and daughter miracle!”
Sue says she realizes how unusual it is for both a mother and daughter to have the same surgery for the same back problem, especially since they were damaged differently. But today, she is grateful for the coincidence and the result.
Success came for Sue. “After surgery, it was like the difference between night and day. I remember Dr. Shibayama coming in my room the day after my surgery and asking me if there was anything I needed.
I told him yes, please take out the tubes and wires as soon as possible and let me get on my feet. I wanted to walk. He readily agreed and I did so that day. It was the first time I walked without leg pain in a long time and I enjoyed it. Shannon took good care of me, much like I tended to her after her procedure. She drove me to the local mall where I walked inside when the weather was bad, and she made every lap I did.”
Today, Sue is feeling no pain and is able to everything she wants to do. “I am almost 65-years-old, and that brings limitations, but I am now putting out a vegetable garden every year and working with flowers. I am able to walk as much as I want. More importantly, I was able to ride comfortably in a car all the way to Alabama for the birth of my first grandchild, as well as participate in my daughter’s recent wedding.To be free of pain is truly a blessing.”