My Husband Has His Wife Back
Juanita Cook is an active, healthy, 59 year-old Columbia resident, who just started a new walking program, loves her family, and is grateful for being pain-free.
She spends most days being a caregiver to her 90-year-old blind mother, 83-old-year mother and father-in-law, and Sadie, her precious 7-month old granddaughter.
Not to mention, she’s been happily married to Johnny Cook for the past 41 years.
But three years ago she started feeling pain in her lower back. “This pain didn’t allow me to rest at night, it was hard to sit, walk, and stand. Running was out of the question, going up and down steps painful, getting up and down in a chair, or on the couch were painful and daily activitieswere very limited. Eventually even personal hygiene was difficult,” said Cook.
“I tried pain medications, anti-inflammatory medications, physical therapyand quarterlysteroid injections.” Unfortunately, these measures only provided Juanita temporary relief. Her sacroiliac joint needed repair.
Hope came for Juanita when she discovered apromising new minimally invasive procedure offered by Tennessee Orthopaedic Alliance’s Dr. Gray Stahlman.
“I was so grateful to find this new option; my face read ‘pain’ with most movements before this surgery.I thank my Lord for leading me to the only specialist in this area, Dr. Gray Stahlman, who God has gifted with the ability to do this precise procedure that has given me my life back. I also thank Dr. Stahlman for doing this procedure for the first time at Williamson Medical Center (WMC), which is where my husband works. I cannot praise both Dr. Stahlman and WMC for the excellent care I received during my surgery and subsequent recovery.”
Today, Juanita exclaims, “Since the surgery, my life has radically changed for the better. I would do it again in a heartbeat. I have my normal life back. My husband has his wife back and my goal was to be able to enjoy my family again. Three months following my ‘miracle surgery’ my first grandchild was born. I have been able to pick her up, move to care for her, and play with her. This would not have been possible without this amazing surgical procedure. Now, my face radiates with joy instead of pain. I truly believe without this surgery, I would be unable to care for myself or anyone else.”