More Details

I talked to Karen for a while this afternoon and she filled me in on some more details to share. The surgeon was VERY pleased with Jeannette's surgery. He said he had another patient mom's age a year ago (whose pre-surgery x-ray looked identical to hers), and that woman is at 100% performance. She's actually planning some wild motorbike tour soon or something - sounds like a back-breaker to me. I said, "Oh, yes, I'm sure Mom just can't wait to get out of here so she can plan her motorbike tour, too!")

The doctor said when he opened the incision, he found exactly what he expected to see and knew what to do. Artificial discs (or "lifts") were placed between each of the stressed vertebrae, which should give her another inch of height when all is finished. (And I bet she thought she was finished growing!) The old hardware was removed and new hardware placed in. As Mom has been up walked with a walker (and some without), Karen says she already looks straighter.

In addition to all of that, something else happened that we all consider to be a miracle! During Mom's last surgery procedure, a nerve to her leg was supposedly nicked or damaged. What should have been a normal recovery from back surgery was excruciatingly painful. She was unable to walk for a long time and even presently, ten years later, has pain in her leg and numbness in her foot. We all thought that was permanent damage that could not be helped, however, Dr. Berven said that he was able to see what was causing that problem - something was pinching or constricting the nerve - and he fixed it!

Since Jeannette is still on a lot of medication and in surgical pain, it's not clear what the long-term implications of that will be, but at least for now, the surgeon was testing her leg and foot to see if she had feeling, and she does. We are amazed and extremely hopeful for a full recovery. It would be so wonderful to see Mom pain-free after almost an entire adult-life's full of back trouble.

Thank you so much for your prayers! Please hold Karen and Dad in your prayers, too, as they are putting in long hours at the hospital. It's tough to be a caregiver! I'm so grateful that she has not been alone at all since surgery and they are doing a great job! Go, Team Jeannette!

Love, Valerie