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

3/16 - Surgery Day

Jeannette is in surgery now, which is expected to take up to eight hours.

Her previous surgery was done to treat the slipped/flattened/worn away discs between vertebrae L4, L5, and S1. Artificial discs, screws and rods were inserted to fuse this region of the spine together and alleviate the pain and pinching she experienced. Over time, the problem area has increased to involve the disc between the L3/L4 vertebrae. To treat this whole condition, today's surgery is in two parts:

1) In the first incision, they will insert a new artificial disc between L3 and L4 to keep them from rubbing together.

2) In the second incision, they will remove the old hardware from the first surgery and then fuse together L3, L4, L5, and S1 with new rods.

Don and Karen are waiting at the hospital. The doctors said they would come out and give updates throughout the day, so when we have more news, we will post it.

Please pray for Jeannette's safety and a successful procedure. Thank you!

Jeannette's Surgery - Background

Jeannette has been having significant pain in her back and legs for the past year. The pain is caused by pinched nerves in her spinal column which has a slipped disk. The slipped disk constricts the space for the spinal column, pinching the nerves. She had 3 vertebrae fused in back surgery in 2000 and had been doing fairly well for 9 years.

She has had 2 cortisone shots in the last 9 months, the first in June relieved her pain considerably, but the second one in February hasn't helped very much. The options she has been given by the spine specialist at UCSF Medical Center are to continue with pain meds and cortisone shots or have another surgery.

We aren't thrilled with pain meds or cortisone shots because of the long term effects of drugs and steroids, not to mention that it isn't really working. So we have elected the surgery even though we're not wanting that option either. The surgery is scheduled for Tuesday, March 16 at 7:30am & estimated to take at least 5 hours. We are asking for prayers for the success of the surgery and for a quick recovery.