Ignacio — La Habra, CA
One Sunday morning, I had been watching TV, and I had pain down my ankle and left leg. I later learned my sciatic nerve was causing the pain. I went to my general practitioner and he recommended a chiropractor. I went to the chiropractor for therapy and the pain was somewhat relieved, but not completely. My general practitioner (GP) then recommended an orthopaedic surgeon. I met with that orothopaedic surgeon twice, but I didn't like him so my GP sent me to Dr. Sylvain Palmer.
Dr. Palmer diagnosed my problem the same way as my first surgeon. He explained the procedure I would need to correct my problem. Dr. Palmer explained that a fractured vertebra was causing my sciatic nerve to be pinched. He recommended that I prepare myself by doing other things before making a decision for surgery. I tried pain medication, went through acupuncture, tried massage and a lot of therapy. About six months after that, I started getting third and fourth opinions and getting recommendations from a bunch of people. So I did some digging on Dr. Palmer and decided to drive the 45-miles to have him operate on me.
Dr. Palmer and I reviewed my status on how prepared I was mentally and emotionally. He then scheduled me for the operation. The last two months before my surgery I was dragging my leg. I couldn't sit on the couch; I could only sit on a chair or on the floor. I went in for surgery, and nine and a half-hours later, I woke up relieved of all pain. Ever since my surgery I have not had any pain and have not had to take any pain medication.
I highly recommended Dr. Palmer to my friends and two of them have been operated on by him since my operation a year ago. I can't think much more highly of a gentleman or doctor than him. He told me about what I would go through and told me of the normalcy of what I would go through, which was probably a month of additional pain, if not worse than what I had already had endured. Most of the people that have had the same problem told me the same thing. Dr. Palmer told me I would be out of work six or seven months and that I wouldn't be able to drive for three months. I took care of myself as he informed me to do. I followed his instructions down to the letter and took care of myself doing the exercises that my therapist allowed me to do.
The fortunate thing is that I, unlike many people who have this surgery, have never had any pain since the time I woke up from the operation. I feel very fortunate. I started walking in two days and climbing steps in three days. I have been doing a lot of walking since then. To tell you bluntly how great my recovery has been, I bought a corvette a couple of months ago and I can get in and out of a vette. Before my surgery, I couldn't get in and out of a regular car. I can't weight lift as I used to. I can't run like I used to but I have a pain free life right now. I can do without certain activities I used to do, as long as, I am able to walk without pain and I feel fantastic. My wife and I bought the corvette to celebrate my one-year anniversary of being pain free. I don't know how much more of a success story I could be. I would highly recommended Dr. Palmer to anybody who has a nerve problem with their spine.
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As you read this please keep in mind that all treatment and outcome results are specific to the individual patient. Results may vary. Complications, such as infection, blood loss, or nerve damage are some of the potential adverse risks of spinal surgery. Please consult your physician for a complete list of indications, warnings, precautions, adverse events, clinical results, and other important medical information.
