Jen N. was diagnosed with idiopathic scoliosis at age 6. Surgeries at ages 10 and 12 enabled her to function well into her 40s. Then, increasing pain and loss of mobility began affecting Jen’s quality of life. That’s when she sought help at Temple Health.
The search for compassionate spine care
“A few years ago, I started having trouble where my right leg would just randomly stop working,” Jen says. “I was in constant pain.”
Jen had to stop driving, because she wasn’t sure if her leg was going to work or not. And she started walking with a cane.
“I was just miserable,” Jen says. “It really took a toll on me mentally and emotionally.”
After an appointment with a doctor elsewhere who dismissed her concerns, Jen found the Temple Health Spine Care Program and had a consultation with Theresa J.C. Pazionis, MD, MA, FRCSC, ABOS.
Jen hadn’t heard of Dr. Pazionis. But her family had a long history with Temple Health, and she remembered the kindness and care her mother received throughout her life.
“I was kind of feeling hopeless at that time,” she recalls. “I went in to see Dr. Pazionis, not knowing what to expect.”
Developing a treatment plan
Instead of a short consultation, Jen and Dr. Pazionis sat down to come up with a game plan. They discussed Jen’s concerns as well as treatment options and the pros and cons of each one.
“She actually took the time. She listened to what I had to say,” Jen says.
Dr. Pazionis presented surgery as a last resort, but thought Jen would benefit from the spinal-fusion procedure. She left the choice up to Jen, who decided it was her best option.
The 10-hour surgery was no small undertaking. But that is only part of the care that Jen has received at Temple Health and from Dr. Pazionis.
“She has just been so encouraging. Her bedside manner is — I don’t even have a good word for it. It’s exceptional,” Jen says. “She looks at me as a whole, at every aspect of my physical and mental health.”
A new life after surgery
Jen’s life has changed significantly since her surgery.
