The decision to pursue surgery for scoliosis can feel overwhelming. In an effort to help this process, Dr. Hey shares information about the surgical benefits and risks so that a patient can make the most informed decision possible.
Mara Gilmore found out about her scoliosis in middle school, but her family’s lack of good insurance kept her from being able to treat it until she was 17 years-old. When she went to a doctor to check in on her back, he told her that because she finished growing they could only do surgery.
“There was no quality of life for me,” Mara said.
Her pain was so overwhelming that she could not sit or get comfortable unless she laid down. By this time Mara was an avid athlete and her work outs increased in difficultly.
Her athletic trainer at the gym trained athletes all over the world. She talked to him about trying to find a local surgeon, but he suggested she go to Dr. Hey.
Mara was unsure about flying all the way from Florida to North Carolina for surgery, but she decided to reach out to the Hey Clinic for more information.
Immediately, Dr. Hey personally responded to her message. She could not believe that he gave her his phone number, but especially that he took the time to respond to her after hours.
From Florida to Raleigh
She flew to Raleigh to meet with Dr. Hey and felt comforted to hear about his experience with athletes.
“I knew within the first few minutes of meeting him that he’s not the doctor that immediately wants to go in and do surgery,” Mara said. “He’s going to make sure that’s almost the last thing you should do.”
Mara heard stories of people who went through spine surgery and didn’t recover well or needed another operation. After meeting Dr. Hey, she decided to go through with surgery.
“He’s so precise and so educated about what he’s doing,” Mara said. “I didn’t have a fear of it not working out.”
Time for Surgery
Dr. Hey fused almost her whole spine. Considering the size of the surgery, Mara’s recovery challenged her.
She said that if someone asked her within the first couple of months whether she would do the surgery or not, she would say ‘no way.’ But, five years later, she tears up thinking about how she is now able to do what she never thought she could.
After her recovery, within a couple of months, she could work with her trainer and even started group classes. She thought group classes would not be something she could do again.
“I just want to encourage anybody that’s on the fence about doing this, that there is life on the other side,” Mara said. “Life is too short to try to be miserable and live through the pain, it is not worth it.”
