“Back Surgery Exceeded My Expectations”
Richard Thomas enjoys physical activity. Whether tending the garden, riding a bicycle or walking with his wife Barbara and their dog Scout, Richard has an innate desire to stay on the move. But a few years ago lower back pain stopped him in his tracks.
“Each morning, I would hobble out of bed, trying to ignore the pain,” he recalls. On a scale of one to 10 (with 10 being severe pain), Richard rated his pain somewhere between “an eight to a 10-plus.” Because he works in medical sales, Richard spends long periods in the car, which only aggravated the soreness.
It was the couple’s move to Austin, Texas during the summer of 2008 that led Richard to the NeuroTexas office and specifically to an appointment with neurosurgeon Douglas Fox, MD.
“Within 15 minutes of looking at the MRI that I brought along with me, Dr. Fox said that he believed he could help me and he was very sincere in that. Not only was he knowledgeable, his personality was warm and friendly. Without hesitation I agreed to surgery.
“The day after surgery, I walked to the far end of the hall, touched the wall and returned to my room,” he says. “By the third day I walked outside and sat on a bench before returning to my room.” Richard stayed at St. David’s less than one week.
Nine weeks after surgery, Richard rates his pain level at zero. He and Barbara are settled in their home in Austin and Richard has returned to all of his favorite outdoor activities.
