Walter Driggers of Fort Walton Beach, FL started experiencing daily back pain about a year ago. The pain was so excruciating that he couldn’t stand up and sit down at church, go for a 15-minute walk, or, most importantly, be the grandfather he wanted to be.
After a month of dealing with the pain, he saw his doctor. Walter tried steroid injections, physical therapy and medications, but those didn’t work. Dr. Timothy Monroe listened to Walter’s concerns and discussed his options: taking medication for the rest of his life or having surgery to correct the problem.
“It was a quality-of-life decision to have surgery,” said Walter. “I have young grandkids that I want to be able to do things with.”
Walter said Dr. Monroe recommended doing the procedure at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast , a hospital recognized by Healthgrades as America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Orthopedic Surgery and Joint Replacement Excellence. His daughters' positive experience at the hospital giving birth to his grandchildren made the choice easier.
“When I went for pre-registration and pre-op, they were great,” said Walter. “They gave me a booklet that was really informative and helped me prepare for my surgery.”
In mid-July, Walter had lumbar fusion surgery with Dr. Monore at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast. He said the staff at the hospital were attentive, very nice, and personable. Since the surgery, he says he has been pain-free.
“It’s a pretty humbling experience when you are having pain like that and it changes your life,” said Walter. “I have my life back.”
Walter is continuing physical therapy following his surgery. But most importantly, he can hold his one-year-old and six-month-old grandchildren, walk his large dogs, and go on family outings, like a recent canoe trip with his daughter.
To learn more about spine surgery at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast, visit ascension.org/emeraldcoastspine .