When Bob Elliott woke up on a cold winter morning in early February, his hip and back pain was so unbearable he couldn’t walk.
“I couldn’t even stand up.” said Bob. “To this day, I don’t know what triggered it. I’ve never had back pain before, ever.”
Bob runs a charming hobby farm just outside of Hutchinson, where he devotes time to his many interests, including his leather-working shop, where he primarily repairs saddles; his set of horses he tends to each day; and his shop, where he’s been proudly restoring his rare 1956 Oliver Tractor. According to Bob, he spends most of his time out in his shop during the winter months.
“I don’t sit. I’m pretty active,” said Bob. “But when the pain hit, I had to hire somebody to do my chores, because I couldn’t do it. I didn’t go any place for five weeks.”
Bob was not a patient of Glencoe Regional Health at the time, but he decided to give us a try – he visited our website and found a bio for orthopedic physician assistant Terese Haasken, MPAS, PA-C, and decided to seek care.
“There was an appointment available the next day. It just clicked,” Bob said. “For me, it was just like a dream.”
Due to his intense levels of pain, Bob required a wheelchair to make it to his appointment, as he was unable to stand or walk. During his appointment with Terese, Bob had x-rays taken. After reviewing the imaging, Terese informed Bob that the root of his problem wasn’t his hip, as he’d thought, but his back. Terese put in orders for Bob to get an MRI done. When our patient access staff called him to schedule the appointment, the next available slot was two weeks away.
“I said ‘Oh my God,’ and the scheduler asked if I was okay. I told her I couldn’t even stand up because of my pain. She said, ‘Let me see what I can do,’ and when she called back, she had gotten me in the next day,” said Bob. “I could hardly believe it.”
After his MRI, he was referred to see our pain management specialist Joslin Thiemann, APRN, CRNA, NSPM-C.
Once she had reviewed the MRI of Bob’s spine, Joslin conducted a physical exam, in which she tested his muscle strength, observed how Bob was walking and moving, and did different types of movements to see which caused pain, all of which helped in her assessment. Joslin recommended a nerve pain medication, physical therapy, and a steroid injection in his back.
“Bob had pain that had started in his lower back, but his main symptom was that it was radiating down into his leg,” said Joslin. “That’s often caused by a nerve root that’s being pinched in your back, either by a bony structure or a disc that has moved.”
A Shot at Relief
“Joslin was very, very good at explaining what was causing the pain, and how she thought she could heal it – and she was upfront enough to say that the injection may not be 100 percent effective, but it’s going to give you some relief,” said Bob. “And that word ‘relief’ right then, was very important.”
Bob was surprised by how quickly the injection helped – he describes it as an instant relief that made him “feel like a million bucks,” and which gradually took more and more of the pain away over the course of the next few days. He also saw our physical therapists, who gave him exercises to do at home. They also did dry-needling, a technique that targets areas of pain.
“I got off the table and walked out like nothing had ever happened to begin with,” said Bob. “As far as I’m concerned, that team is walking on water.”
Bob was proud to return to his follow-up appointment without needing a wheelchair – he was able to walk once again. Before he left his appointment, Joslin told Bob if he experienced any additional pain, to call without hesitation, stating we don’t want anyone to be in pain any longer than they have to be.
“We have a lot of discussions in our clinic about remembering what got us back to feeling well, and how to continue to do that. We only have one life, so make it a good life with as little pain as can be, and as much function as possible,” said Joslin. “Going to a pain management specialist can get you back on track and living the life you want to – not focused on pain.”
For one month, Bob felt wonderful. He went back to doing his chores on his farm and enjoying time in his shop. And on one abnormally warm, 60-degree spring day, Bob decided to take out one of his tractors, which is when he twisted his back, triggering his pain again.
“Joslin and the physical therapy team warned me about twisting,” said Bob. “I never should have twisted my back – it came back to haunt me. By Monday, the pain was back with a vengeance.”
Bob called our clinic, and once again we were able to get him in the next day, when he received a second steroid injection. Again, he felt immediate relief that increased over the next few days until the pain gradually disappeared.
Back to His Hobbies
After his second injection, Bob was happy to get back to his hobbies, while remembering not to push himself or twist his back.
“I was most excited to be able to walk again, and to get back to my shop,” said Bob. “For a 72-year-old-guy, I’m in pretty good shape.”
When Bob received a survey in the mail from us, he gladly returned it, even adding his own note to the back. He was shocked when he received a handwritten letter from our president and CEO, Patty Henderson, in response.
“What the hay!” said Bob. “It wasn’t something run off the computer, it was a handwritten note. That kind of action flows down through your whole operation – and it shows. In her note, Patty shared how much my note meant to the GRH team, and she would make sure everyone on the team heard my praise.”
When Bob returned for his next appointment, each of the members of the team thanked him for his kind note.
“Patty followed through with what she said she was going to do – and the rest of her team is exactly the same. When they told me they would do something, they did it. No delays,” said Bob.
Looking back, Bob is glad he chose to try a new healthcare organization when he first gave us a call that February morning.
“I think the staff really care,” said Bob. “That’s the biggest thing that jumps out. They’re smiley and friendly. I know they’re busier than busy, but they still take the time to talk with you and explain things. I like the whole feeling I get when I go to GRH.”
And we thank you, Bob, for choosing us!
