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Problem Diagnosed at the Spine Center

with Marian Manyo, Columbia St. Mary’s Spine Center patient

Posted: May 1, 2006

In February of this year, Marian Manyo, a math teacher at Marquette University, was faced with an equation she couldn’t solve. She began experiencing leg and hip pain on her right side. At first she attributed the pain to arthritis, but within three weeks her worsening symptoms were harder to explain. “I had considerable weakness on my right side and began to notice foot-drop,” she said. “Then I couldn’t control my right leg.” Just a few days later, she needed to use a walker.

Marian made an appointment with her family physician. In the meantime, she searched the Internet to find some answers to why she had become so debilitated so quickly. “I found the Spine Center’s Web site and read: ‘If you don’t know where to start, call us,’” she said. Between the words and the worry, she began to find a solution.

Lou Ann Zimmel, R.N. and patient care coordinator for Columbia St. Mary’s Spine Center, was Marian’s first contact with the Spine Center. Lou Ann remembers her call on February 28, “Marian wasn’t sure what was happening to her but she knew she needed help.”

Lou Ann gathered some necessary information, asking about the level of pain, physical impairment, length of time that Marian had been experiencing symptoms and previous treatments. She determined that Marian needed to be seen by a health care professional immediately. “It was a Tuesday. I scheduled her to see Dr. Trinh Truong, a physiatrist at Columbia St. Mary’s Spine Center, the very next day,” she said.

Dr. Truong, specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation, performed an emergency MRI on Marian and administered an epidural in the affected area. Zimmel stayed with Marian during the procedure to answer her questions and allay her concerns. “Within a day or two the pain had subsided, but the loss of function remained,” Marian said. When Truong’s treatment did not significantly improve the weakness, he referred Marian to one of the Spine Center’s orthopaedic surgeons.

After conferring with her family doctor, Marian saw Dr. Michael Major. “Lou Ann made calls and took care of navigating the process for me. She was very comforting during a very stressful time in my life,” Marian said of Lou Ann and her skilled advocacy.

Dr. Major took additional tests that included a myelogram and a CT scan, and diagnosed Marian with spinal stenosis, degenerative disc and scoliosis. He recommended surgery. “I was confident he understood my limitations, my pain and my concerns about surgery,” Marian said. And although Dr. Major could not give her solid guarantees, he was confident that, at the very least, surgery would stop any further spine deterioration.

Dr. Major explained the surgery to Marian: spine surgery involving two-level spinal fusions and decompression with instrumentation that involved L4-5, and L5 and S1. Two days later, on March 10, he operated on Marian at St. Mary’s Hospital in Milwaukee.

Marian’s hospital stay was a brief four days. During that time, the staff was attentive and kept her well informed of her progress and care. She received occupational and physical therapy and felt prepared to go home.

“I’m happy I did it. And I’m thankful that I was treated with urgency and care,” Marian said just two months after the surgery. She can walk unaided around her home. And although her affected leg has not regained complete function or strength and she still has some numbness, she’s patient. “It may take up to a year,” she said, remaining positive and optimistic about her recovery. “You need to give those nerves time to recover and regenerate.”

Sometimes using a cane while she’s on one of her mile- to mile-and-a-half walks, Marian logs three miles each day as part of her rehabilitation. She has little or no pain and sparingly takes an over-the-counter pain medication.

“I’m so thankful that I found the Spine Center,” she said. “I feel that this has worked out for the best.” Marian looks forward to teaching in the fall, when she can tackle some really tough mathematical equations.

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