Deanie Whitley
A massage can help people relax, relieve aches and pains in the body and remove the stress of everyday life. However, for licensed massage therapist Deanie Whitley, no massage could alleviate her pain.
For eight years Deanie endured chronic back pain. She continued to work, even though that meant standing for hours at a time and having to lean over people as she used her hands to heal their pain. All the while, Deanie’s pain was worsening. In her bed on January 6, 2008, her back finally snapped. Deanie had merely rolled over when she heard a loud pop. Within an hour, her pain had intensified to the point of agony. She took some pain medication, but it provided only temporary relief.
Deanie went to Texas Back Institute (TBI) and met with Dr. Michael Hisey. He decided to start with the least invasive treatment and then move to more invasive treatments only if necessary. Deanie received spinal injections and started physical therapy. As time passed, her back pain was still not improving, so she decided to have laminectomy/discectomy surgery. When she decided to have surgery, she naturally had some concerns. She worried that something could go wrong on the table or that they might discover that her problem was even worse than predicted. But Deanie’s concerns were washed away after 10 a.m. February 26. “The surgery went textbook, thanks to Dr. Hisey’s healing hands and knowledge,” she said. Deanie was up walking around one hour after her surgery, and she spent only one night in the hospital.
The healing process began and she returned home. Deanie described her recovery as “excellent, but slow.” Everything went as smoothly as could be expected, but it took time before she could fully return to normal.
She is now experiencing real sleep and more days filled with smiles rather than tears. “I feel blessed there are Dr. Hiseys and TBIs out there to care for us,” she said. “We live in a remarkable world with healing and compassion, so make sure you allow people to care for you and are always thankful for it.”
Deanie’s advice to people with back pain who are hesitating to seek help is, “Please don’t wait – there’s no need to hurt. Find a doctor you connect with and trust. Recovery can happen.”