Diane’s Spinal Fusions

I’ve been a patient of Dr. Judith Lee-Sigler‘s since before she joined Tabor Orthopedics, and I continued seeing her when Tabor became OrthoSouth.

My issues began around my grandson’s 1st birthday party. My foot was flopping, and I thought I must have had a stroke. At the time, I worked for an optometrist, and she happened to be a patient of Dr. Lee-Sigler’s. She highly recommended I call and make an appointment, so I did.

Dr. Lee-Sigler found that my nerves were being compressed at L1 and L5 and recommended physical therapy as an intial treatment. I participated in PT for awhile, until we decided it was time for me to see a surgeon. Dr. Lee-Sigler referred me to Dr. Sam Schroerlucke at that point, and my lumbar fusion surgery was scheduled. When I had challenges with insurance coverage, Dr. Sam wrote a letter that helped get me approved. I knew then that he was an excellent doctor.

Before my lumbar surgery, I also started having trouble with my neck and shoulder. The weekend before my surgery, the pain in my neck and shoulder became severe. At first I thought it was because my granddaughter had slept on my arm one night. However, I went back to Dr. Lee-Sigler, and she told me my C5, C6, and C7 were compressed. At that point, Dr. Schroerlucke asked if I wanted my cervical or lumbar fusion first. I chose the cervical fusion. 

Before my cervical fusion surgery, I was in so much pain. After the surgery, I experienced instant relief. I went home the next day, and my recovery went smoothly. The only “bump in the road” was having to wear a surgical collar for six weeks! That thing was annoying! Throughout the process, Dr. Schroerlucke was great. I loved having him as my doctor.

I did have to wait six months before I could have my lumbar fusion. The lumbar surgery went great, and I went home the next day. This time, I had a little post-op soreness in my hip, but that was related to the way Dr. Sam went in during surgery. Other than that, I was pain-free.

Between death in the family, and numerous medical issues, most of that year was terrible for my husband and I. Dr. Sam and Dr. Lee-Sigler made an awful year better with their friendliness, and I began to look forward to Dr. Sam’s jokes during my visits.

Fast forward a little, and I fractured my T7, so I saw Dr. Sam again. My husband joked that we were going to grab him some quick set cement from Home Depot because I was using his supply up!

Nowadays, I still see Dr. Lee-Sigler for my injections. I joke and tell her that I won’t recommend her anymore because it’s too hard to get an appointment! All jokes aside, she is a wonderful doctor, and I can schedule my appointments in advance because I know how long the injections last for me.

In addition to seeing Dr. Lee-Sigler, I see Dr. David Brown for gel injections in my knee and Dr. Tyler Cannon for my osteoarthritis. I can thank my mom for the brittle bones, but I am thankful that OrthoSouth has everything in one practice, so I don’t have to go different places for each issue.

I still have some numbness and tingling when I stand, but because of the folks at OrthoSouth, I’m still up and at it! Right now, we’re in the process of flipping the house across the street. Once we finish there, we’re remodeling ours! Being able to achieve goals and keep up with my grandchildren has been the biggest blessing.

Overall, Dr. Schroerlucke and Dr. Lee-Sigler are the best, and I won’t let anyone else touch my back. Between me, my husband, and my mom, we’ve seen Drs. Cannon, Leventhal, Curlee, Hester, Brown, Schroerlucke, and Lee-Sigler. They are top-notch and have taken such good care of my family. 

I recommend these doctors to anyone and everyone!