Carey Hejl
Outdoors woman Carey Hejl wanted to be able to four-wheel, hunt, fish, garden and lift her grandchildren without debilitating pain. Surgery for her spondylolisthesis made that happen.
Spondylolisthesis
Carey had spondylolisthesis that had caused her significant sciatic pain since her early 40s. She managed her condition for 10 years by following a healthy diet, exercising and getting chiropractic treatment. When her condition progressed to the point where her quality of life was severely impacted, her chiropractor referred her to Dr. Eule to discuss surgical options to resolve her chronic pain.
“I needed the surgery to enjoy life to any degree, literally. The pain sapped me of all the things that give me joy. I four wheel, I hunt, I fish, and I garden. I just enjoy life in Alaska to the fullest and I couldn’t do that anymore because I was too sore and hurting all the time. I couldn’t lift my new grandson and that was hard for me.
Driving home from my appointment in August of 2010, I was pretty convinced that the surgery was the route for me. That was what I needed to do for me to have more quality of life and to do the things that I needed to do in life. I felt it was time and Dr. Eule was the person to do the surgery for me.
My surgery, from what I remember, went amazingly well. All my questions were answered. Dr. Eule was there right after surgery and then again, of course, while I was in the hospital. I used very little pain medicine after the first several weeks and have been off of that for months and months.
I feel medically, mentally and physically stronger. I’m at my best right now. Now I can lift all my grandchildren.”
Questions?
The OPA team includes Alaska’s leading specialists and offers some of the latest, most advanced treatment procedures available today.
OPA treats a wide variety of conditions and offers comprehensive treatment options — including many non-surgical solutions, minimally invasive arthroscopies (repairs) and total joint replacement.