Monica’s Story
Monica Lemoine’s pain began with a car accident that she experienced at the age of 20. The accident caused Monica to go through the windshield of the car fracturing a cervical vertebra. This resulted in spinal cord compression in the cervical area causing neck, shoulder and arm pain.
Monica is a registered nurse practicing in a hospice facility in Alexandria, Louisiana. Because her condition caused the thumb, index finger and middle finger on her right hand to go numb she was unable to administer IV’s or to push syringes. Her son Chase remembers her at this time as “… always in pain, always laying down.”
Monica’s Video Review
A preliminary review of Monica’s MRI by a Bonati Institute surgeon showed a disc herniation at the C6/C7 level of her cervical spine. Monica knew three people who had undergone surgery at The Bonati Spine Institute and all gave the facility and the surgery high marks. When she arrived the first thing she noticed was the “relaxed atmosphere” at the Institute. She later met with Dr. Bonati and feels that his approach “… was all about me and my pain and what was needed. It was not about him or his schedule. It was about what was best for me.”
“It was not about him or his schedule. It was about what was best for me”
As a nurse Monica found that staying awake during surgery and being able to watch the procedure on a monitor was “very cool”. Dr. Bonati kept Monica involved in the surgery by having her answer a series of questions about what she could feel as the surgery progressed. Finally, he advised Monica that he was going to shave back some of the bone compressing her spinal cord and that she should feel instant relief. Monica states that “… it was like a light switch, it was instant.”
A year and a half after her surgery Monica “… feels like a 20 year old again”. Her husband Lee, who accompanied Monica to Hudson “… saw several people come in in bad shape and go out dancing.” And, Lee adds, “I got the lady I married back.”
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