(gentle music)
>> No way.
>> Yup, so >> What an honor.
>> You're gonna be in the medical literature, so-
>> That's so cool.
I measured myself on my wall before surgery and after,
and there was like this much difference on the wall.
Is that inaccuracy on my part or is that true?
>> You're shorter.
>> I'm like 5' 2", now.
>> Well, I told I'm gonna shorten (mumbles).
>> Yeah, well like (mumbles).
(gentle music)
When I was born, my mom realized something different
about my back than she had seen in my other siblings.
So she went and she inquired to our family doctor,
if this was something to be concerned about.
And within a few exams and tests later,
they discovered that I did have Spina Bifida Occulta
and that my spinal cord was tethered.
>> She was born with this little,
Well, it's called a Lipomyelomeningocele,
which is a fatty tumor that...
And it looks like a piece of chewing gum that sticks
the spinal cord down to the bottom.
As a child grows, the spinal cord actually starts very low
in the spinal column and ascends up
to the level of about L1.
In patients who a Lipomyelomeningocele or a tethered cord
or other congenital problems.
The spinal cord stays stuck at the bottom.
When every time she got worse through her childhood,
she had an operation.
>> So it was this constant battle of winning,
losing, winning, losing
>> Well, she wanting to go to nursing school,
but wasn't able to stand or do things for more than
a few minutes without getting horrific incapacitating pain.
>> I remember there were days in high school,
where I would literally be crying in class
just because I was in so much pain,
and there was nothing that could mask that pain.
There wasn't a strong enough medication for it.
>> It's very easy to think that, I don't know,
what else is gonna change or what other options we have.
And the blessing is that we did have an option.
We gave her like short (mumbles) rounds
and her surgeon came to me afterwards,
"I think I may have a patient that could benefit from this."
>> I went into the office that day wondering
what on earth this amazing new surgery could be
that we haven't heard of before.
And it was really incredible how he presented it,
it was really mind blowing.
I was just in awe hoping
that this crazy idea would actually work.
>> We've got the spine and the spinal cord is under stretch.
We'll put the instrumentation in first
just to stabilize things, so that when we get to the point
of taking out the retrieval body things don't move,
The retrieval body is removed and then gently,
we shorten the patient
literally by about 24 to 26 millimeters, almost an inch.
>> I said, "Yes," and had I said, "no,"
I'd be looking at a wheelchair
>> My dear are you ready?
It's a formidable operation.
You know, usually we'll do this with two surgeons
because again, once we take out the retrieval body
and all the surrounding structures, the only thing holding
that patient together is the spinal chord.
And utilizing a robot to help us put the screws in
with the highest degree of accuracy.
And then once the retrieval body you have a rod put down on
one side and once the retrieval body is completely taken out
very slowly, we shorten and put those
two pieces of bone together until they meet.
>> So now I can work through full shifts.
I'm not...
I don't even remember the last time I was into
the emergency room, which is incredible being that
I feel like most of my life was lived in the hospital.
It's kind of ironic that I chose a career in the hospital.
>> You know, as the medical profession to have somebody go
into the medical profession like
and sort of go into nursing is very exciting.
She's called me for help on a project,
she was working on a brain injury
and we were able to work on that a little bit together,
which was sort of fun.
Just to see him every time I went in and like,
"Hey, Dr. Theodore, I went and did a mile,"
almost became like a challenge to me like,
"What can I surprise him with the next time I go?"
Nice evening run, I've been studying for finals.
>> I love hearing the envelope getting pushed in her case.
I love hearing about her successes,
so I got a text message a couple of months ago
with her with a ring on her finger.
>> And I'm engaged and I'm getting married,
which is so exciting.
>> Yeah, it makes me feel great that take somebody
who is suffering, who has a significant
neurological problem like that.
And hopefully, God willing, give her a very long-lasting
solution to that problem, permanent.