My Comeback Story: Pamela S.

It was just a normal flight home, while waiting to board the plane, when our heavy roll-aboard luggage became top-heavy and began to fall. Innocently, I reached down to catch the fully extended handle with my right arm/hand just before the roll-aboard handle hit the floor.  There was no pain or even a twinge that alerted me that I had suffered an injury. I boarded the plane, flew home, unpacked, showered, and went to bed.  I even had a great night’s sleep until I awoke the next morning and proceeded to turn on the shower.  I was suddenly, and without explanation, screaming in debilitating pain.  Although we can’t say for certain that the falling luggage was the culprit, unquestionably, there simply is no other logical incident that explains the sudden onset of this extreme, unrelenting pain. The reality is that whatever occurred to cause the pain was irrelevant.  Age and previous injuries finally caught up with me, and I was bedridden to control the pain.

In short, after four visits to emergency rooms for pain management, which is the only alternative for many, because of the addiction crisis, it becomes a vicious cycle, while waiting weeks for the referral doctors to squeeze a patient into their schedules. I felt abandoned and was quickly losing hope of getting better. When the appointments rolled around, there was a litany of costly repetitive tests or procedures, cervical myelograms with contrast, spinal taps, MRIs, CTs, and x-rays. Ultimately, all of these doctors wanted to rush me into the operating room without articulating a competent diagnosis for the excruciating and unending pain in my right neck/shoulder/arm/hand and aggravatingly numb thumb. Nor were they able to explain surgical or post-op care. Sadly, narcotics and two spinal injections were the extent of my care, with no endgame. I was in limbo emotionally, physically, and socially. I felt like a toddler as I was unable to handle and control a knife to simply cut my food. If that was not bad enough, I recall several instances where my appointments were pushed out several weeks and had to lie on a sofa in the previous pain management doctor’s waiting room for long periods of time to be seen, while other patients who arrived hours after me were rotated to the exam rooms first for their vitamin and weight loss shots. Ahem.

All this said, enter Dr. Clavenna. What an AMAZING physician!  

One day, while lying in bed to mitigate the pain, I decided to call Carrell Clinic. Lupe, Angel #1, answered my call and was so kind-hearted and willing to immediately schedule me with Dr. Andrew Clavenna within the week. The empathy was oozing out of her.  The simplicity of getting me scheduled so quickly gave me hope. In contrast, we all know this is not the norm with other practices or hospitals, where, instead, you are transferred relentlessly. It is no secret that medical care has been declining, both front and back office, for decades, and the pandemic and insurance have compounded the problems. Still, EVERYONE I interacted with at Carrell Clinic clearly showed up for me. They handled me respectfully and gingerly. Their kindness makes me grateful for just the acknowledgement of my situation.  So many people at Carrell Clinic cared for me in a multitude of ways. This applies to every individual I interacted with, from the medical care team to all the procedure technicians, to physical therapy, to pre-op/surgery/recovery/post-op hospital care, to the pharmacy downstairs.  It is vital that medical organizations be in lock step, and Carrell Clinic is truly an exceptional example. Given my career background, I know good, but also know what great healthcare is and looks like. Few medical organizations top good, much less offer great medical care. Carrell Clinic truly breathes rare air. This organization understands that treating the human being is critical to treating the injury/illness. Rushing care without explaining a care plan is unjust and cruel. Countless other providers, practices, and hospitals have lost their way just trying to stay profitable and maintain headcount, so they rush you through to surgery.

Without rushing the conversation, Dr, Clavenna sat and diligently listened to me as I described my plight and the unrelenting pain that continued to roll down my arm from my shoulder and through my shoulder blade like waves in the ocean. He was not afraid to touch me as so many physicians can be with their patients. It gave me great comfort that he did not recommend surgery in the first 15 minutes, as others had previously done. In short, Dr. Clavenna diligently and carefully explained how/why he felt I had damaged my C5-6-7 in my neck. He understood and addressed every one of my concerns and questions as he took time to understand that there were other concerns. Clearly, he knew I was traumatized, and he needed to get me to a more stable situation before rolling me into the operating room. Dr. Clavenna also considered that my neck issue was compounded by extreme right shoulder, arm, and hand pain that was impacting the use of my right thumb. Before the first visit was over, Dr. Clavenna brought a team of other specialists on board. 1) Dr. Jason Klein, a shoulder specialist, to address the specifics of my shoulder and arm issues. 2) Megan Brown, DPT, for physical therapy, Angel #2, who helped stabilize my situation with the appropriate and pivotal therapy.  Physical therapy had a tremendous impact. He also ensured a pain management doctor and neurologist were onboarded to my team as a precaution. As I eventually became more functional, with the pain under control, without narcotics or spine injections, I was moving into a better, stronger place physically and emotionally.  Although there were some side effects from the Gabapentin, by September, I had steadily improved enough to finally accept that a cervical fusion was clearly in my immediate future and was truly the final and best remedy for my issue.

I had always been fearful of allowing any surgery on my neck, back, or hips after what I witnessed my father go through with multiple hip replacements in the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s when his hip was crushed in an auto accident. The reality is, I never knew my father without his cane, nor did I ever have the opportunity to dance with my father. He suffered immensely. I had transferred all those memories and my early reality to my current situation. The reality is, I was extremely afraid of having my neck, back, or hips ever operated on. I kept trying to imagine if I would feel the titanium brackets that would be used in my surgery, or how much flexibility I would lose in my neck. The reality was I had already lost the flexibility in my neck! The reality is, I can’t feel the brackets, and I am so thankful cervical fusion exists.  The reality is, I hardly noticed much discomfort with the hip bone graft.  

Further, Dr. Clavenna carefully walked me through what to expect and my extended recovery. He held my emotional hand. Were it not for Dr. Clavenna’s kindness, empathy, compassion, and patience, and yes, all those aspects are critical to great medical care, I simply do not know that I could have been persuaded to move forward with the surgery after what my father went through early in my life, as well as the experience I endured with the previous doctors before meeting Dr. Clavenna. Dr. Clavenna and Dr. Klein, both of whom are exceptional doctors, met me where I was as a patient by treating me compassionately and emotionally. Both doctors painstakingly answered every question I posed throughout my entire care journey. Most importantly, Dr. Clavenna spent a great deal of time counseling me on the bone transplant for the fusion, another consideration. I never doubted Dr. Clavenna’s surgical capabilities! I will never forget waking in my hospital room post-surgery.  Dr. Clavenna was standing at the end of my bed, instructing the nurses about my care and handling throughout the night. I was at my most vulnerable and beyond scared, yet Dr. Clavenna gently scooped my upper back in his arms, holding my head like a baby, and explained how he wanted the nurses to ensure I was positioned. I’ve never had a doctor treat me so gingerly or be so engaged post-surgery. I  never had a doubt about my care once I met Dr. Clavenna. I also want to recognize and underscore what a nurse brings to the table, Angels #3. They are an extension of the doctors. They care for you when you are at your most vulnerable, and in many cases, it compares to a new mother’s watchful eye over her newborn. Besides managing your pain, they come running for anything, managing medications, something to drink or eat, they walk behind and beside you, holding you up so you don’t fall, holding your gown to preserve what dignity remains, they notify your family throughout the night, and coordinate pick-up and care when you are ready to return home. They dress you and gather everything you need before your departure. They treat you like their mom. Truthfully, nurses are the best of humanity!  How blessed I was through this whole process!

If I were to comment on the worst point of the surgery, it was having to wear, what I fondly refer to as “my linebacker collar.” I will admit the collar was initially my nemesis, I counted the minutes until I had a reprieve. Fortunately, the post-op medications helped diminish those memories and transitioned me to acceptance while building my confidence. Not long, as the surgical pain diminished, “my linebacker collar” became my safety net for the first six weeks post-surgery. To date, I carry my collar with me when I fly just for take-offs, landings, or turbulent weather in-flight, just in case. As I said, it is a safety blanket in that instance. The only thing I would change would be the choice of color, pink or purple would be nice.

So, as of today, I have completed my post-surgery physical therapy, and I FEEL EXCEPTIONAL! The pain and any atrophy have dissipated from my neck, shoulder, arm, hand, and thumb. Although I am 63, I feel 30, and I am finally back to a more than reasonably normal life, including gingerly holding, playing, and loving my grandchildren, cooking, traveling, as well as the ability to sit at my computer penning this Comeback Story. If you are fortunate enough to live in Dallas, Carrell Clinic and Dr. Clavenna are the answer for those with a similar injury.  If I could have changed one thing about early 2025, it would have been to see Dr. Clavenna from the beginning, as I did not begin my healing until Dr. Clavenna took over my case. Had I seen him from the beginning, it would have saved me indescribable pain, and I would have been further along in my care journey.

Thank you for caring for me, Dr. Clavenna and Dr. Klein. I am forever indebted to both of you and all the other angels who have cared for me. Carrell Clinic is surely a hidden gem in the heart of Dallas!