“Dr. Gerlach is a shining star.”
Jackie loves the outdoors but felt limited, “I didn’t want to be active because I had so much pain … I had pain all the way down the back of my leg to my ankle.”
Jackie did her own research on Dr. Gerlach and quickly discovered that he is “whip-smart.” “Dr. Gerlach graduated at the top of his class and is paving the way in the orthopedic spine injury,” Jackie said matter-of-factly. “He is the cat’s meow.” Jackie started her pain management with a chiropractor and then advanced to spinal injections. After several medical providers from different offices suggested she see Dr. Gerlach, she made an appointment.
In January 2011, Dr. Gerlach discovered that Jackie had a cyst and degenerative disease of the spine. “Discussing the surgery was much scarier than the surgery itself,” Jackie said. Nevertheless, she felt like the decision of a fusion was obvious. It was the right step in getting her active lifestyle back.
Dr. Gerlach fused Jackie’s spine at L4 and L5.
When Jackie talks about her recovery, her response is simple, “It wasn’t hard.” Although, after the surgery, Jackie was completely recovered in less than six months, “I was very compliant to my therapy.”
Jackie once thought walking, and bike riding were a thing of the past. Today she walks at least two miles a day and rides her bike 7-10 miles. “I’m almost to the point that I need to increase my distance when I walk and ride my bike. This [the fusion] made life a whole lot more pleasant,” Jackie said with a smile.
“Dr. Gerlach is a shining star.”
Like we did with Jackie, OCR is here to support you on the road to recovery. From our outpatient surgery and recovery center to our physical therapy department and imaging, our entire team will care for you from head to toe to help you become the champion of your lifestyle.