Dear Greg,
Just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for your excellent care over the better part of this past year! When I was first tentatively diagnosed by Jim in December of 2009 and then underwent three unsuccessful Epidural Injections, I realized I would need surgery but the prospect of it was daunting for me. As I’m sure I explained to you I had a very extensive and intensive athletic past. I had played quite a bit of football and baseball and in the most recent past I had completed 18 marathons, the last one in January 2008.
Although you assured me that the surgery would help me regain much of that I had lost, I couldn’t help but be somewhat skeptical. During the long and sometimes frustrating post-surgical months, I sometimes wondered if I’d ever feel better. Then slowly but surely I started to show improvement.
When we spoke last month in your office and you encouraged me to resume my previous activity, including running, I was thrilled but still somewhat uncertain.
Let me report the following: the PT you prescribed for Core Strengthening is working out better than I ever expected! Ms Debra Keating of Crest Physical Therapy is doing a great job! Also, I can walk and run with no back pain. In fact on Saturday I ran 3 “wonderful” miles in the rain and 4.5 on this past beautiful Sunday. I iced afterwards and suffered no adverse affects the following mornings! Right now, I can happily report that my running has not been this comfortable since a good while before my problems started in the late ‘09, in fact probably not since before Jim repaired my ruptured quad tendon in March ‘09! At one point on Sunday, when I was about 4 miles in to my 4.5 mile run, I said to myself: “I’m a runner again!” Of course listening to Springsteen’s “The Promise” on my Ipod helped my mood also! Bruce and I are both 61 so I use his music quite often for inspiration. In fact, my pre-marathon ritual has always been to listen to his “Born To Run”!
On Sunday, on my Facebook Page I posted the following to my friends: “Ran three miles yesterday and four and a half today. I might add that my surgeon encouraged me to get back to it as long as there was no pain. Thank you , Dr. Goldberg, for giving me back a very important part of my life!”
That is the truth…thank you for that and for helping me to return to an enjoyment of my life that had been missing since before you treated me. In all seriousness, I thank God for putting us together and I thank Him for giving you the talents that enabled you to help me.
On a lighter note, I thought of calling the Neurosurgeon who wanted to re-operate on me last August and ask him if he wants to go for a run!…just kidding!
See you at my follow-up appointment in July! We will have just returned from a trip to Zion National Park in Utah and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon when I see you next.
All the best,
John
