Charlie Gellert: 10 years later

Before the back surgery, I had a major back pain incident yearly, which left me in bed and incapacitated. I had lesser back pain much more frequently. It didn’t take me doing anything stressful or foolish to bring these on. It had gotten so bad that I couldn’t stand long enough to just take a shower. I couldn’t carry my children when they were young for any significant length of time.

I have never had a serious back pain incident since my surgery. If I overdue something, my back may ache but it already getting better by that evening. The strongest “treatment” I have ever needed since my surgery is regular strength ibuprofen. I was able to carry my daughter on my back from a few months after my surgery (when she was six years old) until she decided she was too old to be carried. I can work in the backyard with the major limiting factor begin getting tired, rather than fear of back pain.

When I went in for surgery my motivation was that “I wanted my life back”. The results have exceeded my expectations. There has not been a minute in the past ten years that I have not been glad of my decision to have the surgery.

Thank you again for all you did for me.

- Charlie Gellert
Phoenix, AZ

Previous ArticleAMD and Me Next ArticleCharlie Schaul: 13 Years Later