#drwilliams

I go back to my PCP and i get xrays get sent to a spine specialist who tells me you need to go to PT and there isn’t anything wrong with you.  I last 2 days in PT and I could barely walk....I was worse than I had ever been....I cried and was like I am done with this I am going to see if I can get an appointment with a doctor who has figured out all of my other issues, Dr. Siobhan Statuta.  

I go to see her at the end of January she does a physical exam on me and was like I know your problem, you have nerve damage most likely an entrapped nerve.  I was like what?!  She said she has a colleague who could do injections that should help resolve the issue but if they don’t work then I would have to have surgery.  I was like okay, I trust you, but dont like what you are saying but I trust you.

Dr. Statuta sends me to a doctor by the name of Dr. David Hryvniak who gave me 3 injections over the course of 7 months sent me back to PT, for the insurance but it almost killed me.  I suffered for 1 month to just get an MRI, but that is a different issue. At the end of the four weeks, I couldn’t drive my car, I could barely walk and I spent most of my days sitting on the couch or in bed.  In September Dr. Hryvniak gave me my last injection which lasted to almost November and I messaged him and told him I couldn’t do this anymore, the injection didn’t last as long and i need a more permanent solution. He sent me the information and a referral to Towson Maryland to a Dr. Eric Williams.  

In my gut I knew what was going to happen but I still held on hope that I wouldn’t have to have surgery.  I mean after all surgery is pretty darn scary especially when the possibility is the pain could get worse.

Well I saw this Dr. Eric Williams that the doctors kept telling me about and as soon as I saw him I was at peace. Okay that might sound weird but it was a peace in my soul that I knew God had brought this specific doctor into my life for this very reason. There is something about this doctor that was different than the rest.  He gave me options reviewed the last four years of my medical history and was perplexed...ish.  

 We discussed nerve stimulators (not a fan of even trying those to be honest), different kinds of injections, surgery.  I opted for the injection, it had truly become my comfort place.  He gave me my fourth injection and was like yeah you for sure have a nerve entrapment/damage issue.

The shot wore off after a couple weeks and then I made another appointment in February for a fifth injection which worked for a little less than a week and I just knew that surgery was the next step.  

On march 16, 2022 Dr. Williams removed two nerves (Ilioinguinal and Iliohypogastric) in my Lower Left Quadrant and it has changed my life....no it has saved my life.  Allowing Dr. Williams to perform surgery on me proved to be the best thing I could have ever done. 

Prior to surgery I spent 20+ hours in bed unable to walk. I was taking 4 different pain meds and using lidocaine patches everyday just to be able to walk downstairs to eat. I had heat on 24 hours a day just to be able to sit up in bed and continue to work.  I couldn’t drive and was sick on my stomach almost every day.

I remember the day before surgery I walked down to a neighbors house and I sat on a bench and I just cried. Honestly that neighbor has been a saint through everything, I don’t think I would still be doing as well as I am without them, but that is a story for another day.  

During that time I cried because I hurt so bad that I truly didn’t know what to do.  I had no life, I couldn’t drive to work, I couldn’t even go to church in person cause I hurt so much (if you know me you know that that is truly one of my highlights of the week), and I was trapped in my house unless i forced myself out which made the pain worse, but I didn’t care at that point in my life cause i was going to hurt staying in bed or not and I knew recovery was going to be a beast.

I had no life at all but Dr. Williams gave me my life back. Right now I am able to drive again. I am able to walk 10,000+ steps every day, and I am able to get back to doing what I love! I am still recovering, and there is a lot that I still can’t do but everything is getting easier each day! I hope by March 2023 I will be 100% doing all of the things that I love again without risking reinjuring myself and messing up everything Dr. Williams has done....well within reason.

By Dr. Williams taking out the two nerves that were not working properly he saved my life. He was an answer to prayer when I had lost all hope that I would live a normal life at 30 years old. Dr. Williams is amazing at what he does and I tell everyone I know to go see him if they are having nerve related pain and cannot get the help they need. I think God for him everyday and thank God that he was sent into my life when I needed a miracle.

Dr. Williams is more than a physician he truly cares about his patients before, during, and after any procedure.  Not even 24 hours after my surgery he called me to see how I was doing and it was in that moment that I knew that this surgery was different than all of the rest that I have had.  

Dr. Williams saved my life so that I can continue to pursue my dreams, hobbies, and life mission of sharing the Gospel of Jesus to the world.  Jesus never said that the road we take will be easy and without burdens to bear, but He did say that he would never leave nor forsake us.  God tells us that when we are weak (yeah i was pretty weak sitting on that bench crying) that He would give us strength. 

My last appointment with him I told him how he had saved my life and the first thing out of his mouth was 

I didn’t save your life it was all God who has used me as a way to heal you.  

That has stuck with me over the passed few months.  How many times has God used us in what we are gifted at to help heal someone else.  Maybe not by doing surgery or anything else but maybe just be giving them a listening ear or hug or smile.  Maybe just by helping them on a day when they had lost all hope.  When have you been on that bench crying (I am sure that is just metaphorical cause all y’all are stronger than me) and someone came to your aid?

If you know them have you told them how they have helped heal you?  My guess is probably not, but you should.  As I prepare to head back to the hospital that Dr Statuta, Dr. Hryvniak, and Dr. Kongkatong work at I am going to write them each a letter about how they impacted my life and helped me get to Dr. Williams on this crazy painful journey I have been on.