My name is Ron and I had surgery on my neck done by Dr. Holen on February 1, 2008. My problem began 6 years ago with tingling sensations and a stiff neck. Over time, it kept getting worse until eventually, I had no feeling in either of my arms and I could not use them at all. According to the doctors, my spinal cord was within 100,000th of an inch away from being completely pinched off, meaning that I would be paralyzed for life.
I had seen two other doctors and they told me that there was nothing they could do for me. Then, I came to Florida Spine Institute and first I saw Dr. Torres.
He immediately saw the problem and he jumped into action. He told me I needed surgery right away and he arranged for me to see one of the surgeons, Dr. Holen the same day.
I will never forget how much Dr. Torres cared about me. He acted as if I was the only person on the earth. Other medical practices don't do that kind of stuff.
When I first met Dr. Holen, he put my mind at ease. He explained everything, from what was wrong with me to more importantly, what he was going to do about it. They got me into surgery only two days later. Again, I felt like I was being treated like a King. I had my surgery on a Friday and by the next morning I was up and walking. I felt no pain and there was a moment in the post-op right after the surgery that I will never forget. Remember I said that I could not use my arms or hands before the surgery, well, in the post-op I reached out and squeezed my wife's hand just minutes after the surgery. We both cried tears of joy. Without a doubt in my mind, this was a miracle.
I am such a lucky man to have met these wonderful people. Dr. Holen is fabulous and he is without a doubt, my hero. I was most impressed with how much they all cared about me. I should be paralyzed by now, but instead I have a new lease on life. And, I am now providing hope for others. I have a friend in North Carolina who is blind. He called me throughout this to see how I was doing. He was so uplifted and encouraged by my story that he went back to see doctors about his blindness and a surgery has been scheduled where they are very hopeful that they will be able to return at least some of his sight.
I can't say enough great things about Dr. Torres, Dr. Holen and the entire staff at FSI.
