For Shelley Kaiser, a 74-year-old personal trainer from Westport, physical activity has always been at the heart of her life. From running marathons to coaching clients, and even picking up pickleball as her latest obsession, Shelley thrived on movement. However, when relentless pain in her right calf began to interfere with her daily life, the woman who spent decades helping others get stronger suddenly found herself struggling.
“I knew it was nerve pain coming from my spine,” Shelley shared, drawing on her experience as a fitness professional.
The diagnosis was spinal stenosis, a common condition where the spinal canal narrows, compressing the nerves. For two years, Shelley did what she could to manage the pain, including steroid injections, but nothing provided lasting relief. Even her beloved time on the pickleball court became overshadowed by the discomfort.
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Despite undergoing surgery in New York City, her symptoms persisted.
“It was incredibly frustrating. The surgery didn’t fix my pain,” Shelley said.
She sought out a second opinion and learned the initial surgery had targeted the wrong area of her spine.
Find a Nuvance Health neurosurgeon near me.
“It turns out, they operated on what looked bad in the MRI, but it wasn’t the source of my pain,” Shelley learned.
Dr. Scott Sanderson, chief of neurosurgery at Danbury Hospital, explained: “Simply reading an MRI isn’t enough. It’s crucial to evaluate the individual’s symptoms and anatomy to understand what’s really causing the pain. In Shelley’s case, the previous surgery was based on the worst looking part of her spine, but it didn’t match her symptoms. By pinpointing the exact nerve causing the pain, we were able to treat her successfully.”
Determined to reclaim her life, Shelley underwent a second spine surgery in July 2022 at Danbury Hospital. Dr. Sanderson performed a laminectomy through a small incision without the need to place any hardware in Shelley’s spine. During the operation, Dr. Sanderson removed part of the bone covering the spinal canal (the lamina) to decompress it and the bundle of nerves. A laminectomy can relieve pressure on the nerves and the associated pain, making it an effective option for spinal stenosis.
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This time, the results were immediate.
“The pain in my calf was gone as soon as I woke up,” Shelley said. “I was able to go home the same day, and I walked out of the hospital without pain.”
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Shelley embraced her recovery with the determination that has guided her fitness career. She was especially encouraged by Katie Swan, a Nuvance Health neurosurgical physician assistant, who gave her the confidence to return to her active lifestyle.
“I was tentative about starting to play pickleball again, but Kate told me, ‘Go live your life,’ and that made all the difference,” Shelley said.
Within six weeks, she was back to training clients and back on the pickleball court.
“Dr. Sanderson gave me my life back,” Shelley shared. “I still think about him and thank him almost every day.”
Dr. Scott Sanderson is a board-certified, fellowship-trained neurosurgeon, specializing in the surgical treatment of brain and spine conditions. He has been awarded the Danbury Hospital and New Milford Hospital Medical Staff Employee of the Month. He is a designated Premium Care Physician by UnitedHealth for meeting the UnitedHealth Premium® program criteria for quality and cost-efficient care. Book now with Dr. Sanderson.
Note: Nuvance Health has sponsored this content for Westport Journal. Nuvance Health is a system of nonprofit hospitals, medical practices and outpatient healthcare services throughout the Hudson Valley and western Connecticut, including nearby Norwalk Hospital. Visit nuvancehealth.org for more information.
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