David Schlipman leads an active lifestyle as a business owner, husband, father of two, and a nationally competitive bodybuilder from Quincy, Il. Over the last four years, he has become increasingly involved in improving his health and working toward his goal of participating in a national bodybuilding competition.
One morning David woke up with what he thought was a stiff neck and the stiffness continued to persist. Eventually he also developed left arm and chest pain which became very intense. “I felt like I was being electrocuted all the way down my arm to my fingertips. My fingers felt like they might explode,” David explains. David didn’t immediately seek treatment because he thought he had suffered a minor injury that would heal over time. Over the next three months, he started to notice that he wasn’t able to lift anything with his left arm and the muscles of his arm started to shrink noticeably.
After David didn’t respond to physical therapy, his primary care physician ordered an MRI which showed a cervical disc herniation. David was referred to Dr. Rahul Basho at Midwest Orthopedic Specialists. David said, “I was hesitant to stay in a small community for treatment, but Dr. Basho had a lot of glowing reviews and satisfied customers. I am so glad I chose Dr. Basho and Hannibal Regional Hospital to be part of my healthcare team. Dr. Basho is so kind and compassionate, he was very confident and knew exactly what to do. He explained my options and the mechanics behind each of them. In the end, we decided a cervical disc replacement would be right for me.”
“Compared with traditional surgery, cervical disc replacement is a newer technology that preserves motion. I am proud to offer the latest innovations and advanced technology to our local community. Patients no longer need to travel for cutting-edge care,” says Dr. Basho.
David was scheduled for surgery eight days after his initial consultation. “When I showed up the day of surgery, I felt like I was being greeted at a 5-star hotel. I immediately knew I was in the right place. I didn’t know there was such excellent care just 30 minutes from home,” says David.
David woke from surgery to find he had immediate relief from the pain he had been experiencing for months. He was discharged from the hospital after 24 hours and was able to stop using pain medication on day four. David said, “This injury was one of the worst and best things that ever happened to me. Having surgery is never ideal, but meeting such a great group of people who genuinely love their jobs and love caring for people has been a blessing. I really feel like I made friends. I cannot thank Dr. Basho and Hannibal Regional Hospital enough for their excellent care.”
To learn more about the Hannibal Regional Spine Center visit hannibalregional.org/spinecenter or call (844) 474-2225.