Catherine suffered for years with excruciating pain in her back, buttocks and shooting down her leg.
After dozens of doctors could not diagnose her problem she finally figured out she had Piriformis Syndrome and needed a Peripheral Nerve Surgeon.
Enter Dr. Tim Tollestrup who pioneered the surgery to remove the Piriformis Muscle, leading to relief for hundreds of patients from all over the world. Catherine traveled from her home in Florida to Las Vegas, Nevada for the surgery that immediately relieved her pain. The difference was so dramatic she thought it was a fluke.
Watch her story and see how bravely and articulately she shares her journey back to health.
Transcript:
Hello, my name is Catherine. I live in Florida and I’m going to try to give you a condensed version of my journey through pain experience. It began a few years ago when I was having difficulty getting up from a chair or getting up from any seated position for that matter. I began to get increasingly more pain in the lower back, more pain in my buttock area, and excruciating shooting pain down my thigh and in front of my leg. I was having difficulty with steps. The pain was almost unbearable to the point it was difficult to get dressed, it was difficult to shower. I was constantly feeling a spasm in my lower back. It was at this point when my legs started buckling and I was concerned about falling that I sought help from medical professionals.
They finally did a piriformis muscle injection, and that gave me pain relief for a few hours. In researching, I found out there are not many in the United States and probably a handful if that. So, I began to research and found Dr. Tollestrup’s website and watched some of his YouTube videos and so forth, and felt that he may have a good idea of what to do and how to help me. His office staff was great. They sent me the information. I filled out the paperwork. Being that it’s across the country for me trip and during a pandemic, I did not want to fly. So, we drove to Nevada. We got there on a Sunday. We had a consult with Dr. Tollestrup on Monday, and it was the most thorough, complete exam I think I’ve ever experienced in my life.
The surgery was the next day, it was a Tuesday. And went in around 10:00 in the morning and was out by, I believe it was 1:00 or 1:30 and had no pain. I stayed overnight and thought it was a flute that this can’t be possible. I wasn’t having any pain. I was able to get up and get out of bed unassisted. Prior to that, I had been walking with a cane for months. I am excited about the possibilities now, since I did get such relief with the first surgery for the piriformis muscle. So, I’m very encouraged by the fact that he will do what is necessary to make me enjoy a pain free life so that my husband and I can travel, I can enjoy my grandchildren.
I’m very, very grateful for Dr. Tollestrup. I’m so glad that I found him and I encourage anyone that is having chronic pain that is probably nerve related and they should seek help from Dr. Tollestrup. It’s been well worth the journey, it’s been well worth going halfway across the country or more than halfway across the country to find him, and I can’t say enough good about him.
