This past year was one of the most challenging for Joel Weidner, a 56-year-old police officer from North Londonderry Township with an incredible 27 years of dedicated service to his community. After undergoing spinal surgery on his C7 vertebra, Joel began experiencing severe lower back pain that quickly worsened, leaving him unable to walk without crutches or a cane. His condition not only threatened his ability to work but cast doubt on whether he’d be able to finish his career, with just two years left until retirement.
After a year of countless MRIs, CT scans, and consultations with various specialists, Joel was told his options were near a dead end. Surgery was an option for him, but going through another surgery so soon was suboptimal. However, in September he was referred to Dr. Michael Fishman for pain management as a last ditch effort. After reviewing Joel’s imaging, Dr. Fishman identified a cyst pushing on the nerve roots.
To avoid surgery, Dr. Fishman offered hope in the form of draining the cyst and performing of an epidural steroid injection to alleviate the nerve root swelling. Fortunately, this was successful in alleviating his pain and weakness so that he could resume recovering from his recent neck surgery! Though the procedure was extremely painful, the results were nothing short of miraculous. Joel walked out of Dr. Fishman’s office that same day—an outcome he hadn’t imagined possible.
“Dr. Fishman completely turned my life around,” Joel shares. “I went from feeling hopeless to knowing my future again. His honesty, compassion, and expertise made all the difference. With tears in my eyes, I even told my wife, ‘We’re going to the beach,’ and we spent an active weekend together for the first time in ages.”
Now back at work as of October 14, Joel continues his recovery with physical therapy and manages residual arthritis pain. Despite the challenges, Joel is profoundly grateful.