Grandmother Regains Quality of Life After Surgery for Debilitating Back Pain From Scoliosis

At 66 years old, Monica Schappaugh enjoys staying busy through different hobbies from gardening to collecting and refinishing furniture. Spending time with her four grandchildren is one of her favorite pastimes. She was always in the stands cheering on her grandsons at all their sporting events and would even play soccer and other games with them for fun. That was until she suffered a life-changing fall in March 2021.

“Driving a truck for a living, my lower back would ache off and on. But after I fell, it was more than a year of debilitating back pain,” says Monica.

Monica aimed to walk 10,000 steps each day. Following her fall, however, her back pain progressed to the point where she could barely walk. Her pain was so severe she tried staying off her feet as much as possible, causing her to miss out on the activities she enjoyed most.

“It had gotten so bad that at many points during the day, I would hear myself say, ‘I cannot live the rest of my life like this.’ I couldn’t go to my younger grandson’s soccer games,” says Monica. “It was just too painful. I basically had no quality of life.”

Monica first sought care locally where she lived in Illinois. A surgery was recommended to her that would potentially limit her mobility, but Monica, whose daughter describes her as young at heart, wanted to get back to her active lifestyle. She ultimately sought out a second opinion to get to the bottom of what was causing her back pain and how to fix it. Monica’s friend suggested she see William Clifton, MD, a dual-trained spine orthopedic and neurosurgeon at Cleveland Clinic. After sending over her medical charts, she received a call that would eventually lead to some long-awaited answers.

“I had just laid down for a nap – many times I would do that because my back ached. I woke up to a call from Dr. Clifton and talking to him was like catching up with an old friend. He reassured me everything was going to be OK. That gave me so much hope because I was about out of hope up until that point,” says Monica.

After the call, Monica traveled from Illinois to Cleveland, Ohio, to see Dr. Clifton in person. Imaging showed she had degenerative scoliosis, where the spine curves as you age. While most cases are mild and don’t require treatment, Dr. Clifton explained Monica’s scoliosis was so severe it was not only impacting her leg function but her digestion as well.

“Monica had a type of scoliosis that was causing compression of her stomach to the point where she couldn’t digest food properly. She was losing a lot of weight,” says Dr. Clifton.

He gave Monica the option to undergo a spine surgery that would allow her to regain mobility. Dr. Clifton says her spinal fusion involved taking precise measurements to determine how much of a natural curve she should have in her back. These measurements were then used to create an individualized surgery plan that would prevent complications down the road. During the operation, screws and rods are used to straighten the spine and allow for rotation.

“We individually tailor these surgeries to prevent issues from arising, like patients pulling out their screws or their spinal fusion not working. That cuts down on a lot of complications,” says Dr. Clifton.

After nearly two years of pain, Monica was eager to get her life back. Her surgery date was set for January 31, 2023, and even after facing flight challenges, she was so determined to get to her surgery she drove eight hours overnight to Cleveland. “I wasn’t going to miss it for anything,” says Monica.

Her surgery was successful, and Monica began trying to walk shortly after. The first thing she noticed was a big change in her posture when the physical therapists helped her out of bed for a walk. “I remember standing straight up and down for the first time in two years. I was as straight as my IV pole,” says Monica.

Following her surgery, she underwent multiple physical therapy sessions and pushed herself each day to walk a little farther. Monica knew her grandson, Cruz, had a soccer tournament coming up, but she still wasn’t sure she’d be able to attend at that point in her recovery. Monica continued to be diligent with her therapy, and when game time rolled around, she felt up for it. This marked the first time she got back to cheering on her grandson in the stands.

“After the tournament, I sent Dr. Clifton a picture of my grandson holding the first-place trophy with a note that read, ‘Thank you for giving me my life back,’” says Monica, who attended the game following seven months of hard work after surgery. 

Dr. Clifton says, “When I saw that picture, it was the best feeling in the world. It almost brought tears to my eyes knowing everything she’s been through. It’s a culmination of both our hard work through this entire process.”

Now, Monica’s able to walk on her own without any help. Although she’s still working through balance issues, she doesn’t have the piercing back pain that kept her from getting around before.

“I’m able to be more independent and go outside where I can get my hands in the dirt to garden again,” says Monica. “I can't wait to see what God's got planned for me when I'm back 100%. Being pain free has been a godsend.”

Monica will continue to follow up with Dr. Clifton, who expects her to keep making progress and reach new milestones as time goes on. Both Monica and Dr. Clifton hope to encourage others to get help earlier rather than later for back pain.

“For patients who are experiencing pain, it’s important for them to seek care before things worsen. It’s never wrong to get an opinion and try to find out why you’re having pain or trouble doing everyday tasks. What I do mostly in my practice is keep people walking. There's always hope and that's important for people to know,” says Dr. Clifton.

Monica adds, “Never give up hope – always look beyond what's right in front of you. If my story helps one person, it was all worth it.”