5 /5 Mary Ann Flignor: My career path as an educator and nurse clinician in the NICU/PICU presented new challenges typical to a large university medical center.
Later, I pursued my dream: to provide and deliver healthcare and education globally to marginalized areas without infrastructure. I am humbled by ignorance yet honored to be mentally, physically, academically, and spiritually capable and willing to participate in the unknown circumstances and conditions awaiting us. I continued this work for fifteen years. I had the strength, endurance, stamina, and honor to withstand conditions I had never experienced or even thought possible. With each of these experiences, my gratitude grew. I love my work and am blessed to have a fantastic family.
Suddenly, it stopped when, 15 years ago, I returned home from a mission now referred to as my last. I can accept the schematics of our world needing change occasionally. What I found extremely difficult to accept was this sudden and abrupt onset of physical inability. I couldn’t walk and breathe simultaneously. I found myself unable to hold myself up, my independence and self-esteem spiraling down.
Physicians and surgeons agreed my coexisting conditions put me at too significant a risk. No one would treat me.
I needed to take my thoughts away from the problem and focus on a solution - I knew with every fiber of my soul that a solution existed; I realized gratitude was the key to unlocking my resilience and strength.
After contacting an ortho friend, I discovered Dr. Vedat Deviren at UCSF Spine Clinic. In November 2013, he performed my first intensive spine surgery. I’m not his most straightforward case, but I thank God daily for placing me in the gifted hands of Dr. Deviren, who delivers unmatched expertise.
It has been 12 years since that first surgery and three years since my last – I have been pain-free for 12 years aside from the expected post-op pain, which magically disappears between 6 and 8 weeks – totally! My life today celebrates the new lease on life that otherwise would have deteriorated. Life is different today. There is no panacea for me, but there are positive outcomes. The patient-centered care I receive at UCSF Spine Clinic, where they treat me as an individual, is unmatched. I will continue to seek treatment there, maintaining the highest level of evidence-based care available.
I left a fulfilling career at a time when I was most fulfilled and eager to continue. Yet, I had no choice, considering I faced the challenge of a sudden debilitating spine deformity, which impacted my mobility and independence, leaving me feeling scared and hopeless. Despite numerous obstacles, including being unable to find surgeons willing to treat me due to the complexity and risks of my condition, I discovered Dr. Vedat Deviren at UCSF Spine Clinic. His expertise, coupled with the patient-centered care approach at the clinic, led to a successful intensive surgery, giving me a renewed lease on life. Though my life has changed, with the proper medical support, I have found positive outcomes and continue to enjoy meaningful experiences with my family, maintaining gratitude and resilience throughout my journey. Facing a sudden and debilitating spine deformity marked a significant turning point in my life. The journey from feeling scared and hopeless, with my independence falling into an abyss, reclaiming my strength and resilience was profound. Initially, I was paralyzed by the fear of uncertainty, struggling with the realization that my physical capabilities were no longer the same. This adversity tested my previously unshakeable gratitude and positivity.
Thank You with all my heart! Dr. Vedat Deviren, Megan Stephenson, Dr. Christopher Ames (Dr. Devirens twin in neurosurgery), and all of the great people on the spine team at UCSF. You are all the best.
