Nate “Rock” Quarry
Ultimate Ambassador and Professional MMA® Fighter
Age: 37
Condition: Degenerative Disc Disease
A doctor’s diagnosis hit Nate hard: He had degenerative disc disease and needed surgery. As a professional MMA fighter and a featured athlete on “The Ultimate Fighter,” he feared his budding career was over. Could he continue as a professional mixed martial arts fighter?
Nate “Rock” Quarry is a paid spokesperson of NuVasive,® Inc.
Bill Walton
Basketball Hall-of-Famer
Condition: Degenerative Disc Disease
Bill Walton injured his back in 1974 when an opponent “low-bridged” him, flipping him upside down so that he hit hard on the wooden floor during a NCAA basketball game. As a result, Bill suffered from debilitating back and leg pain for more than 30 years. After he exhausted every treatment option, Bill sought a minimally disruptive spine surgery that would help him get back in the game.
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Jane
Vice President, Mortgage Sales Manager
Age: 53
Condition: Herniated Disc
Treated Levels: L4-5
A herniated disc made life miserable for Jane, who drives 1,200 miles a month on sales and business development visits. When told that she needed an open surgical procedure to fix the disc, Jane decided to talk to patients who had undergone the same type of spine surgery. After hearing from these patients, Jane heeded a co-worker’s recommendation to research minimally disruptive surgery options.
Randy
Rancher
Age: 74
Condition: Degenerative Disc Disease
Treated Levels: L4-5
Born on a ranch where he was taught that “if you can stand it up and put it next to your shoulder, you can lift it,” Randy experienced gradual back pain that became severe in his early seventies. Radiating from his waist all the way down to his toes, Randy was reduced to walking with a shuffle. He flew to Honolulu and met with two surgeons to discuss his options.
Melba
Licensed Practical Nurse and Caretaker
Age: 71
Condition: Scoliosis, Degenerative Disc Disease
Treated Levels: L1-5
Decades of caring for a disabled son left Melba with such severe back and leg pain that she could barely stand for more than a few minutes, much less walk any significant distance. She tried many non-operative treatments that provided relief. However, her scoliosis and pain worsened and she was referred to a minimally disruptive spine surgeon.
Medonna
Lead Book Factory Clerk
Age: 40
Condition: Degenerative Disc Disease
Treated Levels: L4-5
Medonna, a wife and mother of 5 boys, coped as best she could with extreme back pain at a job where she lifted 40 and 50 pound boxes for 8-10 hours each day. Determined to earn her paycheck and contribute to the family’s income, Medonna sought nonsurgical pain management treatments. However, she continued to suffer. With hope in sight, Medonna and husband Dan began researching options for minimally disruptive spinal procedures.
Alan
Dairy Trucker
Age: 49
Condition: Degenerative Disc Disease
Treated Levels: L3-5
For Alan, a dairy trucker whose routine included harsh physical labor mixed with long stretches of sitting while driving, back pain gradually sunk in. When his lifestyle became compromised, both professionally and personally, Alan sought non-surgical and surgical treatments to relieve the intensity of the pain. A short year later, the pain had returned and Alan was ready to fight it again.
Virginia
Grandmother
Age: 73
Condition: Degenerative Disc Disease, Degenerative Scoliosis, Lumbar Stenosis
Treated Levels: L2-4
Virginia, an avid hiker who loves being outdoors, underwent several procedures in hope to relieve her acute back pain. During Virginia’s second surgery, an unexpected complication left her with a chest cavity infection, a month’s stay in the hospital, and worsening back pain. A painful back is difficult to live with, causing Virginia to undergo a third surgery.
Bob
Athlete, Father
Age: 44
Condition: Degenerative Disc Disease, Vertebral Fracture
Treated Levels: L4-5
Coming from an athletic family with a passion for skiing, Bob has always had natural talent for all sports—talent that left him with severe back pain early in his adult life. Weighing his options for surgical treatment and rehabilitation only conjured up anxiety and apprehension. This father of two finally changed his mind, and sought options to address his aching back.
Alex
CEO and Chairman of the Board, NuVasive, Inc.
Age: 54
Condition: Degenerative Disc Disease
Alex serves as the CEO of an innovative medical device company focused on the design, development, and marketing of products for the minimally disruptive surgical treatment of spine disorders. As this CEO worked tirelessly, however, responding to the needs of surgeons and their patients, he had to face the reality of needing spine surgery himself.
Anne
Grandmother
Age: 69
Condition: Degenerative Scoliosis, Spinal Stenosis, and Degenerative Disc Disease
Anne, amazingly, was able to mask her condition well, vowing to “suit up, and show up.” But as her symptoms progressed, simple tasks became too hard to handle. Was spine surgery the only option left that could keep Anne active?
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Read Anne’s Story
Claire
Triathlete
Age: 24
Condition: Degenerative Disc Disease
Claire is an athletic young woman who began suffering from back and leg pain in her teens. After having two microdiscectomies, Claire decided to undergo minimally disruptive spine surgery. About one year after having the surgical procedure, Claire competed in a grueling triathlon and finished in 15 hours and 45 minutes.
Jeff
Retail Pharmacist
Age: 67
Condition: Spondylolisthesis
As a retail pharmacist, decades of standing for 12 hours at a time took a toll on Jeff’s back. The severe pain drove him to submit to a laminectomy and discectomy in 1993; it took one full year before Jeff finally felt comfortable and the pain subsided. Seventeen years later, however, his pain returned with a vengeance as he prepared for the golf and fishing season. Would Jeff consider yet another surgery?
Shelly
Engineering Product Manager
Age: 49
Condition: Degenerative Disc Disease, Degenerative Scoliosis
After a fall down the stairs in 2001, Shelly felt an “explosion” of pain in her back that intensified over the years. By the end of 2006, this active wife and mother was unable to stand, sleep, or travel for work or with family due to chronic back pain; she no longer kept up with her athletic children due to the agonizing pain that radiated through her lower back and crept down her legs. Still, Shelly was tough and tried to fight back with physical therapy, epidural injections and exercise— but soon realized that she would need to undergo surgery to fix her back.
Ward
Broadway Performer
Age: 31
Condition: Spondylolisthesis, Degenerative Disc Disease, and Foraminal Stenosis
Ward, a 31-year-old actor, singer, and dancer, is a veteran of numerous Broadway shows and national tours. His back really started hurting during his run with Chicago. That meant doing physical therapy and taking ibuprofen to make it through. Finally, in early 2009, Ward had to close the curtain on his acting and dancing career — his back wouldn’t let him perform any longer.
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