Hometown: San Antonio, TX
Surgeon: South Texas Spinal Clinic, San Antonio, TX
Procedure: eXtreme Lateral Interbody Fusion (XLIF®)
Surgery Date: June 14, 2013
Life Prior to Surgery: A few years ago, Brock, who had previously worked as an attorney, was enjoying a profession filled with outdoor adventure. Passionate about bird watching, he started a company giving walking bird-watching tours in the Lacandon Jungle – an area of rainforest that stretches from Mexico into Guatemala and the southern part of the Yucatán Peninsula.
However, over the last few years, Brock’s back pain began to interfere with doing the job he loved. He tried epidural injections, steroid injections, and pain medications. However, none of these conservative treatments gave him the relief he needed to comfortably endure his work. Determined to maintain his adventurous career, Brock looked into a more permanent approach. A spine surgeon recommended the minimally disruptive XLIF procedure.
“I decided to have the surgery done so I could continue to lead my tours,” Brock says.
Situation Today: In June 2013, Brock underwent XLIF surgery and was walking the very next day. He was shocked to find such success considering the way he previously perceived back surgery. Brock had mostly only heard horror stories of surgeries leading to greater pain. This perception has since changed, and he wants to now share his story with others.
“If more people knew about how this experience changed my life, I believe they could benefit and find a better quality of life, too,” he adds.
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