I’ve been a police officer
for my entire career. It was something I wanted to
do as a boy, and I’d worked very hard to achieve
my goals.
Then in early 2002, I was injured
by a gunshot wound in the line of duty. I was hit
in my left abdomen. The bullet didn’t damage
any organs, but it came to rest just short of my spine,
and cased extensive nerve damage.
As a result of the injury, I
had no feeling on the front side of my left leg, between
my quadricep and my ankle. Even worse, I had excruciating
pain in the middle of the same leg.
At this point, I was unable
to work and the likelihood of my returning to my career
as a police officer was minimal.
I was seeing a neurologist for
my situation, and their initial diagnosis was simple:
I might return to normal, or I might not. As time
passed, it became clear that I was not improving.
My neurologist suggested I consider a nerve transplant.
My case-study nurse conducted
extensive research and recommended Dr. Aaron Filler.
During my initial consultation,
Dr. Filler spent nearly two hours with me, examining
my case, discussing options and possible outcomes,
and answering all my questions. He was the first doctor
in my entire life that took the time to make sure
I had all the information I needed. It was amazing,
really.
The first step was to undergo
an MR neurography scan. This allowed Dr. Filler to
“see” the location of the nerve damage
clearly, so that he could determine the best course
of action.
Based on Dr. Filler’s
recommendations, I underwent nerve graft surgery in
June 2003 at the UCLA Medical Center. Dr. Filler took
a portion of my sural nerve (which provides feeling
in the foot) from my left leg and grafted it into
the damaged location near my spine. He also used a
neurontin tube to seal the location and shield it
from further injury. I compare it to fixing electrical
conduit; he spliced in new wires and used a tube to
protect everything.
Within two months, I began to
regain sensation in my affected leg. Before, I could
sit on a physician examination table and could not
lift my right leg. By September of 2003, three months
after my surgery, I regained the ability to do so.
And by the end of the year, I was back to work, doing
light duty.
I went through extensive physical
rehabilitation and returned to full active duty by
June 2004. I’m now a detective and love my work.
Without Dr. Filler, I would
not be a police officer today. I would strongly recommend
him to any person suffering from nerve pain. If I
hadn’t undergone nerve graft surgery, who knows
what I would be doing today? Dr. Filler gave me my
life back.
