Glen Garcia of Fremont was diagnosed with age-related degenerative disc
disease in his spine. Over the years, the condition created on/off pain
until it kicked into high gear in 2018. “I thought I was having
a heart attack. My neck and shoulder froze. It felt like someone was constantly
pushing the dull end of a screwdriver into my shoulder.” After a
visit to urgent care and an emergency room, things settled down a tad,
but the numbness and tingling kept coming back. He knew he needed a permanent
fix, and that meant surgery. Based on a recommendation, he saw Desmond
Erasmus, MD, Medical Director of Washington Hospital’s Minimally
Invasive Spine Program. The surgery was a major success, and Glen even
went home the next day. Now he is working again, getting stronger all
the time, and has a fantastic goal: “I’m planning to teach
my daughter how to snowboard next season.”