The Right Care

Melodie Furtado did everything she could to avoid having spinal surgery again. The pain and slow recovery time of her first surgery 10 years ago was something she didn’t want to repeat, no matter how much she ached.

In her mind she had gone to the best at a hospital in southern California and she just didn’t ever feel great. Melodie, of Tulare, suffers from arthritis, an inflammation and stiffness in her joints. She had a spinal fusion, a surgery that permanently joins together two or more bones in the spine, called vertebrae, so there is no movement between them. The goal is to stop painful motion and strengthen the spine.

After managing the return of aches and pains with cortisone injections and everything but surgery, her left leg just ached and ached. Not only were everyday things harder, she wasn’t able to play with her 19 grandchildren and her quality of life wasn’t where she wanted it.

“The only way I can describe (my leg) is it hurt all the way to the bone,” Melodie says.

Instead of going back to Irvine, this time Melodie started seeing orthopedic surgeon Mathias Daniels, M.D. at Kaweah Health. He is board-certified and spine fellowship-trained, specializing in spine and orthopedic surgery.

“I liked that Dr. Daniels was proactive, but did not jump to having surgery,” she says. “He is very well mannered and he cares about his patients.”

Dr. Daniels did what he could until surgery was the only option to stop her pain.

“I was prepared to be in the hospital for days like last time,” Melodie says. “I had the surgery and I was up and walking the same day.”

Melodie had her surgery on a Tuesday, went home from Kaweah Health on Wednesday, and was back to working from home by Monday. Recovery from her first surgery required a lot of pain medication and a walker, but she didn’t need either this time.

“That was huge,” she says. “It makes you stop and think ‘why do we think we have to go away to find the best care?’”

It isn’t just Dr. Daniels and his work that has her grateful for Kaweah Health’s world-class care. Two years ago her husband was saved at Kaweah Health after suffering a major heart attack. She and her son performed CPR before the emergency medical personnel arrived and he was rushed to the hospital.

“Thank God for the nurses who were working that night,” Melodie says. “The doctor saved his life and the nurses and staff gave him great care.”

Now she and her husband are back to attending their grandchildren’s baseball games and playing with them as much as possible. And in the near future, Melodie is on her way to doing something else she never thought she would do — having much needed neck surgery.

“I know I have arthritis everywhere, but I don’t want to not be able to do anything,” she says. “I’m very hopeful. I trust Dr. Daniels.”