Robert Lee's Story

Robert Lee’s body took a toll - physically - over the course of his career.

Well, I did heavy equipment repair for 50 years. It was hard work and I took care of everything from A to Z on from transmissions to engines hydraulics.

When Robert retired, he found himself living with severe pain in his leg.

I would end up squeezing the muscle to try to stop the pain to make it into the grocery store. I was miserable you didn't want to get near me. I would snap and you know because when you're in pain you're miserable and the first little thing's going to set you off. I had one incident where I couldn't walk on the leg. I went to the hospital, they gave me crutches, and sent me home. I said all the technicians you have here you can't fix me and they said no.

Robert tried various treatments and found himself trying acupressure.

I went in on crutches and came out carrying them on my shoulder. I said wow that's the cure. So I would go once a month and I was doing pretty good but as time went on now that's not working.

In the middle of a camping trip with his family, Robert’s leg gave out.

I turned, started to walk and collapsed to the ground with a pain like an 11 not a 10 and I can't do nothing… I can't walk. I couldn't stop. I couldn't sleep. So 2 in the morning, I woke my brother and said you got to take me to the hospital I can't take the pain anymore.

Eventually, Robert was introduced to Dr. Mann at Garden State Medical Center.

The reputation I heard of Dr. Mann and reading the plaques voted by doctors as the best for this pain management. I said how can I go wrong? He says you got a little deterioration there, a pinched nerve. I can give you a shot and we'll see how that works. Well that worked for about three weeks and it came back. That's when I had another meeting with him and he says you're the perfect candidate for this new procedure and I said I'm game for it because I don't want to live the rest of my life. I'm supposed to be having fun when I retire.

Robert underwent the Vertiflex procedure, performed by Dr. Mann.

When I woke up, he said okay you can get down. I stood on that leg and there was absolutely no pain. I was saying oh my goodness and I told him, “I said I have no pain!” I'm doing the things I couldn't do because of the agony of the pain. I'm so thankful for Garden State Medical Center for their professional job they did on me. I was able to walk with absolutely no pain which shocked me. I didn't think it would be that soon, but I'm very thankful and thank goodness I came to the most professional place around.