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PERSEVERANCE PAYS OFF:
34-YEAR-OLD TEACHER TEACHES
AN IMPORTANT MEDICAL LESSON
Delacey Thiele, a 34-year-old health
and phys ed teacher from Milford,
PA, was always physically active.
“Engaging with my students at Wan-
tage Elementary School and being
outdoors with my family is very
important to me.”
That wasn’t so easy when her legs
started feeling heavy, weak and
tired. A round of tests only showed
low levels of Vitamin D. Supple-
ments didn’t help.
Delacey’s symptoms continued to
worsen. She had numbness in her
legs, tingling in her fingers and
hands as well as pain down her arm.
A neurologist ordered two MRI: one
of her brain and one of her spine.
During the spine MRI, the radiologist
noticed findings around her neck. An
on-the-spot neck MRI revealed herni-
ated discs at three levels. A herniated
disc develops when one of the cush-
ion-like pads between the vertebrae
moves out of position and presses on
adjacent nerves.
Delacey was immediately referred to
Dr. Charles Stillerman, a board-certi-
fied neurosurgeon at Atlantic Neu-
roSurgical Specialists (ANS) and
spine specialist. When she received
a call from him the next morning, he
had already read her MRI reports
and told her to come in immediate-
ly. He explained it was urgent to get
her into surgery. He postponed an
existing procedure and admitted her
to the hospital to remove the herni-
ated discs.
“During the procedure, we per-
formed an anterior cervical discecto-
my and fusion (ACDF). This type of
neck surgery involves removing a
damaged disc to relieve spinal cord
or nerve root pressure and alleviate
corresponding pain, weakness,
numbness and tingling,” Dr. Stiller-
man details. “Thankfully, Delacey
acted quickly. She came to me right
away, which may have saved her
ability to walk. Had she waited
another week, it may have been too
late to intervene – and she could
have become a quadriplegic. She
was very lucky.”
“I felt immediate relief right after
surgery,” Delacey recalls. “I hope
everyone who has unusual, hard-to-
diagnose symptoms searches until
they have answers and a treatment
plan,” she advises. “While you may
have to persist to find the correct
solution, your life and health are
worth it.”
For more information about neck
and spine disorders, contact the ANS
Spine Center at 973-285-7800 and
visit www.ansdocs.com.
Atlantic NeuroSurgical Specialists
(ANS) is New Jersey’s largest neuro-
surgical practice and one of the most
advanced in the country. Since its
founding in 1958, ANS has special-
ized in the diagnosis and treatment
of disorders affecting the nervous
system. Its Spine Center
is known for its cutting-
edge treatments and
therapies, many of which
are minimally invasive.
Delacey Thiele is once again enjoying the
beach with (l. to r.) her husband, Eric, and
two young children, Jovey and Jace.
Straighten
Up
973.285.7800
PAGE 37