Diane describes her visit with Dr. Gary Ghiselli on February 22, 2024, as the “most wonderful
appointment of my life.” While not everyone might describe a doctor’s visit that way, for Diane, it marked the turning point in a painful journey.
For seven months, Diane had been suffering from escalating pain and numbness that began in her left hip and spread down her leg to her foot. Eventually, she couldn’t bear weight on her left leg without experiencing what she calls “lightning bolts of pain.” Mornings were especially difficult—she needed help from her husband and a cane to get out of bed. Even then, she had to wait until her body “loosened up” enough to move around the house. Living with osteoporosis, Diane was extremely cautious, knowing that a fall could easily lead to a fracture. As a result, she was effectively homebound.
What concerned Diane most was losing her ability to exercise. She has been living with Parkinson’s disease for 18 years and has managed its progression through a disciplined routine of physical activity, including skiing, horseback riding, hiking, and most recently, walking. Her dedication has been such that she developed a curriculum on self-efficacy for Parkinson’s patients, PD SELF (Parkinson’s Self-Efficacy Learning Forum), which has been utilized by over 2,000 Parkinson’s patients to help navigate the disease.
To maintain her health, Diane regularly sees physical therapists for both her osteoporosis and Parkinson’s. When the leg pain worsened, several of them recommended she see Dr. Ghiselli. Diane was immediately impressed by his empathy, honesty, competence, and direct communication. “He didn’t sugarcoat anything,” she recalls. Dr. Ghiselli suggested trying intensified physical therapy and cortisone injections before considering surgery. Diane followed that plan for six months, incorporating additional therapy and receiving monthly injections—but the pain persisted.
So, at that “wonderful” February appointment, Diane decided to proceed with spine surgery. “Dr. Ghiselli made me feel safe. Dr. Ghiselli and his Physician’s Assistant, Renee, were with me every step of the way, offering support and answering all my questions,” she says. She also appreciated his willingness to coordinate with her rheumatologist and neurologist, “spine surgery on an 81-year-old with Parkinson’s was a big team effort,” Diane remembers.
On April 19, 2024, Diane underwent an L4-L5 fusion surgery—and woke up pain-free. She was astonished to find she could walk the hospital corridors without pain or fear of falling. Since then, she hasn’t experienced any pain at all.
Now, Diane is back to walking daily with her husband, and continues her physical therapy to improve gait, coordination, and balance. She’s once again attending her five grandsons’ sporting events and even hopes to resume therapeutic horseback riding soon. For Diane, choosing Dr. Ghiselli wasn’t just a good decision—it was a life-changing one that gave her back both her mobility and her independence.
