Shortly after reaching a milestone 90th birthday in 2018, an otherwise healthy and vivacious Julia Tourtellotte started experiencing leg pain. She is a talented clogger and was happy teaching the rhythmic folk dance to her peers at her local senior centre in Summerville, South Carolina.
She had started clogging in her 40s and kept up with her fitness. She was a very healthy woman up until the point when the pain started, but she couldn’t seem to shake it.
Her pain was so severe that it seemed like it might hinder her ability to ever dance again. But this set-back couldn’t discourage her from pursuing a cure and doing whatever it took to getting back into her dancing shoes.
Julia started with an epidural steroid injection (ESI) therapy to relieve the pain in her legs.
It worked for some time, but the shots eventually stopped making a difference and the pain persisted. She wanted to try something new, and looked up alternatives and doctors she could access in South Carolina.
Dr. Sabino D’Agostino, DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) is a neurosurgeon, treating various brain and nervous system disorders for his patients. He studied in Philadelphia and completed his medical residency in South Carolina where he specialized in neurosurgery. He started working and became affiliate with two of the local hospitals: Trident Medical Centre and Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital.
This was amazing news for Julia, because Dr. D’Agostino was about to change her life.
She contacted him and explained her situation. After learning about Julia’s condition, he decided to take her on as a patient and was eager to assist, suggesting a robotic spine surgery. Due to her otherwise stellar health, she was the perfect candidate.
It may sound daunting, but this surgery is in fact one of the safest and most minimally invasive procedures currently available. Under Dr. D’Agostino’s care, Julia agreed to undergo the high-tech low-risk robotic spine surgery and hoped it would cure her pain.
“She wants to live life. She was not going to take a backseat to her pain and she wanted help.” – Dr. Sabino D’Agostino, DO
The surgery was a great success and she woke up without any pain in her legs!
After three months of rehabilitation, Julia went back to the hospital to see Dr. D’Agostino… and asked him for a dance.
He joined her and some other dancers in a wonderful clogging session, which was all caught on camera by hospital staff.
We wonder how many times the doctor had to practice to keep up with her!
Thanks to Dr. D’Agostino and the miracle of modern medicine, Julia got her groove back and is able to continue enjoying her passion.
“I still teach clogging classes at a senior centre. I love it and am so happy I can still dance.” – Julia Tourtellotte
Watch the video below for the magical moment where Julia and her surgeon were able to dance together after making a full recovery.
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