Finally Finding Hope After Years of Pain
Glynis Watson spent years searching for an explanation for burning pain, numbness and instability that kept getting worse. The answer was eventually found somewhere no one had looked before.
Glynis Watson was supposed to be feeling better by now.
After being diagnosed with severe arthritis, she had done what the doctors told her to do: seek care, get second opinions and ultimately undergo a right hip replacement in 2021 followed by a left hip replacement in 2022.
Recovery was supposed to relieve the pain. Instead, it got worse.
What began as discomfort became debilitating. Along with numbness and tingling, Glynis developed a constant burning sensation through both legs. The lightest touch could feel unbearable. Blankets irritated her skin, so she slept propped up on the couch and often woke around 3 a.m. unable to get comfortable.
A Revolving Door of Doctors
For years, Glynis moved from one specialist to another: orthopedic surgeons, foot doctors, physical therapists, pain management specialists and neurologists. Her hips looked fine, she was told, even as she continued walking with a cane and insisting that something was still wrong.
She tried physical therapy, an SI joint injection, lumbar radiofrequency ablation and oral pain medications. Nothing meaningfully relieved her leg symptoms. EMG testing in June 2025 ruled out neuropathy, radiculopathy and plexopathy.
“I felt like my life revolved around going to different doctors. And nobody could figure out what was going on.”— Glynis Watson
As the pain intensified, her world became smaller. She relied on a cane or walker because she was afraid her legs would give out. Eventually, she had to leave her job working with people with mental disabilities because she could no longer function the way she once had.
A Real Problem — But Not the Whole Answer
A change in insurance brought Glynis into Atlantic Health System, where another orthopedic surgeon identified a genuine issue others had missed: the cup from her right hip replacement was too small and improperly positioned, causing irritation.
She underwent revision surgery in February 2025. It addressed the hip problem, but the burning, tingling and numbness remained. She still needed a walker. She still couldn't sleep comfortably or wear the clothes she wanted. And she still didn't know why.
Then Someone Kept Asking Questions
With orthopedic and neuropathic causes ruled out, Glynis made a neurosurgery appointment at Atlantic Brain and Spine. By then, she was physically exhausted and emotionally drained. But she noticed something different before the clinical evaluation even began.
When an insurance issue nearly forced her to cancel the appointment, the front-desk team helped her work through it.
“I could tell they really care about their patients. They were very inviting and friendly. I just knew this was the right move for me to make.”— Glynis Watson
During her evaluation, Julianna Schwartz, PA-C, took time to understand the whole story—not just Glynis's surgeries and test results, but how the symptoms had progressed and how deeply they were affecting her daily life.
Julianna Schwartz, PA-C
Atlantic Brain and SpineRather than stopping where previous evaluations had, Julianna looked beyond what had already been treated or ruled out and ordered advanced imaging beyond the lumbar spine.
“It's my priority to hear what they have to say and understand what they're going through.”
A thoracic MRI finally explained the symptoms.
Imaging revealed a benign intradural tumor pressing on Glynis's spinal cord at T7–T8. For the first time, the burning, numbness and instability made sense—as did the failure of years of treatments focused elsewhere.
“This Amazing Team of Women”
Glynis then met Kimberly B. Ashayeri, MD, a spine surgeon whose confidence immediately reassured her. Dr. Ashayeri and Julianna walked her through the diagnosis, the risks and what would happen next.
“This amazing team of women gave me comfort knowing everything would be okay. I'd never gotten that from any of my other doctors.”— Glynis Watson
Kimberly B. Ashayeri, MD
Spine Neurosurgeon · Atlantic Brain and SpineIn November 2025, Dr. Ashayeri performed a T7–T8 laminoplasty and removed the tumor, relieving pressure on Glynis's spinal cord while preserving spinal stability.
For Glynis, the procedure represented something much bigger than a surgical plan: after years without an explanation, there was finally a clear reason for what she had been experiencing—and a path forward.
The First Thing She Noticed
Glynis had prayed that the burning sensation would be the first symptom to disappear. It was.
At her two-week postoperative visit, she was much steadier on her feet and able to walk without relying on her cane. The leg discomfort that had dominated her life for years was already receding, and her activity level was improving.
“Cases like Glynis's where we can collaborate as a team and bring relief to someone after years of pain are what drew me to ABS in the first place.”— Kimberly B. Ashayeri, MD
Getting the Little Things Back
Recovery did not mean every symptom disappeared overnight. Glynis still had some numbness and tingling as her nerves continued to heal. But her quality of life had changed dramatically.
She was sleeping in her bed again. Walking more steadily. Wearing pants. Crossing her legs. Playing with her grandchildren.
After years in which pain had dictated the smallest details of her life, those ordinary things no longer felt ordinary.
“And Now I Have Hope.”
For Glynis, the turning point wasn't only advanced imaging or surgical skill. It was finally feeling heard—and finding a team willing to keep looking when the previous answers didn't explain what she was experiencing.
“It's the little things that are so important. I was afraid I'd never live a productive lifestyle again. And now I have hope.”
Her message to anyone still searching for answers is simple: “Don't give up. Hope is not lost. Keep going—and find doctors who really listen.”
