Finally Finding Hope: The Answer to Her Pain Was a Team of Doctors Who Actually Listened
A spinal tumor pressing on Glynis’s spinal cord was identified after years of unresolved symptoms.
Glynis Watson was supposed to be feeling better by now.
After being diagnosed with severe arthritis, she’d done what the doctors told her to: seek care, get second opinions, and, ultimately, 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 developed into something far more debilitating. On top of numbness and tingling, Glynis had a constant burning sensation through both legs, as if they were on fire from the inside out.
The lightest touch felt unbearable, and she slept propped up on the couch because blankets irritated her skin. Most nights, she would wake up at 3 a.m., overwhelmed by pain and unable to get comfortable again.
A Revolving Door of Doctors
She endured the pain for years, visiting different specialists – multiple orthopedic surgeons, foot doctors, physical therapists, pain management specialists, neurologists. As she walked into each office, they couldn’t believe she was still walking with a cane years after her hip replacements.
She was assured her hips looked fine despite her persistence that something was off. She felt dismissed and unheard. Still, she followed recommendations and pursued a list of extensive conservative treatment options:
- Physical therapy
- SI joint injection
- Lumbar radiofrequency ablation
- Oral pain medications
Nothing provided meaningful relief from her leg symptoms.
EMG testing in June of 2025 ruled out causes like neuropathy, radiculopathy, and plexopathy.
“I felt like my life revolved around going to different doctors,” explained Glynis. “And nobody could figure out what was going on.”
She knew her body. Something wasn’t right.
As her pain intensified, Glynis’s world grew smaller. She relied on a cane or walker, afraid of her legs giving out. She eventually had to leave her job working with people with mental disabilities because she simply couldn’t function the way she once had.
A Step in the Right Direction
A change in insurance led Glynis to the Atlantic Health System. There, a different orthopedic surgeon saw something others had missed: the cup used during her right hip replacement was too small and improperly positioned, causing irritation.
In February 2025, Glynis underwent hip revision surgery. While the procedure addressed a real problem, the burning, tingling, and numbness in her legs didn’t go away.
She still needed a walker. She still couldn’t sleep comfortably or wear the clothes she wanted due to irritation. And she still didn’t have an explanation for the symptoms that had now been disrupting her life for far too long.
Reassurance – and a Final Diagnosis
So Glynis persisted in her search for answers.
With orthopedic and neuropathic causes ruled out, she made a neurosurgery appointment at Atlantic Brain and Spine (ABS). By that point, she was physically exhausted and emotionally drained. But from her very first visit, something felt different.
Staff at the front desk helped her through an issue with her insurance which almost forced her to cancel the appointment. Right away, she knew ABS was different from every other doctor’s office she had been to.
“I could tell they really care about their patients,” Glynis said. “They were very inviting and friendly. I just knew this was the right move for me to make.”
During her evaluation, Julianna Schwartz, PA-C, took the time to understand Glynis’s full history: not just her surgeries and test results, but the progression of her symptoms and how deeply they were affecting her daily life.
“When it comes to my patients, I believe you should always treat people the way you would like to be treated,” Julianna said. “It’s my priority to hear what they have to say and understand what they’re going through.”
Rather than stopping where others had or dismissing Glynis’s pain, Julianna kept asking questions. She looked beyond what had already been ruled out or treated and ordered advanced imaging beyond the lumbar spine.
An MRI of Glynis’s thoracic spine revealed a benign intradural tumor pressing on her spinal cord at T7-T8. For the first time, her symptoms made sense. The tumor explained the burning, numbness, instability, and why years of treatments had failed to help.
The Right Procedure for the Right Condition
Glynis met with Dr. Kimberly B. Ashayeri, a spine specialist whose expertise and confidence reassured her she’d made the right choice. Together, Dr. Ashayeri and Julianna took the time to explain the diagnosis, risks, and the path forward. The whole time, they made sure Glynis felt informed, supported, and heard.
“This amazing team of women gave me comfort knowing everything would be okay,” she remembered. “I’d never gotten that from any of my other doctors.”
In November 2025, Dr. Ashayeri performed a T7-T8 laminoplasty and removed the tumor, relieving the pressure on Glynis’s spinal cord while preserving her spinal stability.
“I had prayed that the burning sensation would be the first thing to go away,” Glynis said. “And it was.”
At Glynis’s two-week post-operative visit, she was much steadier on her feet, finally able to walk without relying on her cane. The discomfort in her legs, a debilitating constant in her life for so many years, had already begun to recede. Her activity level was improving, and Dr. Ashayeri was pleased with her recovery progress.
“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,” said Dr. Ashayeri. “I’m grateful Julianna and I were able to work together and identify the real problem.”
Finally Finding Hope in Recovery
While she still has some numbness and tingling in her legs as her nerves continue to heal, Glynis’s quality of life has improved dramatically.
For the first time in years, she’s sleeping in her bed again. She’s walking more steadily. She can wear pants, cross her legs, and play with her grandchildren – things she’ll never take for granted again.
“It’s the little things that are so important,” she noted. “I was afraid I’d never live a productive lifestyle again. And now I have hope.”
For Glynis, the turning point in her health wasn’t just advanced imaging or surgical skill. It was finally feeling like she’d been truly heard.
“I’m so glad the team at Atlantic Brain and Spine had the compassion to help me,” she said. “I’m going to shout to the world about them because they’re amazing.”
Her message to others still searching for answers is simple:
“Don’t give up. Hope is not lost. Keep going – and find doctors who really listen.”
