Deborah Hillman

I started experiencing pain in my leg about five years ago, which progressively got worse, causing extreme sciatica pain in both of my legs. Before the pain started, I was an extremely active person and loved taking long walks, ballroom dance lessons, gardening and cooking. The severe leg pain made it hard for me to do all the things I enjoyed most. I couldn’t even walk to the end of my driveway without having to stop. I felt my life was on hold and was truly miserable, I wanted my quality of life back.

I tried everything to alleviate the pain, including regular visits to the chiropractor, acupuncture, and pain management, which included many injections that only gave me temporary relief. I finally came to the realization that I would have to have surgery, so, although it frightened me, I accepted that surgery was going to be my best option.

My mind instantly jumped to Dr. Sama who I had met over 14 years ago when I took my father to see him. Immediately, I knew that he was the only person that I trusted to perform my surgery. I visited Dr. Sama with tears in my eyes asking him to fix me and take away my pain, and that was exactly what he did.

I really cannot say enough good things about Dr. Sama and the entire HSS staff. The surgery process was smooth from the beginning to end. Dr. Sama is warm and compassionate and makes you feel like a part of his family, and, although the thought of surgery scared me, I knew I was in the best hands. Each staff member made sure I always felt comfortable and had everything I needed, and Dr. Sama was sure to explain every single step to me.

Dr. Sama is not only an expert in his field, but he is extremely empathetic. Thanks to him I now have my life back and I am so happy. Less than a year after my surgery, I can now hold my grandchildren without pain, and I even danced at my granddaughter’s party! I’ve been spending hours working on my garden, and I’ve been building up my stamina to walk a 5k, which is my newest goal that I am excited to achieve.

If I could share one thing with people living in pain, I would encourage them to visit Dr. Sama and can assure that they’ll be in great hands.

Remember to live your life to the fullest and don’t wait any longer for surgery.