Conquering Pain with Spine Surgery at Wellstar North Fulton Hospital

John Elliot was a builder who enjoyed meeting with clients and planning their future homes. But the effects of Parkinson’s disease made it hard for him to meet with clients and live his life. Then he found a new sense of hope thanks to the Wellstar Parkinson’s and Tremors Program and a procedure called deep brain stimulation (DBS). His experience is a powerful testament to the value of comprehensive care and how his neurologists, functional neurosurgeon and nurse navigator helped him rebuild his life. 

Symptoms that were hard to shake

John has been building custom homes in Marietta for 45 years—a career defined by personal relationships with his clients. He loves spending time with his family, hunting, fishing and bushhogging the multi-generational family farm.

But in 2015, John’s hands began to shake. A former client and friend who was a retired neurologist recommended he see Dr. Thomas Holmes, a Wellstar neurologist. 

A DaTscan, a type of nuclear imaging test that takes images of the brain, helped Dr. Holmes see a loss in John’s dopamine-producing neurons, which indicates Parkinson’s disease. The progressive neurological disorder affects a person’s motor functions and movements. 

At first, medication helped. But years after his diagnosis, John’s medications were barely effective.

“A big part of custom home building is your interaction with your client,” John said. “Meeting with the customer became somewhat of a problem.”

His tremors and involuntary mouth movements left him feeling embarrassed.

“I kind of went into a shell and didn't want to see people because they would make comments, particularly about the mouth movement,” he said. “You want to hide.”

Xander Garanzuay, a long-distance runner, never imagined his high school track meet would end with him being airlifted to the hospital. But when a discus struck him in the head, he suffered a depressed skull fracture and needed emergency surgery.

Thanks to the quick action and collaboration of Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center's trauma and neurosurgery teams, Xander is now back to running. His story highlights the resilience of the human body, the strength of family and the impact of expert care.

A sudden accident

After finishing the 2-mile race at a track meet in Cartersville, Xander stayed to support his Woodstock High School teammates. When he was ready to go home, he texted his parents.

A few moments later, everything changed. While tossing a ball with his friend, Xander ran to retrieve it—just as a discus struck him in the head.

The discus hit Xander on the left side of his head with such force that he fell unconscious. Xander began seizing—his condition was critical. While his friend raced to notify their coaches, Kelly, Xander’s mom, had arrived to pick him up.

“I’m sitting out front texting Xander, ‘I’m here,’ when emergency vehicles start pulling up,” Kelly said. “Then my husband called—‘Xander’s been hit.’”

Kelly stayed with Xander as EMS evaluated him. “He was awake but not coherent,” she noted. They determined he would need to be airlifted to Wellstar Kennestone, a Level I Trauma Center.

Life-saving surgery

Xander was swiftly transported to Wellstar Kennestone, where the trauma team was ready to act. Upon arrival, Wellstar Neurosurgeon Dr. Phillip Parry assessed the severity of Xander’s injury: a depressed skull fracture causing seizures.

“The discus is a large weight—picture a five-pound Frisbee—that is flung through the air,” said Dr. Parry. “Thankfully, Xander’s skull protected his brain, but he essentially sustained a ballistic injury to the skull.”

The impact to the left side of Xander’s skull left him with a fixed-focus neurologic deficit. His right arm—his dominant arm—had no muscle strength, and his right leg was weak.

Dr. Parry performed an emergency craniotomy to remove the bone pressing on Xander’s brain. The surgery was successful, but the road ahead was uncertain.

“The biggest challenge wasn’t the surgery itself—this is something we do every day,” he said. “It was telling a 16-year-old and his mother that we didn’t know whether he would regain function in his dominant arm.”

Kelly had to trust in the care Xander was receiving. “You don’t know what you’re going to do in that situation. Nothing prepares you,” she said. “I had to have faith that he was in the right hands—and he truly was.”

Steady progress

The day after Xander’s surgery, Wellstar Kennestone’s physical and occupational therapy teams began working at his bedside to restore movement in his non-functioning arm and leg.

“You want to do everything you can to optimize the body’s ability to heal,” said Dr. Parry. “It was important that we provided that environment for him.”

Xander’s positive attitude and determination played a crucial role in regaining function. His dad, Xavier, was amazed by his son’s resilience.

“He was so proactive and driven to get better,” Xavier said. “It was inspiring to watch.”

Still, sometimes the reality of what happened sank in. “He woke up one night and said, ‘I could have died,’” his mom remembered. “I told him, ‘Yes, but you didn’t.’ He said, ‘God must have something really special planned for me.’”

Xander applied the same fortitude from running to each step of his healing. “Sometimes you can be your own worst enemy, but you can also be your biggest supporter,” he said. “If you don’t believe in yourself, how can anyone else believe in you?”

Care that made a difference

Xander spent six days at Wellstar Kennestone before being transferred to inpatient rehabilitation. The support from Wellstar’s care team made a lasting impact.

They were there for whatever we needed—compassionate and always listening to Xander’s needs,” Kelly said.

One night during his stay, Xander woke needing help to get to the restroom. When a nurse arrived, he suddenly began seizing. “I’ve never seen eight nurses in a room so quickly,” his mom recalled. “Everyone knew exactly what to do.”

One poignant moment came when Xander’s family had the discus—now a symbol of victory over his injury—signed by his care team.

“It’s rewarding as a physician to know that I played a small part in restoring his ability to use his arm again,” Dr. Parry reflected. “As a parent, I know the anxiety that comes with the uncertainty of neurologic recovery. To see Xander move his arms and legs again, as if nothing happened, is a relief that’s indescribable.”

The power of community

Xander’s recovery was supported not only by his family and Wellstar care team, but also by his school and community. After the accident, his track team dedicated the next meet to him, with “Run for Xander” wristbands and signs. A teammate also started a GoFundMe campaign, which raised nearly $13,000 to help with the family’s medical expenses.

“People from all over came together for Xander,” Xavier said. “Posts on his team’s Facebook page were shared with running clubs from Canada to Miami. We were blown away.”

Xander was especially touched by the support. “This whole experience showed me how much my family loves me,” he said. “Seeing my friends, teachers and even family from Texas come to help—it meant so much.”

A bright future

After two and a half weeks of inpatient rehabilitation, Xander transitioned to outpatient rehab and continued regular follow-ups with Dr. Parry at the Wellstar Neurosurgery clinic. “At each phase, he received the best possible care,” explained Dr. Parry. “That’s why he had such a great outcome.”

Today, Xander is almost fully recovered and back doing what he loves most—running. “Physically and mentally, he’s doing phenomenal,” Kelly said. “He has his own training program. I am so proud of him.”

Xander’s progress wouldn’t have been possible without the trauma care network that supported him every step of the way. “The benefit of the trauma network can’t be overstated,” Dr. Parry said. “It ensures people get the best possible outcome even on their worst day.”

With expert care and determination, Xander is ready for whatever comes next.

Learn more about Trauma Services and Neuro Care at Wellstar.

By Wellstar Breast Surgeon Dr. Laura Pearson

I have never met a woman who enjoyed getting mammograms, including myself. They can be uncomfortable, awkward and anxiety-provoking—especially if you have had scares in the past or are at high risk for getting breast cancer.

There are so many additional resources for risk reduction and surveillance available that go hand-in-hand with mammograms. At Wellstar, reducing your risk and screening for cancer starts with a physical from your primary care doctor.

If you are at average risk of developing breast cancer, you should begin annual screening mammograms at age 40. If you have a family history or other risk factors, your doctor may recommend earlier or more frequent screening. If something is detected on a mammogram, the Wellstar Comprehensive Breast Health Program has nurse navigators who will help arrange diagnostic imaging, biopsy procedures and referrals to breast specialists. If you are diagnosed with cancer, the compassionate and oncology-trained nurse navigators with Wellstar Cancer Care walk patients through diagnosis, evaluation, treatment and beyond.

If you’re diagnosed with breast cancer, your treatment and care will transition from our Comprehensive Breast Health Program to the Wellstar Cancer Care team. In Wellstar STAT Clinics, which stands for Specialty Teams and Treatment, we put you at the center of your care plan. In our STAT Clinic for Breast Cancer, the care team, including breast oncology nurse navigators, surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, nutritionists and genetic counselors, will meet with you and your support system on the same day to formulate a treatment plan personalized to your specific cancer, as well as your personal and cultural needs. Patients are able to ask questions, make decisions and start treatment sooner, improving outcomes.

Many times, surgical intervention can be done as an outpatient procedure. We can also offer some people intraoperative radiation therapy, or IORT—the option of doing their radiation treatment in the operating room at the same time as their lumpectomy, meaning they are able to avoid four to six weeks of radiation treatments. Any other interventions, such as chemotherapy or radiation, including our CyberKnife for treatments like targeted partial breast radiation therapy, are found in the cancer center on Wellstar North Fulton’s medical campus. We have physical therapists, social workers and palliative care specialists who are there for you if the need arises.

Your Wellstar care team can also help you reduce your risk of developing breast cancer. Being overweight or obese or being a smoker can increase your risk. Patients at Wellstar have access to our Center for Best Health to assist in weight management. We also have smoking cessation programs and dietitians waiting to help you make healthier choices that can positively impact your health.

Wellstar provides more than healthcare, PeopleCare—working relentlessly to exceed national standards and our patients’ expectations while remembering the humanity of every patient. We are here for all the situations and stages of our patients’ lives by offering the tools and resources to be healthy and thrive. Wellstar clinicians live in the communities we serve. We must get physicals, mammograms and biopsies. We need help being our healthiest selves. We get sick and have family members who need compassionate care. PeopleCare means offering our patients world-class healthcare in the communities where they live and work.

Your care team can put your mammogram order in Wellstar MyChart to book online, or you can schedule by calling (678) 581-5900.

Visit wellstar.org/northfultoncancercare to learn more about cancer care at Wellstar North Fulton.