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“The best advice came from one of theEmerson Hospital Home Care nurses, whotold me that, although I needed to recoverphysically, I was facing much more of anemotional recovery,” she says. “It had beenfrightening, and it wasn’t something youbounce back from. I felt so vulnerable.”It was close to midnight when Ms.O’Sullivan’s surgery began. Dr.Ramachandran suspected the procedurewould be complex; that was an understatement.“The surgery involved removing fragmentsof the disc from inside the dura,” heexplains. “I had never encountered that before.We removed the remaining disc andsaw that her cerebrospinal fluid was leaking,which added another degree of complexity.”Dr. Ramachandran used medical sealant tostem the leak and inserted a lumbar tubethat allowed the fluid to drain.“There is no question that she would havebeen paralyzed if surgery had been delayed,”adds Dr. Ramachandran. The next morning,he went to the intensive care unit, eager toassess Ms. O’Sullivan’s condition. “Herright hand was much improved, which wasfantastic,” he says. “That is what I hopedto see.”Recovery was emotional, as well as physicalShe was out of danger, but because her spinalcord had been injured, she faced a difficultrecovery. “Once I could get out of bed,I was on a walker, which surprised me becausethe prominent issue had been myhand,” she says. “I was so weak; it wasshocking. During the first month, I mostlyslept.“In my office that day, Meghan was getting weakerbefore my eyes,” recalls Alan Marks, MD, the Emersonrheumatologist who moved quickly to arrange MeghanO’Sullivan’s emergency neurosurgery.“Thankfully, my husband works from homeand could help me through the recovery.He’s been an angel – and my greatest supporter– through this whole trauma.”Ms. O’Sullivan received twice-weekly physicaltherapy with Courtney Larguinho, DPT,at Emerson’s Center for Sports Rehabilitationand Specialty Services in Concord.“Because my nerves were damaged, weworked on my motor memory – my ability towalk and move without having to thinkabout it,” she says. “After every sessionwith Courtney, I saw results.”“I’ve never met anyone as motivated asMeghan,” says Ms. Larguinho. “I was ableto push her, and she made a great deal ofprogress.”What would cause a disc in her cervicalspine to rupture and actually penetrate thespinal cord – something that happens in lessthan 1 percent of the population? “Disctrauma can occur without an actual traumaticevent,” Dr. Marks explains. “It canhappen slowly, over time, and be related torepetitive, low-grade trauma, such as straining,lifting or experiencing torque forcesapplied to the neck.”Ms. O’Sullivan wonders if her years of playingcompetitive tennis may have placed astrain on her cervical spine. She accepts thefact that she may never know the answer.She is on her way to making a full recoveryand is gradually resuming her active life,which includes running a marketing firm inActon. “The outcome could have been verydifferent,” she says. “Everyone at Emersonand Lahey pulled this off so quickly. Thefact that I received such outstanding care,right in our backyard, is wonderful. I’ve toldboth Dr. Marks and Dr. Ramachandran thatthey’re my heroes. I’m so thankful.”Ms. O’Sullivan’s case demonstrates the closeworking relationship among Emerson physicians,adds Dr. Marks. “In situations such asMeghan’s, we get on the phone immediatelyand consult one another to make sure thediagnosis is made, and the patient receivestimely therapy.“That day when Meghan came to see me,everything worked the way it should. It’s areminder that we physicians must never letour guard down, because unusual, potentiallydevastating cases come through ourdoors at unexpected times.”The surgery presented Haran Ramachandran, MD,neurosurgeon, with a level of complexity he hadnever before encountered.5