Fenton Woman Who Reclaimed Life from Back Pain Featured on ‘Minds of Medicine’

Fenton resident Pam Kenny will be featured on Friday’s segment of “Minds of Medicine” on WDIV, Channel 4.

The program, produced by Henry Ford Health System in partnership with WDIV, airs at 8:30 p.m. Friday and will be repeated at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 27.

This week’s program explores the  unavoidable effects of aging, many of which are more than just skin deep.

But today, doctors and researchers are finding new answers for many neurological problems that were once thought be an inevitable part of getting older. These new answers are leading to lives that are longer and healthier.

Physicians and surgeons at Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital are collaborating like never before to create answers for some of medicine’s toughest cases: movement disorders, back pain and stroke. Using both surgical and non-surgical treatments, many of the effects of these problems are being eliminated.

Hosted by Paul W. Smith, morning radio personality for WJR AM 760, Minds of Medicine provides an inside look at the doctors and nurses at one of the nation’s top-rated hospitals.

Decades of living with a worsening problem known as essential tremor have kept Patrick Terry of Holly. from doing many of the things we take for granted. Eating out or even shaving has become impossible. After exhausting every possible medical solution, he is left with one last option – a brain surgery that, if successful, could erase a disorder that has been a part of his life for more than 40 years.

Deep brain stimulation will be used to treat Mr. Terry’s disorder. Using electrical impulses, Dr. Jason Schwalb and his team believe they can disrupt the electrical circuit that is creating this tremor. His neurologist is world-renowned movement disorders expert, Dr. Peter Lewitt.

In another case, Pam Kenny of Fenton hopes a spine surgery will help eliminate years of back pain. Her surgeon is Dr. Mike Chedid.

After Kenny underwent tests and her care was reviewed by the spine clinic, Chedid and his team will begin the delicate, minimally-invasive surgery to alleviate the pain and help Kenny begin a new life.

Creating incisions that are a fraction of the size of traditional surgery, Chedid repairs the discs and bones surrounding the spine. This will alleviate pressure and create new stability in the back.

Placing rods and screws for stability, and eliminating the movement between the lower vertebrae, Chedid creates a solid foundation around the spine, helping to eliminate the nerve irritation that creates the pain.

At Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital, neurologists, gerontologists and ENT specialists collaborate for a unique approach to treating balance problems all under one roof. This program offers patients the ability to quickly discover solutions for balance issues caused by diseases like Parkinson's, stroke, or Alzheimer's. In what normally would take weeks or months of appointments, doctors can deliver answers almost immediately - saving patients time and hassle.

Over a period of a few hours, doctors examine all the possible causes of Farmington resident Kathleen Tenaglia’s imbalance. This includes multiples tests with an audiologist to determine how the inner ear may be involved.

The teamwork that helps balance patients like Tenaglia also helps patients like Kenny. Months after her surgery at Henry Ford West Bloomfield, she is re-energized, thanks to a life reclaimed from back pain.