Every year, donors to the Fondation Santé help fund equipment that truly changes lives. Geneviève Laurendeau is one of these people and tells us her story.
A few months ago, the skilled team at Hôpital du Haut-Richelieu used new spinal endoscopy technology to give me wings again!
It is with profound relief that I can now say that my severely herniated disc, the pain of which had completely taken over my life, has at last been healed. This was made possible by your donations to Fondation Santé!
Friends knew me as an energetic, sporty and active person. But my spinal injury snuck up on me over time and had become so painful and debilitating that I could no longer function normally.
I could no longer sit at the table with my two children and my husband. I had to lie on the floor, unable to function otherwise. Managing the scant 300-metre walk to school with my kids had become a nightmare. I was barely sleeping at night.
My dear husband was obliged to manage the household alone and it broke my heart to be unable to help out. I did everything I could to improve my situation, but nothing seemed to work. Every day was a battle to find a bit of relief.
Then I was fortunate enough to meet Dr. Hugo Viens, an orthopedic surgeon. After looking at my case file, he suggested a spinal endoscopy, a technology funded by Fondation Santé donations. I remember that moment as a ray of hope at a dark time in my life.
After the surgery, I went home and, for the first time in years, slept for eight hours straight. It was like a dream come true. I was able to stop taking my pain medication and rediscover the little pleasures of daily life.
Today, I’m able to live normally again. I really have the impression of having rediscovered myself, regained control over my life and my body. The surgery not only gave me back my health, but also restored my zest for life and my ability to be there for my loved ones.
Spinal Endoscopy A Cutting-Edge Technology
The acquisition of this device funded by Fondation Santé made Hôpital du Haut-Richelieu the first non-teaching hospital to take this revolutionary approach.
Prior to the introduction of this technology, patients requiring spinal surgery had to undergo an invasive procedure with open surgery, often accompanied by opioid medication. The average hospitalization time was about five days, and recovery was difficult.
“The spinal endoscopy system makes surgery much less painful and invasive,” says Dr. Xavier Jodoin-Fontaine, orthopedic surgeon. “Now, 75% of patients can leave the hospital the same day, and recovery time is much shorter. Furthermore, the incision, and therefore the scar, is much smaller – 8 mm instead of 5 to 10 cm.”
This kind of innovation was made possible by the generosity of our donor community. Your gifts enable the acquisition of leading-edge technologies that optimize the work of our doctors and improve the care provided to patients.
Thanks to your support, our foundation can improve access to and the quality of care for those in need.
