Hobbled In, Walked Out

David Couch has a truly amazing story. While not every recovery is this remarkably fast, David’s story is inspiring in its simplicity.

He’s a life-long Memphian and local business owner in the construction and real estate fields. He’s lived an active life both professionally and personally, doing manual labor and enjoying boating and flying as hobbies.

A few years ago, he noticed pain in his right leg. He tried to ignore it, but it soon became intolerable. “I couldn’t run equipment, couldn’t aviate. I couldn’t even walk or stand. When you go from active to zero it really puts a dent in you. My quality of life was zero,” he says.

Cautious about who to trust, after multiple recommendations, he made an appointment with Dr. Weaver. “Dr. Weaver was the guy, and I had confidence in him. Surgery is a last resort, but for me, it was necessary.”

David had a microdiscectomy, an outpatient, minimally invasive procedure that’s done under a microscope and takes about half an hour. “We removed the herniated disc we’d seen on his MRI and relieved the pressure off the nerve. He went home feeling great,” says Dr. Weaver.

Now David is walking several miles a day, has bought a new boat, and is back to flying. “You can’t stop me now! Even in recovery, the nurse said she could tell I was ready to roll,” says David.

“It’s gratifying that David experienced immediate improvement,” says Dr. Weaver. “That’s not always the case, but sometimes just getting the pressure off the nerve makes all the difference. Other than normal, everyday precautions like not doing anything that is very strenuous on the lower back, he will have a normal, pain-free life.”