Pain is a journey.
At first, you ignore it. Then you adapt to it. Before long, you find yourself remembering the things you used to do without thinking: walking farther than the mailbox, getting out of a chair without wincing, sleeping through the night, picking up your pet, or helping a loved one without wondering how much it will hurt afterward.
For me, chronic pain had quietly become part of everyday life. Having spondylosis that is trending to stenosis, I was convinced surgery was the only answer. When I was referred to Axis, I was skeptical. I believed injections were simply a temporary stop on the road to surgery.
I was wrong.
From the moment you walk through the door, you can tell Axis has built a culture centered on people. The reception staff are welcoming, kind, and genuinely caring. When you're carrying pain that nobody else can see, that warmth matters. The nurses, technicians, and providers are organized, professional, and highly skilled, yet the environment never feels overly clinical. Even the music playing throughout the office somehow helps take the edge off.
What stood out most to me was how much attention is given to the patient experience. Before my first facet procedure, I was quite nervous and I honestly considered rolling off the table and walking out. Instead, I stayed, said a prayer, and focused on the calm, reassuring conversations happening around me. Those small human moments mattered more than the staff probably realizes.
During my second procedure, that same atmosphere of professionalism, compassion, and the smallest touch helped ease the anxiety again. Every interaction, from check-in to recovery, reinforced that this team isn't just treating pain, they're taking care of people.
Most importantly, they listen.
Dr. Bryan Covert turned a skeptic into a believer. I came in with questions, doubts, and frustrations built up over years of pain. When he told me to trust the process, I wasn't fully convinced. But I did.
Today, I'm moving better, hurting less, and doing things that pain had slowly taken away from me. My outlook on life has improved, and so have my relationships. Chronic pain affects far more than your body. It impacts your family, friends, your work, and your overall well-being. When the pain starts improving, all of those things improve.
I vividly remember sitting in Dr. Covert's office feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, and short on hope. He looked me in the eye and told me he would help me. Then he did.
I still have treatment ahead, but for the first time in a long time, I feel hopeful. The frustration and tears that once came from pain are gradually being replaced with gratitude and optimism.
If you're living with chronic pain and think surgery is your only option, have an honest conversation with the team at Axis. Ask questions. Keep an open mind. Trust the process.
I did, and for the first time in years, I feel like I'm getting my life back.
Thank you to Dr. Bryan Covert and the entire Axis team. What you do matters, and it changes lives.