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Lisa has never been one to rest on her laurels. For years, she owned a bustling salon and worked as a makeup artist for TV and film on her days off. That is, when she wasn't tending to the garden at her home in Louisville or creating glass art.
But after two car accidents that left her with head and back injuries followed by a severe case of COVID, her feet and hands started burning with a pain that felt like fire.
Eventually, Lisa’s pain was so relentless that she had to close her salon. Her decision didn’t just mean she’d lose her biggest sources of income, but also a big source of joy.
“I couldn’t walk. I couldn’t even go downstairs,” she says. “I went from running a busy salon to being stuck in bed. I thought I’d never get up again.”
A familiar name and a new beginning
After the car accidents, Lisa began experiencing headaches and severe back pain. She saw doctors but no treatment plan seemed to work. Then a family member introduced her to a leading University of Louisville neurologist who recommended she see Dr. James Jackson, who had yet to begin practicing at Commonwealth.
Dr. Jackson gave Lisa epidural injections that helped her pain subside so well that she was able to go back to work. Then, during the start of the pandemic she got COVID. Her pain returned; this time accompanied by strange, intense symptoms. Her whole body ached, and she was so tired and weak that she needed to rest most of the day.
Lisa knew she had to find Dr. Jackson again. That's what led her to Commonwealth.
Together with his physician assistant, Billie Fletcher, they began addressing Lisa's complex pain - from spinal inflammation to neuropathy and erythromelalgia, a rare condition that causes intense burning sensations in the hands and feet.
Through carefully managed treatments, Lisa slowly began to recover. “After everything I’d been through, I could finally move again,” she says. “I started sleeping through the night. I gained back 20 pounds. I was even able to go outside and garden.”
Life restored
Today, Lisa’s life looks very different in the best way possible. She gardens, exercises, and runs a small art glass business from home. “I can’t bend over easily, but I got myself a rowing machine,” she says with a laugh. “I row every day now. It’s helped me get strong again.”
Even simple routines bring her joy: “My husband and I cook dinner together every night. I see more smiles on his face now and less worry.”
Hope and gratitude
Looking back, Lisa credits Dr. Jackson, Billie, and the Commonwealth team for helping her rebuild her life. “I’ve had a long road, but Dr. Jackson has been there through it all,” she says. “He truly cares about his patients. You can see it in the way he listens, the way he treats you.”
Once out of hope and uncertain if she'd ever recover, Lisa now spends her days creating, moving, and living fully again.
“I’m back on my feet. I go up and down the stairs. I’m gardening. I’m rowing,” she says. “Dr. Jackson and his team didn’t just treat my pain, they gave me my life back.”
