Gretchen Burnett survived a spinal infection fewer than 2% of patients with spinal involvement live through. This is her story.
Gretchen Burnett almost died twice before anyone found the real cause of her pain.
What began as back pain that she tried to explain away turned out to be Salmonella osteomyelitis, a rare and life-threatening spinal bone infection. For months, no one caught it. Gretchen recalls, “It felt like a monster was inside my spine...”
The pain Gretchen experienced was unlike anything she could describe. Medication did not help. Getting in and out of bed felt like her bones were snapping. Her inflammatory markers registered at 8.9, more than twenty times the normal level of 0.4. She went to the ER repeatedly. Each time, she was sent home.
“I left feeling unheard, dismissed, and labeled. Instead of answers, I carried shame,” Gretchen says. All the while, the infection was silently destroying her spine.
A Turning Point
By mid-October, Gretchen was bedridden and suffering from uncontrollable spasms, lost strength, and no answers. In mid-November, her neurologist ordered an MRI. That decision saved her life.
The scan revealed a severe spinal infection with significant bone damage. Gretchen underwent emergency surgery at Tyler Neurosurgical Associates under the care of Dr. Nalbach.
Unfortunately, the pain did not stop. So neither did Dr. Nalbach. As Gretchen puts it, “He listened. He believed me. He saved my life.”
In December, Dr. Nalbach performed a second surgery, rebuilding her spine as the bones broke down and compressed her nerves. Her infectious disease specialist deployed last-resort antibiotics.
“This wasn’t just a medical issue. This was trauma. Surviving something that nearly kills you twice changes you,” Gretchen reflects.
There were moments the team was not sure she would survive. But survive, she did.
What She Wants You to Know
For anyone navigating a rare or undiagnosed condition, Gretchen’s message is clear: persist, listen to your body, and never accept dismissal when something feels wrong.
Gretchen Burnett is still here. And at Tyler Neurosurgical Associates, her story is a reminder of what becomes possible when a physician truly listens.
To learn more about neurosurgical care at Tyler Neurosurgical Associates, contact our office today.