For Tom Dolan heaven is “any place there is water and trails.”
The 50-year-old Ewing, Missouri resident and outdoor enthusiast has hiked the Rocky, Appalachian and Ozark Mountains and kayaked the Great Lakes, and the Mississippi, Missouri, and countless smaller rivers.
“It’s the only reason I want to live,” he added.
Recently, Tom faced the possibility of losing his slice of heaven.
“My neck got sore to the point where I was non-functional. The only thing I could do comfortably was sit in a recliner with a heating pad on my back,” he said. “I had zero quality of life. I was alive, but not able to live at all.”
Tom’s pain came from a tear in a spinal disc in his neck – the cervical portion of the spine. The tear allowed the inner part of the disc to push through the outer layer causing pressure on the spinal cord and nerve irritation. Cervical disc herniation, as the condition is known, is a common cause of neck pain in adults. The causes of the condition may include age, genetics or injury, to every day wear-and-tear. The effects of the condition can range from mild to severe, and even life-threatening.
Tom sought help from board certified Blessing Health neurosurgeon Dr. Ryan Brennan. Dr. Brennan completed a spine surgery fellowship at Cleveland Clinic in addition to a residency in neurological surgery.
Some level of risk accompanies all surgical procedures, but as a professional auctioneer, the surgery Tom needed to repair his cervical spine disc carried risks that could threaten how he made his living.
“The surgery has the risk of loss of voice, loss of swallowing, and paralysis or weakness of the extremities,” Dr. Brennan explained. “This gentleman makes a living using his voice, adding another level of consideration to these risks.”
During a procedure known as Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion, an incision would be made in Tom’s neck as he laid on his back. Dr. Brennan would move Tom’s carotid artery and jugular vein to one side and trachea and esophagus to the other side to provide clear access to the front of the spine. Dr. Brennan would then remove the disc fragments that have pushed back against Tom’s spinal cord, causing his pain and nerve weakness, and reconstruct the affected area of the spine by inserting a spacer in the vacant disc space.
Eager to regain his quality of life, Tom chose to undergo surgery in March 2025.
With Dr Brennan’s skilled hands, surgery was a success. Tom’s pain was completely gone, his strength fully recovered, and his voice and swallowing were intact. Tom awoke from surgery with immediate relief knowing he had regained the freedom to enjoy the things in life that he valued so much.
“I felt better after surgery than I felt since I was in my early 30s. I have a new lease on life,” Tom said.
“Dr. Brennan has the best bedside manner by far of any doctor I have ever experienced. “The Sunday after surgery, he called me at home to see how I was doing. That is something doctors don’t do generally. His patient care was top notch – fantastic,” he concluded.
Tom’s plans for the summer of 2025 include reclaiming his place in the great outdoors, with trips to Colorado, New England, the Pacific Northwest, and the “Gulf of America” planned so far.
For more information on Blessing Health System’s neurosurgical services, click here.