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The Painful Twenties

July 30, 2024

Minimally invasive surgery offers high-performance athlete new lease on life

Raegan Milani played defense for the AAA Winnipeg Ice when a player cross-checked her, causing severe damage to her vertebrae.

A hit from behind just before Raegan (Trapmore) Milani turned 18 didn’t just damage her vertebrae, it shattered her dream of playing university-level hockey.

“I was going around the net and I twisted in an awkward position,” says Milani, who played defense for the AAA Winnipeg Ice. “The other player cross-checked me and pinned me to the boards. She cracked my back and held me in a really awkward position. When she finally let up, I dropped right away and lost feeling in the lower half of my body.”

The feeling came back, but the pain in her back and right leg persisted through Milani’s twenties. Some days were tolerable, but even a sneeze could trigger an excruciating flare-up. She often used an arm crutch to reduce the pressure on her right leg.

Milani, an executive assistant, went years without the proper diagnosis. “The doctors I saw thought I had a pinched nerve and some torn muscles and felt that the injuries would recover on their own,” she says. “It was hard on me physically and mentally. I went from playing hockey and soccer at a high level to not being able to do anything. I went through my twenties just trying to make it through the day. It was life-changing.”

Life changed again—this time in a good way—when Milani went to see a pregnancy specialist. She and her husband Derek were considering starting a family and wanted to understand the risks with pregnancy given her condition. The specialist reviewed Milani’s history and suspected there might be a surgical solution to relieve Milani’s pain after 12 years and referred the patient to HSC. The pregnancy specialist was right.

A far away photo of Raegan Milani with her husband. She is wearing a white wedding dress and a floral crowd. He is wearing a black suit and bowtie.

Raegan Milani was referred to HSC after a pregnancy specialist
suspected there might be a surgical solution to relieve Milani’s pain.

In April, two weeks after she turned 30, Milani underwent minimally invasive surgery for what was diagnosed as lytic spondylolisthesis—severe nerve compression caused by a defect in the vertebrae. Using new, advanced navigational equipment funded by the HSC Foundation’s Operation Excellence campaign, Milani’s surgeon was able to remove the compressive bone and stabilize her spine with screws and rods.

Thanks to the new equipment, Milani only needed five very small cuts and was on her feet in a day and discharged two days later. Prior to the arrival of the donor-funded navigational equipment, Milani would have needed a 12 cm incision and would have likely been in hospital for four days. Additionally, with larger incisions, there is significant pain for the patient and a higher risk of infection.

Milani was on heavy pain medication for only a day, and started to feel relief almost immediately. “The physiotherapist at the hospital wanted me to walk up and down three stairs before they would discharge me,” says the spirited Milani. “But I insisted on doing six. In double time.”

Raegan Milani sits with her legs crossed. She is wearing a black long sleeved shirt and blue jeans. She holds a copy of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

Raegan Milani suffered a serious hockey injury just before she turned 18: “It was hard on me physically and mentally. I went from playing hockey and soccer at a high level to not being able to do anything. I went through my twenties just trying to make it through the day.”

Milani’s recovery continues at home. She experiences some occasional minor pain, but she no longer fears the debilitating flare-ups. She can go for walks, and she’s focused on building up her strength so she can walk her 90-pound German shepherd. After 12 years of limitations due to chronic pain, that still might be a few months away. And while she knows she can’t play competitive hockey again, she can dream of skating again next winter, and maybe even taking on some coaching duties.

Raegan Milani stands with her back to the camera, facing a mountain. She is wearing black pants, a blueish-green sweater, sunglasses, and hiking shoes.

Grateful patient, Raegan Milani: “For 12 years, I waited for the next flare-up, that stabbing pain down my right leg. I don’t have to do that anymore. I am so grateful that this equipment was available. And I am so grateful for the surgery. I hope donors understand the impact they have.”

“For 12 years, I waited for the next flare-up, that stabbing pain down my right leg. I don’t have to do that anymore,” she says. “I am so grateful that this equipment was available. And I am so grateful for the surgery. I hope donors understand the impact they have.”

 

To learn more about the Operation Excellence campaign, and to make an online donation, visit OperationExcellence.ca.

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