Pain Management Patient, Dr. Stephen Erosa, St. John’s Medical Group
Listen to Erika Colyar Davis’ story
I was experiencing extreme pain in my back, neck, and legs. I had been diagnosed with fibromyalgia and restless leg syndrome and had numerous back and cervical surgeries throughout the years—yet the pain never dissipated. I was referred to, Dr. Stephen Erosa, a pain management doctor, by my primary care doctor.
When I first met Dr. Erosa, he did a simple evaluation. I did not want to return, thinking that surgery was my only option left. But as the pain persisted, I went back, and he began administering cortisone injections in my back. They did not alleviate the pain, unfortunately. Between 2020 and 2022, I also underwent several surgeries—on my back, knee, and elbow, along with additional injections in my hips and back. The pain and discomfort were unbearable, and a second operation seemed unavoidable.
In 2024, as I was preparing for a major back surgery, my mother passed away. I postponed my operation until she passed. The day after the funeral, I admitted myself to St. John’s Riverside Hospital and was transferred for surgery to another hospital, where I underwent complications, additional cervical surgery, and six weeks of rehab and hospital visits. This resulted in my inability to walk and being in even greater pain.
I finally returned to Dr. Erosa, who did not give up on me. He continued trying various techniques until he implanted a neurostimulator in my back. That did the trick. For the first time in years, I was finally relieved. I can now walk, move, and even bend over again. The improvement brought me—and even Dr. Erosa’s nurse practitioner, Denise—to tears.
This procedure was so arduous, compounded with the loss of my mother and the stress of so many surgeries. But because of Dr. Erosa’s persistence, skill, and compassion, I finally have my life back. I’m so grateful for everything he’s done to restore me to health.
