Patient Stories

(Left) An overlay glimpse of Sharon Field’s
actual spine X-ray following surgery.
(Right) Sharon Field in the dance studio after surgery.

Sharon Field’s Story

“I knew I was in good hands with Drs. Neubardt and Stern.”

Sharon Field’s experience with Drs. Neubardt and Stern is actually a family affair. Sharon, her husband, and their daughter have all had surgical procedures with Drs. Neubardt and Stern over the years.

An avid tap dancer at age 70, Sharon is determined to continue dancing despite back challenges. After an initial procedure by another surgeon, Dr. Neubardt was recommended to Sharon who says of her first visit with him, “I cried knowing I would need further surgery, but Dr. Neubardt was so empathetic and caring. I knew I was in good hands then. Both Dr. Stern and Dr. Neubardt gave me the time I needed during my visits and that was so reassuring.”

Before Sharon’s most recent procedure, Dr. Neubardt stopped to talk with her when she was taken into the OR. “Did you bring your tap shoes with you? Because I’m getting you back into those tap shoes!” Sharon said that confidence in Dr. Neubardt’s tone made all the difference. Sharon resumed her tap dancing classes and performances (with “Stella’s Girls,” a group of senior women under the direction of Stella Rothstein in White Plains, NY, who is in her eighties). She also spends time chasing after a 3-year-old grandchild, enjoying every minute.

“I carry Dr. Neubardt’s business cards with me to hand out after tap dancing performances. So many people come up to me and want to know who helped me with my back problems. If I can send folks to Drs. Neubardt and Stern, knowing they will receive the same level of care I received, it makes me happy. I don’t know how I would’ve lived without them.”

Sharon’s Daughter’s Story

Sharon’s daughter had an accident that occurred when she was playing paintball with her sons. “I fell backwards and later experienced numbness in my left hand.” She saw a neurologist who thought it might be carpel tunnel syndrome. But after a year of physical therapy, trigger point injections and acupuncture, she only felt worse.

Sharon strongly advised her to see Drs. Neubardt and Stern who explained what was going on with her herniated cervical disc. “They told me the longer I wait, the worse my cervical disc condition would get. It felt to me, especially, that Dr. Neubardt was the first doctor who cared about me.”

After one night at White Plains Hospital following her surgery, she went home. “Ellen Ciccone, the assistant who works in Dr. Neubardt and Dr. Stern’s office, was critical to my experience. She was and still is so helpful to me. And Dr. Neubardt is so responsive. I called him recently and he returned my call almost instantly. I always feel like he’s right there, on top of everything.”

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