Dana: Moose mama
Dana DeBernardi carries a heavy load. She’s a working, single mother of three and founder of Moose Mamas, a nonprofit organization that rescues, rears and releases orphan moose calves. Because of her passion and purpose, Dana routinely hoists plywood, builds shelters and cuts and drags tree branches — but over the years, her weighty work ethic has taken a toll on her body.
“I should have listened to my mother,” Dana said. “My entire life she told me to not lift things so heavy. She said my back would pay for it later. It did.”
The straw that broke Dana’s back
Though Dana’s back wore down over time, she remembers the breaking point. While cleaning moose pens, Dana grabbed a 5-gallon bucket filled with gravel in each hand. She moved and stacked them, then repeated the process about 15 more times.
“Those were heavy. I thought the pain would eventually go away or get better, but it just got worse and worse. I had herniated discs, tears and a bunch of stuff,” Dana said.
After a year without improvement, a neurosurgeon performed a spinal fusion on her lower back, welding the damaged vertebrae into a single structure. Unfortunately, the procedure was not successful, and Dana hobbled away with greater pain, a bowel blockage and an infected colon.
“It was so depressing. I was in the hopes this surgery would fix me, and instead I couldn’t stand up straight. I walked like I was 100 years old, and I lived in chronic pain. That pain took over my whole life — it’s all I knew. I barely slept, I couldn’t eat because of my infected colon, I lost 30 lbs. in 3 weeks, and I had to depend on other people for everything,” Dana said. “This was probably the worst time in my life.”
What a difference an excellent doctor can make
After four months of feeling hopeless in that agonizing condition, a friend connected Dana with Dr. David Paulson, neurosurgeon at Alaska Regional Hospital.
“What a warm experience! The staff and nurses were genuine and sympathetic, and when I met Dr. Paulson, he spent an hour explaining why I was still in pain and what was going on. It felt so refreshing to have a physician listen to me, want to help me get my quality of life back, and know how to do it,” Dana said. “Dr. Paulson’s reassurance and confidence helped me know I’d be ok. You’d think I’d be a nervous wreck to have another surgery, but I had no hesitation to go back onto the operating table because I knew I was in good hands.”
At Alaska Regional Hospital, Dr. Paulson repaired and stabilized Dana’s back by placing screws along her vertebrae, securing the hardware from the first surgery. With his expertise, precision and tailored treatment plan, Dr. Paulson recreated the correct curvature to Dana’s spine, improving Dana’s back function and quality of life.
“Literally, within a couple weeks I felt so good that I had to be careful not to overdo it!” Dana said.
Hope, healing and helping others — moose and humans
Five months after surgery, Dana is back to herself and back to life.
“I can bend down and touch the floor. I’m at full activity. People in my life don’t recognize me. They say, ‘Wow! You’re walking straight?! You’re healthy!?’ They’ve seen me suffer. This feels and looks like a miracle. I’m so thankful,” Dana said.
After suffering physically and emotionally with relentless back pain, Dana has words of advice for others who find themselves trying to push through back problems:
“If someone is in back pain, I definitely recommend seeing Dr. Paulson. I know lower back and spine issues feel scary, but I have full confidence in Dr. Paulson’s abilities and expertise,” Dana said.
Dana’s also back to helping others — moose and human. With her recovery, Dana can continue her inspiring Moose Mamas efforts. When not surrounded by moose calves, Dana also finds peace and passion in her art studio. During her dark, chronic pain period, Dana discovered relief while pouring acrylic art. Her mesmerizing pieces are now sold in art galleries. Plus, Dana teaches art classes in Anchorage to spread the joy of this technique and the joy of healing.