Neuro patient: ‘Scrubs and suits are great, but you should be wearing a cape’

When an Indiana resident got the care he needed, he inked out his appreciation.

By TJ Banes, IU Health Senior Journalist, tfender1@iuhealth.org

In a decade of practicing medicine, Dr. David Stockwell has never had someone express their appreciation with a tattoo. That is until he met Bill Sorrell from Covington, Ind.

The Fountain County resident recently came to IU Health to show his original sleeve to Dr. Stockwell and shake his hand in appreciation for restoring his health.

Dr. Stockwell, a neurosurgeon has been practicing since 2015. He said he had an early interest in medicine through the “kind and caring” acts of his pediatrician. His interest continued through high school and college where he double majored in biology and psychology. He knew he liked working with the nervous system and the brain and in medical school discovered his primary interest was in surgery where he could see immediate improvements. Specifically, he works with patients with complex spine issues – focusing on helping them with pain management.

With Sorrell, the pain prevented him from living a normal life.

That life, typically involved riding his motorcycle, hunting, DIY projects, and running Spartan races. When he began losing control of his limbs those interests fell to the wayside.

“The first thing I noticed was a change in my gait. I tripped and was unstable. Then pain and nervous twitches and spasms started like someone had flipped a switch and I had no control over my lower extremities,” said Sorrell.

Eventually, he was barely able to walk and had no answers to the question, “Why?” He had seen several other physicians but never achieved the relief he needed.

That’s when he came to IU Health, met Dr. Stockwell and was diagnosed with an arachnoid cyst inside the sleeve of his spinal cord. That cyst was applying pressure to his spinal cord and nerves and he needed immediate relief. In August, Dr. Stockwell was able to remove the cyst and Sorrell said he knew the moment he woke up from surgery, the procedure was a success.

The progress started with “baby steps” – lifting his leg while sitting in the hospital bed, and then walking around his Covington, Ind. town. One month after surgery, he signed up for a Spartan race with a goal of walking to the first obstacle and touching it. He made it well past the first obstacle and while he didn’t finish the race, he considered it a huge success. In November, he progressed to another favorite activity – hunting.

As he worked through physical pain before surgery, Sorrell also worked through mental pain.

To signify that pain, he had a black band tattooed to his wrist. It was a symbol that the circle wasn’t complete and healing was to come, he said. After surgery, he asked Dr. Stockwell for his signature. That signature, written on an envelope was added to Sorrell’s arm along with the words, “restored,” and “stitched.”

“I wanted a reminder that what I was going through was only temporary. I felt broken and then I felt healed,” said Sorrell, 57.

As Dr. Stockwell viewed the tattoo, he said: “I love what I do. As a surgeon, my job is to help people. Some folks aren’t sure of surgery so we look at all possibilities with the best outcomes.”

Sorrell shook his doctor’s hand and said: “This whole network has been so supportive. Scrubs and suits are great, but you should be you should be wearing a cape.”