Kathy Torrey has ridden horses since she was 3 years old. She owns three horses and can ride for hours at a time. She goes on frequent weekend riding trips with a group of friends, enjoying the scenery of north central Pennsylvania.
“(My favorite parts are) just the freedom and having the connection with your horse, and of course, the friends and the scenery,” says Kathy, 74, of Austin, Pa.
In 2024, however, a constant numbness in her legs was making it difficult to walk, let alone ride. Imaging revealed that Kathy had a tumor in her spine that needed removal.
Neurosurgeon Fadi Sweiss, MD, UPMC in North Central Pa., surgically removed Kathy’s tumor in July 2024. Nearly a year later, Kathy is back riding horses again.
“I have absolutely no tingling in my legs,” Kathy says. “I can’t say enough good about it. It was just amazing.”
A ‘Constant’ Numbness
Kathy first started feeling the numbness in her legs in spring 2024.
She describes it as a “constant” numbness in her legs. She mentioned the issue to her chiropractor, who recommended stopping her appointments until they could discover the problem. Kathy tried taking magnesium supplements and other treatments, but the numbness continued.
“It was constant,” she says. “There was no relief whatsoever, no matter what I did.”
Her horseback riding friends became concerned when they noticed she was having trouble walking, including falling.
“They said, ‘OK, you’re going someplace. We’re taking care of it,’” she says.
One of Kathy’s riding friends worked at UPMC Williamsport, and she recommended that Kathy see a neurologist. Some other riding friends who were nurses agreed.
Seeking Care at UPMC
Kathy visited her primary care provider for a referral to a neurologist. However, the soonest available appointment through that health care system was in October. So, she contacted her friend who worked at UPMC and landed an appointment at UPMC Neurological Institute in Williamsport within a week.
Although Williamsport was two hours away, she made the trip with one of her nurse friends. She visited with Weizhen Wang, MD, neurologist, UPMC Neurological Institute in Williamsport, in mid-July 2024.
Concerned about Kathy’s symptoms, Dr. Wang ordered a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of Kathy’s spine. The imaging showed a tumor on her thoracic spine — the middle part of her back. The tumor was compressing Kathy’s spinal cord, causing her symptoms.
“She was extremely kind,” Kathy says of Dr. Wang. “She went over the MRI and explained everything. She said, ‘We have to do more testing. We don’t know if it’s benign or what’s going on.’
“She took it from there. She got the ball rolling.”
Dr. Wang referred Kathy to neurosurgery. Holly Shadle, DNP, CRNP, certified registered nurse practitioner, UPMC Neurological Institute in Williamsport, fast-tracked her for surgery.
Before surgery, Kathy underwent a full-body MRI at UPMC Cole in Coudersport, Pa., near her home. While she was getting the MRI, the team gave her headphones to listen to music. The final song that came on was “That’s My Job” by Conway Twitty, one of her late mother’s favorite artists.
“I was like, ‘I’ve got this,’” Kathy recalls, getting emotional. “‘They’re looking out for me — my mom is. She’s right here with me.’
“After that, I had no concerns that it was going to be benign. I knew it. It was just such a calming thing, like, ‘Well, it’s in their hands now.’”
Scheduled for Surgery
Kathy scheduled surgery with Dr. Sweiss at UPMC Williamsport for July 29, 2024. It was about two weeks after her initial appointment with Dr. Wang.
Dr. Sweiss performed a laminectomy, removing a small portion of bone in the back of Kathy’s thoracic spine to relieve pressure. He also removed the tumor.
“Dr. Sweiss was so kind,” Kathy says. “Just very, very nice and gentle. And evidently, he knew what the heck he was doing.”
Kathy stayed in the hospital for four days after surgery. She did some physical therapy while she was there to ensure she could walk and perform other routine tasks. She no longer felt numbness or tingling in her legs.
“When I came home, (Dr. Sweiss) had me on restrictions, of course — and I followed those to a T,” she says.
Her daughter visited from Colorado, and her son visited from Virginia to help her during her recovery. Within a few months, she felt fully recovered — and by fall, she was riding again.
Back Riding Horses Again
Almost a year after surgery, Kathy feels strong. She’s well enough to take care of all of her household chores, including caring for her three horses.
She’s also back to riding horses frequently. Although she doesn’t ride every day, she does go several times a week. One of her favorite trips is going to the Austin Dam, a four-hour round trip on horseback from her home. Another favorite is Benezette, Pa., home of Pennsylvania’s elk herd.
“It’s beautiful riding,” she says.
In May 2025, she and her friends went on a riding trip to Benezette. Kathy rode her horse for four hours a day for four or five straight days.
“When I came home, I was really sore, but I took a hot shower, and I felt great the next day,” she says. “It’s just a matter of getting all the muscles back to where they should be.”
Dr. Sweiss told Kathy that her tumor had likely been in her spine for at least 15 years. Her chiropractic adjustments apparently tweaked the area of her tumor enough that she began experiencing symptoms.
“I’m very thankful for that because I don’t know how long it would have gone on (otherwise),” Kathy says. “It could have been a heck of a lot worse than it was.”
Kathy says she’s grateful to her entire team for the care they provided, from the initial diagnosis to her fast-tracked surgery. She also says everyone treated her kindly, including sending her a card during her recovery. Her friends also helped her by coming with her when she got care.
“It was like everything fell into place, like it was just supposed to be,” Kathy says. “You have to appreciate all the steps that people took to get me there, and get the surgery, and get the doctors’ appointments.
“It was just meant to be. That was the place that I was supposed to be, the people that I was supposed to see, and I’m so grateful to the doctors, the nurses, and my friends for getting me there. It was amazing.”