A routine surgery at a hospital outside of the Hillcrest HealthCare System network over Memorial Day weekend in 2025 turned life upside down for Angie Barns of Jenks, Oklahoma, when unexpected nerve damage left her right leg paralyzed. What started as a simple procedure to remove a mass led to months of pain, rehabilitation and a fight to regain mobility.
“I came out of surgery in excruciating pain,” said Barns, 51. “They tried everything, but nothing touched it. The doctors said the mass must’ve been wrapped in nerves.”
To manage the pain, Barns underwent a pudendal nerve block, a common anesthetic used in gynecological procedures. But when she woke up, something felt wrong.
“I got up to go to the bathroom and said, ‘Where’s my leg?’” she recalled. “I couldn’t feel anything. I about fell.”
Despite her concerns, Barns said she was discharged with little instruction and a walker she barely knew how to use. “They just handed it to me and sent me home,” she said. “I only knew what to do because my grandma had one.”
Three months later, Barns still faces paralysis and constant nerve pain. She relies on a walker or wheelchair to get around. Her husband, Ed, a retired ENT surgeon, cares for her. “I feel blessed, even though I’m sad about the situation,” Barns said. “God had a plan. I don’t know what we would’ve done if Ed were still working.”
Rehabilitation efforts
Barns’ daughter, Brittany Abbott, connected her mother for an evaluation with Aaron McGuire, DO, at Kaiser Rehabilitation Center in Tulsa. Abbott works on McGuire’s staff.
An electromyography (EMG) showed some nerves firing while others remained silent. Dr. McGuire insisted that if Barns had any chance of walking again, she needed immediate inpatient rehabilitation — though insurance hurdles nearly derailed her treatment.
“He spent an hour and a half on the phone arguing my case,” Barns said. “Finally, they gave me seven days. He knew he could fight for more later.”
Admitted in early June, Barns began what she calls the hardest and most rewarding journey of her life. “When I went in, I had no use of my leg whatsoever,” she said. “They had to teach me how to walk all over again, even though I still can’t feel it.”
The process was grueling. Barns grew exhausted from lifting her body with her arms, and the pain often felt unbearable. But the Kaiser staff pushed her with patience and compassion. After 15 days, she was able to move her leg without assistance — a moment she calls “a miracle.”
Her gratitude for the team runs deep. “I took down names of every single person who touched my life there,” Barns said.
Optimistic improvement
Dr. McGuire said her progress has been steady, but slow. “She initially had almost no movement at all in that right leg, but she’s working hard.”
Barns’ injury involved damage to the lumbar plexus, a complex bundle of nerves in the pelvis that controls leg movement and sensation. Unlike more common nerve injuries, hers affect multiple areas of the leg, making treatment and recovery more difficult.
“It’s a little different than what you normally see,” Dr. McGuire explained. “It’s more globally affecting that right leg. But based on her progress, I’m optimistic she’ll continue improving.”
Barns continues outpatient therapy, where electrical stimulation and desensitization techniques help manage pain and build mobility. A recent EMG brought encouraging news: nerves that once showed no activity have begun to fire.
“She still experiences pain and weakness, especially when the leg fatigues,” McGuire said. “But we’re walking now, which is a huge step.”
Moving forward with resilience
For Brittany Abbott, watching her mother embrace the journey has been both painful and inspiring. “Some may think, ‘It’s just a leg,’ but it’s so much more than that. A leg is freedom. A leg means independence.”
Abbott said the compassion her mother received at Kaiser made all the difference. “Within minutes, they felt like family. From shedding tears with us to joining us in prayer, they stood with us every step of the way.”
At home, Barns continues to adapt. After years of scuba diving, playing baseball and basketball with her grandsons, she now finds new ways to stay active. “I play baseball in my wheelchair or with my walker,” she said. “The kids don’t see the wheelchair. They just see me.”
Her grandson’s team, where she’s known as “Nonni,” even threw her a welcome-home party after rehab. “Those kids didn’t shy away. They hugged me just like always,” she said.
Barns credits her faith, her family, and the Kaiser team for getting her this far. “I could never repay them for their kindness,” she said. “They were amazing. God just put the right people in the right place at the right time.”
For more information about the rehabilitation services at Hillcrest Medical Center, visit our website.