A Birthday Gift of New Life: How Spine Surgery Helped Mayte Get Back to Living

For more than 20 years, Mayte lived with severe back pain that slowly took pieces of her life away.

Simple activities many people take for granted — sitting through a movie, tending to her garden, or dancing to her favorite music — became nearly impossible.

“I couldn’t sit or stand for more than 20 or 30 minutes,” Mayte recalls. “I was constantly shifting because the pain wouldn’t stop. Even sleeping was difficult.”

After two unsuccessful back surgeries, she began to lose hope that anything would truly help.

Then, just days before her 71st birthday, Mayte made a decision — to try spine surgery again, this time with a new approach to care.

Now 71 and retired, Mayte lives in Ventura and cherishes time with her four children, six grandchildren, and her beloved teacup Yorkie, Muñeca. But for years, chronic pain kept her from fully enjoying the moments that mattered most.

“I became depressed,” she says. “I stopped doing things I loved because the pain made everything difficult — even going to the movies.”

Still, she knew she needed a different path forward. As she considered her next step, she shares that her faith gave her clarity and direction toward seeking another opinion.

In 2025, that search led her to Dr. Amit Goyal, a neurosurgeon with Link Integrated Healthcare at Adventist Health Simi Valley, who specializes in minimally invasive spine surgery and complex spine conditions.

From the very first consultation, she noticed a difference.

“Dr. Goyal explained everything in a way that made me feel comfortable and confident,” she says. “His approach and vision for the surgery were different from the other surgeons I had seen.”

The timing felt especially meaningful

“I told them this surgery would be my birthday gift to myself,” Mayte says.

Not long after that visit, she received a surprise that meant the world to her — balloons from Dr. Goyal wishing her a happy birthday.

“I was incredibly touched,” she says. “It showed how much they truly care about their patients.”

According to Dr. Goyal, many patients live with spine pain far longer than they should.

“Many patients live with chronic spine pain for years believing it’s something they simply have to accept,” says Dr. Goyal. “When conservative treatments no longer provide relief, advanced surgical techniques can offer a path back to mobility and quality of life.”

Following surgery and a short hospital stay, Mayte began to feel something she hadn’t experienced in decades — relief.

Today, she says she feels better than ever.

She’s back to doing what she once thought was impossible, including going to the gym and participating in water aerobics.

“I’m doing things now that I couldn’t even do when I was younger,” she says. “I finally feel like I have my life back.”

Looking back, Mayte describes the experience as life-changing — not just physically, but emotionally.

For Mayte, what began as a birthday gift became something far greater — a new chapter filled with movement, independence, and joy.