Up early
Today was the day: the day of the surgery. At 6:30 AM I had to check into the hospital – getting much sleep the night before was out of the question anyway.
After checking in, I was allowed to go straight to my room, drop off my bag, and slip into the hospital gown. There wasn't much time to overthink things, and to be honest, that was quite a good thing.
Two hours that I slept through
At 7:15 AM, the surgery began. The preparation went quickly: an IV, a few last questions, and then the general anesthesia kicked in. Luckily, I didn't notice a thing during the roughly two hours in the OR.
I woke up in the recovery room, still a bit groggy, but responsive. I didn't have to stay there long, and soon I was back in my room where I could rest for a while.
Day 2: Good news and a look inside
On the second day, the surgeon came by for his rounds – with the best news you can hear at that moment: Everything went well during the surgery.
Afterward, an X-ray was on the schedule. On the image, I could see for the first time what is now inside me: the titanium screws and the cage. Honestly, that impressed me quite a bit. It’s one thing to talk about it beforehand – but quite another to see the metal in your own body in black and white.
What's Next
The first big step is done, and I am mostly relieved. Now it's time to be patient, recover, and get moving again step by step. I will keep you posted here.
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