Confession: I have a horrible, horrible back.
The blue-ish x-ray below, is the one that was taken right after my surgery, when I was 10.
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I had surgery for spondylolisthesis (Google it ) - which is out there, but my spondylolisthesis was bad enough the doctors pioneered the surgery to fix me.
(Thank you, Dr. Brockmeyer!!!!)
After shaving some of my left hip bone off, and 'installing' some rods and screws, I spent 3 months in a brace from my armpits to my hips, and down my right leg.
After 3 months, I had to learn to walk again.
Have you ever read the 'real' version of "The Little Mermaid"? Well, because I love fairytales, I felt the best way to describe standing up for the first time in 3 months to be like in "The Little Mermaid" - the original.
(In the story, the reason why she can't talk is because with every step it's like she is stepping on a thousand knives.)
My three months in a bed in my home were bearable because I had an amazing superhuman mother, Kirby on Nintendo, and that faith that all children carry.
Sometimes people ask me if it was hard, but I have to say no.
Not only did my mother make it so it wasn't hard for me, but I think also as kids we just assume that everything will be ok. When we know, we know.
Did I mention how grateful I am to my mother yet??
Because of my surgery, I had to have my babies via c-section, because they were worried that labor could paralyze me.
This is an x-ray taken after I had my first baby - ten years after the x-ray above.
Not so pretty.
And still, I walk.
Backety back.