Hello my fellow crocheters 🧶

This time, I’ll be talking about the surgery itself — and everything unexpected that happened around it.

Once it was clear that surgery would be required, I entered what I like to call the pre-surgery Olympics 🏅. That meant several tests and examinations to make sure everything was okay before going under the knife.

My surgery was planned for January 24th.

Because my left leg was still quite numb, Peter drove me to my parents’ place for Christmas 🎄. That was actually the first time Peter met my parents. We had been together for a very short time — not even two months — and he was very stressed.

We have a small daily routine in our family: we call my parents and my grandma almost every day 📞. Because of that, I already knew Peter’s grandma quite well — even though only through phone calls.

Christmas itself went fine.

The Week Before Surgery

Shortly before the surgery, I tried really hard to make sure that during the week I’d be in the hospital, Peter would have everything he needed to survive.

Peter is a very passionate runner 🏃. On Saturday, one week before my surgery, he had a competition in the morning — something he regularly attends. After he came back from the run, his best friend and his wife visited us.

In the evening, we were lying on the couch, trying to enjoy a quiet night in front of the TV 📺.

And then, suddenly, Peter started experiencing strong abdominal pain.

At first, it looked like one of those situations where you eat something bad and your stomach just protests. But the pain kept getting worse — minute by minute.

I tried everything I could think of: painkillers, Coca-Cola to help digestion, calling my mom for advice. Nothing helped.

Eventually, we both fell asleep 😴. I hoped that maybe he just needed rest and everything would be fine.

About one hour later, we both woke up. Peter was in even more pain. And I had a seizure.

That was the first seizure I ever experienced. I was honestly shocked — trying to understand what the hell was happening, while Peter’s pain kept escalating.

Emergency Room, Together

We decided the only reasonable thing to do was go to the ER. Neither of us was able to drive, so I called a taxi.

We ended up in the emergency room — both of us needing medical attention.

Peter was taken for examination slightly earlier than me, but I didn’t have to wait long either. I was still dealing with a pretty intense seizure and had to undergo several tests.

I was told that my seizure was most likely an allergic reaction to antibiotics I had recently received. I got medication for treatment and was kept there for observation to make sure everything would calm down.

Peter’s situation, however, was worse. They decided to keep him in the hospital.

I ordered a taxi and went home.

Peter’s Surgery Comes First

On Sunday, I went to the hospital to bring Peter the essentials for his hospital stay 🚿.

Later, he texted me with the update: he had an infected gallbladder, and it needed to be removed. His surgery was scheduled for Tuesday — exactly one week before mine.

Parents, Medication, and Waiting

On Monday, my parents arrived. I didn’t want them to see what a seizure looked like — and luckily, after receiving medication for treatment, things were under control.

During that week, I still had two or three more seizures, but overall it was a surprisingly calm and pleasant time spent with my mom 💜.

Peter’s surgery went very well, and he came home on Thursday. On the day he was released, I was able to drive, so I picked him up 🚗.

We decided it would be best if Peter’s grandma stayed with him while I’d be in the hospital. So we did a little caretaker switch: my mom went home, and Peter’s grandma came over.

I tried to make sure everything was prepared — pre-cooked meals, basics, all of it 🍲.

Admission Day

On Monday morning, my neighbour drove me to the hospital.

First important lesson if you’re having spine surgery: don’t pack your things in a duffel bag 😂. Terrible idea.

My roommate was a young woman — about 10–12 years younger than me — a young mom who was scheduled for the same type of surgery. It was a match from the first minute 😄.

We spent most of the first day talking. It really helped keep my mind busy and distracted from the fear before surgery.

Surgery Day

On Tuesday, we were told how to prepare: showering, deep cleaning with special soap, all the usual pre-op procedures.

This was a specialised hospital mainly for soldiers and policemen, but civilians are treated there as well. We knew that someone had been admitted, but we didn’t know who or for what surgery.

Then my roommate was told that her surgery was postponed to Thursday. She was devastated. She just wanted it over with.

When they came to pick me up, I was taken to the pre-surgery preparation room — a room with multiple beds where they give you the good stuff 😄.

After a while, everything felt okay. There was one hospital staff member — I’m not even sure what her exact role was — but she looked like an angel to me 👼. She smiled kindly, was very calm, and in that moment I truly felt that everything would be fine.

About an hour later, they took me to the operating room. The anesthesiologist put a mask on my face and said something like: “Now I’m putting this beautiful green mask on you.” That’s the last thing I remember.

Waking Up

I don’t know how long the surgery took. I only know I went in around 10:45, and I was back in my room sometime between 2:00 and 2:30 PM.

When I woke up, I was naked, with several tubes coming out of my body — draining fluids from the wound. I was placed under a heated blanket, and honestly, considering the circumstances, it was one of the best feelings ever 💙.

After sleeping a bit more, I talked with my roommate about the surgery and how I felt. The first night after surgery was okay-ish — thanks to all the medication still working in my system.

Learning to Stand Again

The next day, a doctor came and told me I’d need to stand up for the first time. This is standard procedure — to check that no nerves were damaged. I was told that if I felt dizzy, I should lie down immediately.

Surprisingly, I managed to stand up without issues and even take a few steps.

Shortly after surgery, the nurse told me I had a limited time window to pee on my own — otherwise, they’d need to insert more tubes. Very motivating 😂. I managed.

Pain, Walking, and Mom’s Advice

The second night after surgery was the worst. Despite what the doctor described as an “atomic bomb” of painkillers 💣, it didn’t really work. Instead of sleeping, I walked around the hospital floor like a toddler.

Then I remembered my mom’s advice from her hip surgery: Take ibuprofen from home.

At around 4:00 AM, after a sleepless night, I took it — and for the first time, the pain eased enough for me to sleep 🙏.

Small Victories

On Thursday, my roommate had her surgery. I tried to be supportive — just like she had been for me. I even went to buy her coffee and some snacks.

Walking around after spine surgery makes you feel like a drunk toddler. Very unstable. Very slow.

I’m also a smoker, and after two days without cigarettes, I really wanted one 😅. After surgery, you need an X-ray to check if everything is in place. The X-ray area was close to a small park with benches — and a smoking area.

After the X-ray, I took a few steps and lit my first cigarette. Bad idea. After two or three inhales, I felt dizzy and decided it wasn’t worth fainting over. Later that day, it went better.

That same day, another woman joined our room. She told me something that stayed with me: around 95% of patients with lower spine issues end up seeing a psychiatrist — not because they’re “crazy”, but because of the emotional toll before and after surgery 💭.

She told me it’s not a shame to ask for help. She was right.

Going Home

On Friday, I was allowed to go home.

The hospital bed was comfortable. The food was good. My roommates were amazing. But I was very much looking forward to going home — to Peter, to my own bed 💫.

I knew that Peter’s grandma would go home, and my mom would come and stay with us for one week after my surgery.

This was a long post — I know. But I really wanted to capture everything important.

In the next part, I’ll talk about the first weeks after surgery and everything that came with them.

Thank you for being here 💜 See you next time 👋