Joanna Gaines recently shared a photo of herself on Instagram wearing sunglasses in a hospital gown and bed, followed by two photos of her recovering back at home. The photos were posted on Wednesday night as the reality TV star revealed she underwent a microdiscectomy for the second time in her life.
The first procedure came in 2001 after suffering a back injury from cheerleading in high school. The surgery caused her to miss her second date with the man she now calls her husband and the father to her five kids – Chip Gaines. Unfortunately, the 44-year-old had to have the procedure again two weeks ago.
A microdiscectomy is a type of spine surgery commonly used to treat a herniated disk – which can compress a spinal nerve and cause pain, among other symptoms. Hundreds of thousands of patients have the surgery every year in the United States and a strong majority of them will see success with it.
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“I’ve always joked that my back likes to act up at the most inconvenient times and I was a bit stressed bc of the timing of it all with the holiday season,” wrote Joanna Gaines on Instagram. She later calls the holiday season the ‘busiest time of the year,’ which is understandable considering all she has going on.
Joanna and Chip are parents to five children – Drake, 18; Ella Rose, 16; Duke, 14; Emmie Kay, 12; and Crew, 4. While that’s a lot to handle in its own right, the two co-founded Magnolia Network in 2003 and have seen it continue to grow in recent years – including their show Fixer Upper: Welcome Home.
While Joanna is used to staying on her feet during the holiday season, she’s embracing a different kind of holiday this year following her surgery. “But I’m truly grateful for the forced rest during the busiest time of the year. It has been a gift to simply stay put, stare at the wonder all around, and just be still,” she wrote.
She concluded her caption with some kind words for her followers. “Wishing you and yours a beautiful Christmas week. It may not all go as planned- but may you find the beauty and embrace the wonder of the here and now,” wrote Joanna. While she was dealt a bad card, she’s choosing to stay positive.
Chip and Joanna Gaines Had a Busy Year
Chip and Joanna Gaines never seem to stop moving and that rang true this year – up until Joanna’s surgery. They started 2022 off with a bang as their Magnolia Network made its official launch on cable, as well as its streaming deal with HBO Max – the network’s shows were already streaming on Discovery+.
In the midst of all the chaos and excitement, Chip and Joanna Gaines also received their first ever Emmy nomination – for outstanding structured reality program – earlier this summer. It’s a testament to how popular their Fixer Upper: Welcome Home show really is, especially after the success of Fixer Upper.
The original Fixer Upper show received an Emmy nomination for outstanding structured reality program as well, but Chip and Joanna Gaines weren’t credited with the nomination because they weren’t producers. Since they are producers on their Welcome Home spinoff, they received the nomination.
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And for those that don’t get enough of Chip and Joanna Gaines in front of the camera, Joanna recently published her newest memoir titled The Stories We Tell: Every Piece of Your Story Matters. The book was released in November and is now available everywhere.
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