Joanna Gaines, 44, had back surgery in the hospital and now she’s recovering before Christmas. The Fixer Upper star shared a Dec. 21 Instagram post where she laid in a hospital bed with an IV attached and flashed a victory sign to the camera. Joanna revealed that she had her second microdisectomy two weeks ago after injuring her back when she was a cheerleader in high school. Joanna said her first microdisectomy was in 2001, when she had to cancel her second date with her now husband, Chip Gaines.
“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,” Joanna wrote in her post. “But I’m truly grateful for the forced rest during the busiest time of the year,” the mom of five added. “It has been a gift to simply stay put, stare at the wonder all around, and just be still.”
Joanna wished her 14 million followers “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,” she added. Joanna seemed to be in decent spirits in the photo from the hospital bed. She wore sunglasses and threw up a peace sign at the camera.
The Magnolia Network star included two other photos in her post. One of the images showed Joanna cuddling one of her children on the couch next to the fireplace and Christmas tree. In the other photo, Joanna laid on the couch alone and relaxed. She turned off the comments on the post, so none of her fans were able to wish her a speedy recovery.
Luckily for Joanna, her husband Chip will be by her side throughout her recovery. The HGTV power couple have been married since 2003 and they have five children together: Drake, 17, Ella, 16, Duke, 14, Emmie Kay 12, and Crew, 4. In addition to focusing on her family, Joanna’s busy running the Magnolia Network, a bustling Silos bakery and bed and breakfast center in Waco, a magazine titled The Magnolia Journal, and so much more.