Dr Zoe Williams has returned to This Morning after being away from the programme for several weeks. The ITV show's resident medic shared with hosts Ben Shepherd and Cat Deeley how she had undergone life-changing spinal surgery after suffering for years with chronic back pain.
Zoe, 45, gave an update on her severe spinal stenosis, which triggers compression of spinal nerves. She told Ben, 51, and Cat, 49, that she had only realised how "debilitating" the condition had been now she was recovering from the surgery that took place in January.
Speaking to the pair in the studio on Thursday morning, the star, who has appeared on the show since 2016, said: "I'm feeling great. I think you only realise how debilitating chronic pain is when you don't have it anymore. I feel lighter, I feel wonderful.
"With the surgery that I had, it was an open surgery, quite a big procedure, but I actually walked out of the hospital the same day. The next day, when I got out of bed, was the first time that I've been able to stand fully straight for a long time, which felt great."
© Getty ImagesHowever, the mother-of-one revealed that it hasn't been a smooth road to recovery. "It's frustrating as well," she explained. "I couldn't do childcare; I was dependent upon my partner for everything. That's frustrating, and for somebody like me, that was really difficult, not being able to exercise.
"But, I shifted my mindset, I thought, when do you get the opportunity to sit at home for four weeks off work without anyone demanding anything and people have to do things for you? You don't have a choice."
Surgery journey
Back in January, in a post on Instagram, Zoe - who shares son Lisbon, four, with her partner Stuart McKay - shared a picture of her resting on her sofa hours after the hospital procedure. "I'm home and comfortable after my back surgery this afternoon. Will share lots more in the coming days," she wrote.
In subsequent posts to her 150,000 followers, the star - who is an NHS GP - showed off the bandage at the base of her spine. She had been told "no bending, twisting, lifting for six weeks".
© Getty Images for the NTA'sZoe also previously shared that the surgery would involve "removing overgrown ligaments and bone which are a result of degenerative changes to my spine. These structures, as well as a slightly bulging disc are encroaching on my spinal canal meaning that the nerves inside my spinal column are being compressed.
"It's different to sciatica, which in many cases resolves over time. I've come to learn that my condition will not resolve as it is due to degenerative change, and will likely get worse with time. Surgery really is a last resort for me having tried just about everything else over the past two and a half years."
