467: 14 Surgeries Later... My Back (and Boobs) Story

Midlife Conversations with Natalie Jill

Natalie Jill

Business, Entrepreneurship, Self-improvement, Education

4.8 • 607 Ratings

🗓️ 25 July 2025

⏱️ 52 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain (and maybe the hospital gown) on something I rarely go into detail about... my long, complicated, sometimes comical history with fourteen surgeries. Yep, 14. From having a tumor removed at age three, to getting breast implants (and later explanting them), to a full-on spinal disc replacement… it’s been a journey!

Spoiler alert: almost all roads lead back to my back. Whether it was compensating during workouts, posture shifts from surgery scar tissue, or the ripple effects of certain cosmetic procedures, neurological issues and more… my spine has carried the load... literally and metaphorically... for decades.

I open up about:

Why I got each surgery (the real reasons, not just the Instagram explanation)
What I regret, what I don’t, and what I really want women in midlife to know before going under the knife
How I finally ended up needing my L5-S1 disc replaced (ouch… and also, wow)
The things that are ACTUALLY helping me recover like red light, peptides, compression, hydration, and walking (even when it feels like dragging a noodle-leg down the street)

If you're navigating surgery, chronic pain, or even just frustrated that your body feels like it's falling apart faster than your favorite jeans... this episode is for you.

Want the full list of what I’m using in recovery? Grab my free Surgery Recovery & Healing Guide [insert link here]

And come hang with me on Instagram @nataliejillfit where I’m sharing the good, the bad, and the bloated (yep, that too).

Episode Links:

Surgical Recovery Guide with all things mentioned in the show

GetRapidRecovery.com

The REDLIGHT I am using daily :https://get.sunlighten.com/nataliered

Free Gifts for being a listener of Midlife Conversations!

Mastering the Midlife Midsection Guide: https://theflatbellyguide.com/
Age Optimizing and Supplement Guide: https://ageoptimizer.com

Connect with me on social media!

Instagram: www.Instagram.com/Nataliejllfit

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Nataliejillfit

For advertising inquiries: https://www.category3.ca/

Disclaimer: Information provided in the Midlife Conversations podcast is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Do not use the information provided in this podcast for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before making any changes to your current regimen.

Information provided in this podcast and the use of any products or services related to this podcast does not create a client-patient relationship between you and the host of Midlife Conversations or you and any doctor or provider interviewed and featured on this show. Information and statements may have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent ANY disease.

Advertising Disclosure: Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links. Opinions expressed about products or services are those of the host and/or guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any sponsor. Sponsorship does not imply endorsement of any product or service by healthcare professionals featured on this podcast.

Transcript

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0:00.0	I'm actually three quarters of an inch taller post surgery because they had to uncollapse my spine,
0:05.5	put a disc in there. He literally added three quarters of an inch to my height, which is cool.
0:10.0	That's wild.
0:11.6	Welcome to Midlife Conversations.
0:13.5	I'm your host, Natalie Gill, and I'm passionate about having amazing conversations that matter to us midlife women.
0:19.5	On this podcast, I do what I do best, taking
0:22.4	complicated health topics and breaking them down simply so that we can optimize aging together.
0:28.2	I share actionable steps to help you thrive in what I believe are our best years to come.
0:33.5	Join me as I interview the most inspiring people living their best midlife years and dive into essential topics like hormone changes, health optimization, weight management, blood sugar, emotional well-being, relationships, beauty, and so much more.
0:48.5	I've had an incredible amount of surgeries in my lifetime.
0:52.6	Some were by choice. Some definitely were not necessarily by choice.
0:56.1	They were medically necessary. But coming off of what I hope to be a final surgery in quite some
1:02.8	time coming off a pretty significant lower back L5S1 disc replacement where they had to
1:08.3	cut through my stomach, kind of like a C-section scar, go in that
1:12.1	way. It sounds pretty invasive, but apparently it's the less invasive way to do that versus going
1:16.8	through your back and had a disc put in. This is probably the hardest surgery I have faced
1:22.8	recovering with in my journey of surgeries. So in this episode today, what I'm going to talk through is, one, I'm going to tell a little bit about the story about why so many surgeries and a little bit about the history on this back and why I decided to do a discreplacement surgery now. But then also, most importantly, what I'm doing for recovery and why? I've gotten many questions about recovery. What do I suggest? What you should do for you? I'm going to share my
1:44.9	experience and some things that I think are very general and great recommendations for a lot of people.
1:49.8	As always, I am not a doctor. I am just a friend with a mic. I am your midlife friend with a mic who
1:56.7	happens to be through a lot of this and happens to be obsessive when it comes to research.
2:01.3	So I'm sharing what I've done, what I've advised some clients, what I've advised friends.
2:05.3	But you listening to this, watching to this, always take this with your own filter.
	...

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