Episode 10 - “Sore, and Safe: Fresh Out of Stage 2”

Beyond the Rep | Episode 10: Hazy, Sore, and SafeWarning: This episode contains explicit language.Fresh out of his highly complex Stage 2 spinal surgery, the host records a raw, late-night update straight from his London Bridge Hospital bed at 3:45 AM. After a brutal tech glitch deleted his first two attempts at recording, he leaves nothing on the table in this brutally honest dispatch.The surgery ran significantly longer than the doctors anticipated. Dropping down to the theater around 7:00 PM, he didn't make it to the recovery room until well past 1:00 AM, heavily under the influence of the anesthetic. Now hooked up to a patient-controlled pain pump, he takes listeners through the strange, disorienting side effects of the morphine—including surreal visual flashes, phantom headphone sounds, and the feeling of waking up in a zombie apocalypse.Beyond the physical limitations of the DVT leg pumps and a back full of fresh hardware, the host opens up about the deep fractures discovered in his spine and takes a powerful moment to praise his wife, who has held their entire world together while navigating his injury alongside the stresses of everyday life.The surgeries are officially over. Now, the real work of recovery begins.Connect with the show: Have you been through a major recovery? Reach out on Instagram at @zacbow_fitness or leave a comment on the podcast—let’s talk about the work it takes to ground yourself when the recovery gets tough.