Katherine Heigl Gets Two Titanium Discs Implanted in Her Neck to Alleviate 'Excruciating' Pain

Katherine Heigl
ET Online

'I can probably stand on my head for like hours,' the actress joked following neck surgery.

The doctor has become the patient. Former Grey's Anatomy star Katherine Heigl is recovering after undergoing neck surgery. 

On Wednesday, St. Patrick's Day, Heigl posted a photo of herself in a neck brace and shared that "two titanium [discs] now inhabit my neck."

"Well...I am now bionic!!" she joked in the lengthy caption. "...I can probably stand on my head for like hours...I’m not gonna try it just yet but give me a few months and I’ll blow your mind!!"

The 42-year-old actress thanked her doctors and care team, who she says saved her "from the most excruciating pain I have ever experienced and blessed me with a new pain free lease on life."

Continuing to show gratitude for the medical staff, Heigl added, "Heading into surgery and hospital stays is always a bit scary and you guys could not have made me feel more comfortable or taken care of! Thank you thank you thank you!!"

She concluded her post, "Oh and HAPPY ST. PATRICKS DAY! Clearly I’ve been blessed with the luck of the Irish today! ☘️"

Prior to opening up about her recent surgery, Heigl shared with The Washington Post that she experienced anxiety after being labeled "difficult" early on in her career.

"The more I said I was sorry, the more they wanted it," she said. "The more terrified and scared I was of doing something wrong, the more I came across like I had really done something horribly wrong."

Now, the Firefly Lane actress feels much more comfortable expressing how she feels. 

"I’ve grown into accepting that ambition is not a dirty word, and that it doesn’t make me less of a feminine, loving, nurturing woman to be ambitious and have big dreams and big goals," Heigl noted. "It’s easier to be happy because I have a little more gentleness for myself."

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