The First Victory
The breakthrough happened on the morning of Day 5. I woke up before the alarm. This was unheard of for me. Usually, I would hit snooze three times. I opened my eyes and looked at the clock: 6:15 AM. The sun was just starting to peek through the curtains. I waited for the pain. I braced myself for the morning struggle of rolling over. But… it didn’t come. I simply sat up. Just like that. I engaged my core, swung my legs forward, and stood up in one fluid motion.
I froze, standing in the middle of the room. I twisted my torso left, then right. No catch. No sharp stab. My back felt solid. It felt like a sturdy column rather than a fragile stack of china plates. I felt a surge of adrenaline. “Holy cow,” I whispered. I looked down at the pile of blankets on the floor. It looked like a pile of laundry, but to me, it suddenly looked like a medical miracle. I had slept for 7 straight hours without waking up once.