The former 'Little House on the Prairie' star shares with fans that she was flying from New York to California to prepare for another procedure to fix a longtime neck injury.

• Nov 18, 2020

AceShowbiz - Actress Melissa Gilbert is set to undergo her fourth spinal surgery in a bid to fix a longtime neck injury once and for all.

The former "Little House on the Prairie" star opened up about her latest health woe on Instagram on Monday, November 16, revealing she was flying from New York to California to prepare for the operation after discovering her last spinal fusion surgery in 2016 had "failed".

Alongside snaps from John F. Kennedy International Airport, including one of Gilbert wearing her glasses, a face mask, and a face shield, she detailed how her old surgeon, Dr. Robert Bray, had recommended she undergo a different kind of operation instead of attempting another spinal fusion.

That consultation was back in April, and now Gilbert is finally ready to go under the knife again after initially attempting to wait out the coronavirus pandemic.

"He agreed surgery was necessary and he felt I was a good candidate for an artificial disc instead of a fusion. Saving me from having to do more fusions down my spine in the future (sic)," she wrote.

"The catch was that I had about six months. Double catch, hello COVID-19. So I waited as long as possible. I've now reached the point where the pain is nearly constant and the fingers on my right hand are beginning to tingle. So we scheduled my surgery for this Thursday."

"My only job now is to stay free of this horrible virus so I can have my surgery," she continued, explaining she was doing her best to stay positive about the medical procedure.

"Everyone stay safe, stay healthy, stay strong. And if you have an extra prayer or two, please send them my way," she added.