The Ghost Inside's Jonathan Vigil gives update after surgery

March 24, 2018

The Ghost Inside vocalist Jonathan Vigil has shared an update with fans following his recent ankle fusion surgery and the difficulty behind finally going through with the decision.

Last September Vigil made the difficult decision to fuse his ankle after a series of unsuccessful surgeries to correct the joint, which was badly injured after the band's 2015 bus crash. The surgery would forever limit the mobility in his ankle, but did (hopefully) promise some relief to his near-constant pain.

Vigil took to Instagram to share what went into his decision to fuse the joint and the relief in finally seeing some real progress in his recovery.

“Although I tend complain about the speed of it, progress is progress. I decided to go through with a (very dreaded) ankle fusion in September. After spending two years in/on wheelchairs, crutches, walkers and canes, I decided that I couldn’t live with the pain anymore. The benefit being a more solid joint with significantly reduced pain. The downside is a complete loss of movement in my ankle. Coming from being fairly active (playing shows, hockey, etc.) it was a very hard reality to accept. In my heart of hearts, I knew things were never gonna be the same again but that didn’t stop me from always wanting to believe otherwise.

You may read that as me being pessimistic but it’s actually the opposite. Things aren’t how they were anymore, they’re just different. It’s the fact that I can get around easier now with less pain. It’s me not having to rely on others to do basic things anymore. It’s me regaining self sufficiency. It’s waking up everyday a little bit better than the day before. It’s beginning to live my life again, not necessarily worse, just different.

And at a time when it felt like it was going to be terrible forever, I progressed. Strides were made. Every day. Some days more than others, some more noteworthy than others but strides nonetheless. Today I progressed. My doctor told me that my boot can come off and I can start physical therapy to learn how to walk again. With no more pending surgeries or hospital stays planned, I can’t help but be happy.

Progress is slow. Progress is tough. Progress is frustrating. But after everything, progress is still progress”

Although I tend complain about the speed of it, progress is progress. I decided to go through with a (very dreaded) ankle fusion in September. After spending two years in/on wheelchairs, crutches, walkers and canes, I decided that I couldn’t live with the pain anymore. The benefit being a more solid joint with significantly reduced pain. The downside is a complete loss of movement in my ankle. Coming from being fairly active (playing shows, hockey, etc.) it was a very hard reality to accept. In my heart of hearts, I knew things were never gonna be the same again but that didn’t stop me from always wanting to believe otherwise —- You may read that as me being pessimistic but it’s actually the opposite. Things aren’t how they were anymore, they’re just different. It’s the fact that I can get around easier now with less pain. It’s me not having to rely on others to do basic things anymore. It’s me regaining self sufficiency. It’s waking up everyday a little bit better than the day before. It’s beginning to live my life again, not necessarily worse, just different —- And at a time when it felt like it was going to be terrible forever, I progressed. Strides were made. Every day. Some days more than others, some more noteworthy than others but strides nonetheless. Today I progressed. My doctor told me that my boot can come off and I can start physical therapy to learn how to walk again. With no more pending surgeries or hospital stays planned, I can’t help but be happy —- Progress is slow. Progress is tough. Progress is frustrating. But after everything, progress is still progress

A post shared by Jonathan Vigil (@jonathanvigil) on Mar 22, 2018 at 5:14pm PDT

Vigil took to Instagram a few weeks back to talk more about the heartbreak of not being able to play shows. “Being completely honest and transparent, going to shows is HARD. And I don’t mean hard in the physical sense because most venues, staff, security, patrons and show goers are very accommodating to handicapped or injured people,” Vigil writes.

“What I mean is it’s just hard… being here. It’s hard to know what we were and what we could be.”

The Ghost Inside drummer Andrew Tkaczyk recently released an EP, Coma Visions, from his new project, One Decade.

Watch more: Watch the Ghost Inside accept the award for Most Dedicated Fanbase at the 2016 APMAs