After the surgery, Cui Shukai, outfitted with an external fixator on his lower back, was sent back to his ward like a machine warrior.
This external fixator would stay with him for about three months. During this time, he could walk normally, but he couldn't lie flat when sleeping; he could only sleep on his side.
But that wasn't much of a problem for Cui Shukai. Before the surgery, his malformed spine had prevented him from sleeping flat anyway.
Cui Xubing and Guo Liu stayed by his bedside, staring at the strange device on their son's back. The nurse gave them a detailed explanation of what to note during the period of treatment with the external fixator.
If there were to come a day when their son's spine was successfully straightened by this apparatus, how happy they would be.
Having their son go through this had caused the couple to hang their heads low in front of friends and relatives. They had been talked about quite a bit behind their backs.