WILDWOOD / THE JOURNAL

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Building Wildwood: The Application, the New Brand, and a Longer Story Ahead

Wildwood began as a collection of pages and ideas and gradually became a complete publishing application. This is the story of building the platform, separating posts, stories and articles into distinct systems, refining…

Joey Montes · 11 min read

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I Wish I Hadn't Seen It: PTSD, Grief, and Learning to Live With What Happened Joey Montes

Preparing for TLIF Fusion Surgery: What to Know, Why Preparation Matters, and What to Expect Joey Montes

What Is TLIF? Understanding L4-L5 Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion Joey Montes

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Joey Montes

Sep 19, 2026 · 9 min read

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WILDWOOD / LONG FORM

TLIF L4-L5 Spinal Fusion: Surgery, Recovery, and the Road Forward

On August 4, 2026, I underwent a TLIF spinal fusion at L4-L5. This is a personal look at what the procedure involves, why surgeons use it, how fusion develops, and what recovery can look like after major lumbar spine surgery.

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