Melissa Gilbert to undergo back surgery on Thursday, calls for prayers

07/22/2010 by Frances Watson

Melissa Gilbert, who recently performed in the touring musical Little House on the Prairie with a broken back, is set to undergo surgery on Thursday.

Gilbert confirmed the time on her Twitter page, saying: "Well tweethearts, it's here. Big surgery day and, truth be told, I'm scared. Light those candles and keep those prayers going. Surgery is not until 2:00, I'll try and keep you updated."

Doctors are due to replace a disc as well as fuse a vertebra in her lower spine. The origin of her injury is unknown. The star had been suffering with back pain for months .

The estimated recovery time for such a procedure is said to be around six months. Gilbert hopes to return to work this fall, opting for less strenuous work while she's on the mend.

The self-described "sober alcoholic", who played Laura "Half Pint" Ingalls in the 1970s series Little House on the Prairie and her character's mother Caroline "Ma" Ingalls in a recent touring musical based on the show, is determined to keep a handle on her recovery especially when it comes to pain medication.

"I'm really careful about this stuff," Gilbert told People magazine. "I don't think you'll be seeing me getting arrested for driving under the influence of Percocet anytime soon."

She spent her time last week resting, reading and exchanging public Twitter messages with Alison Arngrim, the actress who played her rival in the television series, Nellie Oleson. Gilbert recently congratulated her younger half sister Sara Gilbert, whose mother adopted Melissa when she was a baby, for scoring her first daytime talk show, which is set to air on CBS in the fall.