Mrs Ballagh (58) said she had no hesitation in agreeing to the use of bone from the New Zealand Blood Service Tissue Bank at Dunedin Hospital in 2006.
After having two earlier procedures, on her lower back and neck, which used bone harvested from her own pelvis, she was grateful to receive donor bone.
Recovering from bone harvesting operations was "quite painful, to say the least" and one of the sites from which bone was taken still hurt sometimes, she said.
Mrs Ballagh said she had back problems off and on from childhood, which possibly began after a fall from a jungle gym when she was 7.
Her discomfort became significantly worse in her 30s and she recalled the difficulties she had with everyday tasks such as putting a baby in a high chair, or getting her two daughters in and out of cars and car seats.
Before her first lower spinal fusion surgery in 1992, she could not walk or stand for any length of time, her feet went numb and any twisting caused major pain.
Two years later, when her neck movement had become so restricted she could not drive a car she had more surgery, the second using her own bone.
In 2006, when "more wear and tear" meant further spinal fusion was needed, donor bone was required.
Mrs Ballagh, who retired from work as a psychologist in older people's health about three years ago, said she understood that to use more bone from her pelvis could have structurally weakened it.
Recovery from her most recent surgery took about three months, a shorter time than her earlier surgeries, partly because of not having the extra bone harvesting surgery, but also because rehabilitation programmes had improved over the years.
She enjoys an active lifestyle with a regular exercise programme including walking and Pilates and has particularly appreciated being able to garden again.
She would not try to shift a piano, carry a heavy back pack, sit in poorly designed chairs or sleep in a saggy bed, but "that's the same for many people", she said.
