A month ago
One month ago this morning I was at in hospital waiting to have my right leg amputated. I waited to be taken down to the operating room on a gurney on a floor two flights above the operating room. Lying down was an option. The space was small and curtained off. But instead of lying down I stood up, wearing my gown and those socks with grippers they give you, and paced back and forth. The only reason I did this was because I knew it would be the last time I'd walk anywhere. I massaged the leg, wiggled its toes, and stared at it.
It's like a valedictory for your walking self. I can totally understand why you'd do this - just looking down to see two feet and ten toes for the last time has to have value that the two-footed cannot fully appreciate. The NY Times recently put up a piece on the website about a man who lost his tongue to glossectomy: they covered the 6 days prior to his surgery and his post-op. It is a poignant piece that you might relate to very well.
ReplyDelete