Published June 23, 2022 on Defector
Fifty-one days ago, I had a very long and very complicated jaw surgery. I’m basically fine now; you don’t need to worry about me. But I know exactly how many days it’s been because obsessively crossing squares off my calendar is the only way I’ve been able to stay sane through the recovery process. That, and documenting every horrific phase of this so that some day I can look back and laugh about it. That day has not yet come. I’m typing this sentence after being forced to stop eating risotto because my tongue started bleeding in three different spots, from fishing wayward rice grains out of my wired-in splint. When I told Barry I was writing about my surgery and recovery, he asked me what my angle was. “This sucks butt?” he suggested. Pretty much.