Introspection
Love Is…Flaunting My Scars Like Lovely Accessories
A spinal surgery led me to love myself even more.
A few months ago I suffered a cervical spine injury and had to undergo surgery to correct it. Scared out of my mind and absolutely terrified of being put to sleep and under a knife for the first time, I prepared my nerves to accept the fact that I needed to get through one of the hardest feats of my life. I was ready to be cut in a sensitive place. I was ready to deal with a long recovery. I was ready to heal. The only thing I forgot to prepare for was the scar it would leave behind.
Three days after my surgery, I excitedly removed my bandage, ready to get back to normal. What I saw staring back at me gave me an anxiety attack. I didn’t recognize the new me and quickly thought I was now “tainted.” I used to love every inch of my neck and now I absolutely hated what I saw. Shaking and crying, I struggled to make sense of the new me and the ugly scar that now obviously defined me. I felt hopeless and depressed at the unfair and drastic change.
