Assignment 2

Assignment 2 prompt: Describe a routine, ritual, or holiday, anything a person might do habitually using the second person, you. Do so using funny or angry or in general, significant detail. Imagine and accumulate significant detail. Write for one to two pages.

You stare at the reflection of your tired body as your husband assists in undressing you. Since the surgery, it has become increasingly difficult to lift your hands without winching in pain from the stitching across your chest. He gently holds your hands away from your body and inserts the first sleeve of the hospital robe, and then the second sleeve, being careful as he works his way up to your shoulders. The changing room is small and cold. Everywhere has been cold lately. The hospital. Your house. You remember the first day the doctor told you about your condition. He said you were lucky you discovered it so early. The lump hadn’t made its way to another part of your body. Yet. Your husband was there, gently squeezing your hands to bring you back to reality. A reality you were desperately trying to escape. The doctor discussed your options with you. You couldn’t hear much of what he was saying but the basic gist of it was that you could either remove the lump or remove the breast. He mentioned that implants were not an option in your case. The lump was too big. Your breasts were too small. It’s not like you were ever attached to them, anyways. You have been an A cup most of your life, so they weren’t your most prominent physical features. But something about losing them, completely losing them, made you feel less of a woman. Less feminine. Your oncologist reminded you that it was your choice at the end of the day but his personal recommendation would be the mastectomy, followed by some weeks of radiotherapy. Your husband was supportive the entire time. In his eyes, you will always be beautiful. But looking now, at the image staring back at you in the mirror, you were sure that was the only lie he had ever told you. You shifted your eyes to his direction as he made his way to the back of the robe, fastening the ropes behind you.
“You’re ready”
The nurses lead you to the cold radiation room, just down the hallway from where he will be waiting for you. The radiologists welcome you with an encouraging smile and proceed to confirm your identity. As the nurses lay you on the treatment couch, you make extra effort to not awaken the stitching pains close to your armpits while you struggle to hold on to the supporting bars mounted at the head of the couch. The room empties out and you reflect on the quiet buzzing sound of the machine as it travels across your chest, wishing you had a pair of encouraging eyes from your spouse. Fluffy socks for your feet. Warm breasts for your hands.

My thoughts: It took me two weeks to write this one. Initially I wanted to write a typical catholic confession but that became difficult because there wasn’t a lot to describe. Doing a confession does not involve too many actions or materials. So after spending a lot of time trying to make that story line work, I finally let it go and started all over again.

I decided to go with my take on someone going through a routine cancer treatment. This is the first story I have ever written where I had to do some research before writing it, especially since I had no prior knowledge or experience in the topic. I hope I was persuasive enough that you would have thought otherwise. All in all, I rate it a 6.7/10 because I wish I had described more but I was getting tired of working on this story and I was falling behind on my course.

After writing this, I realized something about myself; I really enjoy writing about a female experience. Regardless of whether or not I have had that experience firsthand, as long as it is something relatively female, I immediately share in that experience and it really fuels my imagination.