Scars
“A scar is an area of fibrous tissue that replaces normal skin after an injury. Scars result from the biological process of wound repair in the skin, as well as in other organs and tissues of the body. Thus, scarring is a natural part of the healing process.” — Wikipedia 2019.
A few weeks ago, my friend had a major surgery on her arm after an accident. She told me that she was excited but scared to take her bandage off, because of the huge scar she would find beneath. I told her to be proud of her scars and embrace them with pride because they are proof that she is a fighter and a conqueror.
A few days later, I was pondering on this same topic — Scars, which led to this post.
P.S: I’m not referring to those from any form of abuse or emotional scars caused by other people. This post is directed at the scars caused by accidents and other unforeseen circumstances.
I have a number of scars from some remarkable incidents. I’ll just talk about three sets.
- My dog bite
In the summer of 2007, my cousins came to visit my grand-aunt in Port Harcourt. The day before they left, we were all playing outside. I was tired and wanted to go back into the house, but because I knew the dog was overexcited from play, I asked the maid to carry me on her back. On our way, this dog (a Rottweiler named Roxy) dragged me down and bit me. To cut the long story short, I ended up with 9 stitches on 4 different parts of my left leg. I was stitched with no form of anaesthesia and that was legit the worst pain I have ever experienced in my life.
2. The minute scar above my lips
When I was a lot younger, we used to have ‘family reunions’ in my mum’s village every Christmas holiday. On one of those holidays, my cousins (the same ones mentioned above), my elder sister and I were walking to my great grandmother’s house to meet the rest of my family and I got knocked down by a bike. I only remember bleeding profusely from my mouth. When I woke up from whatever happened, I found myself back in my grand-aunt’s house (the same one mentioned above) on a bed with family around me. I had lost my 2 front teeth, but I was generally fine. My gap teeth are a bit wider today because of this incident.
3. Injuries from my orthotics
I was born flat footed and in the last quarter of 2018, I started having severe pain in my legs. The solution to this dilemma is for me to wear orthotics for a period of 3–6 months, depending on how fast my legs would adjust. A few weeks in, I noticed these marks that looked like injuries but seem very permanent on my legs. Initially, I was freaked out, but I got used to them after a while. I hope they disappear someday soon though.
When I think of my dog bite, I remember pain and the fun memories of summer. When I think of the scar above my lips, I remember the good old days of Christmas at my mum’s hometown (Oba). When I think of my orthotics, I remember severe pain, and I encourage myself because someday, it will all be over.
Scars bring back unique memories — sometimes good, sometimes bad. They remind us that we are strong and we can truly overcome the physical challenges that life throws at us. So please, embrace them with all diligence.
The above image was captured hours before I got bitten by the dog on the extreme left.
