There are several grammatical errors throughout Andrea’s piece, and I’m confused about the quote marks – why are they bold, black, I’s – but otherwise, this is an excellent essay. Certain authors write grammatically perfect sentences and use words the average reader might not comprehend, but sometimes, those same authors can’t telling a compelling story. “Stabalized” is a very readable story, a very enjoyable story.
As a reader, however, I’m fairly biased. I recently underwent upper and lower jaw surgery, followed by six weeks of painful recovery. Andrea’s procedure, which was seemingly more destructive than my own, is still an experience I can relate to.
I was continually impressed by Andrea’s resiliency – throughout her surgery, and through her willingness to write about this topic (something that I’ve constantly struggled with) – and her ability to “show,” rather than “tell,” her story. For example: “‘It’s like spaghetti!’ one of the nurses blurted out as she pulled the tubes into the air. My dad and I silently laughed together. The urgency to alleviate my pain diminished.” In this instance, Andrea doesn’t say that everything was fine, that her problems disappeared, or that she learned some hard-fought lesson, she simply tells her story and leaves us with a lovely image – comfort and humor in the face of personal hardships.
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