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Hello, It’s Me: I’m Emerging From the Pandemic as a Fresh, New Person
My new identity was forged in the fires of a soul-crushing career and a heart-stopping diagnosis.
My body is unnaturally warm as I enter the exam room, most likely because I walked as briskly as possible through the hospital. I avoided other people (should I say it?) like the plague as I navigated unfamiliar corridors, mask over my mouth and nose, eyes cast resolutely forward. I rushed to get here and drank only coffee before the absurdly early appointment.
The entire purpose of my day is to have this CT scan taken.
The technician doesn’t request my ID, so I sling my purse over the hook on the back of the door. I tug my hoodie back and up, fanning my torso in as discreet a manner as possible.
I am standing uncomfortably in this room with a man in scrubs, and he’s scribbling on a clipboard while I try to stop sweating, to stop worrying, to calm my mind and my body down.
It’s October 2020. The only places I’ve been since February are hospitals and doctor’s offices, and I’m absolutely terrified of what this scan might reveal.
The exam tech asks me to confirm my name and to spell it as I do so. I stumble over a few letters, and he teases me…
