Bed Ridden

I haven't posted in so long. Jeeze.

So next Friday I go under the knife. I'm having a short rib removed, which is weird to say because usually they are on a plate. But there's a vein wrapped around one on my left side, and last year it caused a massive blood clot to form along my shoulder, which came scary-close to killing me. So I had an angioplasty and have been taking rat poison to thin my blood ever since.

Since then my day-to-day has been totally normal except for occasional discomfort, a prohibition on intense exercise and the fact that, if I accidently got pregnant and failed to notice in the first few hours after conception, the baby would have an 80 per cent chance of extreme mutation. For me that was the worst part of it. Accidental pregnancies happen.

Anyway, on Friday they are removing the offending rib through a key hole incision in my armpit.

Yesterday, the fact of what's going to happen struck me, and I got nervous. But I think it's purely instinctual, to be repelled by cutting and digging and the drawing of a piece of me out. I asked if I could keep the rib, and they said no. I asked them how on earth was I going to create my new gender if they weren't going to let me keep it, and they told me I'd have to figure out a plan B. Suggestions?

I'm going to be bedridden for four weeks, and can't even touch a computer. I'm already preparing a list of books I'm going to read - finally reading Stark and White from cover to cover. The new Zadie Smith came in the mail the other day, which made me clap my hands and jump up and down. I might try a new genre I haven't read before, like sci fi fantasy or something. Any reading suggestions? Any genre suggestions?

I'm going to watch Important Television Series. The BBC just came out with a list of the best TV shows of all time. I've already seen the singing detective, but am only on season four of The Wire. I'm so watching the rest of the Wire in a two-day marathon. Any other suggested watching?

It's kind of like a bed-vacation, but where it hurts to breathe. Or so they tell me. I'm not allowed on the computer, but the surgery is on my left arm, so I'm going to try and get a few two-finger-typed posts in. A day.