We are Borg: I am now post human
by John MacBeath Watkins
There are philosophers of our post-human future who say that we became cyborgs as soon as we donned spectacles. For me, that would be age 14, but I didn't buy the notion that I became part machine at that point,
But now, I've definitely been assimilated by the Borg. While delivering books Tuesday to the new location for the bookstore in Ballard (2001 Market, which may be why I'm thinking of this in sci-fi terms) I fell into the hole where the new side entry will be (the silly thing had no railings or markers.) The hole was about a meter deep, cushioned only with nice, dry concrete, and I landed on my elbow and wrist, which both fractured. The wrist is really no problem, but the elbow part of the ulna broke clean off, so that my muscles were attached to a bit of free-floating bone. Any movement created indescribable pain.
My business partner, Jaimie, was there to help me out of the hole (even then, without a ladder we'd have called 911,) and we walked all of a block to the nearest emergency room, where a grim-faced Dr. Brown told me surgery would be required, and would need to take place within a week.
Group Health got me into surgery yesterday, installed a titanium butt joint, and I am now in an entirely different state of agony as I recover from the surgery. Pain pills can only do so much.
The crew at Group Health were wonderful. Thanks to Dr. Adelman and all those others whose names I can't recall (sorry, I wasn't at my best.) Jean Cocteau said that healing is like a slow wound in reverse, and that is certainly how it felt until they got the right pain meds for me. No I'm trying to remain as still as possible for as long as possible to minimize pain and maximize healing.
Updates here: http://booksellersvsbestsellers.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-borg-who-walk-among-us.html
But now, I've definitely been assimilated by the Borg. While delivering books Tuesday to the new location for the bookstore in Ballard (2001 Market, which may be why I'm thinking of this in sci-fi terms) I fell into the hole where the new side entry will be (the silly thing had no railings or markers.) The hole was about a meter deep, cushioned only with nice, dry concrete, and I landed on my elbow and wrist, which both fractured. The wrist is really no problem, but the elbow part of the ulna broke clean off, so that my muscles were attached to a bit of free-floating bone. Any movement created indescribable pain.
My business partner, Jaimie, was there to help me out of the hole (even then, without a ladder we'd have called 911,) and we walked all of a block to the nearest emergency room, where a grim-faced Dr. Brown told me surgery would be required, and would need to take place within a week.
Group Health got me into surgery yesterday, installed a titanium butt joint, and I am now in an entirely different state of agony as I recover from the surgery. Pain pills can only do so much.
The crew at Group Health were wonderful. Thanks to Dr. Adelman and all those others whose names I can't recall (sorry, I wasn't at my best.) Jean Cocteau said that healing is like a slow wound in reverse, and that is certainly how it felt until they got the right pain meds for me. No I'm trying to remain as still as possible for as long as possible to minimize pain and maximize healing.
Updates here: http://booksellersvsbestsellers.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-borg-who-walk-among-us.html
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