True Hollywood Post Script

I spent much of the morning of October 2 preparing a PowerPoint for a meeting set to start at 1:00 PM ET. As I was handing over the printed version, my cell phone rang. On the other end was Dr. King, the wonderful doctor who performed my surgery the week prior. He said he would like to see me that afternoon in his office for a follow-up visit. I told him I could be there in 5 minutes.

I got to his office at 1:15 and was almost immediately led into a room. The good doctor took a look at my knee and said that it was still swollen, but that he would drain it and things would be all good.

I didn't like that word too much.

What followed wasn't the most painful experience of my life, but for some reason, may have been the suckiest. He shoved a needle into my knee and sucked the life force out of me. I could feel him moving the needle around and I tried not to look, to no avail. It looked like this:


When he was done he led me over to the receptionist to schedule a follow-up. The second I stood up the room started spinning. I somehow made it over to receptionist, but was visibly shaken. They asked me some questions which I assume I answered but I couldn't hear myself talk. The kind doctor gave me some Tic-Tacs and other people pumped me full of chocolate. Five minutes later they asked me if I was good to go yet. I bluntly answered, "No."

Almost ten minutes later I gimped my way out of the office and straight to Burger Heaven. I made it back to the office around 2:15 as the meeting was getting out. Eager to compare stories of the past hour.

I was in shock for the rest of the afternoon.