Bitten, Broken, and Born Again…

Daily Writing Prompt: Have you ever had surgery? What For?

I have… more than once. But one in particular changed everything.

As a child, I had the usual childhood bugs – or so I was told. Nothing major. As an adult, I stayed pretty healthy… until the female stuff started. Two surgeries later, I was fixed. That’s a whole other chapter. But let’s fast-forward thirty years or so to last October.

Out of nowhere, I got bitten by a spider behind my ear. It sounds ridiculous, but it turned my world upside down. I ended up in A&E, then in surgery. I was so sick. My blood markers were off the charts. I should have been terrified, but I wasn’t. I felt like I’d survive. And I did.

I met amazing people in hospital. Kind, gentle souls who cared for me in a way my own family never really had. I wasn’t worried about me, I was worried about Heff, my dog, now I was his lifeline, his constant. Luckily, you find out who has your back when the chips are down! (A friend took care of him.) This was a surreal experience for me. Funny how love keeps you tethered to life when your body feels like giving in.

Looking back now, I see it for what it was: a spiritual experience. A forced release. I had endured years of poison arrows from my so-called siblings, gaslighting, betrayal and manipulation. And suddenly, my body broke down and demanded space to purge it all.

The hospital was the last place I wanted to be, but it became the unexpected place where healing truly began. Not just physical healing, but a deep, soul-level detox.

Later, I read something by Evette Rose, and it hit me right between the eyes:

“You may have felt under attack – your personal space disrespected, invaded by a dominant figure… You fear challenging those who hold power. You stand aside like an observer… made to feel guilty for having needs. Your negative association with expressing yourself is tied to being attacked or punished.”

Every line felt like it was written for me. The bite wasn’t just about infection. It was a metaphor. My body literally reacted to years of emotional invasion. I wasn’t just healing from venom – I was healing from years of being bitten by people who were meant to protect me.

Sometimes the wound is what wakes us up.
Sometimes the bite is the body saying: No more.