手术后没多久，我去医院复查。我躺到检验台上，拉蒙娜用手抚摸着伤疤。我开始轻轻地啜泣。她用关心的眼神看着我，问道，“你还没有碰过它，对吗？”“嗯。”我答道。于是她把金褐色的手掌轻轻地放在我苍白的胸口上，温柔地说道，“这是你身体的一部分，这就是你。摸一摸它吧，没关系的。”她就那样替我抚摸着正在愈合的伤口。而在那下面，她爱抚着的是我的心。

最后，拉蒙娜建议道：“我握着你的手，你去抚摸它。”然后她把手放到我的手旁边，我们都安静下来。那是拉蒙娜送给我的礼物。

It was only a few weeks after my surgery, and I went to Dr. Belt's office for a checkup. It was just after my first chemotherapy treatment.

My scar was still very tender. My arm was numb¹ underneath². This whole set of unique and weird³ sensations was like having a new roommate to share the two-bedroom apartment formerly⁴ known as my breasts - now lovingly known as "the breast and the chest."

As usual, I was taken to an examination room to have my blood drawn⁵, again - a terrifying process for me, since I'm so frightened of needles.

I lay down on the examining table. I'd worn a big plaid flannel⁶ shirt and a camisole underneath. It was a carefully thought out costume that I hoped others would regard as a casual wardrobe choice. The plaid camouflaged⁷ my new chest, the camisole protected it and the buttons on the shirt made for easy medical access.

Ramona entered the room. Her warm sparkling smile was familiar, and stood out in contrast to my fears. I'd first seen her in the office a few weeks earlier. She wasn't my nurse on that day, but I remember her because she was laughing. She laughed in deep, round and rich tones. I remember wondering what could be so funny behind that medical door. What could she possibly find to laugh about at a time like this? So I decided⁸ she wasn't serious enough about the whole thing and that I would try to find a nurse who was. But I was wrong.

This day was different. Ramona had taken my blood before. She knew about my fear of needles, and she kindly⁹ hid the paraphernalia¹⁰ under a magazine with a bright blue picture of a kitchen being remodeled. As we opened the blouse and dropped the camisole, the catheter on my breast was exposed and the fresh scar on my chest could be seen.

She said, "How is your scar healing?"

I said, "I think pretty well. I wash around it gently each day." The memory of the shower water hitting my numb chest flashed across my face.

She gently reached over and ran her hand across the scar, examining the smoothness of the healing skin and looking for any irregularities. I began to cry gently and quietly. She brought her warm eyes to mine and said, "You haven't touched it yet, have you?" And I said, "No."

So this wonderful, warm woman laid the palm of her golden brown hand on my pale chest and she gently held it there. For a long time. I continued to cry quietly. In soft tones she said, "This is part of your body. This is you. It's okay to touch it." But I couldn't. So she touched it for me. The scar. The healing wound. And beneath it, she touched my heart.Then Ramona said, "I'll hold your hand while you touch it." So she placed her hand next to mine, and we both were quiet. That was the gift that Ramona gave me.

That night as I lay down to sleep, I gently placed my hand on my chest and I left it there until I dozed¹¹ off. I knew I wasn't alone. We were all in bed together, metaphorically¹² speaking, my breast, my chest, Ramona's gift and me.