You know those days when you open your eyes and think, Damn, this is a good day to be alive! This wasn't one of those days. I woke up and immediately felt every single bruise and tear on my body; my throat felt like someone had fired a blowtorch down it. The only good thing was that there were no tubes.

I started crying as soon as I woke up. A nurse heard me and came in. She patted my hand and gave me a pill. I went back to sleep, still crying.

The next time I woke up, Mom was ...