I almost broke right there, in the back of that ambulance, with the sound of the siren and the smell of antiseptic and the hum of equipment, that simple sentence nearly undid me, because I had not heard anything like it in a very long time.
At the hospital things moved with the contradictory quality of medical emergencies, simultaneously fast and interminable. I was processed, scanned, blood drawn. The ER doctor listened to Tanya’s handoff notes with more attention than a standard leg numbness case typically receives, because Tanya had already pulled him aside before I was wheeled in. She had laid out what she observed: progressive peripheral neuropathy symptoms that correlated with a dietary timeline change, combined with a spouse whose behavior at the scene was inconsistent with genuine concern. She recommended expanded toxicology beyond the standard panel. The doctor ordered a full spinal MRI and a comprehensive toxicology screen, the kind that is not run unless someone is looking for something specific.
