September 6th through Sept. 15th, 2008: For the next ten days, I was a full time hip replacement patient in successful recovery. I had a calendar and scheduled visits with my friends. Originally, I thought I’d be in bed a lot and that visitors would pull a chair close to my bed and then I’d get tired after 45 minutes or so. None of that transpired. Every morning I woke up and dressed, went downstairs on crutches to get the paper, had breakfast and started my day. I took my first shower under the helpful eye of my friend, John Brown. I enjoyed cooking. My friend Georgia took me out for my first field trip: a shopping expedition to Whole Foods. Also, my Physical Therapist Jason Orstron arrived during the first week to supervise my first walks outside, around the block and through Alamo Square Park across the street. I felt vigorous and rested. I was particularly proud of diminishing my pain meds with the intention of stopping them within the week. During this time, I felt increasingly distant from the mass on the X-ray, since I hadn’t heard back about the biopsy report. Aiding my denial was the supposition that if they found anything serious, they’d let me know right away. I imagined that I had a cyst or a benign tumor that could be easily removed. That was my wish.