I Was a Journalist Who Reported on Captive Animals — Then I Became One
After being damaged in a surgery, I understand their plight even more
I do not have coronavirus. But I have been living in isolation.
For 633 days.
In October 2018, I had an elective gynecological surgery called a laparoscopic myomectomy — a benign mass removed from my uterus. There was no indication that this operation was particularly complex or risky. The surgery was performed by the director of gynecology at one of the top hospitals in the world. The average recovery time was two to six weeks.
But from the moment I awoke in the recovery room, it was clear something had gone terribly wrong. And I have been living in acute, life-altering pain ever since.
I had reported for years on animal cruelty, including stories on donkey abuse in Ethiopia; bear dancing in India; deadly swimming-with-dolphin programs in the Caribbean; and the mistreatment of horses in northern California.
Before the surgery, I was an avid hiker. A runner. I worked at my family’s iconic fruit, vegetable and flower company, carrying…
