Friday Notes #73 — Special Thanks to David Bowie for “Space Oddity”
When a song marks the beginning of a surgery.
Two days ago, after being on a waiting list for seven months, I had surgery to remove an inguinal hernia. The surgeon used the laparoscopy method for the intervention, which requires smaller incisions and makes the recovery process much faster. It was the first surgery with general anesthesia experience. I was nervous about losing total control of my body and anxious about never coming back. I had this thought all week long before the intervention.
During the surgery preparations, there are numerous people in the operations room: two nurses, an anesthetist technician, the anesthetist himself, and the surgeon. A lot is going on in a short time. At some point, someone turned on the music. I was surprised. Someone asked me what I’d like to hear while falling asleep; I was caught off-guard. After a few seconds of hesitation, I asked for Space Oddity by David Bowie. The song started playing. Then came the mask covering my mouth; looking up, I began to quit this world while hearing the following part of the song:
“Now it's time to leave the capsule if you dare
This is Major Tom to Ground Control
I'm stepping through the door
And I'm floating in a most peculiar way.”
It was a cool experience, a genuinely memorable moment. I woke up an hour later, remembering that song playing, which put a faint smile on my face. Thanks to David Bowie for “Space Oddity.”
