The Writing on the Wall: How a Change in Handwriting Saved My Life
We often wait for the lightning bolt. When we think of medical emergencies, we imagine chest-clutching pain, sudden unconsciousness, or a dramatic accident. We are conditioned to look for the loud signals that scream, "Something is wrong!" But my body didn't scream. It whispered. And if I hadn't listened to that whisper—specifically, the way my pen moved across a piece of paper—I might not be here to tell this story today. My journey into the world of neurosurgery didn't begin in an ambulance; it began at my kitchen counter, staring at a grocery list. I had picked up a pen to write "milk" and "eggs," simple tasks I had performed thousands of times. But as I looked down at the notepad, the ink didn't form the familiar loops and curves…
