Laughter is the Best Medicine

I believe in laughter.

In December 2008, I was on my way to confirmation class when I lost control of my car, hit an oak tree, and totaled it out. I called my dad to come get me, and at the time, I didn’t even think I was hurt. That is until I felt my face, and it was completely flat. The next thing I knew we were sitting in the emergency room at the local hospital. I was so scared. The doctor came in to talk to me and said that I would need to see a nose surgeon because I would need reconstructive nose surgery.

As the doctor was leaving my room my dad shook his head and looked at me. He said with a slight grin, “Well, look at it this way, at least you can have any celebrity’s nose you want!” I just laughed, and for a second, I forgot about the pain I was in, and the pain on the long journey ahead of me.

It was a week later that I spent an hour in surgery, and almost 5 hours in a recovery room. I missed ten days of school, and the road to a full recovery was far out of grasp. While I was out of school, my friends would stop by and deliver homework or just offer company. They would fill me in on the current events of high school drama. We would laugh and for a few hours, I would forget about how ridiculous I looked from surgery.

I had bruises all over my face, a lot of swelling, stitches, splints, and strings coming out of my nose taped onto my face. However, my parents thought I was ready to go back to school. The first day back was the biggest confidence test I have ever endured.

From the minute I walked into the school, I felt like a monster. I just wanted to go home and come back when I looked like myself again. One of my friends who was the first to see me out in public for the first time in weeks gave me a hug, and asked, “What are those things coming out of your nose? It looks like you’ve got a big tampons shoved up your nostrils!” Soon after, laughter broke the silence. It was just what I needed to get me through the day.

Making me laugh about my situation made me re-evaluate the circumstances. It sped up the healing process physically and mentally. Laughter is truly the best medicine; this I believe.