#Winter Term XV from Underworld Lit

[missedstations]

“Winter Term XV, from Underworld Lit” - Srikanth Reddy

Admittedly I may be blowing my <6 mm mole somewhat out of proportion in the general scheme of things. At my last follow-up, Dr. Song gently reminded me that we entered the “catabasis” phase of my journey through dermatological oncology some time ago.

Cata-, from the ancient Greek κατά, or downward, prefixed to the intransitive form of the verbal stem baínō, to go. It means a trip to the coast, a military retreat, an endless windstorm over the Antarctic plateau, or the sadness experienced by some men at a certain point in their lives.

In a clinical context, the term may also refer to the decline or remission of a disease. So why do I still feel a ghostly pinprick along the crease of my arm where the needle went in before I went under? I suspect that I am not quite out of the woods yet. Then again, maybe the woods have yet to exit me.