Redheads

So, I was in the hospital a few years ago for a very routine surgery thing, nothing serious at all. 

And I nearly died on the table. They cut a blood vessel that wasn’t supposed to be there, and I nearly bled to death despite being in a hospital with an excellent surgeon right there.

It was touch and go. A fifteen minute surgery lasted four hours. My husband was freaking out in the waiting area. I had no idea, of course.

When I woke up, feeling very weak and like I had been hit with several cannonballs, the doctor explained what had happened (I will spare you the details, but it was very close…I haven’t really talked about it in public). And he explained that they were very sorry, but this was some sort of extra vessel that shouldn’t belong there, and it was nicked.

One of the last things he said was, “It’s probably because you’re a redhead.”

At first I thought he was kidding. But no, it turns out it’s true. Redheads are weird as hell physically. They are more sensitive to pain, anaesthesia is less effective on them, they can be more prone to skin disorders, they are “over-represented” in math and science, and “under-represented” in sports.

And beyond that, it is not uncommon for us to have weird physical traits. Like a blood vessel where it’s not supposed to be.

So that explains it.

We’re mutants.