It’s not only my lips that are swollen. In the water, my body floats like a plastic bag filled with air on the surface. With my breasts large and the hair between my legs overgrown, I am more feminine than I have ever been before in my life. My belly, still bumpy, and my feet, still puffy with fluids. Through the door, John tells me We need you out here and from this moment on I will never be alone.

