The irony of painkillers
Although painkillers are an effective medicine, they are also like heroin in terms of their addictiveness, and in fact, many heroin addicts are people like Jessica who were injured, given heavy painkillers, and then who lived with chronic frustration and regret about their injuries. Jessica's leg is amputated, which means painkillers are certainly necessary, but she is also extremely likely to become dependent, because there is emotional pain as well, and the pleasure covers that too.
The irony of tragedy
Tragedy is always unexpected, but it is completely universal. No human being will live and die without experiencing tragedy. For Jessica, her hubris was forgivable enough: she was just proud of herself. Is that enough for the universe to punish her with this fate? The irony is that the universe doesn't need to punish her; almost all the humans down here on the earth are struggling and suffering through tragic fates.
The irony of victimhood
Does the ubiquity of suffering make Jessica less of a victim? Well, Rosa's life in a wheelchair is a good reason for Jessica not to begrudge her fate, and yet, ironically, that has nothing to do with whether she was the victim of an intense trauma. Yes, she was the victim of horrific events, and she even had to mourn the death of an innocent friend. These are unimaginable pains.
The irony of prosthesis
Although a prosthetic leg feels like it is intended to replace a real leg, that's not what it does. It serves one medical function, which is to give upright mobility back to those who suffer an amputation. That doesn't give someone their leg back, and ironically, a leg is often one of those things that people tend to take for granted. Ironically, even our body is not promised to us in this life, Jessica might tell.
The irony of community
Although Jessica is entrenched in real relationships in her real community, the way tragic, traumatic fate changed her is so complete and private that she often struggles with loneliness. What she learns is that she can't expect every person to understand her pains, but rather that by being open to friendships, she can find healing in small doses, identifying with people in whatever ways are available to the friendship.
