Reinventing Yourself After Trauma

I was diagnosed with a brain tumor and had lifesaving surgery to survive. Real estate is everything when it comes to brain tumors, and mine was in the worst location – right at the base of the skull squeezing off the blood supply to my brain. There were few options: impending death or surgery. Surgery was the choice, knowing I still might die – a turning point.

Waking up from my unexpected 3-day coma post-surgery, I didn’t know who I was, where I was, had few memories and was restrained to the bed. The man at the end of the bed watching was my husband, but I had no clear memory of him.

I had to relearn how to walk and talk…so the journey of my new life began at the young age of 61. I have deficits still, and have learned to navigate life with them – for they are now part of my new ‘normal’ and I am eternally grateful.

So, how do you start over or create something new with your life?

– Grieve the loss of the past. It doesn’t need to be your future. For me, I was alive, but lost. A clean slate of sorts.

– Let the past go. Start to heal. But how?

1. Dream. Dream like a 5-year-old dreams. Let your imagination run wild.
– Watch movies, watch TV, read books, look at magazines, scan the internet for things you never had thought about before, or believed were out of your reach.
– Children have the capacity to dream wildly without the boundaries of what society tells them they should do…Become the 5-year-old again and explore! Use your imagination!

2. Vision. Narrow down a vision – what would you LOVE…really LOVE. Forget all that you have been through…forget rules and regulations of what others think. Just dream. Dream in pictures! Post them everywhere.

3. Values. Make sure it aligns with something joyful, and agrees with your core value system.

4. Believe. Be passionate, vigilant, courageous, and fearless. Never let go of that dream!

– The status quo: It doesn’t have to apply. We are programmed from childhood what to do, what is acceptable, what we should be and how to act. Who says those rules are correct? Challenge them.

– Rise: Grow, share, contribute, be grateful.

– Think bigger: You are a spiritual being having a human experience.

I have a dream. Now what?

Baby steps

– Start small, create achievable goals, explore, learn and stay focused.

– I started simple—little kids’ stories that ran through my head as I rested. Since I couldn’t remember, I made up stories, just like the 5-year-old.

– You are alive…not everyone woke up today.

– Realize that the universe provides us with everything that we need – we just need to find it, by asking the right questions.

– Regardless of your circumstances, you can make a change – be it big or small. After all, circumstances are only temporary.

– For me, I started very small. For some days as I recovered, I could write a sentence, sometimes a paragraph, and sometimes a page – what mattered is that I put pen to paper, or typed onto the computer – but I worked around my exhaustion. I started. I tried. I persevered.

– Learn something new: I knew I needed to learn how to write – so, I explored online classes that were self-paced, but extremely helpful to support me in crafting books. It taught me new things, new processes and it helped my brain rewire itself.

– I celebrated everything – I couldn’t be a bestselling author if I hadn’t written a book. The final published book was probably step 100 but every day, I worked at it.

– There will be doubts and challenges. Say “oh well” and move on.

– There will be those who say ‘that is a bizarre idea’ or ‘you can’t do that!’ or ‘why would you do that?’ Ignore them. You are in charge of YOU.

– Faith is key – you must believe in yourself, your capacity.

– Find joy, peace, passion and gratitude.

MIT University has researched the brain. When one part of the brain is damaged or destroyed, the brain has the capacity to rewire itself and find new ways to work. Furthermore, not all of the brain is used simultaneously.

Over the course of time 100% of the brain is used, but different areas function for different tasks. Considering this, the brain can adapt, new neuro pathways can be connected to each other, and choosing something different will cause different areas of the brain to function in a more efficient and effective way. (MIT external source)

I came across an article in Women Thrive Magazine (October 2025) that explained the HER Legacy Framework™ and it fit perfectly! Written by Brene Brown, HER stands for Honor, Educate and Rise. I applied those concepts into my reinvention and chose to live through them daily. (Internal Placeholder).

The bottom line:

My reinvention is progressing. As will yours. Define it, focus, believe, take action, and stay the course for you are special, unique, qualified and gifted. Never doubt your power or ability. We all are warriors having a human experience.

 

 

Name: Jennifer White

Professional Title: Author

Bio: Jenny White was a Registered Nurse for over 30 years, and is an author of Children’s books and Medical Thriller Fiction. Book 1, The Triggering Scent is available now.  She lives in Ontario, Canada and when not writing, she loves being on the water, hiking, learning, and being a speaker.

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