My Surgery Recovery Journey & How I Stay Positive | Hannah Witton | AD

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[stagetopage]

As someone who gets called "brave" all the time because of my disability, I completely understand what you mean there. I'm the person who posted that Instagram post on you a few days ago about finding you inspiring, and this video just completely solidified that for me. What an amazing, uplifting, open video. Thank you 💜

[Sas-ghju]

I preformed cpr on a 14 year old kid. Everyone says I should be proud of that but i'm not. I just did what needed to be done.
The kid has survived without brain damage. I just didn't really survive... I took a really bad turn mentally and i got ptsd from it.
It took a really long time to get better but i am doing better now. I'm proud of myself to eventually get treatment for the ptsd. It wasn't fun but it was what i needed.

[heatherthomson]

I'm a student mental health nurse and we talk a lot about "discovery" rather than "recovery". Recovery seems to mean either getting back to who you used to be or going towards something, neither of which are that realistic or meaningful for people. Discovery is more of an ongoing process where you find out who you are now, maybe many times over. I feel you may identify with that! Lots of love, you're amazing xxx

[stagetopage]

My positive story is that I was diagnosed with SVT when I was 17. I had 2 small heart operations and was then diagnose with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. It got worse, and left me unable to work. I had lost all hope. I then started a business from my bed - Wildest Dreams Book Box; a monthly subscription box for YA lovers. And my business is thriving. I couldn't be more proud of what I've achieved, and in something I love talking about.

[steph]

Two months ago I broke down in my doctor's office and confessed to the eating disorder I've had for seven years. Just over a month ago I was hit by a car while walking home. It was something I never expected would happen to me, and the recovery process with healing and catching up in school while still trying to battle my eating disorder has been the hardest thing I have ever done. This video, especially what you said about bravery being active and not realizing how incredible out bodies are, really struck a chord with me. Thank you for all that you do with your platform, you truly are a role model.

[Steph.]

I had 3 surgeries through my GCSE years. Managed to get 7 C's which was so proud of. Then went to sixth form and had another surgery to correct a Scoliosis. Did my A-levels over 3 years and managed to get accepted to university. Was a dream come true. My own independence and freedom. Didn't have to be the ill girl anymore, could start afresh. First year was the hardest as had to build a lot of muscles and stamina. That was the start of my recovery. I couldn't walk far. Had so much pain. Now 7 years later I go out for runs, do 10k steps a day, getting married next year, hold down a good job and living my best life. My past teenage self wouldn't have believed it as things were really tough. Same as you didn't ever think I was brave as just had to get on with it. Every day was a new day

[georgiamarie_]

I relate to this completely! I had spinal fusion surgery 7 years ago to fix severe scoliosis and I’d get so frustrated when people told me I was ‘brave’. It wasn’t brave, I had to have the surgery otherwise my spine would have crushed my lungs and killed me - it was a necessity, anyone would have the surgery in the same situation!

[shayelea]

“You’re so brave” all too often means “I can’t imagine going through what you’re going through without curling into a little ball and dying.” And I just think, No dude, you don’t understand - sometimes I WANT to curl into a ball and die, but you just gotta slog through. That’s not bravery, it’s determination. I think the sentiment is meant to convey admiration for that quality - but it can come off as “Wow, your life is barely worth living!” and that is the last thing you need to hear.

Sometimes I look back on things I’ve gone through and wonder how I managed it. My “worst year” was 2010. I was hospitalized with a mystery illness that turned out to be autoimmune hepatitis. That meant I had to take prednisone PLUS another immune suppressant for an entire year, and being on prednisone long term is awful. I went slowly down in dosage but it seemed like every new dosage brought some new and terrible side effect, and because they were immune suppressants I was sick ALL the time. I had no paid time off left by May due to my hospitalization/recovery, and so I just had to go to work with whatever awful bug I acquired. I basically worked and slept. I don’t think I got out of bed on the weekends for over six months and I perfected the art of the car nap.

Then at the end of the year, just after I was starting to feel slightly better - but by no means fully recovered - my best friend died unexpectedly. That became its own slog through grief and depression. I look back and I really don’t know how I managed to keep going through all of that - but you do what you gotta do. People never really know what they’re capable of withstanding until they’ve gone through the fire.

[thenerrdpit]

i love that you totally celebrated your body and mind at the end. I love youuu!!! I have had chronic depression for half my life and I feel insanely proud that I am about to finish my master's degree in Linguistics despite having about two episodes a month which render me completely useless for days at a time.

[sanni]

Honestly, I hope I'm in the middle of what'll be my 'surprised at my own strength' story. I'm having open abdominal surgery in a week to get out a Large Boi cyst that's been wrecking havoc covertly for at least 6 months. I'm kind of freaking out, but I've managed to stay positive so far - it's been a whole 10 hours since I had the surgery talk with my doctor, so honestly I feel like I'm doing pretty well. In the past year I've gotten through depression and a pretty bad case of burn-out, and I have an even better support system in place now. Having watched your recovery definitely helps as well, even if our situations are different.

This was a good video for me to watch today, thank you!

[LizzieDeanMakes]

Although the illness and complications were passive, your response to it was active - choosing to push yourself with physio and the 5K. I think that is where the bravery comes in. I find it very difficult mentally to push myself with my disability and so I would view your response to what happened to you as brave because you have actively chosen not to be defined by what happened in 2018, and not to let it restrict your actions. Xx

[JudyCZ]

This video reminded me that I need to start writing to my 5-year journal again. It's amazing how much you can trackback.

[charlottebeaumont]

I’ve just found out I have received a 1st for my degree. During my degree I got diagnosed with 2 different chronic illnesses and I was really unwell. Uni was so difficult because of it but I have done it I have passed and I got a 1st! 👩🏼‍🎓

[bierce]

As a 64 year old American male, it would be hard to think of a perspective more different than yours... and yet, I have felt so much kinship between my experiences and yours. Keep up the good work!

[notlikewater]

I live in a foreign country at the moment where my native language is not the primary language, especially in the small community where I work, so everyday that I manage to use and improve my language skills to get through my daily life here is huge for me. This is my second year with this job that brought me here, and it is amazing to see how much I have grown in my language skills and my confidence since I arrived last year. I love my life here, and I am so proud of myself for all the hard work that brought me here, and also that keeps me through the process with a smile on my face.

[chrisholmstrom]

I understand the whole mental and physical recovery issues. I just turned 50, and so far I've had 30 surgeries and currently need #31. I've averaged one every 12 to 18 months for the last 10 years. Most are small surgeries thank goodness, but I still have to recover from them. I'm at a point I no longer worry about the surgery, that's old hat. It's the recovery that worries me. So Hannah bravery may not be the word to describe what you're going through. But you are being a badass for making it through to the other side of 2 surgeries.

[rebeccataylor]

Thank you for such an inspiring video. It's so nice to hear someone talking so openly about disability. When I was 14 I was diagnosed with a brain tumour which I had removed, but it led to complications meaning I now have a shunt (plastic tube and value keeping me alive!). When I got diagnosed it ignited this weird passion to do well in my GCSEs which I was doing at the time! I managed to get 10 A* grades and I'm damn proud of myself for it. I rocked it! Life isn't completely easy now, but whenever I'm going through something I always remind myself that I got through that. Xxx

[juliabroder]

I’m 8 years into my chronic illness journey and this video put my experience into words for the first time. Basically explained my own thoughts back to me. I can’t put into words how grateful I am. A huge puzzle piece just clicked into place and I’m smiling and crying at the same time. Much love to you Hannah.

[candidulce]

Positive doesn't always mean hearts and rainbows, it means you talk about what you went through and then how you came out of it. I loved this. Very open and honest.

[nikkiwilliamson]

When I was 11, I got sick. After several months I was diagnosed with ME/CFS. I was bedbound, sleeping 23 hours a day. Since then I’ve been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, chronic migraines and colitis (they aren’t sure if it’s UC or crohn’s but they are sure that it’s one of the two). When I was 14, there was trauma that led to PTSD and an eating disorder. I started smoking weed a lot (which was great for my pain but not for my mental health). I’m now 26. I am no longer on antidepressants or any medicine for my mental health. I can walk with a walking frame usually and sometimes even without a walking frame and I have a much more normal sleep pattern. I’ve had relationships, which would have been impossible at my worst- how can you meet someone when you’re asleep 23 hours a day? I’ve got 8 GCSEs, 1 A level and 1 AS level and I did a year and a half at the Open University before I decided it wasn’t for me. I’ve taught myself spanish, guitar, ukulele and piano and I’m writing a book. I also put together a poetry anthology for charity that came out last year. I’m still unable to work but I’ve accepted that and manage to be content with my life most days. It’s taken a lot of work, physical therapy and mental therapy to get to this point. People tell me I’m brave. But I had no choice but to keep going. I was too terrified of dying to kill myself, though I often wanted to, so if I didn’t kill myself because that was too terrifying, my only option was to keep going. There were things that were a choice- keeping going with education and music and spanish, but they were a choice between watching tv all day being bored and finding something to do so I still find it weird when people call me brave.