General
Beyond The Scar
August 7, 2025
in General
What’s one thing your transplant gave you that isn’t physical? (Clarity, courage, creativity, or something else?)
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Good question!
In my case, it gave me understanding and calmness.
Today, the death factor is part of my everyday life, so appreciating every single day is a priority, and now I try to understand every chain-reaction reasoning, every aspect of every situation.
@Alexc1972 I a would have to agree with you. I have definitely learned understanding. My transplant gave me purpose. It took what felt like brokenness and transformed it into something powerful and a new beginning filled with meaning, strength, and the chance to help others find hope too.
i feel a self-imposed, emotionally crippling pressure to make every day great and always be happy and to be thankful all the time. it’s a lesser spoken of part of survivors guilt that I didn’t see coming…
@Melpbcn What an amazing reflection
Transplant Patient
a personality 😂
I spent my entire life sick so so much of who I was had been built around trauma, and survival. Post transplant was my first opportunity to really feel good in my body, which allowed me to use energy on things that weren't just staying alive. I got to figure out hobbies, what I liked, what I didn't like. I got to put energy towards constructing the kind of person I wanted to be.
@AliEm14 I would say it was always there but it you needed time to heal so it could emerge like a butterfly finding its wings after the storm
That material “things” do not make a life and “being busy” does not make you worthy.
Time
That is all that matters.
Time
Transplant Patient
in some ways I think this, and in some ways I don't. There was probably some degree of my self that was always there, because that's the way human nature is and of course I had no energy or ability to sort out what those things were so it would make sense I didn't know. I don't think I became an entirely new person post transplant so there were probably some threads that were always there. But I also think who I was before transplant, and my personality then, was massively shaped by trauma. Looking at what that does to brain development, especially during those formative years, especially in the state that I lived in, I wholeheartedly think a lot of what they thought my personality was was just trauma responses. What I had pre transplant were a lot of personality adaptations and various identity states, but I genuinely don't think I ever really felt safe enough or stable enough at any point to develop a personality.
@AliEm14 I totally respect your reflection and insight. I guess it’s just the former teacher in me. A lot of my students just needed a little nurturing and their potential just came out shining bright. No matter what, in life we all grow through what we go through.
I think I found faith and courage in myself. I went through things I never thought I’d have to and now I’m so thankful I looked ahead and made it through it all.