When you have your encounter with fate, fear will join you on the journey. As a dentist you have developed a solid confidence in your abilities and have met many challenges.  When you are disabled, that confidence will be tested. Understand that the uncertainty that comes with illnesses and accidental injury is frightening. Use this knowledge to your advantage.

The time will come that you need to make the decision to survive. Every disaster has survivors and victims. The differences between the two is often just the will to survive. You will survive for your family, your patients, and your staff.   Bravery is not the absence of fear but action in the face of fear. Get up and get going.

Winston Churchill once said “Americans can always be counted on to make the right decision,  ONCE all other options have been tried”. You can bargain your way only so far. As one of the main stages of grief in cancer/disability recovery, you can only bargain to a point. Grief is inevitable and it is ok to mourn the potential loss of your career.  Eventually you understand, your real options are limited and need to be acted on NOW.  You will not get over the loss, but you will have to learn to live with it.   Bravery is contagious. Whether you are on the battlefield or in an intensive care unit;  once someone gets up and does something, it is unbelievable motivating to the person next to them.  Set the example and be the first in your hospital ward or rehabilitation unit.

You cannot buy your way out of an injury or illness. No amount of money will provide a cure to the incurable.   You can be proactive and seek second opinions and seek new treatments/therapies, but understand that negotiation with fate is an illusion.  Be honest with yourself and make good decisions.  Your deliberate efforts recover from your illness/injury may be fully successful. We will be there for you to congratulate you on your success.   Be prepared for a less than planned on result and be satisfied with the result.  You survived, that is what really counts. Accept the gift of life and move on.  You may not be smiling on the outside, but inside you are cheering. Check out this TED talk on fear.    BE BRAVE

Being brave is not a question of strength, it is a question of perseverance. The underlying will to survive is enough. You do not need to be the tallest, the smartest, or the best looking, confidence in your survival is the key. It is not optimism, it is desire. The will to survive is the most basic of human emotions and can be counted on if you choose life.  Take look at our posting on the ten steps to survive disability for a start.STEPS TO TAKE ONCE DISABILITY STRIKES  Be prepared to live with your tragedy. We will be with you all the way. We are a team, all with the same goal. SURVIVAL AND LIFE