Positive attitudes are contagious.
My co-worker recently wrote a story about another journalist who was diagnosed with an aggressive form of ovarian cancer a few months ago, and in the article he described her brave attitude. She told him that “while we can’t control life’s circumstances, we can control how we respond to them.”
I couldn’t agree more. I couldn’t stop my vehicle from rolling across the highway or stop the doctors from amputating my left hand. But I can, and do, control how I respond to living with one hand.
The woman went on to explain that if she’s brave, it helps her family and friends be brave. Again, she nailed it. I woke up from my amputation surgery not upset or concerned about my missing body part, but concerned about my iPod and laptop that I had saved my graduation money for and bought on my own. Probably not the usual reaction, and I think it caught my sister by surprise.
But I was worried about how my family was doing even before the surgery happened. I knew they had to be distraught getting a phone call from a complete stranger who had the misfortune of telling them I was lying on the side of the road stuck in a crushed blazer. What did I do? I asked a nurse for a phone so I could call them and tell them I was OK.
As I rolled out of recovery and saw the rest of my family in tears, I didn’t know why they were crying. I was alive. We should all be happy.
I really liked the woman’s quote describing why she stays brave through her battle with cancer:
“When I am brave, it helps my family and friends be brave,” she said in the article. “If I were to freak out or get depressed or angry, they would respond to that and be miserable. By staying positive and courageous, I’m helping myself, but there’s also a giant ripple effect that spreads to others.”
While our situations are very different, on the surface there are a lot of similarities, especially from right after my accident. I lost 40 percent of my scalp, which resulted in two surgeries and whatever hair was left being shaved off. This woman is also bald, and she embraces it. She said she only covers it up “so other people won’t recoil.” Whether people realize they do it or not, they do have that reaction. That’s exactly why I told anyone in my hospital room to leave if they were going to have a noticeable reaction when the doctor unwrapped my bandaged up head. I didn’t want to see grimacing faces.
The woman said one day she forgot to put her handkerchief on before answering the door and the UPS man “gasped in horror.” And that’s just a bald head. I can only imagine how a stranger would have reacted to my scarred scalp.
I think a lot of people try to have positive attitudes from themselves, but they might not realize the effect it can have on others. Did my optimistic outlook influence my family? I’m not sure, but I hope it did. Either way, I know my family, friends and I don’t consider my situation a bad one.
To read my co-worker’s story, click here. (Subscription to The Herald-Times required)
Lindsey Erdody 
You’ve always been an extremely strong willed person, Linds. I can promise you that your attitude during that period of time and everyday forward had a huge impact on everyone around you. I remember specifically a conversation my mom and I had when this happened and she said you would be moving back to michigan because of the accident and I said “no she won’t, she worked way to hard to get out and get into Indiana.” I think she agreed with me to just shut me up…regardless you not only didn’t move back, you were home for a total of 2 weeks? And that’s being gracious. Not on e during that period of time did you let anyone pity you or did you ever do that to yourself. I remember talking to you and you telling me what was going on because we all know how big my mouth was (and still is) and you “wanted everyone to get accurate information and stop worrying about you.”
If I remember correctly, you not only insisted everything was fine and for everyone to stop worrying, but weeks later went to panama for spring break.
My point is that, you lived and I’m sure still do live, by the example of controlling the future and not dreading the past. Even after not talking for years, I still can read this and hear you saying it, and I know (just like I did then) you are not letting anything stop you from getting what you want and continuing to prove everyone and anyone’s doubts or opinions wrong.
Hope things are going well, miss!
You have an amazing memory. I’m impressed. haha I was in the hospital for about a week and then home for a week, so I missed two weeks of class at IU. And yes, then I did go on spring break to PCB like a few weeks after that. Maybe a month? It was one of the first things I insisted I was still doing, along with returning to school.
Thanks for the nice comment. I hope things are going well for you too! I’m not in Michigan, or Bay City, very much but if we’re there at the same time sometime it’d be great to see you!