A positive attitude can most certainly result in a positive outcome, especially in the case of a major surgery. Who would have thought that optimism is key when dealing with the struggle that patients have when going through a major surgery? Exploring the mindset of patients and how it helps or hinders them after a traumatic surgery is truly an intriguing topic. Although no scientific evidence exists that having a positive attitude cures a disease or even speeds up the recovery process, proof does exist that being positive can make the recovery process a lot simpler and overall better for the patient. Although I have yet to experience a major surgery, I know without a doubt that having and maintaining a positive attitude in that situation would be nothing short of difficult.

There have been many discussions about whether or not the mindset of patients makes a difference in their recovery process. Rita Braver from CBS News says that “Positive attitude-a can-do attitude. That’s the key, according to all these people and others who faced life-threatening illnesses. But here is a surprising and disheartening fact: what you think, how you think, may not make a difference.” While this may seem a bit disappointing and discouraging, several stories can prove this statement otherwise. Leigh Fortson, mentioned in the same CBS News article by Braver, had two serious cancers simultaneously. Unlikely to survive, Fortson fought through it and even said “I have absolutely no doubt that my mindset made a difference.” The powerful force of our mind truly takes over our actions. The mind obviously cannot be seen and it has no physical weight. However, the basis of our decisions comes from the mind. That is why when one has a positive mindset; it will most likely result in a positive outcome.

Being faced with adversity does not even begin to describe the situation of U.S. Army Sergeant Brendan Marrocco. Brendan is a quadruple amputee, having lost his four limbs from a bomb in Iraq. The most shocking part of his story is the process of the unbelievable surgery that Brendan went through. Two real arms, not prosthetics, were surgically transplanted into Brendan. Leaving all of the gruesome details behind, this 13-hour complex surgery caused serious nerves for both the doctors and Brendan. No one really had a set frame of time for how long it would take Brendan to recover completely or even how long it would take to move any part of his arms. What people absolutely did not expect, though, was that it would only take two weeks after the surgery to be able to move them completely. People may think that two weeks seems like a decent amount of time to recover; however, once you really think about it, two weeks is close to nothing when it comes to a surgery as significant as Brendan’s. This extraordinary man and the motivation and optimism that he obtained impressed everyone. Life was seemingly far from easy and recovering while figuring out how to live a normal life again after the surgery was an obstacle itself for Brendan. A CBS News article reporting on Brendan’s story states, “Through all the procedures and recovery, Marrocco has generally maintained a positive attitude. Marracco even says, “I just seem to have a good outlook on things. I’m still alive.” A recovery from a surgery like Brendan’s seems long, strenuous, and overall arduous. What really helped and guided him was his positive mindset and outlook on life. Brendan never thought about giving up for one second and went beyond anyone’s expectations. One of his doctors, Dr.Andrew Lee, even said, “With our experience, and with the determination and stamina that Brendan Marracco has demonstrated, we had no doubt that this was the right thing to do for him.” This downright remarkable story proves that the right mindset will push someone the right direction and will make any difficult process that much easier.

The compelling force of the mind shapes how people act and how others look at them. How one presents them is a true testament for how strong and optimistic they are. The world saw Good Morning America’s news anchor, Robin Roberts, fight her way through a life-threatening illness with dignity, integrity, and pure optimism. People who did not know her situation may have never been able to figure it out because she hides her affliction with a strong, positive attitude. Robin’s world revolves around constantly being under the spotlights, even during her time of illness and surgery. Her character and her true fight comes from her optimistic attitude and energy. This confident, positive personality results in a wide range of support and happiness, which ultimately leads to a fast and easy recovery. Rebecca Macatee from E News says, “Even when times get rough, Robin Roberts keeps a positive attitude.” After giving an update to her fans, Robin admits that “My body is so weak, but not my mind.” This just confirms the truth of the statement: mind over matter.

Robin and Brendan’s stories differ in multiple aspects, but the one common theme presented is that above all, maintaining a positive attitude can turn a challenging situation around. Not one major surgery and the recovery process that goes along with a surgery is going to be easy, but it is how you set your mind to it and deal with the struggle that will make it easier. A survey in Germany occurred that helped further prove the impact the mind has on the recovery process. This study surveyed patients and their attitude after having had a cardiac surgery. The people who surveyed with negative thoughts, like “My heart condition is likely to be permanent rather then temporary” had a prolonged recovery process. On the contrast, people who had a brighter outlook on the duration of the recovery did actually have a shortened recovery process. This led the author of the article “A Patient’s Mindset Can Speed Recovery”, Tom Jacobs, to state, “A patient’s attitudes and beliefs don’t appear on any medical charts, but new research finds they influence the course of recovery.”

The struggle a patient goes through during the surgery process and how they handle it is shaped by what goes on in their mind. Although not scientifically proven, there is evidence that having a positive attitude and being able to set your mind to only look at the good will only help the recovery process. There are so many stories, like Brendan’s and Robin’s that exert optimism and give us that little light of hope that everything will turn out fine even in the toughest of situations. Any person who is going through a major surgery should always keep in mind that “pessimism leads to weakness, optimism to power.”











Works Cited:
http://www.eonline.com/news/346848/robin-roberts-bone-marrow-transplant-nears-she-thanks-fans-for-quot-courage-to-keep-going-quot?cmpid=rss-000000-rssfeed-365-topstories


http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-204_162-57566465/double-arm-transplant-veteran-brendan-marrocco-looking-forward-to-swimming-driving/


http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57566545/quadruple-amputee-vet-says-new-arms-feel-amazing/




http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-3445_162-57331654/just-how-powerful-is-positive-thinking/

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cancer/HO00033


http://www.psmag.com/health/a-patient-s-mindset-can-speed-recovery-6515/