Embracing the Courage to Live Again: My Hysterectomy, COVID Battle, and New Purpose

There are moments in life that break you—and moments that build you. I’ve lived through both. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: courage isn’t something we’re born with. It’s something life forces us to find when we’ve lost everything else.

Related article: What To Expect After A Hysterectomy

Courage Pushes You to Make The Tough Decisions

In the early months of COVID-19, I was facing one of the hardest decisions of my life: a hysterectomy. For years, I had struggled with pain, hormonal issues that caused weight gain, and emotional exhaustion. The surgery was necessary, but the timing couldn’t have been worse. Because of hospital restrictions, my family wasn’t allowed to be with me. As a result, there was no husband holding my hand. No warm hugs from my children. Just masked nurses, cold walls, and the sound of machines beeping in the distance.

I remember waking up alone in that hospital room and feeling a wave of grief. The grief wasn’t just about the physical pain. It was the mourning of a part of my womanhood. It was the silence where encouragement should’ve been. But right in the middle of that darkness, something happened. I didn’t fall apart—I found courage.

The Courage To Find Purpose Through The Pain

Recovering from the surgery gave me more than physical healing. It gave me time to think. To process. To let go. I came out of that experience with a deeper sense of self and a new desire to serve others—especially women who were silently suffering just like I had.

Shortly after my recovery, I found a job in a hospital. It felt like life had come full circle. The very place that once held my pain, was now my mission field. But working in healthcare during COVID wasn’t easy. I walked the halls with people who had lost loved ones, fought for their lives, or faced fears they didn’t have names for. And one day, I became one of them.

Yes—I caught COVID while working at the hospital. And it hit hard. There were nights I could barely breathe. My body was weak, and the fear crept in again. But something was different this time. I wasn’t afraid of breaking anymore. Rebuilding myself once I had already done. I knew I could do it again.

Getting COVID didn’t steal my sense of purpose—it sharpened it. It reminded me that every breath is a gift, that healing is a process, and that strength often looks like simply showing up. I returned to work with even more compassion, more fire in my spirit, and a story to share.

What It Really Means To Embrace Courage

So, what does it mean to embrace the courage to live again? It means refusing to let pain define you. Courage means choosing hope even when your world has changed. It means allowing the transitions—whether forced or chosen—to shape you into something stronger.

If you’re facing a life transition—surgery, loss, career change, or even just the fear of the unknown—let me remind you: you are not broken beyond repair. You are being remade.

And that, my friend, is courage. #SheChoseCourage