Life After Impact with Diana Ashworth

What happens when you walk into the hospital for routine surgery and leave paralyzed from the waist down?

Ian Bowen sits down with Diana Ashworth, a certified transformation and empowerment coach who experienced a massive spinal stroke during brain surgery that left her unable to walk. Diana opens up about the moment she woke up and couldn't feel her legs, the devastating diagnosis that she would never walk again, and the long, grueling journey of relearning how to do everything, from dressing herself to maneuvering a wheelchair.

Now a coach who mentors incarcerated women and men and helps women put the pieces of their soul back together after trauma, Diana shares how faith, family, and fierce self-advocacy carried her through. Essential for anyone facing a life-altering setback or struggling to find hope after trauma.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

1. What a spinal stroke is and how it happened during routine brain surgery.

2. The moment Diana woke up and was told she would never walk again.

3. Why she had to relearn basic tasks like dressing and using a wheelchair.

4. How her faith and her grandmother's words carried her through the darkest days.

5. What it means to "put the pieces of your soul back together" after trauma.

6. The challenges and rewards of coaching incarcerated women and men.

7. How losing 95 pounds and managing autoimmune conditions transformed her health.

8. Why self-advocacy with doctors was a turning point in her recovery.

Key Takeaways:

1. You Can't Do It Alone. Whether it's faith, family, or a community, having people who believe in you is essential to surviving the impossible.

2. The Work Starts Within. No personal development book or coach can help you until you decide to do the work on yourself.

3. Self-Advocacy Is Non-Negotiable. Don't let doctors or anyone else label you. Go into appointments with questions and demands. You know you better than they do.

4. Relearn Everything. When life strips away basic abilities, resilience is found in the willingness to relearn how to do everything a different way.

5. Trauma Comes in Many Forms. Abuse, fear of the future, and childhood wounds can shatter a soul just as much as a physical injury.

6. Faith as Fuel. If you have something greater than yourself to lean on, use it. It will carry you when you have nothing left.

7. Look Deep Inside. If you're constantly angry or overwhelmed, the root may not be your current situation, it may be unresolved pain you've never dealt with.

8. Take Action Today. If you need help, don't wait a week or a month. Call that therapist or coach today. Putting it off keeps you stuck.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Introducing Diana Ashworth and her incredible journey

03:00 – The devastating diagnosis: "You're not gonna be able to walk again"

05:34 – Walking into surgery and leaving half of yourself behind

06:22 – The overwhelming question: "Do I want to live or die?"

08:56 – Relearning basic tasks: dressing, wheelchair maneuvers, daily life

11:03 – Faith and her grandmother's words: "If God'll bring you to it, he'll bring you through it"

12:33 – What it means to "put the pieces of your soul back together" after trauma

15:15 – Coaching incarcerated women and men and rebuilding trust

17:36 – The chronic illness pivot: losing 95 pounds and managing autoimmune conditions

20:19 – Becoming a fierce self-advocate in the medical system

23:37 – Dealing with depression and unresolved trauma

26:52 – Practical strategies for difficult days: prayer, worship, and perspective

29:54 – Where to find Diana and Life After Impact

Connect with Diana Ashworth:

Website: https://dianaashworthcreateslife.com/

Email: diana.ashworth@lifeafterimpact.net
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-ashworth-ccp-b-a-cps-mh-93918b2a/

CONNECT WITH IAN BOWEN:

Website: https://watchmemindset.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ianrbowen/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ianrbowen

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PositivePersistence-ch8fk

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