You Might Live Twice by Simon Kirby: Finding a New Way Forward When Life Changes

Life has a habit of not turning out quite how we expected.

Sometimes things change gradually, while other times everything we thought we knew can disappear almost overnight.

I know my own life looks very different from the one I once imagined. In many ways, I feel as though my mental health robbed me of the life I should have had, and then my physical health brought even more changes.

It’s something I think people don’t always understand until they experience it themselves. You can grieve for the life you thought you would have, even while trying to make the most of the one you’re living.

And that idea of having to find a new way forward is something explored in You Might Live Twice by Dr Simon Kirby.

You Might Live Twice by Simon Kirby

In 2004, Dr Simon Kirby was a successful facial plastic surgeon who had spent decades building his career.

Then, without warning, everything changed.

A vertebral artery dissection caused a devastating brainstem stroke, leaving him in a coma and bringing his surgical career to an end.

When he regained consciousness, everyday activities that most of us take for granted had become enormous challenges.

His vision and speech were affected, while walking, eating and writing were no longer straightforward.

Suddenly, the life he had worked so hard to build was no longer possible in the way he’d imagined.

You Might Live Twice tells the story of what happened next, exploring Simon’s recovery, the challenges he faced and how he began rebuilding his life.

Learning to Live Differently

One of the things that stands out to me about Simon’s story is just how quickly everything changed.

I think it’s easy to forget that disability can happen to anyone, at any point in their life. None of us is exempt from that possibility.

And while Simon’s experience is very different from my own, I can relate to the idea of having to adapt to a life you didn’t necessarily choose.

For me, Life in a Break Down has been part of that process. Blogging gave me something to focus on and, in some ways, helped me create a different path for myself.

But I also think there’s a lot of pressure placed on people to overcome adversity.

Determination and a positive mindset can certainly help, but they have limits. Sometimes your body simply cannot do something, whether that’s because of energy, capacity or physical limitations.

And no amount of wanting something badly enough is going to change that.

I think it’s important to recognise that adapting doesn’t always mean overcoming everything. Sometimes it means finding ways to live alongside the things you cannot change.

Is There Such a Thing as a Second Life?

Throughout You Might Live Twice, Simon draws on his medical knowledge and personal experiences to explore resilience, identity and recovery.

He also introduces his own approach, which he calls “smart neuroplasticity”, bringing together movement, mindset, self-awareness and adaptation.

What I find interesting is the idea of building a second life when the first hasn’t turned out as expected.

I think that can be hopeful, but it can also be difficult.

Not everyone is going to be ready to embrace a new beginning, especially when they’re still grieving everything they’ve lost.

And I think that’s OK.

Perhaps finding a new way forward doesn’t have to mean forgetting the life you wanted. Maybe there’s room for both the grief and the possibility of something different.

About Dr Simon Kirby

Dr Simon Kirby is a Canadian physician whose career has included engineering, otolaryngology, facial plastic surgery, pathology and medical leadership.

Following his stroke, he began exploring recovery and adaptation from a perspective few people experience: that of both a medical professional and a patient.

You Might Live Twice draws on that experience, combining his personal story with reflections on resilience, recovery and finding meaning when life changes unexpectedly.

You Might Live Twice: A Surgeon’s Journey from Stroke to Self-Mastery by Simon Kirby was published on 10 September 2026. The book is available in hardback (£20), paperback (£15.99) and ebook (£6.99) and can be bought from Amazon, Waterstones and other bookshops.

Have you ever had to find a new direction in life when things didn’t turn out as expected?

Win a Copy of You Might Live Twice

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