Not gonna do this!

I went to the hospital class tonight and I am now scared about it. Go figure, I am not a fan of needles and the blood shots are not what I wanted to hear. PLUS... I have to have the Foley in for 2 DAYS!!! OK I have issues trying to walk with a tube coming out of me like that. Taped or not. Oh yeah, I am also VERY sensitive to adhesives and the thigh is on of the places I am sensitive. Speaking of tubes... how bad is the one you have until the next day? Ok, I am just nervous now and I will be fine and do it. But man, what a way to spook me.

kathy, i was so drugged up i didnt even notice what was going on around me lol  the heprin shots do sting a little bit, but its better than getting a blood clot ...and foley i thought was great cause i didnt have to get up in the middle of the night lol, you wont even feel it....dont be scared you can do this! send me a messg if you have anymore questions, hang in there :)  Marlena

It is scary to hear all the details of what is going to happen to you.  I got a little antsy when I started thinking about the details of what was going to happen post-surgery.  But, the way I got through it was I thought "this is only 1 or two days.  I can get through this if it means a whole new life on the other side."  Women get the same nerves about having a baby but they make it through and then afterwards always think how it was SO worth it.  While I was in the hospital, all I focused on was doing EVERY SINGLE THING I had been told I needed to do without the nurses telling me to.  I got up and walked, I used the breathing machine, I took my tiny sips of water.  I knew that each of those things had a purpose (preventing blood clots, pneumonia, etc.) and that the best chance I had of coming through it all perfectly was just to do what I could do.  If you focus on those things and how great life will be when you are healthier, you will be just fine.  Hang in there. 

OK, OK...TAKE A LONG AND DEEP BREATH....... HOLD...... EXHALE...... YOU CAN DO THIS...if "I"  can do it with a panic disorder, you can!!! The heprin shots are really nothing.  They sting a bit, but take a second and they pick a different part of your belly each time.  Better than a blod clot! As far as the foley, they put it in when you're under anesthesia and you really can't feel it.  You'll feel it dangle a bit when you walk, but,in reality, is no big deal and comes out the next day.  You won't have to strain to go to the toilet to pee.  Relax!!!! You need to focus when at the hospital on your breathing and walking and pain control..that's it!  The rest is a piece of cake.  They know what they are doing and why they do it.  It's for your comfort and makes it a lot easier for them, too. Being scared is totally normal, we all were.  Just focus on the positive things that will come out of this surgery for you...A LOT OF WEIGHT LOST!!!  A HEALTHY PERSON AND BODY!!! You'll be home before you know it. and the surgery will be over. Tell the staff that you have a tape issue and they will try to alter it if they can.  But make sure you tell them.  A lot of people have allergies to the adhesives.  MAKE SURE YOU TELL THEM!  Write a list starting now so that you take it with you. OK... BREATHE AGAIN..... HOLD.... EXHALE! You'll be fine! Paula

Kathy, can you imagine any sort of physical discomfort or pain that you've already lived through in your life? Looking back on something you've already experienced and gotten through without difficulty will help you to put the surgery in perspective. Our minds-which generate self-defeating and crippling fear-are our worst enemies. Listen, this is surgery - no getting around that. It's not going to feel like a walk in the park. But it will only be as bad as you think it to be. So, try to connect with some physical pain you've already endured, realize "hey, I got through that without a problem!" and then know that this will be the case with your surgery as well. As for specifics, (1) the  Halprin shots were nothing for me cuz my belly area was so numb from the surgery, I didn't even feel them! (2) you won't even notice the catheter, it doesn't hurt and it's not in the way; (3) the nasal tube is there to ensure your recovery, be thankful for it! It's gone before you know it. Refocus your energy on doing what you need to do to speed your recovery and gain the health you so richly deserve! Get up and walk, walk, walk, don't allow yourself to sink into self-pity - it will gum up the entire process. You CAN  do this! Talk yourself down from this cliff, dear one, and hurl yourself into your new life! Be well, Maureen

If you are really, really nervous - ask the doctor for a sedative to take on the day of surgery - they do that all the time for people to help with the emotional aspect of surgery. The Foley is nothing - trust me - I'm a big baby and if it was something I'd let you in on it. The shots to thin your blood do sting but it is not as bad as like getting stung like a bee or anything - it's short lived. I believe they have special adhesives for sensitive skin - definitely ask about it...........

Fear is normal but don't let it get in your way of reaching your goal! I'm nervous about going for a c-section in April but I know I have to just suck it up!

Hang in there - you'll be just fine!

I have had a Foley before. Not bad when you are in the bed but I had problems trying to walk with it. I really do have serious issues with needles. I am scared to death of them. I guess I could always have them let me lie (or is it lay) back in the recliner, go to my happy place and just jab me and not tell me. I will have to suck up any tape that is used. I know I had steri-strips before and they didn't bother me. Maybe they can just steri-stip the Foley tube to me.  I am still nervous about the tube in my nose. But I can manage to get through it, after all, as this board alone proves, I am not the first to do it.

You can definitly do this.  The needles do sting a bit but its a small price to pay for preventing clots and for a better you in the long run.    When I went in for my surgery, they did give me a sedative to calm me down before surgery... I swear it made me a little to relaxed and since I hadn't slept the night before I think I was out before they had given my the anesthesia ... LOL... Trust in God and you have the strength in you to do this. Look at all you've gone threw to get to this point. YOU CAN DO IT! 

Wow, I guess this is the reason why I chose to go with laproscopic RNY and not the open surgery.   While I did have a foley for 1 day, I didn't have any of the halprin shots you are talking about and they closed up my little surgery holes with super glue so I didn't even have stitches or anything.  No nasal tube either, at least not while I was awake.   I didn't get nervous at all until the morning of my surgery.  I was a little teary eyed when I got to the hospital and Dr. Bell totally put me at ease and said it was no more dangerous than any other surgery such as a c-section or whatever.  I then thought hey, I had one of those and was fine so this is going to be okay.  Honestly, since it was laproscopic, it was actually easier than my c-section so I was really , really happy  with the way things turned out.  My recovery went very smoothly, I showered the next day and was up walking around a few hours after my surgery. 

Rest assured that your fears are really normal but you WILL be fine!  You CAN do this!!

 

Your fears are rational-- and you are having life-altering surgery, so some apprehensiveness is natural. Even those of us who knew we would be operated on laparoscopically (my big fear had been the incisional discomfort which caused me to only look at laparascopic surgeons), still had/have concerns about the catheter.  It is uncomfortable, and it is a weird feeling (not as bad as the anticipation) when it is removed; it is an important precaution.  As for the other shots, typically when your i.v is started on the morning of your surgery, all your medicines are pumped in through that, so you shouldn't really be getting more than two needles (a numbing medicine and then the i.v.).  Did needles stink?  Oh, yeah.  Is surgery typically an unpleasant experience (yes, even when compared to a sharp stick in the eye). But, here was the trade-off of which I reminded myself constantly:  if I didn't have gastric bypass, I would probably suffer a heart attack and need some sort of surgery after that.  I figured it would less of a nuisance to suffer the inconvenience of RNY surgery than the pain and dangers of heart surgery.  That kept me kind of focussed-- and the belief that I had found the best surgeon and the best program for me also helped me to appreciate that the discomforts were fleeting compared to the life-time of good health that awaited me.

So, as long as you have confidence in your surgeon (which I am sure you do given his reputation), know that your discomfort will be minimized and will be relatively short-lived compared to the years and years of better health that await you.