Post op worries....

Hi all. I am having these waves of nervousness and wonder if the postops have had these feelings before surgery. Did you wonder if you would be able to eat a meal without drinking during it? I have been practicing and it doesn't seem so hard, but knowing that I HAVE to do it all the time seems so intimidating! Also, were you afraid to swallow that 1st bite of solid food? I have also been practicing chewing more thoroughly and freaked myself out thinking about forgetting to do that and swallow something too big. Also when you read or hear of someone dying, like the rumor of the woman who may have died that was posted today, how do you calm yourself and feel confident about surgery? I guess I am really getting the pre-op jitters now that it is getting really close. I am praying that it will all be okay. Thanks, Terri

Hi Terri, First, being nervous is totally normal. Try not to worry so much and have faith that the decision you have made is the right one. The eating without drinking part wasn't too hard for me. Except that at dinner time I get busy cooking and doing stuff around the house and I forget to drink before dinner, so that by the time I eat I am thirsty. But then have to wait to drink...I still have trouble with this one. I was petrified of that first solid bite of food. But I ate it, because I was really sick of pureed! You learn real quick if you don't chew something enough. A couple of times I swallowed too big of a bite and it got stuck, and I had to throw up to get it out. I find if I use a knife and fork it helps alot to cut into tiny bites. If I am eating something with my fingers, or with just a fork, it is too easy to forget to chew those larger bites enough. As for people dying, yes it happens. But rarely considering the number of successes there are. I chose not to read the memorial page before surgery because I knew it happens, I just didn't want to focus on it. I am sure others have different feelings about this. I knew my surgeon's track record, and I felt confident in all the pre-op testing that was done to know the risks beforehand. Try not to worry so much, because we can tell you all this stuff, but it is a learning experience that is different for each of us. You will do just fine. Anne

Hi Terri, Preop post op you worry all the time, trust me! I worried before, and I'm still worrying! I am still having trouble remember not to drink before eating and to wait to drink afterwards. Believe me your tummy will remind you if you forget. Eating is not as big an issue postop cuz you hardly get hungry! It's more of a habit that you have to break...and turn it into a schedule. It's not easy, but believe me it's well worth it. Hang in and know that it's worth it...look at the positive stuff and stay away from the horror stories. JA

Terri, If you need to talk, drive down the street. I'm always there. This is a life style change for sure. With all things, you will not do everything 100% perfect. That is what our help is for. We'll keep you at 99.44% The only thing to fear is fear itself. You already know enough that you will take the right steps at the right time and in the right fashion to be suscessful in this journey. We'll be the cheerleaders as you do. Peter

Hi Terri, Well your pre-op worries are perfectly natural. It is a scary thing for most people. I have to tell you though that I was not really nervous at any point in my journey and I think that was because I was more scared of becoming insulin dependent and probably disabled in the very near future if I didn't do something drastic. I didn't like the other options at all so I figured I had little to lose. That was my personal philosophy and it doesn't work for everyone. I wish you a great journey and you are doing the right things, researching, questioning and moving in a positive direction. Take care and we are here for you!! Linda