VERY NERVOUS ! ! ! ! !

Hello, everyone! This is my first time posting and I would like to know how to handle my nervousness. I'm sure I'm making the right decision but my date is 12/20/04 and I had my pre-op visit with Dr. Irgau yesterday. Everything seems so final now. I didn't get any sleep last night. Did this happen to anyone else or is anyone else experiencing this?

Dena, Oh yes, I know exactly how you feel. I went through periods of being scared silly. It was during those times that I had to stop ... breathe and remember why I had made the decision that I had made. My faith also helped me through these times, as I had great faith that my Lord had His hand upon me and was watching over me. It also helped me to remember that my doc (Dr Irgau) was one of the best. If you care to see how I struggled through these times, I think I have a lot of it recorded in my profile. Please feel free to peek in ... http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/profile.phtml?N=T1065124344 Congratulations on your surgery date. You have an excellent surgery team. I could not have been more impressed with them. Top of the line and really on the ball. They did not miss even the vaguest symptom and were right on top of it. Thus I was able to breeze right through my surgery and recovery without incident. Use this time to get prepared for your time immediately after surgery. Stay busy ... it helps! Also, if you have not already done so, start those vitamins and up that protein. It is always good to be as healthy as possible going in and it will help you with an easier recovery afterwards. If you are still doing caffine and sugar, it is easier if you stop them while still pre-op and deal with the withdrawl headaches now, rather than have those headaches on top of the surgery in the hospital. Welcome to the DE Board ... so glad you decided to post. During this time while awaiting your surgery, use this board and the supportive people here to help you get through this. You will find a lot of great friends and much support. If there is anything I can do for you, please do not hesitate to let me know. You can email me by clicking the email link below. Hugs, Tammy

Hello Tam Tam, Thanks so much for the encouragement. I have not started my vitamins or protein stuff yet but I will start today. I have stopped the caffeine and the sugar and i guess that explains the headaches I've been having lately.

Dena, You are very welcome. The protein does not have to be shakes at this point ... you can concentrate on high protein foods if you prefer. But the shakes really help after the surgery when it is difficult to get in a whole lot. Also most of the shakes have very little fat, carbs and are readily bioavaialable to us for very little calories. A word of caution ... remember that for a lot of us, our tastes change drastically after surgery, at least for a while. So while it is a good idea to try to get prepared for after surgery, don't go overboard on anything ... you never know how your taste buds are going to react to it. Also, remember that you will be eating very little for a while and a little goes a very long way. I bought so much jello and such ... guess I thought I was planning on cooking for an army after surgery. Truly I could not grasp how little I was going to eat. It is good to get those headaches out of the way now ... especially if you tend to get headaches from the anesthesia anyway. Just one less thing to have to deal with later. Hang in there ... soon you will be on the losers bench sharing your wow moments and encouraging others. Hugs, Tammy

Hi Dena, Welcome !!!! Tammy has already given you all of the best advice. So I'll just add that being on this site and being able to ask ANYquestions and getting honest answers from everyones experiences (we are not doctors so all we can offer is our experience) has been extremely helpful. Ken

Welcome, Dena! It is normal to be nervous. Hopefully you have read a million profiles and researched the life style changes associated with surgery. Just trust in your decision and you have picked an excellent, brilliant and talented group of surgeons. Good luck in your journey, Dianne

Hey, you and me got a date, baby! Yep, we have the same surgery day and we had the same pre-op appt. date (yesterday, the 9th) Mine was at 3:00 pm...when was yours? Did I see you there? My husband (tall, good-looking man with stylish facial hair and a flannel shirt ) was with me. I came in all light-hearted and left a bit more serious. It hit me in a more urgent sense that it's not far away at all ... just a week from Monday, my dear.. I slept ok, though a bit restlessly, and I dreamed odd dreams. I am ready and yes the nervousness is growing. My husband who has been absolutely supportive is even acting a bit strained. But we can have confidence in our team of doctors ... they are more than competent, they excel in their field! So let's keep that fact in mind.And Dena, sounds like we're going to meet soon! Sandi

Hi Dena and welcome, The nerves are SOOO normal right now. Jeeez, I had more than one meltdown lol...but it's all good and so worth it. get ready to wear your new birthday suit, cause you're sure gonna need one! You're gonna do fine. Deep breaths, lots of focus and more than a few laughs will carry you through. Congrats! Linda