I am having surgery Tuesday 2/24...NERVOUS

Ok, so I am fairly new to the board, although I have been reading everyone's posts for months, but never really making any of my own. I have been through 3 months of educational meetings, support group meets, psych tests, nutrition classes. I have quit smoking...huge hurdle for me.  Now.....I have a date and I am freaking out!!!! I have never had any kind of surgery before. I want someone to be completely honest with me and tell me what my first few weeks post-op are going to be like. I know that most are glad they had the surgery later on...but I am creating all of these "what if scenarios" that I am afraid I am going to chicken out of the surgery itself. Any advice to make it easier on me mentally in the days leading up to the BIG DAY. My birthday is tomorrow and this is kind of like my "new life" after the big 30th birthday. ADVICE PLEASE....PEP TALKS......Anything to get rid of these nerves.

First of all - Congratulations and welcome to the board. Freaking out is completely normal - actually not freaking is abnormal. Take a few minutes and just simply breath. It takes a while for all of this to finally sink in. You've had to jump through many, many hoops the past few months to get to this point so take a little while to let it all sink in.

Post Op varies from person to person. For me- I had had several major surgeries prior to RNY (Gallbladder, tubes tied & hysterectomy). The RNY was a cake walk as far as I was concerned. Partly because it was something I elected to do for myself and another part was because I was in good health (unlike gall bladder & hyst). Your full time focus after surgery is sipping on your liquids & walking. I had my pain meds filled on the way home from the hospital but I never took the first dose. Here again - pain varies from person to person.

Secondly - Happy Birthday!!!!!! What a great present you're giving yourself.

- Iris

Hi Amy,

I have to say that surgery of any kind freaks me out too. To calm my nerves, I made a list of all of the reasons I wanted to do this... Some where obvious, to be healthier, wear normal clothes, etc... some were not so obvious to me to start with... at any rate, my list got to be VERY long, about 150 items or more. You can search for Goals on OH to yourself started if you like. Next I took a sheet of paper and created 3 columns worst case, best case and most likely. I wrote down all my fears and then the best likely outcome and the most likely outcome. I have to tell you that the best likely and most likely matched up a whole lot more than worst likely, and most likely. Obviously, a lot of time the most likely outcome wasn't the worst or the most likely. I couldn't help doing the what if's, so this helped me put them into perspective.

Re: what's it like? Well, to be honest, that varies a great deal from person to person.  I was up walking around a few hours after surgery and kept doing so from then on. I brought home some pain meds and I think I took 1. That's not to say that there is no pain or discomfort, but it is to say that I found it manageable. I also would do it again in a heartbeat, knowing the tradeoffs. As a matter of a fact, my dear husband just had his in December. He said that the Gas pains from having his abdomen filled with air for the surgery was the worst part of it for him.

I have to tell that I really do think I understand your fear, because I was scared silly, but even so, this is hands down the best thing I have ever done just for me and I'd do it again, knowing everything I know now.

Wishing you all the best,

Honestly... quitting smoking is harder.  Maybe less painful.... but harder mentally..  However, like Iris, I was sent home with pain meds and maybe took 1....that was it....I was walking a mile by day 4.... back at work at 1 week.   You have made a great choice in choosing better health for yourself as well as your family.  Good luck.   Think positive...  ITS WORTH IT!!

Thanks Ya'll. I talk to my husband about it, but he is in the army...so his mentality is fear is a weakness. He has been completely supportive and I love him to death, but I was glad to hear from people that it is ok to be nervous. Keep me in your prayers on Tuesday and I will post when I get home in between sip sip sipping and walking! :)

Good Luck Amy,

I'll pray for you Tuesday, and looking for your posts afterwards.  My surgery is scheduled for March 17, so I know exactly how you feel. These ladies are a great sourse of comfort, aren't they.
Take care!
Vini

Best of luck you will be in my thoughts and prayers. I'm sure it will be fine!

I am right there with you. I am having my surgery on March 11th. I feel like all of this building up to the surgery I somehow put out of my mind the actual "surgery" part of it.

Just the past few days when I am actually making plans, putting in leave at work,my mom bought her plane ticket  kind of brought to light the reality of having surgery.

I have been worrying about the silliest things. I have had three major surgeries before, one of which was on my heart. This will be nothing compared to that one, I am sure. However, it is human nature for us to worry.

When I do start to worry I think about all of the other people on this site who have not only made it through the surgery but are better because of it. I also have a lot of confidence in my Dr. and that gives me peace of mind.

I know that you are going to be fine... just think about the end result!

Please keep us posted! Good luck!

 

I understand!  mine is Monday the 23rd with Dr. Gersin.  

This last week has been a whirlwind of craziness in preparation for family to come up and stay with me. 
I received a phone call from my regular PCP telling me to come in for lab work because my last lab work still showed low thyroid numbers and he would stop the surgery if need be. 
I couldn't find a CVS (only pharmacy my insurance co will honor) that had my prescriptions in stock.  Finally at the fourth, I just said "order them!"  so I have no pain meds to come home to.
After shampooing all my rugs in my house my dog got sick all over the carpet in the living room.  I could have cried.  But I love her dearly so I just hugged her and pulled out the shampooer again and thought about the calories I was burning. 
My PC crashed just when I was ready to go online and finish filing my taxes. 
My two cats seem intent on breaking or at least knocking over everything in the house so that I am constantly have to re-clean.

But, even through all of that I keep stopping and I cannot seem to catch my breath.  I imagine rolling into the operating room and not rolling back out.  It is a very slim possibilty I know, but it is a fear that we all have.  I logically speak to myself and calm my fears ... but they are definitly there. 

Deep breaths ... deep breaths ... and faith in the final plan ...