Anxiety kicking in...

Greetings from New Brunswick Canada!

I start my liquid diet next Monday for 2 weeks for my VSG surgery on Sept 14th.  

I have read many posts in this forum since I embarked on this process back in January ...  Some posts make me really anxious about the whole thing including the surgery/recovery period... Some posts give me hope that perhaps I will be lucky and sail through the surgery & recovery with only minor bleeps.  

I realize everybody's journey is different - all I can do is try to focus on why I'm doing this, hope all goes well and remind myself that it is not 'their first rodeo' and that the risks of having surgery are smaller than the risks of carrying all of this extra weight.   It is my first surgery so I sure do hope they give me good drugs because I could easily have a panic attack before they can blink!

God bless,

Thank you for your support

Hey there! Welcome. Go, Canucks!

The thought that kept me sane during the weeks before surgery was that the only thing more risky than the surgery was not having the surgery. My weight was slowly but surely killing me.

I had a very rough recovery, but got through it, have lost 80 pounds (so far) and feel 100% better than in my pre-surgery years. If you do have a difficult recovery (not everyone does; some whisk through it with no problems), remember that you will get through it. And then the fun begins!

Keep us posted.

psychoticparrot

I was very anxious a few days before the surgery.  I called my docs office and asked if it was ok to take a tranquilizer the day of surgery.  Thank goodness they said yes, and it made the whole process easier.  You'll do very well, and it will be over before you know it.  

I'm not going to lie, the first couple of days were difficult, but they go by quickly because you will sleep most of the time because of the pain meds.  We're here for you.

Hi Nadia - you're already doing two important things to help ensure success: 1) doing your research and learning all you can, and 2) starting your liquid diet and being compliant with all aspects of your program.  Those two things are going to take you far - especially #2.  

The other thing you can do is get yourself into as healthy of a state physically and mentally as possible.  If you smoke - STOP! If you drink soda - STOP! And get some form of exercise every single day.  It's important to have healthy heart and lung function going into any sugery.  If you have a therapist - make sure you are going and have appointments set up for post-op.  

You can't plan for every single bump in the road.  Your journey is going to be unique to you so don't borrow trouble by focusing on all the negatives.  Know that it's going to be rough at first and that things will get better as time goes by.  

"Plan for the worst but hope for the best" is my motto 

I get anxious as well, one thing that helped me was to go first up on my day of surgery. Although, I didn't really sleep the night before, and 4 AM came fast I knew I would get a lot of rest in recovery. At one point pre-surgery I told the nurse I was getting anxious and before I knew it I was wheeled into the OR. (The timing also may have something to do with everyone else being ready) and my sensing that it was "go" time, but I do believe the hospital staff is conscious about anxiety levels and will do what they can to try ease your nerves. 

Hope that helps.