QOTD May 16

This is a question for pre-ops (and post-ops if you can remember!): What scares you the most about having surgery? I am terrified of the NG tube. I will have one in for at least 24 hours after surgery and the thought of feeling it and knowing it's there just freaks me out. I know there are probably bigger things to worry about - but this is the one that I just keep coming back to!

Hi kelly jo, we are neighbors. Im in eau claire. The ng tube,is that the tube that goes in your nose and into your stomach ? I think that was fine , except it kept getting in my way for some reason . Cuz I had too much stuff face , lol . Oxygen mask and the tube. Anyways I want really that scared cuz I had quite a few surgeries in my life , inluding 2 c-sections . One thing I always worry about when I have a surgery is not waking up .

Hey Kelly Jo! Sorry I missed your QOTD yesterday, so I'll answer today. I guess I'm not really scared of the tubes, I'll have the NG tube for awhile and a vent tube in my old stomach, but I know these too shall pass and are necessary...so oh well. The only thing I am really worried about is.....the surgery not working for me. I am suppose to lose 15-20 lbs before surgery or it won't happen and I was down 14, but am only down 11 now. I was showing a friend at work fitday.com where I track my carb intake and noticed (which I have not been paying attention to) my caloric intake was 606. I have not have over 900 calories for the last week and I'm either staying the same, or gaining back a little. So, with that little intake and gaining, how will the surgery work? Okay...just venting now....sorry. Have a GREAT day everyone! Pam

Hi Kelly, Great question! I have never been put under - so I am afraid of not waking up . All of my responsibilities with my husband and children weigh heavy on me. Some of this comes from losing a dear friend at 42 and seeing what her family went through. We talked about this in our group last night and I heard some good ideas. One woman is writing letters to her loved ones "just in case". Another is putting a booklet together for her husband on the steps of running the house - everything from how to use the washing machine to the bank account numbers. I had not considered doing either - but I think I will do both. Hopefully if I am super prepared it will take some of the anxiety away. Lori

OH ME OH MY!!!! Things just totally changed for me. I'm not even in the running for the operation yet, however this is too scary to think about. There are some thing that I REALLY fear like needles in my back (had both babies au natural) and tubes in my nose. Wow, it is understandable that you have some fears. How long does this remain in? Do they remove it while you are awake??? I'll have to look into this. Try not to worry yourself, simply dwell on how you'll be a "loser" afterwards. Jamille

My surgeon didn't mention anything about having an NG tube in- I don't think that I will have one. If I do- oh well. That doesn't bother me. I do fear dying or having a serious complication after surgery. Because of this fear and the fact that I have 3 children under the age of 6 sometimes make me feel selfish... selfish that I am doing this for me and me alone at the risk of leaving my husband and darling children without a wife/mother. Makes me tear up just typing this. This is my biggest fear.