T-MINUS 3 DAYS UNTIL SURGERY!!!!! NERVOUS?!?!

kevris
on 2/24/07 12:01 pm - PA
So it is less than 3 days until my surgery and man, talk about an emotional rollercoaster! My emotions are everywhere which is not really like me. I have been even doubting whether I even really need to have surgery at all(which I know I do). I have never had surgery so for me it's a totally new experience. it also feels like a definite control issue too, But I am taking it 1 day at a time. Am I echoing anybody else out there?
carbonblob
on 2/24/07 12:36 pm - los angeles, CA
good luck Kevris but stay calm. it's not like you're awake or anything. these are specialized teams and believe me, they make you feel so good through the whole hospital deal. you'll be treated like a king. all your emotions are to be expected. find a calm space in your head and just go there when the time comes to wheel you in. my g/f stayed with me right until i went in. the nurses kept my mind occupied but i was way too interested in all the neat stuff in the OR! well, that's just me. don't feel like your going to jump off the table. when you wake up you'll be on your way to something you obviously want very badly. so think about what you're doing for yourself and your family. do everything you can to divert your attention over this weekend. watch movies, walk, get your post op list of supplies ready etc. it's all over before you know it and you'll be a skinny guy in no time. good luck......Carbonblob
Dx E
on 2/24/07 1:13 pm - Northern, MS

Kev, Very, Very Common! I’ve seen several folks out here dealing with the anxiety of upcoming surgery And thought I’d re-post-  (A really Old-Post from the past...) (Please skip if not an interest…)

Some Thoughts about FEAR…..

Everyone seems to have those Pre-Op "jitters" the week or two Before surgery. From reading this Board over the last couple of years That just seems to be a given fact. With some, It seems to be shear excitement, The kind one gets just before the wedding. And yet with others, It seems to be full-blown FEAR!

I was not one of the Fearful And I’ve given it some thought as to Why that might have been.

2 reasons-

First, I don’t know that I viewed The procedure of WLS as THAT risky. Four months earlier I had just had Open Heart Surgery to replace an Aortic Valve that had been faulty since birth.

I remember thinking- "Compared to an operation Where they stop my heart for 45 minutes, cut out A major portion of it, replace it with Teflon and Stainless Steel, then Hope it starts back up When they hit it with the electricity? WLS - Is a ‘Walk in the Park!’"

Perhaps that’s why I got to be One of the Rare individuals Who had extreme complications. I don’t know that I would have Been as serious about my aftercare and So completely compliant with my Dr.’s’ Orders if I didn’t view them at the onset as A matter of Life and Death. Jolly for me – I’m now Below Goal And I attribute that success, (Rightly or Not) to the seriousness That I felt in approaching all of my aftercare, Diet, supplements, exercise, etc….

The Second thing that kept my fear at a minimum Was a combination of my Personal Spiritual Faith And my belief in the "Odds." I do, and have done a great deal of flying in my Line of work. (A lot easier now that I fit!) I made and make as many as 40 flights a year. I’ve had people ask me- "Don’t you ever get The feeling that one of these flights, Your Number will ‘Be Up?’" I have faith in the fact that "The Odds" are MUCH greater that I’ll be killed, driving Within 2 miles of my own home, than Meeting my death in an Airline Accident. My Spiritual Faith lead me early on to jokingly Pray- "Let me Make it Home, or Make the News!" That said, I’d leave it in the hands of my creator To watch over my safety, or use my Spectacular Death In such a way to focus the attention of the Media, Perhaps even the whole World, On some issue that needed to be addressed.

I just didn’t ever want to die in some insignificant way.

Of those faiths – Odds and God The only one I think I could pass on to others Is "The Odds."

Everyone has his or her own personal belief system in place, But many have a skewed view of the statistics of DEATH. We tend to hear about sensation deaths because The News doesn’t cover the boring stories, or No one would watch.

Here are some facts- The following are the chances of how one might die Figured over your full lifetime And calculating only those people who come in contact With the various means of Death.

Example- Only counting those people who ride motorcycles- The chance of Death in a Motorcycle accident are- 1 in 1,214. Get it?

Car Occupant? - 1 in 247. (And who says motorcycles are so dangerous?)

Air Travel? – 1 in 4,023. (That’s why I’m less afraid of flying than driving home)

So, What about Surgery? Lumping ALL surgical procedures together, Tonsillectomies, Lung Transplants, Trauma Reconstruction (from all those Car accidents) The risk? Death due to Surgical Complication? – 1 in 1,222.

Seems scarier than flying, But not nearly as bad as being in a car. How does it compare to other events That we take for granted?

Accidentally Poisoning yourself? – 1 in 262. Being Assaulted by Someone? – 1 in 182. Burning in your home? – 1 in 1,116. Burning in a Building (such as Office) ? – 1 in 1,382 Inhalation impairment - (choking on food or under cleaners bag) ? – 1 in 665. A fall outside of your home? – 1 in 472. A Slip or Fall in your home? – 1 in 246.

Yes, more people are killed each year In the tub, by a piece of soap Than die on the nations highways!

For the skeptics among you- You can spend the time researching This morbid trivia yourself at- Kearl’s Guide to the Sociology of Death. trinity.edu/~mkearl/death-2.html Just put the- http://www. In front of it. (told Ya this was an old re-post – pre-link days)

Now all of this is not to add To your angst about the world we live in, But rather, to put it in perspective. You are more likely to be killed by an assault, in your car, In your burning home, choking on your food, or slipping On your front step or worse yet, your bathroom floor, Than you are of dying in surgery. Are you afraid to go in to your bathroom?

Get in your car? Pass people in the Mall, who might very well attack you?

Probably not.

On this site we often get caught up in the Differing complication –vs- success rates between Lap and Open RNY, DS and Band. Those differences are very real But I avoid focusing on those options in the Same way that I avoid fostering My Spiritual Beliefs, on to others.

Everyone has his or her own Salvation And it’s the same when asking people Who have had what they know to be a "Life Saving Surgery," "Which is Best?"

I prefer to try to opt for the notion that Pre-Op jitters really are the equivalent to The Pre-Wedding Nerves.

(On that point, With the Divorce rate as is Your chance of a complication free, Super Successful WLS Are Far Greater than having your marriage last for More than 8 years!)

Your Odds of Dying from Obesity related causes Are FAR greater than your Odds of your Surgery going wrong. Give your aftercare and Diet more serious and solemn Concern than you do the thought of surgery. In the long run it will be AS, If not MORE important to your health.

Throw off the Shackles of FEAR! While preparing to lose Weight, Take the Time To "Lighten Up," and Let Go of Fear and "Hostile Dependencies." You Take With You, What you Embrace. Don’t ‘Embrace’ the Negatives,

Let ‘Em Go!"

Have the Greatest! Be Nice to the Nurses- (They’re overworked) Enjoy the Drugs (As much as you can) And most importantly, Hurry home to start walking – (Away from those pounds, and) Into your New Life!

Best Wishes- Dx

 Capricious;  Impulsive,  Semi-Predictable       

Ron .
on 2/24/07 1:28 pm - DFW, TX
SAME HERE!  Imagine if you can a 6'3" man who weighed in at 351 lbs. crying in the arms of his 135 pound wife. Pretty sad huh. I hate to even admit it.  I kept telling myself over and over that I wasn't going to be able to eat certain things, or that something was going to go wrong, etc. I was different than you in that I had been to the operating table about 20+ times in my life, mostly due an auto accident. So I was very familiar with the process, which told me that I was having a problem with putting a stop the eating. I was right. After surgery I started having emotional breakdowns at night. The doctors office told me it was "normal", but I thought is was horse-s**t. The docs office wanted me to go see a shrink. But I was the big tough guy that never cried and wasn't going to any shrink for help. Instead, I found a terrific friend here on the Men's Board that lived near me. He was nice enough to meet with me in person and give me his e-mail address, and his cell phone number in case I needed to talk. Boy, did I ever use both of those outlets. It was a BIG help talking with someone who had already gone through the same emotions, and the same surgery, with similar issues as me. Although the Men's Board is suppose to fill this void in our lives, it sometimes falls short of some of our needs, especially the need of personal interaction. Find someone on here that lives near you, send that person a personal message and ask them for help. I don't know any person on this board, myself included, that wouldn't be interested in helping. We're all brothers here. We take care of one another. Maybe try to get together with someone or a group of people in the Men's Chatroom to talk. It is normal to feel the way you're feeling right now. There are a lot of guys that felt this way before surgery. It's a big step. This step will absolutely change your life. At first, I'll admit that I wasn't convinced I made the right choice. But after I had lost about 60 lbs. I started to think differently about it. Now that I've lost 100 lbs., I wish I would have done it sooner.  You are going to do great. We have a locker cleaned out for you. Soon you'll be a loser like the rest of us. Try to stay positive. Go and look at the Before/After pics, read some profiles, they helped me before surgery.

Day of surgery weight  352
Current weight 250 
Total Lost 102
Height 6'3"
BMI 31

kevin moran
on 2/24/07 3:18 pm - stockton, CA
Kev- We Kevin's get through really well!!!!! You would not be "normal" if you were not worried... Hell it's major surgery....  I had only had my apendix out 2 years before so this was only my second surgery... and it was pre-planned.. it gave me time to worry.. As has been said... I used spiritual help for my support... The prayer that works best for me is: " God grant me the serenity to acept the things I cannot Change Courage to accept the things I can AND the wisdom to know the difference" I knew my medical professionals were excellent.... I knew without the surgery my life was a living hell.. I was able to get quiet... and find some peace of mind... may you find.. your own peace... I will be sending positive vibes your way.. Kev-
panhead58fl
on 2/24/07 4:27 pm - Barboursville, WV
Hey Kev, I did the same thing. I thought maybe I should try another diet, or being fat and alive is being better than fat and dead. Then I thought back to what made me come to the point that I decided I had to do something, that I wanted a better life. I wanted to be healthy and able to live and not just exsist.   I am ten weeks out and I have lost about 65 pounds since surgery. My highest weight that I know of was 375. I say I know of because I that was on the scales at work that we weigh out going freight on. I about **** I was 359 on my first visit with my surgeon. I was some where around 321 to 324 the day of surgery. Yesterday morning I weighed 258. My ultimate goal is anything starting with a 1 in front of it.  You will wake up and still be you. You will think nothing has changed, other than the pain your in, but the pain will pass. The pain was not from the inside but from the incisions. Now is when all the things the nutrionist has been telling you will need to be followed. Small sips will become larger till over time you will be taking normal drinks. Same thing with food. Liquid, then soft foods and then more solid stuff and then regular. The first time you swallow to much or to fast or both you won't forget. I remember wakeing up and thinking I feel normal, I don't feel like my insides have been rearranged.  Oh well it's late or early however you want to look at it and I think I am rambling. The decision is yours, for me it was the right thing.  pan head
Jim G.
on 2/24/07 8:51 pm - Waverly, PA
Dear Kevin, I had some anxiety before surgery as well.  However, I simply reviewed my goals for wanting the surgery in the first place and the consequences of not having it.  I am now 7 weeks out and happy that I made the decision to go ahead.  I'm confident that you will too. Good luck with your surgery!
Jim

jwollet
on 2/25/07 1:51 am - Strongsville, OH
Kev,  As the other guys have said, your thoughts and fears are totally normal. Like you, I had never been cut before WLS. Two years later, I have no regrets. Zero, nada, zilch. Like carbonblob, I was fascinated by all the neat technology to look at, then an anesthetist named Rocky told me he was going to give me some really good sh*t in my IV. It was good stuff and the next thing I knew I was in recovery--a loser!!! You'll do great. The hard part is confronting reality and making the decision to have surgery.  Joe
HePaid4That
on 2/25/07 10:41 am

Hi Kevin, congrats on being normal and then just don't worry about it.  I know, tough to do.  But everything will be just fine.  We all went through these apprehensions because we get bombarded by the stats that say this is so risky.  Compared to other things (As Dex outlined so well), this is nothing.  Rough couple of days, but then every one gets better.  We'll be praying for you. Greg

(deactivated member)
on 2/25/07 11:46 am
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