Closing in on the big day...

Well after a few months of what seems like spending all of my days off in one doctor's office or another or having some series of test  from sleep studies( I had 2), to Endoscopy to EKG and Echocardiogram to a Stress Echo ( I had a weird blip on my EKG so the surgeon wanted cardiac clearance, fun , fun fun), etc, etc etc,  I finally got my confirmed surgery date for the end of June today.

Now that I am nearing the end of this journey I find myself having some anxiety.  I want the surgery to get healthy and feel better and maybe even have enough energy to keep up with my two year old (keep dreaming right lol).  Am I nuts??? I have worked hard for the better part of the last few months to get all the tests, letters, visits and other stuff they need in order have the surgery and now that I am  a few  weeks out I am having anxiety about it.  Is this normal,  or should I just shut up and be grateful that I am almost done.  Sorry for the long blather. 

Thanks,

Jon

Hi Jon!

I think some anxiety is pretty normal.  All will go well though- Dr Goyal is my surgeon too, I had RNY 2/17/10 and am doing great!

Alice

Having anxiety is normal. First of all, nobody looks forward to the pain of surgery and recovery, nor the pain of making a major life change. The question you have to ask is: Are those pains worth enduring for the sake of ending the pain of obesity? And I'm talking about the physical and emotional pain we suffer ourselves, and also unwillingly inflict on the ones we love.

In my case, the answer was a big YES! And it will be in yours, too!.

You have worked hard to cover all the bases, and ensure that you are going into surgery with as much information about the condition of your health as possible. That will give you the best chance for things to go without incident.

One of the things you can do to deal with the anxiety is to get started on you new life. Don't just sit around waiting for the surgery. Here are some suggestions:

1. Start cleaning up your diet. Don't use this period to say "goodbye" to every cheeseburger and ice cream cone you pass.
2. Excercise to whatever extent you can. The weather is getting nicer, so go for a walk. Note how much you are able to do. You will be amazed at how quickly your strength and stamina will improve as the weight drops off.
3. Keep a food diary and a journal. This is a time of great self-discovery, and a huge emotional roller coaster. It can be quite interesting to document it and look back in the future.
4. Read and research as much as possible.
5. Attend support group meetings.
6. Hang out on OH reading about other's experiences, but always keep in mind that people often post with problems, so you will get a skewed picture of post wls life. Also, everyone's experiences are different, so don't assume that what any poster goes through will necessarily be what you will go through!

Best of luck! You will do great!

What you feel is normal !! And "Big Ideas" had some excellent advice (as always) !!

Remember we're only a keystroke away !! Good luck, and keep us posted !!