Question:
Does anyone feel like something is going to get in the way of you getting to surgery?
I have my surgery date on December 9th and I am SO worried that something is goping to prevent it. What can I do to QUIT worrying? — Kendra A. (posted on October 24, 2002)
October 24, 2002
Kendra, your fear is VERY normal. I worried up until they put the IV in my
arm. I'm not sure if you will be able to stop worrying, but try to focus
on today and don't let yourself think about it too much. Think about what
you can do today to make your surgery more successful. Start focusing your
diet on protien, start walking, quit drinking soda, anything you can do to
make yourself better prepared now will help you feel like you are doing
something proactive and not just waiting around. Good Luck!
— Amber L.
October 24, 2002
I wish I had a magic answer for you, bu I dont't. My surgery is Nov. 12,
and my mind is constantly preoccupied with negative thoughts like that. We
have struggled so much and fought for every single decision, that I think
its only natural for us to think that we will be sabotaged. I just keep
thinking to myself, "it will happen if its meant to be". If you
figure out a better way to cope, please let me know :)
— [Deactivated Member]
October 24, 2002
Although I don't really have an answer for you, I can sympathize. My
surgery is on Nov. 4th, and I am worried that somehow it will get cancelled
or my bloodwork won't get in on time or my surgeon will get sick, the list
could go on and on of all the terrible things that could happen. Try to
stay on the positive side. I'm sure it is totally normal to worry....take
care.
— Kim S.
October 24, 2002
I empathize with you. My surgery is Nov.11 and I have been waiting for over
three weeks, I have covered the gamet, I've been afraid, nervous, excited,
I have thought of nothing but my surgery. I am driving my wife nuts. She
can't wait just so I will shut up. However, I try to concetrate on when I
was fighting for this and how much I wanted it, and look forward to being
on the other side and how much happier I will be. That way I really don't
have that much time to be scared. I spend alot of time here, reading and
learning and keeping myself occupied because really, in the long run I know
it will all be O.K. Try to think of the positive and forget about the
negatives. I know its hard after the ordeal of getting approved but, the
battle is over, enjoy the spoils.. GOOD LUCK!!
— dkinson
October 24, 2002
There's not much you can do to stop the fear that something will interfere
with your surgery. Before mine, everone was asking me if I was frightened.
I was only afraid it wouldn't happen. You see, my surgery was 2 days
before my company changed insurance companies and I knew if it had to be
postponed, I'd have to start the whole process over again and I didn't want
that to happen. Some of the things that nearly caused me heart failure:
bickering between the two insurance companies (existing and the one
starting right after the surgery) about who would pay the last days in the
hospital and the hospital demanding (at the last minute) that I put up
$3000 before they would admit me. (My surgeon called the hospital and it
was never mentioned again). And then there was a serious snow storm (I'm
from Dallas and my surgery was in Wichita Falls - 3 hours away). I ended
up going a day before I was supposed to to try to outrun the storm and
drove 3 hours on ice to get there. Well, inspite of insurance companies,
hospitals and Mother Nature, I had my surgery. And believe me, it was
worth all the agony before hand. But I really didn't relax about it until
I woke up in recovery and the nurse assured me that I was losing weight as
we spoke.
Good luck with your surgery.
Open RNY - 11/29/01 -151+ pounds
— Patty_Butler
October 24, 2002
Hi Sweetie,
I feel for you, I had a 3 months wait between the time I was given a date
and the time I had my operation, during the entire 3 months and up to the
time when I walked in the OR (that's right, strangely enough they walked me
right in the operation room, most peculiar sensation) I was 125% sure that
I wouldn't get the operation, something would happen I wanted it too much
it was all too unreal. I'm 8 months post-op and down 104lbs.....No
worries, you'll get there too.
— Diane B.
October 24, 2002
I thought I was the only one that felt this way. I had my consultation
July 2 and haven't stopped worrying. Before I had been notified that my
surgery was approved I found out my insurance was amending it to exclude
WLS. A week later I found out I had been approved the very last day it was
still covered. I had 6 months to hve surgery. My surgery date is Nov. 14.
three weeks from today. I am still afraid they will change their minds. I
think a previous poster hit the nail on the head when they said, We feel
like we don't deserve it. One thing I would like to say is since I got my
surgery date 2 weeks ago is that I have been SOOOO happy! I am totally not
depressed. I pray daily and this seems to help. I have put it in Gods
hands and feel so much better. Good luck to you!
— obsessivekompulsive
October 24, 2002
I love you guys..........when I first started hanging out at this site back
in April and May, I read a lot about people being scared they would die on
the table. You are all worried you won't get your chance to lay on the
table. LOL. Hang in there. I was the same way. I was so bad, I told my
husband that the first thing he was to say to me when I came out of
recovery is whether or not they did it. I was that scared something would
prevent me from getting my RNY. I know it is hard but try to relax and put
your faith in God. I am not a religious fanatic but he brought us all this
far and will see it through. I had my RNY on 8/19/02 and am down 54 lbs.
Good luck to all the posters here.
— Carol H.
October 24, 2002
Hi!<br>
This is my sad story of pre-op woe.<br>
Let's see... I had my psych consult... just KNEW she was going to tell me
NO. Had my consult with the nutritionist the same day... told her about
the psych consult, and then felt like SHE was going to jump on the
"NO" bandwagon just because she could. Went to the
pulmonologist, they made me do an extra stint on the breathing machine...
then, even after the pulmonologist came back and told me it was fine, I
KNEW he was just in a hurry to get me out of the office, and was telling me
what I wanted to hear. After all that, I still got my surgery date. The
week before surgery, I went to my regular doctor. She'd been less than
wild about me doing this the FIRST visit, so I was just WAITING for her to
find a reason to cancel it for me. She was REALLY nice at my preop visit.
She sent me for blood work/urine tests. Due to mix-ups at the lab, I ended
up going back to the lab 3 times over the next 4 days. By the 3rd trip, I
was nearly hysterical and just SURE it was because they'd found something
wrong.<br>
The moral of the story is... NOTHING went wrong at any of these steps,
except in my mind. I had my surgery on schedule. I didn't even look back
and see the pattern of how I thought something was going to go wrong at
EVERY step until after surgery was over. So hang in there... it'll all
happen on schedule. And, if for some unforseen reason, your surgery IS
postponed, it's probably genuinely for the best. It's major surgery...
it's important that all t's are crossed and i's dotted because it's your
health. :)<br>
Good Luck!
Kelly
— Kelly B.
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