Scared about actual surgery

QuilterGirl3

Hi all,
I am in the process of going through a bariatric program. I have no worries about what to do after surgery, but when I start thinking about the actual surgery, I just get so scared. I'd love to know how anyone else who had this fear managed to move through it and have surgery.

JamesAztec

I didn't think about it too much. Of course there's some anxiety in the moments leading up to it as they wheel you into the OR. But it seems like I was in there for about a minute and the next think I knew I was waking up in the recovery area. A vast majority of bariatric surgeries go off without a hitch. Try not to worry. It will be fine. :-)

badhair56

being a little apprehensive is normal. like Aztec4 says, it's over before you know it, one minute your being rolled into surgery and it only seems like a minute or so later you're waking up in the recovery room. don't be overly concerned about possible problems, based on the research I did before the surgery only 1 - 2 percent of bariatric surgeries have any complications; so from the positive side that's 98-99 percent chance of everything working out as planned.

cabennett99

It can seem like an "extreme" thing to put your body through, and I was anxious too. But if you educate yourself, and follow the plan you will probably find that you are well prepared physically and mentally for the surgery. So acknowledge that normal concern that you feel, but know that the statistics show these are very safe procedures. Focus on the tremendous upside to taking this step to be in control of your health and life. I'm six months post RNY, and I have absolutely no regrets -- it's been one of the most positive experiences of my life.

Losing_Sarah

It is completely normal. I was mortified about the surgery. It nearly consumed my mind, especially in the weeks before.

Interestingly, the evening before my anxieties went away and I felt at peace. I was so happy, and couldn't wait for my "new life". I woke up at 3:30am for my 4:00 check-in and the peace & happiness never left. They put me under and the next thing I know I was waking up in the recovery room. Super groggy, and in a bit of discomfort, but still happy & at peace.

You are having major surgery, but the complication rate is very small compared to the benefits you will experience post-op. I don't regret it one bit. My quality of life is better than it has ever been in my adult life!

Good luck!

Bugged53

They gave me pain pills after and never needed one of them. Once you're in the hospital everything happens so fast. You won't have time to get nervous. You'll do fine

dpaq45

I am in the same boat. I am on day 3 of my pre-op diet with a surgery date of May 7th. The comments have been reassuring - thank you all.

klcovington

I tried to research and read everything I could before surgery. The day of surgery , everything moved so fast that I barely had time to think --- getting prepped pre op and answering the billions of questions, walking to the surgery room, and then that's all I remember...until I woke up. I did not have much pain at all and never needed the meds. I did have extreme awful nausea and ended up staying an extra day in the hospital. If you have had issues with anesthesia in the past, your doctor can help with meds even through the IV which are supposed to help. Best wishes!!

garber6th

It's pretty natural to feel anxious, I know I was extremely nervous, I slept like crap the week before surgery. It's a big deal!!! Now, I don't even really remember any of that time when I was nervous. You will move forward and make so much progress and feel so much better, and that's where your focus will be. The surgery itself will feel like a blip in the whole journey. You will do great!

gaining_while_losing

I did a lot of praying and trusting that I would come out of it just fine...and I did. I focused on the fact that what I was going to do was going to better my health immensely and it was the right thing to do.

pawoodhull

I had had so many surgeries prior to this one, that it really didn't bother me at all. I was more concerned with not failing at this like I had failed at every other weight loss program. But, truth is aniety about surgery is normal. You might be able to ease your mind a bit by concentrating on what comes after the surgery and how to incorporate your new way of life into your daily life. Kind of switch gears so to speak.

rpyle111

This was the first surgery I ever had which involved being put under. I thought I was OK with it, but the night before, I pulled each kid aside and had a quick talk about life if anything went really wrong and Dad didn't come home. Turned out that my daughter was really worried about that and I was as well. It was a pretty emotional evening and I went into surgery with more anxiety than I had ever had prior.

Of course everything went off without a hitch and I am so glad I did it!

Rob

tlogesi

If there is one thing I have learned from this forum, that is to be prepared.

My surgeon said there were things I could do to help him, I was excited to hear this, here was an expert in his field asking me for help, I was more than happy to comply. The things that will help are to be as healthy as you can be for the surgery, follow the pre-op diet, exercise to make your body stronger, cut out nicotine and alcohol. I did all these things and had a good experience.

I continue to do these things today, the only major side effect is weight loss and a feeling of satisfaction that I did not have before!!!!

Mark

blairmundy

I had had some recent surgeries before my VSG but I was awake for most of them. It's hard to trust yourself to get completely knocked out because you don't feel in control of anything... or even aware of anything. I found it helpful to find something else to obsess about. I memorized the post op diet and vitamin schedule, I made intricate shopping lists and preparations, I set deadlines for books I was reading. Basically anything to distract myself. Even on the table when I was getting anesthesia I was counting the lights in the lamp, trying to remember the faces (only eyes really) of the people in the room, etc. All the while focus on breathing calmly. Whatever distractions you can find, both short and long term are helpful.

QuilterGirl3

This will be my first surgery and first hospital stay (other than being born!)

spfldpam

I would be worried if you weren't scared about the surgery. It is major surgery. I didn't worry too much about it till I got my insurance approval and actual date of the surgery and then the week before surgery and of course that day of surgery. It is natural to be worried about it. If you have questions make sure to talk to your surgeon about it pre op. My WLS program made me go to a meeting w the surgeons nurse that lasted 3 hours and they went over all the complications and possible problems so you knew up front what could happen and a family member had to attend and we had sign a document saying we understood the complications and what could happen. I am glad they did, you need to know up front what could happen since it is a major surgery.

loveshoe

Talk though the fear with your doctor. I did and it was the best thing I could have done. He addressed my fears and put them into perspective for me. He also told me he hated complications more than I did and assured me I would be ok. Ask as many questions as you need from those in the medical profession until you feel comfortable. Oh, and pray for your doctors and the hospital staff, it never hurts pray.

911Chrisy

Thankful for this discussion topic. RNY surgery date of July 21 2015, and this evening my anxiety crept up out of nowhere. Thank you all for posting.

jillcwatson1

911Chrisy, you will do fine. I see that you posted on this months after others were following the topic. I wanted you to get a true response from someone.
I was so blessed to have a caring staff at my surgeon's office and through the hospital's support group that I was at peace with having the surgery. I had prepared well for it through education and knew what to expect. I trusted the team and they have continued to be there for me during the past 10 weeks since VSG. Take the time to make a relationship with others in your area that have had the procedure and call on them (or us on this forum) when you have questions. We ALL know what it was like in the early days and are willing to help in any way that you can. Most importantly, follow your doctor's rules as they may be different from what my doctor calls for. The techniques your doc uses may be slightly different than mine used and therefore may require more healing time, or less, and so your instructions may be different. Within a few months we will be in the same boat again. We have a lifetime now to get this all right.

cabennett99

911Chrissy - you are prepared for this - and it's natural to get anxious, but trust your surgical team and follow their lead. The truth is, it'll be over before you know it and you'll be on the other side. I'd do it over again a thousand times.

denicejo

Totally normal...but remember your drs are very skilled. Just follow your pre-surg plan to the t and you will be fine. It's like everyone said it goes so quick that you really don't have time to worry about it. Just remind your self why you decided to have the surgery in the first place. Good luck to you!