Surgery day tomorrow. Please help me calm down.

Hi everyone.  I posted once when I was about two weeks out and here I am again only my day is now tomorrow.  And just like before, I'm in a panic.

My surgeon hasn't lost a sleeve patient yet and he told me "You're not going to die" which made me feel immensely better at the time but with just one day left, I'm starting to get paralyzing fear again.  I'm so scared I'm not going to make it.  Almost scared enough to call it off.

I keep trying to tell myself that my primary care doctor and the surgeon both feel that my bloodwork, physical, and EKG were enough to say I'm healthy enough.  I wish now I'd have insisted on a pulmonary test or a stress test or both.

Please, talk some sense into me.

It's totally normal to be nervous the day b4 surgery, just take a breath, breathe!, calm yourself down, having a paralyzing fear isn't helpful to you at all!, just remember why you're doing this & keep repeating it to yourself. Take deep breaths, meditate on how much better you'll feel with that extra weight off! Concentrate on you!, we all went thru this, you're getting a tool for life, think of the good things that will come out of this, b4 you know it you'll be on the losers bench! Good luck to you & speedy recovery!

Thank you!  Positive thoughts, no negative.  I need to just say out loud "STOP" to myself when I start getting scared and focus instead on visualizing myself healthier and planning my goals. 

I have the same anxiety attacks before flying and medical procedures. My doctor finally gave me a small prescription for Xanax and a half pill calms me right down.

As soon as you get to the hospital tomorrow, explain your anxiety and they will give you something...in fact, I'm surprised that during your pre-op, they didn't give you a prescription.

You are not alone with your fears.  I think it's only natural. Just remember all of the work you've gone through in the last few months and don't give in to those fears and jeopardize your future.  

You will be fine and the will take very good care of you.

Please post after your surgery to let us all know how you are doing.

marty

Thank you so much for your words.  How silly, I never even thought to tell my doctor just how scared I was for fear that he'd tell me "Well, maybe you don't want to do this."  But I am going to be sure to tell them right away how scared I am so maybe they can help me out.

I've lived with so much fear in life about my weight, I have to be brave now.  Thank you again.

Having elective surgery can be a very scary thing. I think most people who have had WLS were nervous about it to one degree or another. But, you need to be mentally tough on yourself here. Keep telling yourself "I will be fine. My doctors know what they're doing. Everything will go well, and soon I'll be happier and healthier." Repeat this over and over in your mind whenever you start to feel yourself getting panicky.

Also, when you get to the hospital, tell them! If the staff knows you're nervous, they'll talk you through things a bit more than if you don't seem very bothered by the whole experience. Also, they can give you some anti-anxiety medications that will help tremendously. But before you get there, keep up the positive self-talk, and know, really KNOW: you will be fine!

I'll be keeping you in my thoughts tomorrow. Please let us know how you're doing when you can!

How kind of you for the good thoughts tomorrow.  I appreciate all the good juju I can get.

I'm going to repeat the phrase you've indicated because I do think it will help.  I am trying to remind myself that surgery and anesthesia has come a long way in the 15 years since I've had a surgery.  Might as well get this done NOW before I get any older and any sicker.  Do it now when my big worries are high blood pressure and sleep apnea.

Thank you!

I'm so thankful I came across your post!  I'm scheduled for VSG and have been going through similar nervousness.    Your words help so much.   Thank you for reminding me why I'm here :)

I was absolutely terrified the days leading up to surgery.  I even wrote my husband and son "worse case-scenerio" letters.  

I wish I could have known then what I know now.  I had no idea how much I was missing out on -- how in so many ways I was a living dead person.  Find your inner calm, my friend.  It's all worth it.

Your words really hit home because without having that exact phrase in mind I have been living the last few years as a living dead person.  I need to remind myself that the doctor must believe I am healthy enough or HE would have insisted on more testing.  He doesn't want me to ruin his perfect record of no deaths on sleeves ;)

THANK YOU!