Ahhhhhhh!!!! 5 Days till I go under at 6AM!!!!

 I have been reading posts for months now! I feel I know what to expect. Why am I FREAKING OUT!!!! I want to run as fast as I can the other way!!! I guess it didn't help that I jus****ched a youtube video of a sleever that said she woke up in a panic in recovery. I have anxiety and panic attacks from time to time and they are scary!!! If I am this bad 5 days out... How will I be laying on the table???? OMG!!! Sorry everyone... Embarrassed but need to vent... I will be ok I hope!

I am sorry your having anxiety, I am right behind you mine will be in October, can you give me some information for the best place to have open chat, or other places that has helped you, Good Luck , I wish I knew what to say. please keep us updated.  You will be great!

 Breathe!  You've done your research, you're comfortable with your surgeon, you're prepared!  Write down the reasons you're having surgery and things you're looking forward to.  You've got this!

Goodness! If you weren't having second thoughts, then I'd be worried! Seriously, that's what my surgeon said to me. It's normal to be a bit of the freaking out side right now. You are coming up to the real deal - you're going to have a perfectly good organ mutilated intentionally, so that you can live a much, much better life. It's a hard concept to wrap your head around. No wonder you're a bit panicky.

Don't worry though because you have so much to look forward to. I'd do my level best to focus on the wonderful things that will come once you are sleeved. I remember waking up feeling so relieved and calm that it was finally done. I knew I was on my way.

Please know, too, Dr. Chu has a great reputation. I know several of her patients and they can't say enough good things about her. I was talking with a young woman on Tuesday night whom Dr. Chu sleeved 8 weeks ago and she has lost 40 pounds already! You know Dr. Chu is going to give you a great tool.

You know I had my sleeve done in Fremont, too. You've got to let me know if a lady comes to visit you in recovery and wants to talk to you about bariatric surgery and recovery. I don't remember her name ( I was on a dilaudid drip...) but I do remember all I wanted to do was sleep and she just yakked away about post op life! Apparently she visits lots of the bariatric patients there.

Good luck!

I was also sleeved at Fremont and all the surgeons have great reputations. Everyone loves Dr. Chu. You will be in great hands. It is so normal to be nervous and excited at this point.

The woman that Kairk was talking about, is named Pam. She visits the new post-ops to offer words of encouragement and support. It is her way of giving back. She has a unique story and has many words of wisdom. She is a wonderful lady and was very supportive, when I was in the hospital. Like KairK said, she likes to talk, but she has a heart of gold and wants everyone to succeed.



Gail

Gail,
Hats off to you for remembering all that! I was so out of it when she came to visit. But when you mentioned her unique story it triggered a memory I have of feeling amazed by her strength. Did she over come some sort of adversity? I really don't remember. (Stoned, like I said on the dilaudid...).

I attend the support group at Fremont, so I met Pam, when I was pre-op and knew that she visited the new post-ops. She had an open RNY years ago and suffered a major complication that left her with limited feeling in her legs. I don't remember all the details. Like you, I was drugged after surgery, so if that had been my only contact with her, I wouldn't have remembered her very well.

Unfortunately, I had some complications during my 3rd and 4th week post op and ended up spending time in the hospital. She visted me everyday and talked my head off, but it was so supportive and giving of her to do this, that I have never forgotton her kindness. She is a yakker, but she is also very kind and wise. She wants people to do well. It is her way of paying it forward and helps her to keep her own head in the game.



Gail

Yeah relax. I'm the day after you. Like you, I've done my research. We know what's up, and we're gonna kick it on the losers bench, get all healthy, and skinny. Rock our sleeves like we've been born to it! Like Kairk said, gonna wake up relieved, and relaxed...no problem.

Mine is the 14Th set to start at 8:00a.m. I also have anxiety and deal with panic attacks sometimes. So far I'm not panicking, just try to breath and remember why you are doing this. Also when you arrive you can tell the nurse about your anxiety and they can get an order for an sedative to calm you before going back.
I actually talked to a nurse about it today and that's what she told me to let them know and they'll put something in the I.V. and it works really fast, but you have to wait until you speak to your Surgeon they want to make sure you understand everything he goes over before taking you back.

Best wishes and speedy recovery

Jenn D.

Thank you everyone!!! All your supportive words help so much and makes me feel better!! This is an amazing opportunity for me to change my life for the better and I am not going to let my anxiety get the best of me!