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Freaking out! (Scared of Surgery)



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For months I have been President of the Cool club when it came to getting my sleeve. Now 6 days before surgery the freak out is here. The thoughts of death and complications have me worried. I try to assure myself that I will be ok. I am doing my best to stay positive. I'm 26 with a 40BMI, I hope my age and weight is a positive for the healing process (mostly age). How is everyone coping with the scary part of surgery? Tips and advice would be highly appreciated.

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You'll be okay. Just breathe in. Just think of how gorgeous you'll to be.

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I wasn't scared. I did everything I could do ensure that things went well. I did my research in choosing a doctor, I was compliant in my pre-op testing. I ate properly pre-op to make sure my body could be in as good a shape for surgery as possible. After that I just took a deep breath, said a prayer and was fine.

No freaking out for me. I took comfort in know I did all that I could for a positive outcome.

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I was fine - I didn't have a doubt, then the weeks leading up to it I bawled my eyes out, I was petrified.

I'm 25 and thought 'what am I doing??'

Then I thought, although I'm living I'm not happy, I will just end up ruining my life and getting ill. By choosing this, I was choosing life!

I only had my op a month ago, but I haven't once thought 'why!!' I am glad that it has been the best decision and I'm excited about doing the things I love - like shopping, activities, exercise etc without feeling judged!

Think of the reasons why you're doing this. I know it's scary, but get a solid support structure round you and you will do amazing :)

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I didn't freak out until the morning of surgery, when I was alone in the pre-op area. I basically just practiced deep breathing and positive affirmations. I'm young, I'm healthy, I heal well. My body will heal itself as it always does. At this point next year my body will thank me for making its job easier. I have a great, skilled surgeon. I trust this team, I trust my body.

And I cried a little (couldn't help it!).

It all kept me calmer than I was when I walked in. I felt confident stepping into the OR, knowing in a couple of hours my life would be forever changed for the better.

Good luck to you!

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For me, it was a bit scary. Mainly just that things will change was my fear, but I was worried about the physical surgery too. I don't really have a religion I go by, but I tried meditation. It helped ease my mind and reassure that my doctors and nurses knew what to do, have done this many times, and that I'm at an age and weight that doesn't make it more difficult. I'm 23 and I have severe anxiety as well. Try to use your support around you and talk with your doctor about your worries. Sometimes just hearing of their achievements helps reassure you. I hope you feel better. It is a hard step to pass, but your journey isn't over yet. I can feel that.

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Sooo how did your surgery end up going?

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    • Aunty Mamo

      Iʻm roughly 6 weeks post-op this morning and have begun to feel like a normal human, with a normal human body again. I started introducing solid foods and pill forms of medications/supplements a couple of weeks ago and it's really amazing to eat meals with my family again, despite the fact that my portions are so much smaller than theirs. 
      I live on the island of Oʻahu and spend a lot of time in the water- for exercise, for play,  and for spiritual & mental health. The day I had my month out appointment with my surgeon, I packed all my gear in my truck, anticipating his permission to get back in the ocean. The minute I walked out of that hospital I drove straight to the shore and got in that water. Hallelujah! My appointment was at 10 am. I didn't get home until after 5 pm. 
      I'm down 31 pounds since the day of surgery and 47 since my pre-op diet began, with that typical week long stall occurring at three weeks. I'm really starting to see some changes lately- some of my clothing is too big, some fits again. The most drastic changes I notice however are in my face. I've also noticed my endurance and flexibility increasing. I was really starting to be held up physically, and I'm so grateful that I'm seeing that turn around in such short order. 
      My general disposition lately is hopeful and motivated. The only thing that bugs me on a daily basis still is the way those supplements make my house smell. So stink! But I just bought a smell proof bag online that other people use to put their pot in. My house doesn't stink anymore. 
       
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    • BeanitoDiego

      Oh yeah, something I wanted to rant about, a billing dispute that cropped up 3 months ago.
      Surgery was in August of 2023. A bill shows up for over $7,000 in January. WTF? I asks myself. I know that I jumped through all of the insurance hoops and verified this and triple checked that, as did the surgeon's office. All was set, and I paid all of the known costs before surgery.
      A looong story short, is that an assistant surgeon that was in the process of accepting money from my insurance company touched me while I was under anesthesia. That is what the bill was for. But hey, guess what? Some federal legislation was enacted last year to help patients out when they cannot consent to being touched by someone out of their insurance network. These types of bills fall under something called, "surprise billing," and you don't have to put up with it.
      https://www.cms.gov/nosurprises
      I had to make a lot of phone calls to both the surgeon's office and the insurance company and explain my rights and what the maximum out of pocket costs were that I could be liable for. Also had to remind them that it isn't my place to be taking care of all of this and that I was going to escalate things if they could not play nice with one another.
      Quick ending is that I don't have to pay that $7,000+. Advocate, advocate, advocate for yourself no matter how long it takes and learn more about this law if you are ever hit with a surprise bill.
      · 0 replies
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    • BeanitoDiego

      Some days I feel like an infiltrator... I'm participating in society as a "thin" person. They have no idea that I haven't always been one of them! 🤣
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    • ChunkCat

      Thank you everyone for your well wishes! I totally forgot I wrote an update here... I'm one week post op today. I gained 15 lbs in water weight overnight because they had to give me tons of fluids to bring my BP up after surgery! I stayed one night in the hospital. Everything has been fine except I seem to have picked up a bug while I was there and I've been running a low grade fever, coughing, and a sore throat. So I've been hydrating well and sleeping a ton. So far the Covid tests are negative.
      I haven't been able to advance my diet past purees. Everything I eat other than tofu makes me choke and feels like trying to swallow rocks. They warned me it would get worse before it gets better, so lets hope this is all normal. I have my follow up on Monday so we'll see. Living on shakes and soup again is not fun. I had enough of them the first time!! LOL 
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    • BeanitoDiego

      Still purging all of the larger clothing. This morning, a shirt that I ADORED wearing ended up on top. Hard to let it go, but it was also hard to let go of those habits that also no longer serve my highest good. Onward and upward!
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