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Is it normal to be afraid ?



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Because i am I'm 26 and this is my first surgery doctors tell me it will be fine and that it doesn't even last long but I'm so scared to be put to sleep and not wake up. I'm just having bad anxiety about.it has anyone else had this as well ?

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Yep...haven't had my WLS yet, but was super scared when I had my other surgery. I cried every night for a week leading up to my operation because I was afraid I wouldn't wake up after. The day of, the nurses were great - they'd seen it all before and were incredibly reassuring, and the anesthesiologists give you an IV med beforehand to help you relax while you're waiting to go into surgery.

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Hell yes!!!

I was 45 when I had my sleeve done in Feb last year...

It was my first surgery and I was SH*TTING myself!!

Looking back, it was justified...

For no reason other than 'stuff happens'...

It's true...

Bad shit can happen...

It's rare...

But it happens...

HOWEVER...

13 months on and I'd do it over and over again if necessary...

It is BY FAR the best thing I've done...

Absolutely worth the risk...

Don't let the fear stop you...

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I was 51 and this was my first surgery ever. I was afraid. It is perfectly normal to be afraid and anxious. This is major surgery.

The good thing is that was the worst part of my whole experience: the pre-op fear.

I couldn't have hoped for a better surgery or recovery experience or even dreamed of better results so far.

You can do it!

"Feel the fear and do it anyway!"

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The fear is very normal. Just take some comfort in statistically you probably stand a greater chance of dying in a car accident on the way to the hospital, than from the surgery itself!

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Because i am I'm 26 and this is my first surgery doctors tell me it will be fine and that it doesn't even last long but I'm so scared to be put to sleep and not wake up. I'm just having bad anxiety about.it has anyone else had this as well ?

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I was a bit nervous but OK really until just before the surgery; gowned and such, hooked up to IV and ready to get wheeled into the OR...then started sh#$$ing myself, and having a serious dialog with a certain All Powerful entity that I often debate His existence :). Really got nervous when they got me into the OR, and would have said F$#k this...if they hadn't put me under rapidly.

Best thing I ever did in retrospect, no regrets at all.

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Doctor's and hospitals would not make any money if they killed all of their patients with the anesthetic. They HAVE to be careful with you and have many checks and balances to assure you the best possible outcome.

Not only does your name Bracelet get checked through several steps of the procedure to make sure they are taking the right measures with the right patient, they even count the instruments and gauzes to make sure that they leave nothing behind. There are monitors for your blood pressure and oxygen levels and heart rate.

My sleeve was my 12th surgery, and I was concerned for my life the same as with the other eleven. Fear of not waking up is quite normal, but I was more afraid of dying before my time from obesity related complications - and I was going downhill fast.

Just think of it as a nice nap, and when you wake up you will be able to re-invent yourself. For me, the hardest part of the surgery was the pre-op stuff. The recovery was the easy part.

The IV that you get will send some calming peace of mind to your brain so that you won't really care that surgery is just a few minutes away. Once you are on the operating table they may ask you to count backward from 100. 100, 99, 98.....wake up. wake up....you did just fine and we'll have you off to your room shortly. Ta da! The worst is over.

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Because i am I'm 26 and this is my first surgery doctors tell me it will be fine and that it doesn't even last long but I'm so scared to be put to sleep and not wake up. I'm just having bad anxiety about.it has anyone else had this as well ?

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Yes. It is completely normal to be afraid. My pre-surgery nerves/anxiety/tears were worse than the actual surgery! What finally helped me was to remember that when I wake up, I can focus on healing and making healthy choices. The surgery is just a small part of this journey we are on. I'm 8 days post-op today and feeling great.

Sent from my SM-N920V using the BariatricPal App

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Because i am I'm 26 and this is my first surgery doctors tell me it will be fine and that it doesn't even last long but I'm so scared to be put to sleep and not wake up. I'm just having bad anxiety about.it has anyone else had this as well ?

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Find out if your surgeon gives you something for anxiety on surgery day. My surgeon did and it helped.

Sent from my SM-N920V using the BariatricPal App

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I was 57 last year had mine. Lostnover 126 pounds, i am now 58 almost 11 months post op. Best thing i ever done!!!

Sent from my SCH-I535 using the BariatricPal App

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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