Hello Everyone:

I am new to the board and in the midst of my journey to receive gastric surgery. I have always had MAJOR anxiety at the doctor, but know that this surgery is the best option for me. I recently diagnosed with diabetes during this journey and this really put me over the edge in my decision making.

I am SUPER nervous about my pre-op testing with, in particular cardiology and my endoscopy in a couple of days.

I have all these thoughts racing through my head.

Anyone have any words of wisdom to calm me down about my cardiology tests and endoscopy? :)

There is not one person here that was not nervous it is a simple procedure and just look at my stats! IT works just look at these next steps as the start of a healthy life I was the same size as you and trust me it my be scary and you may be nervous but look ahead at the reward! You got this

They're just quick short visits and procedures to get you to the long-term healthy you that you want to become. Keep your eye on the prize.

The worse part about endoscopy is a little prick for the IV. Then it is a short nap, the procedure is done, and you get breakfast. I've had several done, and it really is no big deal. The actual procedure takes all of 5 minutes. The doc needs to see what he/she will be dealing with. I had an undiagnosed hiatal hernia which was then repaired at the time of my bypass surgery.

The cardiology is also just a matter of procedure. They may want to do a stress test, which may involve an IV and medication to make your heart beat fast, as if you were on a treadmill. It's not exactly pleasant, but doesn't hurt, and the medication wears off very quickly. For me, there were abnormalities that needed further investigation, all the way to an angiogram. I was really nervous about that, but it showed that my coronary arteries are clear! I feel like a dodged a bullet with decades of obesity, and it really gave me so much more positive hope that I wasn't waiting to drop over from a heart attack. It was a GOOD thing and I am thankful for having done it.

You just have to tick these items off. You deserve to know what you actual health profile looks like, and of course , your surgical team needs to know this, too.

Just keep copies of EVERYTHING! Go to medical records after the procedures and get your own copies or ask your doctor for copies. It's good to have these in your own personal file as reference points for the future. And anything like a cardiac clearance, psych clearance, nutritional eval - KEEP the copies! Doc offices have been known to lose these things and when you have a copy it will same time and frustration.

Take things one step at a time and you will be fine.

The meds they gave me for the endoscopy didn’t put me out, so I was awake for the whole thing, and honestly it was fine! They give you a numbing solution, and the whole thing lasts less than 5 minutes. I thought the barium swallow was worse than the endoscopy.

2 hours ago, lukeyo1981 said:

Hello Everyone:

I am new to the board and in the midst of my journey to receive gastric surgery. I have always had MAJOR anxiety at the doctor, but know that this surgery is the best option for me. I recently diagnosed with diabetes during this journey and this really put me over the edge in my decision making.

I am SUPER nervous about my pre-op testing with, in particular cardiology and my endoscopy in a couple of days.

I have all these thoughts racing through my head.

Anyone have any words of wisdom to calm me down about my cardiology tests and endoscopy?

Cardiology prerequisites usually are not invasive and for endoscopy we are usually given twilight sedation which is like the best sleep of your life.

Congratulations ?

It is scary - I was very anxious about the endoscopy and particularly about the surgery. But it really is amazing that the surgery (in my case RNY) means that you don't feel the hunger and can't over eat because of the restriction. My bloods went from borderline diabetic to well below within 10 days after the bypass. I knew my liver was "fatty" but my surgeon showed me the photos and told me it was borderline cirrhotic - losing weight is the only thing I can do to improve this. So I know I made the right decision. These days it's a very safe procedure but you're bound to feel anxious about it - everybody does.

Thank you everyone for you input! I am VERY thankful for all of your words. Feeling a bit better!

I agree with Deb9386 about the positive physical changes that can happen very quickly. My fatty liver completely resolved, as did my sleep apnea and GERD. High blood pressure is now normal, and my cholesterol has dropped over 70 points! A1C is very normal now, down from borderline diabetic. Even my asthma is so much better, and I have NO JOINT OR BACK PAIN!!!! NONE!!!! I lived with continual back and knee pain, and had already had one knee replacement. The pain is GONE! I can hike, bike, ride my horse, and get down (and up) on the floor with my grand kids. The life and health transformations are remarkable and I know I not only added years to my life, but QUALITY of life was added, as well. It is so worth it.