Hi, I have a date for my surgery; it will be on April 7th. I am starting my diet this Monday. The closer the surgery date gets, the more nervous I am. I was so scared that something is going to happen and I’ll die. I had a bad dream last night too, I dreamt that the surgery went well but I developed blood clots after that and was in a hurry to get to the hospital, so the doctor can save me. I did not know the outcome because I woke up first but my heart was racing so fast and it was so real. I told my husband about it and he said if you are scare that much then why doing it.

Does anyone else scare or have bad dream like this?

Alisa

It's perfectly normal to get nervous before surgery or any other life-changing event. Tell your husband that. I am getting a bit nervous as well, but again, it's normal. Just try to be positive and believe that everything will turn out fine. You will be fine! I had a dream earlier this week, but I don't remember it being very frightening. Try to relax and remember why are you having this done in the first place. Try to focus on how much better you are going to feel. :tongue_smilie:

I'll put your mind at ease... NOBODY has ever died from a lap band surgery.... lol... I'm sorry for laughing but awwww there is NOTHING to be worried about... Trust me, all will be well when you wake up. I have researched this surgery over and over and asked more then one doctor and they all stated no one has ever dead... Even if you do get a blood clog, it can be detected and fixed right away. You'll know if you have a blood clog because you'll be in extreme pain, it hurts like hell. But why think negatively? Think positive! It’s perfectly normal to be scared or nervous but to think that you'll die? Don’t be silly girl.... Me on the other hand, my surgery is on 4/2 and I've never been so HAPPY and excited!!! Whether I die, get some complications or etc, I know that FINALLY I'm taking actions towards my obesity. You have to look at the bigger picture here. Where do you see yourself in the end result?

Stay positive!

Best,

Chris

I guess, I am worried because I have 3 little boys (ages, 4, 3 and 1) that need me at home. BTW, I know one person that die after lap band due to blood clots, so yes, it does HAPPEN. She had problem walking after surgery and that was the trigger for blood clots.

Thanks for reassure me that it will be ok.

Alisa

tcbgirl,

Don't worry about the surgery, it is extremly low risk. You could die from anything, look at Natasha Richardson.

However, if you look at statistics, your chances are EXTREMLY high that your surgery will be a perfect success. You probably have a better chance of getting hit by lightning than for your surgery to have fatal complications.

Most of all, the surgery is NOT bad at all. I am CEO of the Big Babies Club and I did great! It's a piece of cake. Not much different than getting your wisdom teeth pulled.

The risks of being obese are FAR higher than the risk of surgery. You should seriously be more afraid of being overweight because chances of that having serious complications are rather high.

You'll do fine. If you're crazy nervous, ask your doctor for something to calm you down before your surgery. I always ask for a :ohmy: double :beer_yum:when the anesthesiologist comes in! LOL

You'll do great and this will easily be the best thing you've ever done for yourself! Congrats for taking the first step. Also, just to give you something to look forward to, I've gone from a size 20 to a size 6 in barely over a year.

Edited March 20, 200917 yr by SuzanneG

Your having what I call the "what ifs" gitters. What if this happens, what if that happens. Everything will be fine. Blood clots shouldn't be a problem if they give you your heparin shots. When I was in the hospital they were giving me heparin shots a least twice a day to prevent problems. I think I had a total of four. I know it sounds scary and I can't blame you for being nervous but it really is a fairly easy surgery. I had more pain when I had my knee operated on than I did with the lap band. Hang in there and focus on your children to take your mind off of things. Best of luck to you.

I guess, I am worried because I have 3 little boys (ages, 4, 3 and 1) that need me at home. BTW, I know one person that die after lap band due to blood clots, so yes, it does HAPPEN. She had problem walking after surgery and that was the trigger for blood clots.

Thanks for reassure me that it will be ok.

Alisa

Alisa, I'm a nursing student (graduating in may YAY) and one thing we are taught is that if the patient is nervous, there's a reason. Please talk to your surgeon. Make an appt and go. (If he ignores or belittles you, don't have him do your surgery) You are right to be aware that clots are an issue, but unless you have a predisposing factor of some sort, the odds are very high that you'll recover well, as do most of us. For most of us, frequent walking, wearing those support hose, staying hydrated etc means no clots, but there are additional measures that can be taken if there's a medical necessity. For example, if they are needed, your doc can prescribe an anticoagulant for you. So talk to him NOW.

Yes, presurgery jitters exist and are usually just "nerves". But if you are worried to the point of nightmares this far out, take steps now to educate and inform yourself. Better safe than sorry, as they say! Your doc will know best what to do for you.

Thank you everyone. You made me feel a lot better. My husband said I had nightmare because I am worried too much. I am going to make another appointment before surgery like pp said to ease my mind :ohmy:

I'll let you all know how it goes.

Thanks again,

Alisa

i TOTALLY understand how you feel.. my date is 2 days away, 3/23/09, and i am soooo nervous. I understand the positives and i am really excited about this....but it is REALLY hard to keep the negatives out of my head......:smile:

Y'all will do just fine. It was the easiest, simplest thing I have ever gone through other than my gall bladder surgery. I'm not saying it's a nothing surgery, ALL surgery has its risks, but it is SO non-invasive... it took longer to get my teeth re-filled. :smile:

If you have trouble walking after surgery your doctor will most likely put you on lovenox or warfarin to counteract the chance of developing a blood clot it you are having trouble walking and your doctor doesn't do anything suggest this to him or ask for a second opinion just be pro-active in your healthcare if they aren't giving you something you believe you should have or not treating you properly then ask why if you are not satisfied ask for another doctor for a second opinion.

as for the nightmares those are normal it's anxiety I have them before pretty much anything i do that is taking a risk no matter how low....geez i had ones that i overslept for my pre-op testing, it happens you'll be okay

You could always spend the time you use to spend eating researching online more about the lapband...I feel like I have hours to do nothing now since I've been on my pre-op all liquid diet! (this might now work so well with you since you have 3 small children)

Take a few deep breaths and just imagine the healthy skinny you...:smile:

I just wanted to say that I think it's great to have such a great support system out there! I have not had surgery yet, I am waiting on my insurance to see if they will approve me. But I do know that if I do get to have this surgery, it is a nice feeling to know there's a place to turn to for all my concerns and questions! You all are great!

I guess I should have "proof read" that before posting. I used a lot of "greats"! LOL! Maybe I should throw a wonderful in there somewhere!

Being nervous is perfectly normal. I haven't gotten nervous yet though I'm sure I will. My date is the same as yours! :frown: And like you I'm a mom as well - I have 7 year old twins - and certainly wouldn't want anything to happen to me that would leave them without a mom.

But I'm sure we'll both be fine and successful and in much better shape to play with our kiddos!

This is a perfectly normal anxiety to have before surgery. I have had 3 c-sections and an abdominal hysterectomy ..... each time I went through a "what if I die?" phase.

To put things in perspective, the risks from this surgery are far far less than the risks of being severely or morbidly obese. Personally, I don't love the idea of this surgery myself. I'm not particularly scared of surgery (have had my appendix out and two c-sections), but I wish I didn't need it. But, I do so I will. Have faith. You will come out of this great!