Nine days to Surgery - Starting to get nervous

I cannot thank you all enough for your responses.  The kindness of the folks here is overwhelming.

My rational brain is on board with everything - its that other guy up there that is making me jumpy

Do you think that can come knock me out today and I can just sleepwalk through the next week - if not what if they knock me out at home next Wednesday morning so I'm already out before I get to the hospital

That you should help a lot. Glad your doc did that for you.

Thanks Arnie - that is my plan - to use it mainly at night

During the day I just wander around the office jabbering at whoever will listen (my poor administrative assistant most of the time). 

Been trying to excerise each day which helps a little as well - It's nighttime that is the killer - Hopefully this will do the trick with sleep - its also good to know that I can take it that am if needed as well

Don't know if we talked about this - do they will you into the operating room awake or are you out before you go in?

Thanks for everything

Ray

Ray,

Good for you on getting some medicinal help. I should have done that myself, but came out OK anyway.

I was completely awake going into the OR. I even remember helping them move me from the guerney to the table. Which was not very comfortable, but I wasn't about to complain. I saw the DaVinci off to the side. The anesthesiologist said "I started the drip. You'll be out in 15 seconds". I replied "should I count down?" and he said "you can count". So I said "15" and the next thing I knew I was in the recovery room.

Like you, I had a lot of anxiety about going under. But the rational side of me recognized that I was in a fine hospital with an excellent surgeon, and they did this every day, so my odds were quite good. Even so, I was very relieved to wake up. Then, like a lot of guys, I felt like I had to pee, so I tried to get up to go find a rest room. But something held me back. Then I remembered, I'm supposed to have a catheter, so I don't need to get up. Dozed off and on until I was next in the hospital room with my wife.

DJ

Ray,
You are normal. There would be something wrong with you if you didn't have some anxiety. You know you made the right decision.
In addition to the items Geezer said, I'd add:
Pay your bills and do the mail, clean up your bedroom and make sure you have a clear path to the bathroom. Set up a night table for your stuff. Get some books from the library- read something you were supposed to in High School. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was a good choice for me.

When they start that IV drip you will have the best sleep imaginable. It is great. And when you wake up, your pen*s will be gone. Sleep tight. ;-)
Good luck,
Jeff

Hi Mate,
I'd never had surgery or even seen the inside of a hospital before
as a patient and was pretty nervous.
They wheeled me in, my BP was 200 over something (normally 125) and he said
he was going to start the drip. Next thing I remember I was in recovery.
The surgery was nowhere as bad as I thought, and I'm a total coward.

I ws shuffling round the ward the next day and got the train home the day after that.
Good luck, you'll be fine,
Cheers
Mike

Ray

So glad you took our advice.  Nothing like a good night's sleep.

Carl

Great, Ray.........with better sleep, you'll be less frazzled and anxious, relatively speaking. Now that you know it works as a sleep aid, you might experiment with one in the AM after taking a PM dose. A day, perhaps, when you know you will be home and not working. That way, you'll get a sense of how it might help you the morning of the 13th when you'll naturally be on more of a "high alert".

Arnie in DE

LOL, oh trust me, they will wake you up plenty in pre-op getting you ready to knock you out. Glad the meds are taking some of the edge and anixety out of the process for you. Soon this will be behind you and you will be on the recovery side.

Neal

Trust me - get the meds - even just one at night will help you sleep and has a calming effect during the day - if you dare too take two it would be lalal land

good luck - you'll do fine - where are you having yours done?

Ray

 

wishing you pleasant thoughts and dreams as the days count down - it almost becomes a before and after stage

- I didn't sleep much at all the day of my surgery - we had to be there at 6am - for surgery at 8am
- was given a cup of mixed meds to swallow once in hospital gown and walked down long aisle -they walked me into the operating room and lay down on the table - got the I.V. tube set up - and before you could say "jack spratt" I was out without knowing it was happening
- and then woke up about 2-1/2 hours later in recovery - and once I was set up in my hospital room they had me up with my new friend, the catheter and bag - and I called my companion at home at noon!

-once again - pleasant thoughts and freedom from cancer

Hey Ray, good luck tomorrow..........I'll be thinking about you. One more time for old times' sake------"you'll be in good hands with Lee/HUP". Did you find out what time your surgery is scheduled? And, echoing Herophilus, have someone post for you to let us know how you're doing. But you should be back home at some point on the 14th, so perhaps you'll let us know in person! Take care-----

 

Arnie in DE

Ray

Glad you took the advise.  I am sure you will find that the surgery will be non-eventful.

Good Luck.

Jeff T