were you scared................

[shanalouis]

i am really starting to get nervous about surgery! i m scared something will go wrong or i will die or something. is this normal because i am really worried now. i cant stop thinking about the what ifs. i am sooooooooooooooooooo scared. i started crying tonight , i can't believe i will do this, i dont feel prepared. i am just so terrified of not waking up. i need help............................

[shanalouis]

soooooooooo depressed!

[BracketRacket]

It's a common worry. Just know that the serious risks associated with anesthesia are usually very low, and that you will be monitored the entire time. Most people who do have problems have other underlying issues. If you are worried, you can probably arrange to meet with the anesthesiologist before the day of surgery, and hopefully that will put your mind more at ease.

Good luck!

[vincejawsurgery]

I was a little nervous not about the actual surgery but the aftermath.

The anaesthesia worked very well and I didn't feel a thing during surgery as I was asleep. However, I felt pain immediately after I woke up from the surgery and it took a few jabs of morphine to bring the pain down to a manageable level for me.

[shanalouis]

not the anesthesia i'm worried about, its the surgery itself and recovery i am worried about........has anyone ever died from jaw surgery?etc................

[vincejawsurgery]

I'm not sure if people have died during jaw surgery.

I personally think the chances are pretty low.

[chicago29]

Listen...I get that you're scared. I'm set for September 15 and I'm really scared, too.

However, I think you're doing yourself harm by thinking about the absolute worst case scenario. The fact is people die from everything, and every time you have ANY medical procedure there is always risk involved.

It doesn't even need to be something "risky". Several years ago I had a friend that was leaving work and walking to his car on a bright sunny day, and a motorist driving by had a seizure and ran him over and he was killed.

The fact is life is full of risks. All you can do is focus on the good.

[James0099]

You aren't going to die, so put that out of your mind. Trust that your surgeon will do a good job with you.

It will be fine, before you know it, it will be over. If you are nervous before the surgery at the hospital they will probably give you some drugs to calm you.

That is what happened to me, they gave me 2 doses of something to calm my nerves as I was heading into surgery. I'm not sure what it did but I couldn't even remember being knocked out or anything, just waking up in recovery.

[freakyteeth]

I agree with James, I had some anxiety prior to surgery, and they gave me something to relax. I remember nothing after that.

I was so nervous prior to surgery, I couldn't eat much and didn't sleep.

The very worst part was the nausea after general anesthesia.

[bbsadmin]

I've never had jaw surgery, but I have had 3 elective surgeries: one to fix my foot, one to fix my shoulder, and one to fix my sinuses. I felt anxiety before all of them. I think it's perfectly normal to feel that way. You have to look at the odds. The odds of you dying during surgery are extremely low, especially if you are in good health.

Waking up from surgery is never fun, but they give you pain meds which help ease you into your new situation.

Just keep your eye on the prize....that eventually it will all heal and you'll be better off for having done it. Tell yourself that you can get through it, and that time will pass, and everything will be OK.

Rent a bunch of movies you really like to help pass the time. I know that when I had my sinus surgery, I was in no mood afterward to READ anything. The TV was my best friend!

[shanalouis]

i can't wait until its all over.................

[I want to smile!]

I know exactly how you feel, and my surgery is ages away. I'm naturally neurotic and paranoid and get all these awful thoughts running through my head about what if I die, what if I wake up in surgery, what if I hate the result, blah blah blah. The most important thing to ackowledge is that you are 'just' being paranoid - ie, there is in reality very very very little chance any of these things will happen. I read an interesting article about phobias to calm my nerves of flying. I can't remember the exact wording, but it goes something like this:

First think of your worst fear - dying. Then balance that against it's likelihood - extremely unlikely. What can you do about it? Nothing, so there's no point worrying. Blunt, but true.

Then think of the next fear - pain. Then the likelihood of that - fairly high, though lots of people here have reported it was nowhere near as bad as they expected. What can you do about it? Let the nurses know your concerns and make sure they get you every drug you're allowed.

Next fear - long recovery. Likelihood unknown. What you can do aout it - think positive, arm yourself with DVDs, iPod etc.

I think the gist of the article was to get you to stop focusing on extreme situations that would be beyond your control, and focus instead on managing the more likely scenarios - ie dealing with the recovery, not worrying about things that professionals have been trained to deal with.

The last time I was this terrified was when I was pregnant with my eldest child. I know they sound like new-age nonsense, but I looked into self-hypnosis and relaxation techniques, and was surprised to find just how beneficial they were. Admittedly I still freaked during labour, but I used the techniques again with my second child and amazed myself. It's hard to explain, but it gives you a way of zoning out and taking a break from your own anxieties. I highly recommend reflexology too. I was really sceptical, but it is hugely relaxing, and even if your fears do come back at least you will have had a rest from the worry.

Good luck with it all, and let us know how you get on.

[blindboarder2008]

it is completely normal to feel anxiety and be a bit stressed out about surgery! Just remember Anesthesia has come along way and is so much more safer now then it used to be so there is very little chance that something will go wrong and if it does your team is trained for those situations! So your really in good hands!!! Just let your surgeon know or the nurse know that you scared and they'll help you and probably give you something to calm you down! Its really okay to do that!!!

You will not remember much from your surgery and probably the recovery room and just make sure you follow all of the post op care and you should be fine. Dont hesitate to ask your surgeon about anything because that is what they are there for, to make you more comfortable, and to do the surgery of course!!!!

I wish you best of luck!!!!