your thoughts...

[Guest guest]

,

I enjoy reading your messages. You certainly seem well informed.

I'm scheduled for surgery 27 July. I saw what you've written

to/about and that attorney... Lundquist (sp?). Since

you had your surgery after 's death, I have to ask...did you

have any second thoughts?

I had a lapcholy a few years ago. There was no question with my gall

bladder surgery that I wanted the procedure. The acute attacks were

frightening and extremely painful. And while I knew there were risks

with the surgery, I was not overly concerned about 'waking up'. And,

to some extent I was blissfully unaware of the frequency of

complications.

For some reason this time, death is all I can think about. I think

this is partly because part of me sees this surgery as

elective/cosmetic. (That is to say I have this little voice in my

head that says - if I just ate differently and exercised, I wouldn't

need it. And, since there's no acute pain or known comorbidities, am

I really in some kind of danger?) Rationally, I know that my extra

100+ pounds could cause a heart attack or other myriad of health

problems - today - that I'd be faced to deal with. I already have

mild elevation of BP, lipidemia, reflux, joint pain, etc. I

definitely want a better quality of life. Maybe because obesity is

such an insidious disease, it's harder to 'believe' that this surgery

is just as important to my health and wellbeing - long term.

So, I guess what I'm trying to say is...I'd be very interested to

know your feelings those 2 weeks prior to surgery. Did you have any

misgivings or anxiety attacks?

One other question...

I tend to get myself worked up rather nicely before nerve-racking

experiences. I don't know if my surgery will be in the morning or

not. Do you know if Dr. R will prescribe Valium (or something) to

keep the tension manageable?

I look forward to seeing more about your progress and your response.

Kind regards,

Debbie