Date for surgery and all very real now!

[DebbiB28]

Well my date for surgery has finally come around. I'm due to go into the Brompton next Wednesday for surgery to repair a hole in the heart and to redivert two veins which are in the wrong place! Has anyone else had a similar experience? I would love to hear from you and of course any of the great advice and support I read daily on here. I must admit that although I know this is necessary and will beneficial, can't help but feel terrified! Thank you.

[DD13]

Hi,

I can't really say a lot other than its a Human instinct that we all have, is to worry. It's ok for others to say don't think about it, but we all do. And we never think of the good, it's always the bad side of things we think about. All I can say is that it is an operation that you need to have done to make you feel better. And I await your post, to let us know how you got on.

Regards Dee.

[DebbiB28 in reply to DD13]

Thank you for responding. I will certainly update!

[IanGordon]

I still recall that it was not until my letter arrived with my surgery date that reality kicked in and I had a bit of a wobble; a weird emotional cocktail of fear, relief and anxiety. Open Heart Surgery felt anything but routine but I had come to terms with reality that the gains would outweigh the statistical risk.

5 months on, I have a brand new bioprosthetic aortic valve and vastly improved quality of life.

Yes, you will worry and your creative brain will maybe extrapolate the worst.

For me the reality was that virtually every aspect of the experience was no where near as bad as I imagined, with post op pain not nearly as bad as anticipated.

I also found being well informed supported my coping mechanism so use this forum together with your cardiology team to field any questions you may still have.

Try to focus not just on the op date but to your recovery and beyond. The first couple of weeks will be a dip and feel like going backwards to go forwards but this will soon pass as the body mends and you begin to regain energy and mobility.

Good luck.

[DebbiB28 in reply to IanGordon]

Thank you for responding. It's just fear of the unknown I guess. All your comments have helped.

[jimmyq]

When you start to worry, remember these replies and imagine how good you are going to feel in a year's time.

[DebbiB28 in reply to jimmyq]

These replies certainly do help. So much support given.