My way of coping with cancelled treatment from coronavirus

[Violet159]

This might sound silly I'm not sure, I just thought I'd share in case it helps anyone!

Like lots of people, I've had surgery cancelled after a long wait and although in my head I appreciate the importance of them cancelling it's been difficult to get my emotions in check. Things have been whisked away at the last minute and there's little certainty when they can be rearranged - could be 3 months, 6 months, a year or longer depending on how long this virus lasts for. I've been finding it hard to get a handle on my anxiety and misery, no matter how many times I reminded myself that it's important.

So what I've been doing is visualising it as if it's my choice. I close my eyes and imagine going into the hospital and having a doctor come up and say "you can have the surgery now, but this person will die. Or you can wait (say, 1 year) and save their life." I try to imagine someone who I know is vulnerable, like my friend with severe asthma. Of course we would all choose to delay the op to save their life, and somehow thinking about it in this way makes me feel better about it. It reminds me that no matter how much I need the relief, of course I want to save lives more. Like hell yeah I'll put up with the pain to save that person! While it's horrible waiting in pain it's something I'm more than happy to do when it's to save lives. That's the decision being taken by hospitals right now, and for me, framing it as if I have a say helps me come to terms with the cancellation and makes me feel in control. We all support the decision being made to cancel the surgeries, and I find it helps emotionally to remind myself that I would make the exact same decision if it was up to me! I find myself content to be waiting longer as I know it's a sacrifice we're all making for a very good reason, instead of having my anxiety and misery going through the roof over it.

I know this might sound a bit weird, but it's just to feel more in control and it's helped me a lot with my anxiety about the situation over the last week so I hope someone finds it helpful

Sending love to you all xx

[Moon_maiden]

Very good way of looking at it, still must be hard re cancellations.

Hopefully if they are using the private hospitals now for NHS that will continue to play catch up after and reduce times.

Hope you manage to keep the pain under control

In a few months I’ll probably know if I’ll need another op.

[Linley]

Lovely sentiment hope there are more like you. I am sure we will get through this if we pull together. Bless you x

[Pinkyandthebrain]

This is really wonderful, and a great way of looking at things. I hope more people will be able to reframe things in this way; and I hope you get another date for your surgery when this is all over! ❤️ Xx

[Username12345678]

I think this is one of the most helpful things I’ve read in the last few days. We could use that advice for many things at the moment. Thank you for sharing and I’m visualising you with no pain and a fast rebooked op. 😃 take care x

[Endobex]

I posted something similar on the facebook site! It was full of people moaning about their cancelled surgeries, understandable, but selfish in these times. Mine has been cancelled, I just look at it as having given my bed to someone who's dying and think of that when I'm in so much pain. We will not die. I had several back saying their mental health is so bad because of it, that they may die as they cant live any longer with it.... very worrying, but i do understand, my pain is not 24/7 every day of the month, its 24/7 about 14 days of the month, so I do get some respite. Also full.of people wanting to be sent home from work because they are high risk, some thinking it's an auto-immune disease that lowers their immunity! Absolute rubbish!

[Hoopy587]

What a truly wonderful, lovely & heartwarming post when there is so much craziness going on around us! Xx

[Run4ever]

thank you and useful point which i will try! Just had my salpingectomy postponed and he has an 8 month wait before Covid19 began. So feeling at my lowest as cant even have IVF until recovered from that