To cancel the surgery tomorrow? I'm scared

[trytrytry]

I've had lots of dodgy symptoms for a while(over 10 years) and they are getting worse.
My gynaecologist thinks I have endometriosis.
I'm booked in for a diagnostic laparoscopy tomorrow.
I'm terrified and I feel sick already.
I don't want to have it incase I don't wake up.
I've had my pre op and they say I'm perfectly healthy to have it.
I'm having bowel and bladder symptoms and bleeding after sex.
My smear was normal and swabs etc
It's a day surgery so I can come home same day.
My gf says if it won't kill me don't have the lap.
What do I do ?

Oh yes. The waking up bit. Let me sleep damn it! It only feels like 30 seconds ago I was drifting off. Leave me be.

Thank you everyone so much for all your advice.
I honestly really appreciate it and got a bit teary.
Il pop on again in the morning if that's ok if anyone is around and not busy.
Just before I go in.
They haven't called yet to give me a time.
Hope it's not too late.

Does it just feel like your falling to sleep?
In my head it feels like I'm getting the lethal injection

Yep, you just drift off. Really nice feeling. Let them know you are anxious and they will do all they can to calm you. It can be a little noisy in the anaesthetic room as you will be on a monitor and your blood pressure will be being taken automatically every now and then on the machine. In a way, it is a little bit sensory overload so the drifting off to sleep is quite nice.

Another one telling you to go ahead! You will be fine, honestly, and it's very important that you get the endo confirmed. They'll remove as much as they can and once you've recovered you need to do a bit of research into any dietary/lifestyle changes you can make to minimise recurrence and try balance your hormones (endo feeds of estrogen).

I had a lap a few years ago to remove a cyst and look for endo (turns out I just had lots of c section scar tissue) and there was a woman in my ward who, like you, was very nervous and scared. They gave her something to relax her and she was happy & chilled by the time they took her down to surgery. All the staff looking after you before, during and after the surgery will be understanding so tell them how you are feeling! Complications of the kind that concern you are very very rare, and the fact you are having minimally invasive surgery should reassure you. You'll be fine fine fine x

Glad you’re going, by tomorrow evening it’ll all be done and dusted

I shit myself royally before general anaesthetic, just the thought of it. BUT the staff will understand and be reassuring.

For me it feels like pins and needles in my face then I’m out. I wake up like feeling bloody superwoman and feel like I could run a marathon (maybe the adrenaline?).

Anaesthetic can knock you about for a few days after though, you might tire easily or feel a bit weepy but it’s all normal and not at all bad really.

Obv it's up to you but I feel soooo much better after my lap for endo symptoms. It's honestly changed my life. Yep recovery was longer than I hoped but I'd do it again tomorrow if I needed it x

Tell the anaesthetist how worried you are when they see you before the surgery. They are used to people being scared.

I have a fear of general anaesthetic (loss of control, fear of not waking up) and I had to have one recently. I was petrified. Telling the anaesthetist was really helpful - they explained I was having a short procedure with 'light' anaesthetic and why the scenarios I was worried about were not really relevant to the type of anaesthetic I was having.

When they wheeled me into the anaesthetic room I was completely panicked and rambling. They quickly gave me a drug to relax me which really helped reduce my anxiety.

It wasn't like going to sleep, it was like just feeling more and more relaxed and unconcerned, and then waking up in recovery. I noticed when they gave me the injection to put me to sleep and I honestly didn't care at all by then - I just thought "oh that is sneaky, they have distracted me talking about holidays!"

you can do this, try to step away from google other than to order yourself post surgery treats!

They've just called and said they want me there for 7.30 am and I'm on the morning list.
They said I should be home after lunch time.

I'm sure you'll be absolutely fine OP. I've had at least 8 laparoscopies and it's been very straightforward.
This time tomorrow you'll be home enjoying a cup of tea or something stronger!

Your symptoms sounds awful and must be hard to live with.

Your gf 'advice' is worse than unhelpful as what's she's saying is probably making you think that it's something you should go on living with and that have the procedure isn't really necessary, when clearly it is.

Of course you'll wake up. You'll know nothing about what's happening to you and then you'll be awake and it'll be over.

I've had many, many operations, the vast majority have been gynecological and I've obviously woken up after every one.

The anesthetist is incredibly skillful and your procedure is very routine. Of course you're going to feel nervous and fearful, especially if you've never been through anything like this before but you need to get to the bottom of this and start getting yourself treated. This is the first step to that.

Just think, all this worry, but tomorrow night you'll be at home again. If you put it off now, the chances are your symptoms will just get worse, as clearly they're not going to go away on their own, and you will probably be going through the same worry a year or so down the line.

Don't cancel, you'll be doing yourself no favours.

Just seen your update. So this time tomorrow you'll be home.

Please have the surgery. I had a lap and it was fine, really the most straightforward thing in the world. Actually the anaesthetic was lovely, I felt like I had had the best sleep in ages. It's not like years ago with the black gas mask. They just put a canula in your hand, and talk to you while they do the injection (which you will know nothing about) and what seems like 30 seconds later you will be waking up from a lovely sleep.

Also the very tiny scars are now completely invisible. It's amazing.

I can honestly totally relate , I had to be put to sleep in late April and I drove myself crazy googling stories and had this constant panic in my stomach , I remember saying to the nurse please make sure I wake up I've got a little boy.

I did get something before hand because I worked myself into such a state (embarrassing now but I was totally terrified) is this something you could ask about?

When you wake up you don't even remember falling asleep it's really strange, it honestly feels like you've just blinked and they're saying to you it's been done.

It's easy for us to say I know but you can do it , you'll be fine OP

trytrytry when I had my lap last year I had an overnight stay and went home the following day - I think that can happen sometimes so maybe just make sure you have an overnight bag if necessary!

Oh I hope it's not overnight :-(
They've told me to bring a dressing gown and slippers.
Really hope I'm home tomorrow

Does anyone know why I have to go to the day unit alone ?
On the letter it says there's no facilities for people to wait.

I've had a lap and it was fine, just make sure you rest afterwards.

You need the gown and slippers because you’ll be wearing a gown :)

I’ve had six of them - try not to worry, it’s really not a big deal. You’ll drift off and then you’ll wake up, you might need a bit of pain relief and then you’ll be able to go home. Make sure you’re off work for several days, I’d say at least a week - it takes a while to bounce back from the anaesthetic and you can be a bit sore.

Ask someone to pick up peppermint tea as this helps with the trapped gas in your abdomen which can cause pain in your shoulders in the day or two after the lap.

Take something baggy and comfy to wear home. An electric heat pad or hot water bottle for afterwards helps too.

You’ll be in a waiting lounge type area until you go to theatre and they just don’t have space for extra people. Take a book or something to keep you occupied as you may be waiting a few hours or longer if there are emergencies

I used to work in daycase, you will wear your dressing gown and slippers to theatre so please don’t worry I know it’s scary but you will be absolutely fine 😊

Let the nurses know when you arrive that you are really nervous and they'll usually give you a mild sedative to help calm your nerves before you go in.

You will be fine.

For trapped wind/air, I've found just slowly walking around as much as you can really relieves the pain and helps the gas to pass. I had gastric bypass 5 years ago and the two other ladies on my ward only got out of bed to pee, despite the nurses' advice. I was determined to get home asap so the day after surgery I basically got up out of bed around 10am and did a very lazy circuit of the dept floor. Repeated it at 3pm. I also got out of bed and spent all day in the chair next to my bed, reading.

Both ladies I was on the ward with had terrible gas pains and one had to be taken back to surgery to ensure there was nothing wrong internally. Neither of them, as I say, got out of bed apart from using the bathroom. They were like "How can you get out of bed, by stomach hurts, my stitches hurt". I said if you don't, it will hurt worse. I actually had very little pain (well what I would call little pain) after the op and I refused the opiate painkillers the others were begging for by evening and just had paracetamol.

Sorry not a stealth boast but just to give some advice about keeping mobile! Don't give in to the "bed rest" thing, you need to be up and moving. Are you going back to your dad's or do you live with your GF? Climbing stairs might be difficult but just do circuits of the ground floor every now and then.

Keeping mobile does help but response to gas pain is a very individual thing - I’ve had 7 keyhole surgeries and have worse gas pain each time, regardless of being mobile.