Is anyone else unable to concentrate / feeling paralysed while waiting for a surgery date?

[Kimii]

After years of investigations they have finally found out what the issue is and I’m awaiting a surgery date at some point over the next few months. It’s going to be a big surgery with a long recovery but as well as that it represents a huge milestone to me.

The problem I’m having is that I know the surgery will be taking place at some point in the next few months but I don’t know when. Every day I feel as though I’m paralysed and just waiting for the phone to ring. I can’t focus on work, I can’t start any tasks. I just don’t feel as though I can focus until I know when the date is and can plan my life around it accordingly. I’m wasting my day and getting behind in my work due to all the procrastination.

I’m not at all anxious about the surgery itself, I’d have it tomorrow if I could. I think a part of it is simply being anxious to want to get it booked in and done as soon as possible because I’ve been so desperate for the health issue to be sorted.

The surgery booking team and the surgeon’s secretary are lovely when I speak to them but they can’t offer me any promises, which I totally understand. I just need to wait, but waiting is so hard right now.

Is this normal? Is anyone else in the same boat?

I can understand how you feel. I hope you get the call soon and have the surgery and your health issues get sorted.

I am having urgent surgery next week, possibly another operation after that, depending on biopsy results and findings.

Bless you . I hope you get the call soon but in the meantime please keep as distracted as you can. Easier said than done I know.
Good luck 💕

Thank you @Mojitosaremyfavourite and best of luck to you too.

I really want to call the waiting list team again but don’t want to be ‘that’ person as I know there’s nothing they can do. It’s just so hard not having any control in it all.

Absolutely understaffed, having gone through this recently it's way easier working to a date rather than it hanging on a phonecall.

If its bad, try to take things minute by minute, or in ten minutes chunks , I found doing mindfulness exercises helpful in finding myself level again.

Try to plan in distractions and do work in 10 minute burst followed by a two minute break, stretch, go outside, make a drink.

Accept that you are preoccupied right now because you have bigger shit going on, talk to people you trust about how you are feeling.

This waiting won't be forever, try to plan something nice in the next few days and focus your energy on that.

I understand, not understaffed!

How long have you know it was coming?
I get like this after a ‘trauma’, waiting to see if it’ll happen again, it’s one way my anxiety shows itself.
I do find it fades away again after a period of time.

I imagine they are quite understaffed too, so when I read your post I didn’t even realise it was a typo!

Accept that you are preoccupied right now because you have bigger shit going on

Gosh this resonates so much. There are more important things in life and my health and everything associated it is one of those things. I’ve been fiercely dedicated to my career for the past decade and so for this to have come up and knocked me sideways has been difficult.

It sounds odd but I get a burst of focus around this time each day because I think to myself that they won’t call at this time.

Sorry I forgot to answer your question :) I've known something was up for a number of years but to actually have the surgery confirmed only a few weeks.

Have barely been able to do a scrap of work today

Bless you . My surgery is now cancelled despite it being urgent as I have Covid.