Tuesday, February 24 is the date that has been set for my AVR and possible aorta replacement surgery. I met with my surgeon last Monday and had such a tough time communicating with him, that I haven't even been able to talk about it with anyone except closest friends and family. I'm attempting to not make my grown children, aging mother and other family and friends aware of just how anxious I am, but I'm not sure how long I can keep a lid on it all.
I met with my surgeon once before and decided to go with him since he is absolutely the best in RI. My thinking was that I need him to be the best mechanic and not my friend, but that doesn't make it all that much easier to deal with his abbrasive nature. He was involved in an emergency on Monday and almost 45 minutes late for the appointment. Once he arrived, he wasn't in a mood to answer any questions--and I had brought my list! It proved to be something of a confrontation that left me almost numb.
After mulling it over all night, I began to break down at a work meeting and found it very difficult to concentrate. I'm getting better now, but it certainly took a long time to get past the fact that after months of investigation and reading seemingly endlessly what everyone on this wonderful site has to offer, I may have made a mistake.
While I've been almost asystomatic since I learned about this in a routine exam, my little indicators have increased dramatically since the run-in with my surgeon. I even considered starting over in Boston, but I also feel like I just have to get this over with--the sooner the better. My cardiologist is great, so that's a major consolation.
In the meantime, my pre-admission session is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 20, with surgery on Tuesday, Feb. 24. Has anyone else had a similiar situation? I'm uncomfortable sharing all of my anxiety with people who while sympathathitic, don't really understand what I'm feeling right now.
Jane
I met with my surgeon once before and decided to go with him since he is absolutely the best in RI. My thinking was that I need him to be the best mechanic and not my friend, but that doesn't make it all that much easier to deal with his abbrasive nature. He was involved in an emergency on Monday and almost 45 minutes late for the appointment. Once he arrived, he wasn't in a mood to answer any questions--and I had brought my list! It proved to be something of a confrontation that left me almost numb.
After mulling it over all night, I began to break down at a work meeting and found it very difficult to concentrate. I'm getting better now, but it certainly took a long time to get past the fact that after months of investigation and reading seemingly endlessly what everyone on this wonderful site has to offer, I may have made a mistake.
While I've been almost asystomatic since I learned about this in a routine exam, my little indicators have increased dramatically since the run-in with my surgeon. I even considered starting over in Boston, but I also feel like I just have to get this over with--the sooner the better. My cardiologist is great, so that's a major consolation.
In the meantime, my pre-admission session is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 20, with surgery on Tuesday, Feb. 24. Has anyone else had a similiar situation? I'm uncomfortable sharing all of my anxiety with people who while sympathathitic, don't really understand what I'm feeling right now.
Jane