Jennytheonly
New member
New here, and I have so many questions I don't know where to start. So I'll say "hello".
I'm having the Ross Procedure performed by Dr. Duke Cameron at Johns Hopkins on 3/12. I'm 36, and this has been hanging over my head for over 15 years, but somehow now that it's here I'm still terrified. I've never even had stitches or broken a bone, and now I'm supposed to let someone saw my sternum in half and sew my heart like it's a piece of fabric. I know I should focus on how much better I'll feel afterward, but it's hard to get past the whole "not-breathing, not-circulating blood, no-heartbeat, chest cracked open, completely at the mercy of a stranger" part.
Anyway. I hope Dr. Cameron is good. I assumed that he must be, since he's the head of cardiothoracic surgery at Johns Hopkins, but I have no idea how to even find his success rate with the Ross Procedure. I hope he's better at surgery than he is at answering emails, anyway.
I just made my appointment for my pre-op appt today. I started crying on the phone. I cried earlier this week at the dentist's office, when I had to tell him that I need him to check for infection because I'm having surgery soon. I never cry, so it's scary to have this little control over myself, and I don't know what to do to get over my fear of this surgery. They're going to have to tranquilize me as soon as I get to the hospital. :-/
I"m scared of the surgery, I'm scared of waking up with tubes in my chest, I'm scared of having the tubes in my chest removed, I'm scared of having a urinary catheter put in, and I'm scared of having it removed. I'm scared of being in the hospital and poked and prodded for 5 days, and I'm considering doing the at-home prep for a colonoscopy just to make sure that there's no chance I'll have to poop in a bed pan.
I'm sorry, I know I sound like a crazy person. At least it'll be over in ... 11 days.
I'm having the Ross Procedure performed by Dr. Duke Cameron at Johns Hopkins on 3/12. I'm 36, and this has been hanging over my head for over 15 years, but somehow now that it's here I'm still terrified. I've never even had stitches or broken a bone, and now I'm supposed to let someone saw my sternum in half and sew my heart like it's a piece of fabric. I know I should focus on how much better I'll feel afterward, but it's hard to get past the whole "not-breathing, not-circulating blood, no-heartbeat, chest cracked open, completely at the mercy of a stranger" part.
Anyway. I hope Dr. Cameron is good. I assumed that he must be, since he's the head of cardiothoracic surgery at Johns Hopkins, but I have no idea how to even find his success rate with the Ross Procedure. I hope he's better at surgery than he is at answering emails, anyway.
I just made my appointment for my pre-op appt today. I started crying on the phone. I cried earlier this week at the dentist's office, when I had to tell him that I need him to check for infection because I'm having surgery soon. I never cry, so it's scary to have this little control over myself, and I don't know what to do to get over my fear of this surgery. They're going to have to tranquilize me as soon as I get to the hospital. :-/
I"m scared of the surgery, I'm scared of waking up with tubes in my chest, I'm scared of having the tubes in my chest removed, I'm scared of having a urinary catheter put in, and I'm scared of having it removed. I'm scared of being in the hospital and poked and prodded for 5 days, and I'm considering doing the at-home prep for a colonoscopy just to make sure that there's no chance I'll have to poop in a bed pan.
I'm sorry, I know I sound like a crazy person. At least it'll be over in ... 11 days.