How do you deal with Panic?

[Ged1975]

I'm sure you're all fed up to the teeth with me posting threads about panic and fear. But I'm just wondering if you'd like to share tips or techniques which you use to deal with panic and fear?

For example I have to get a root canal done next week and I'm terrified that i'll have a panic attack.

Today has not been a good day for me emotionally, I was reading a post earlier from a user who went into the details of OHS, such as stopping the heart and cutting stuff etc......an overwhelming feeling of fear came over me as I'll be facing a valve replacement operation very soon. I really don't know how I'm gonna be able to do it. Even as I type now I'm getting butterflies in my stomach and my legs are turning to jelly.

Thanks for listening

Best wishes

Gerard

 

[pop]

hey gerard,
know the feeling all to well. got the word 10 days i'm going to need an aortic valve replacement, probably in late jan. i can't sleep past about 3 am and wake up in a literal sweat. i do better after i get up, but still feel queasy most of the day. i have no symptoms which makes the whole thing seem unreal. got a meeting with my cardio on monday and a surgeon in 10 days. i'm hoping for a little help from both. this site, which i discovered day before yesterday helps. knowing you are not alone seems to ease the tension some. guess all you can do is just do........pop

 

[Ged1975]

knowing you are not alone seems to ease the tension

I agree with you there. Best of look with the surgery and hopefully both of us will come through it with flying colours.

 

[Bina]

I was a total nervous wreck also....even after surgery, my scar freaked me out and I had to have a home nurse come in a couple of times a week to check on me. This went on for a period of several weeks. Stupid me, I was even too scared to take an Ativan....Most people just bounce right back, I'm sure you guys will be in that category.

 

[Ged1975]

I was a total nervous wreck also....even after surgery, my scar freaked me out and I had to have a home nurse come in a couple of times a week to check on me. This went on for a period of several weeks. Stupid me, I was even too scared to take an Ativan....Most people just bounce right back, I'm sure you guys will be in that category.

Did they give you anything to relax after surgery?

 

[Bina]

The week before surgery i was given 7 pills of Ativan in case I started to freak out at the last minute. No chance of that, they called me in 2 days early. That was great!
After surgery, I should have taken some, but I was worried about pills....I just hate taking anything.

 

[Ged1975]

The week before surgery i was given 7 pills of Ativan in case I started to freak out at the last minute. No chance of that, they called me in 2 days early. That was great!
After surgery, I should have taken some, but I was worried about pills....I just hate taking anything.

Me too Bina, I'm terrified of interactions with other meds.

 

[Bina]

I just hate pills, period. I've never even taken an extra strength Tylenol.

 

[skeptic49]

Hi Gerard,

We're all in the same boat, or have been. You're not alone.

One thing I do when I get a panic attack is to immediately do something that takes my mind off of what made me panicky. Usually it happens to me at night and I get up and go into the other room and turn on the computer and start surfing and pretty soon, I feel better.

Hope this helps,

Jim

 

[escargome]

I'm sure you're all fed up to the teeth with me posting threads about panic and fear. But I'm just wondering if you'd like to share tips or techniques which you use to deal with panic and fear?

For example I have to get a root canal done next week and I'm terrified that i'll have a panic attack.

Today has not been a good day for me emotionally, I was reading a post earlier from a user who went into the details of OHS, such as stopping the heart and cutting stuff etc......an overwhelming feeling of fear came over me as I'll be facing a valve replacement operation very soon. I really don't know how I'm gonna be able to do it. Even as I type now I'm getting butterflies in my stomach and my legs are turning to jelly.

Thanks for listening

Best wishes

Gerard

Gerard,
I'm lucky in that respect. I usually don't freak about anything. Prior to my surgery, my husband was the one who was ultra worried. I have a very strong faith in the Lord. I also tried to envision how I would be able to do all the fun things in my life that my silly aortic valve was stopping me from doing. I saw myself not getting short of breath or feeling sluggish. Just try to work your brain into a happy place. Envision yourself somewhere warm and sunny and with lots of cabana girls. If all else fails, go to your doctor and get some Ativan or Valium. Just something to take the edge off.

 

[Nupur]

Hi Gerard,

So sorry that you are going through this. I am not close to surgery but I still go through numerous panic attacks. For a while, I stopped reading this forum because everything I read made me panicked, every symptom I read about I imagined in myself. I have it somewhat under control now, but I still can't read the post-surgery board : )

Xanax has really helped me and I always take it when I know things are going to spiral out of control.

Good luck!

Nupur

 

[Freddie]

I think Chris is right, you have to find and go to a happy place and relax the breathing.

 

[Jane E]

Gerard-
I have been reading this site all day--my first 24 hours here. You are doing everything right and perfect. You are reaching out and this looks like just the place. I'll be on your team too.
Janie

 

[VikiVix]

panic

panic

Hi
I had OHS two years ago to replace my aortic valve and yes, I was panicked but I knew the surgery was giving me a second chance at life, a healthier heart, and many more positive things. God will be there with you and the surgeons to make sure you will be just fine. All those fears you have and face will pass as you progress. After surgery it's good to get cardiac rehab if it's offered where you are so you can not only rehabilitate but also be with others who have had the same experiences.
This website you are at now is the best for any questions, encouragement,etc.
We're all in this life experience together.
Viki

 

[halleyg]

I can completely relate, I had two OHS in one year, and the whole year felt like one giant panic attack! I took ativan (I, too, hate taking drugs but hated the panic more.. even if I only took 1/2 it would help), and I also eventually learned to take giant breaths, big inhales and exhales slowly, 5-10 times. Someone else mentioned doing something else which I would also recommend. Start cooking something, walk to the mailbox, or also if you can, lay down and close your eyes, while taking the deep breaths. Good luck with everything, I know this is a difficult time but before you know it, you'll be on the other side of things.. I was convinced there was no way I could have the surgery w/out freaking out completely, but both surgeries, the day-of I was strangely calm.

 

[Dina]

I agree that the benzodiazepines like xanax and ativan can help..they do.
BUT they are potentially dangerous in their ability to make you physically
dependent.You do not need to take them for very long or in large quantities
to become dependent,and then you will have a worse problem than your
original anxiety. I have always had anxiety-I think I was born this way...
hyper(!) I have been told that reiki may be beneficial,I am not sure,but
I know one thing that does help(besides drugs) is exercise...if your anxiety
is like mine it feels like excess adrenaline zooming thru your system all at
once,and exercise can help work it off. But if it has to do with a phobia
or fear, it may help to try to find out if their is an underlying cause thru
therapy. I am not really sure of why it happens with me either,but exercise
can help.
I was going to send this PM to you but figured others may want to see
this also(?)
Wishing you the best,and know exactly how you feel-

BTW- Is your anxiety only assoctated with medical procedures?
Or does it happen at other times as well?
And is this new or recent?-Dina

 

[Alerion]

Oh Man, this is fast becoming my favorite topic - right after planning what my wife and i will be doing after it's all over. I'm a generally positive guy but two and a half weeks ago, I hadn't a care in the world and now - OHS! I haven't been through what a lot of folks here have - yet. But it is certainly coming so a buit of panic was inevitable. I have been losing a little sleep - ok a lot of sleep- but I'm dealing with it (I know this sounds corny) by just accepting it. I KNOW they're gonna strip me, shave me in places only my wife and college roommate shaved me (I was passed out!), I KNOW they're going to do unpleasant things to me while I'm out and probably while I'm awake; I KNOW this is going to suck worse than sitting through Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants part 2 but I also KNOW this "misery" is sooo short-lived when measured against the fullness of my life so far and the life to come that this operation will give me. Sure it's a **** hand we've been dealt but, considering how successful the outcomes are for this, I just try to remember I got lucky.

Btw, I got a script for Xanax from my doc and used it for a day or so but it really didn't help. I just needed to come to terms with this, accept that it is going to happen and be thankful for the science that makes it possible. By all means though, ask your doc if he thinks a mild drug would help you sleep and relax.

I can't wait until this is all over and I'm home again. Unfortunately, my wife can be a merciless sadist and I'll doubtless be watching a lot of chick flicks for the first few weeks I'm home, at least until I'm strong enough to fight Heidi for the remote. That, my friend, makes me a little panicky. Still, I couldn't ask for a better place to panic than this forum.
Stay cool. We're all going to see the other side of this.

David

 

[Jkm7]

You are so normal and so like almost all the rest of us. It is the rare person who can face and endure heart surgery without a bit (a lot) of anxiety. We'd worry about you more if you were calm as a cucumber but,,,,,,,, truly, most of us agree the wait is the worst part.

I had my second OHS in four years last February. I did not know how I would force myself to walk through the doors of the hospital and submit to it again but you just do what you have to do.

Do not hesitate to tell your doctors if you think you need chemical help. That is why these drugs exist. They will not give you Rx for something that interacts poorly with any other meds you are taking.

You need to rest and you need to get to the best place your head can go to face this. It is hugely successful and VERY do-able. When it is all over, you'll probably agree the wait was the worst of the whole ordeal.

In the meantime, we are here for you. WE all understand, we've been there and only someone who has walked the walk can truly understand. Heart surgery is not like any other surgery IMO...... Valvers are the luckiest (and not so lucky) folks. Where would we be if this surgery were not available to us?

 

[kfay]

Gerard, First off, for the root canal, ask your dentist if he has nitrous oxide (laughing gas) and if he does, use it and tell him to crank it. It will make the root canal much easier to deal with. By the way, I HATE dentists and just had one root canal right before Christmas and am getting another next week with the crown work to follow. I also cheat and take half a xanax before I go.

As for the panic before OHS, I think most of us who have been through it will tell you that this time before is SOOO much worse than the actual event itself. If you can make it through them getting an IV in your arm, you won't have time to panic because they will give you such good drugs it just won't matter. If reading certain things on here are making feel more anxiety, just stay away from them. The things that people post on here are meant to help you, not cause you more anxiety. Some people (I am one of them) want to know every last dirty detail beforehand, others don't.

I'll share with you a couple of things my psychologist who specializes in helping people deal with medical issues told me. First, she drew the numbers 1 - 10 on a line. She said the anxiety and panic that are at the 8-10 range are reserved for truly catastrophic events such as Hurricane Katrina or the Tsunami. Most people, in their life, will never experience something that should cause them that amount of anxiety. Numbers 6-8 are reserved for the loss of a close loved one and most people will experience about 3 such events in their life. Numbers 1-5, are for all of the other experiences in our life, including OHS, which we will all experience many of. She drew this scale on the back of her business card that I keep in my wallet. Whenever I feel my anxiety rising, I look at it and realize whatever is happening is no where near a 10 and it helps me put things in perspective. She also had me promise to limit my time on the internet searching for information about my condition to 2 days a week (that was a huge decrease for me) for only an hour each day. I found that when I spend all this time reading stuff, some of which is very old and not very favorable for my condition, I could just feel my whole body tightening up. Sometimes I break that promise, but for the most part, I try and keep it. I hope some of these ideas may help you, if not, reach for the xanax!

I promise you will be fine.

Kim

 

[bit of a chicken]

good luck Gerard, you will get through this, keep reading, use this site and keep positive. If I was were u are I would take the drugs !! After three c/sections I can heartily say morphine just great ! Not that c/section compares with OHS but may best wishes to you. Use the drugs, they are there to help , as jkm 7 says, all the best , bit of a chicken