Bollocks to it, just going to post now.

[doddy]

My op isn't for a few days yet, but I'm thinking about it right now, so may as well vent right now as well.

Basically, I have mixed feelings. A lot of the time, I don't think about it and.. oh sh*t, forgotten my arnica today. Dammit. It's literally taken me this post to remember that. Oh well, it should be OK if I take a couple now.

Anyway, where was I? Yeah, basically most of the time the op isn't even in my head.. but then I have this sudden thought: "On Wednesday, I will be in surgery for this." It's truly bizarre. I go through the same thought process every single f*cking time:

Remember I've got surgery --> think "f*ck, I don't want to do it" --> think "no wait, I have to, life will be better for it"

Thankfully, I come to the third stage quite quickly. I dunno though, I'm still very apprehensive. I'm only 18 (boohoo), doing it by myself (my mum has enough on her plate right now, I really don't want to worry her any further if possible), and never had any sort of surgery before.

I KNOW I won't wake up during it or whatever, but still. Hmmmm. It's weird - the bit I'm worried about most BY FAR is actually going up to the front desk at the Priory and saying "Hi, my name is _________ and I'm here for surgery with Mr. Levick". I'm packing myself at that. I can't help but feel that the people will be judging me etc. I'm dreading meeting nurses.. argh. Weird. If I could get away with it, I'd just have Levick and his wife know.

But I've got to f*cking do this. I have the rest of my life ahead of me, university next year etc etc. I'm rambling and pretty much talking to myself.. but I think it's made me feel better.

Any comments / words of assurance etc would be welcomed.

[RRB]

There has been so many surgeries performed that the nurses and front desk people dont even bat an eyelid at you.  They are very professional.  There is absolutely nothing to worry about in that respect.  

The other feelings you are having are the same as probably 99.9% of the rest of the people that had the op including myself.  Cant help you there just tough it out and you will be happier in the long run, I wish i got it done at 18  :-/

[Grandpa Bambu]

There has been so many surgeries performed that the nurses and front desk people dont even bat an eyelid at you.  They are very professional.  There is absolutely nothing to worry about in that respect.  

The other feelings you are having are the same as probably 99.9% of the rest of the people that had the op including myself.  Cant help you there just tough it out and you will be happier in the long run, I wish i got it done at 18  :-/

Ditto...

[sydneyc]

Doddy,

Your concerns are all legit in the sense that you should not add to your angst that you feel these things and no-one else does. We all do, so you  are completely normal - more in fact, as it shows you are able to recognise other factors beyond your immediate situation. So you should not be critical of yourself, rather the opposite.

With respect to the nurses and staff, as others have said, these are very professional people who recognise exactly why you are doing this and will not be in the slightest criitical or judgemental of you. Nor will they hide a snigger at the situation. Believe me, in my line of work, I have seen self-centred idiots with issues 100 times more sensitive than ours walk into private clinics and not be met with laughing staff etc. If anyone thinks anything to your situation, it will be that they are going to help you get on with your life. End of story.

To echo someone else's comment, I wish I had done this at 18 and not still be waiting to go in at 37. So you are doing the right thing and in just a few weeks you'll be back out there and in good shape. Just right for uni, in fact.

Finally, well done for posting your thoughts - just at times it seems the internet can be a great thing!

Best wishes

SC

[sydneyc]

My God - my post distorted as I wrote it - the line should have read "Nor will they hide a s-n-i-g-g-e-r at the situation" but the board mis-read the variation of "to laugh" as something more sinister.

S

[uk_bloke]

doddy ,

dont think people are judging you , i personnally believe that the nurses respect us for actually having the balls to get it sorted out.

and your only 18, mate what i would give to have got rid of them at your age (34 now).

as for the actual surgery i think its human nature to be more worried about having non-necessary corrective private surgery than it would be to be having, for example , a hernia operation at your local nhs hospital on the advice of the consultant there.
and the team at the priory are (imho) better than any youd find on the nhs.
i havent worded that very well ,so i hope you get what i mean.

good luck

[AJP]

Doddy mate,

Every single thing you mentioned struck a chord with me, as I'm sure it did RRB, Uk Bloke etc. I was just the same as you - not thinking about the op at all then it just crosses your mind for a split second. I too forgot to take my arnica. I didn't start taking it until a couple of days before the op!

You do right in getting it off your chest (so to speak!) especially if you're going it alone.

What you have to remind yourself is that the ladies in reception, the anaesthetist, Mr Levick, the nurses and the porters do this every day as their job. They will look after you from start to finish. Embarrasment just doesn't come into it with these people. You'll suss that out within 10 minutes of being there.

If you ask me, you are thinking clearly and logically, and any concerns at this point are just natural. Just do things as much by the book as you can and you'll be fine. There's nothing you mentioned that any of us here haven't felt before.

All the best.

[doddy]

Thanks a lot everyone.

I think I just need to keep it in perspective that this is their daily job, as you pointed out.

By the way, I haven't totally forgotten my arnica - I only forgot it yesterday. Gulped two pills before bed to try make up for it :-/

I'm sure it should be fine though. I can definitely appreciate what some of you have been saying about how it's good to get it done at my comparitively young age.

Levick said this to me at consultation as well. Not just because I'd be getting it out of the way, but as a fit (ish) and healthy "youngster", I should be a good healer.

I remember being apprehensive about the embarrassment at my consultation too. It was just being somewhere that I knew people knew, it felt weird. Literally no one I know knows - seriously. I cover these things (literally and figuratively speaking ) up well.

.. Right.

[John1984]

Hi Doddy

I can really relate to how you feel, as I'm about your age (i'm 20) and i'm now 4 days post-op.  So i was where you are only a few days ago.

Seriously dude, my advice to you would be - enjoy it!!  I know this may sound weird, but from the moment i arrived at the hospital to the moment i left, i had a really good time!  Granted, i was bricking it before i got there, but the nurses were so nice, and i was made to feel very comfortable and at-ease.

About 45 minutes before the op, they gave me some Lorazepam, which was WICKED.  I just couldn't stop laughing at everything and i felt really high.  I was laughing in the anaesthatist's room and chatting away.
When i woke up i was in NO PAIN whatsoever.  I felt sleepy and happy and the nurses were on call to bring me anything i wanted.  The only time i felt slightly uncomfortable around the nurses was when i had to call them in the night to take away my urine.  But they've all done it 10,000 times before.

So yeah, seriously man, enjoy it.  I know i did.  You'll be grand.

[Yorkshireman]

Relax mate, theres nothing to be embrassed about when you go for the op, they deal with tons of people and I dont think they actually think anything about the patients, just be yourself and all will be well.

I did my op alone, and to date no-one has clicked on!The hardest bit was explaining where I was going for a few days, but Im sure you have your alibi worked out!

Be prepared, take lots to read, avoid garlic, take the arnica, be prepared for LOTs of hanging about, its just the way it goes Im afraid, and also be prepared for a bit of discomfort, nothing major though....

Incidentally, how are you funding it, as I imagine at just 18 £3655 is a fair bit of csh to gather....

Chill and enjoy the experience!

[doddy]

I robbed a bank.












































Not really. I made friends with Richard Branson.



I lie.




























.. A wealthy distant relative died a few years ago. There you have it. I'm very lucky in that respect.

[doddy]

In an optimistic mood, so thought I should just post now for me to refer back to when I start having doubts:

[size=20]CANNOT BLOODY WAIT!![/size]

[AJP]

 

You should be a psychologist Doddy!

[serg]

it's all good on the other side! Keep that positive attitide going.  

[shaggy-dude]

clock's counting down for me to the op too..  couple of weeks to go now..

keep swaying between.. yay. gonna get it sorted.. and hmmm it' will be about another 6 months after till it's right..

all I have to do to persuade me is pull anything that resembles a snugly fitting tshirt out of the draw.. put it on and go look in the mirror.. Taxi for one to the priory please !!

I put the compression vest on the other day and then a snug white tshirt.. eeek.. now that did look well

was a very happy chappy.. can't wait for the real deal.. and as soon as it's ok I'll be hitting the FCUK shop for the tight t-shirts like a man on a mission...

"'scuse me ...do you have these small white tshirts in extra extra small"