Conquering FEAR Before Surgery

I thought today would be a great time to add the Conquering Fear Before Surgery article as part of the Prepping for Surgery series.  

Happy Halloween everyone! 

Please note: all articles are written on SimpleStepsForLivingLife are ONLY my opinions and should not replace that of a medical professional.  This series of posts are about what I have learned from having surgery and being about to have surgery again.  I am not a medical professional at all, please consult with your doctor or a medical professional when it comes to anything to do with your health.

Can conquering fear before surgery ever actually happen?  I believe so.  Wait, wait!  Don’t jump ship and leave just yet.  Here’s why I believe that any fear can be overcome… because for my teen years well into young adulthood I had an irrational fear of being home alone.

When I was in my teens, I lived in one of the safest towns(at the time) that a person could grow up in.  People used to leave their cars unlocked with keys in them, houses unlocked when going into the “city” an hour away, etc.  Still I was terrified to be by myself and would literally hide behind a bed on the side away from the bedroom door until my parents came home from running errands during the day…  this is when I was 17 and 18 years old.

Fast forward several years when my husband started traveling away 5 days a week for his job.  I was so scared I was pushing up dressers against my bedroom door at night with a gun nearby so I could sleep.  Then, after a series of tough times and growing close to God through prayer and some bad circumstances over several months, my fear was lifted.  

No, it was blown up.  Obliterated.  No more.

This fear that had gripped me for more than 10 years of my life was gone like a mist in the wind.  Even when there was an attempted break-in on my home a few months later, I still wasn’t drowning in this pit of anxiety.  I simply boarded up a window and kept on living.

And that possibly might be what is bringing you to this article.  You want to keep on living but are fearful about something happening in the surgery and not making it through.  Maybe you are fearful or worried about a whole list of things to do with your surgery and how it will physically affect you.  I’m guessing this is a normal emotional response to facing any life changing event big or small.

The goal here is to conquer that fear.

Praying to Conquer Fear

 By God’s grace if I can conquer a fear that had dominated a part of my life for over a decade, you can too.  This is not something that I did on my own though.  I really believe God delivered me from it through prayer and reading scripture and asking others to pray for me as well.  Did you know this is just some of what God tells believers about fear…

Joshua 1:9  Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.

Psalm 23:4  Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Psalm 94:19  When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.

Psalm 27:1  The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?

1Peter 5:6-7  6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.  7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Isaiah 41:10  So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

These are just a handful of Bible verses you can pray about, memorize, and lean on before your surgery and during other times that tempt you to worry.  The best defense against fear is prayer and time with God and His word.  It’s amazing what He is doing in each of our lives if we will just open our eyes and take a minute to see.

Stop Negative Thinking

Another step to overcoming fear is to stop negative thinking in its tracks!  If your mind continuously repeats that the surgery won’t go well, you are going to start really believing it.  Even if only 1% of cases are a success for the surgery you are facing, focus on that 1%!  Focus on being that 1%.  Plus, more than likely the success rate of the operation you are having is more like 95% so QUIT worrying.  You are not adding a day or hour or even a second to your life by living in fear.  Trust me, I didn’t add anything, anything, to my life by hiding behind beds for hours on end.  I probably actually took hours off my life because of choosing to be fearful and therefore elevating my stress hormone to unhealthy levels!  Check out my article on How to Stop Negative Thinking here.

Gather Statistics for Conquering Fear

Still not having trouble with fear before surgery?  Try gathering statistics about your surgery.  First, ask your doctor about the success rate for the procedure.  Don’t be embarrassed about talking with your doctor about what you are worrying about regarding the surgery.  Also you can research on the internet but be careful because if you tend to be attracted to the negative stuff you might go down a slippery slope.

I typed in “Statics for Surgery” in google and got back 89,000,000 results.  Chances are your specific surgery statistics can be found by researching online.  I had laparoscopic back surgery last December and searched “statistics about laparoscopic back surgery” just now and got back over 8million hits.  Depending which article I pick after weeding through them, I came with a success rate for my surgery at 60-80%.  It’s a wide range but I knew this last year before the procedure.

This gave me hope because I was getting a bit apprehensive when I started not to be able to feel part of my foot(one particular toe in general).  Gathering statistics can help you face your fear and give you a better idea of what your potential outcome will be.  Sometimes just knowing more information will make the fear take a backseat and allow yourself to focus on positive things.

Whatever fear and anxiety that might be creeping into your subconscious before surgery, needs to be overcome.  Don’t go into the procedure with an attitude of focused on what could or might happen.  Gather information, stop any negative thinking in its tracks, and pray.

And remember worry and fear doesn’t add any good to your life, it steals from it.

For more helpful Prepping for Surgery series articles, click here.  For a FREE printable of questions to ask during your preOperation appointment, please leave your email address in the box below.

Please note: all articles are written on SimpleStepsForLivingLife are ONLY my opinions and should NEVER replace that of a medical professional.  This series of posts are about what I have learned from having surgery and being about to have surgery again.  I am not a medical professional at all, please consult with your doctor or a medical professional when it comes to anything to do with your health.