Starting to freak out a little.

So Friday I am having open rotator cuff repair/shoulder arthoscopy and bicep repair. And I am starting to freak. I have had other surgeries in the past and I have never felt this way before. This is definitely the most involved procedure. I am scared because I know there is going to be a lot of pain. All surgeries have pain but this particular one is known for pain. I have a really high pain tolerance and i have been living with this undiagnosed tear for 8 months but geez.... I am not worried about dying on the table, needles or anything like that. I love my doctor and have 100% faith in him but I have talked to multiple people who have had this surgery and they all talked about the pain. I am scared the pain medicine wont work. What then? What if I need something stronger but the doctor says no? All these what-ifs. And a ton of PT post-op. My husband said he watched my surgery on youtube so I decided to as well. GROSS. Made me queasy. I do not know what I was thinking. I'd love support and in particular if others have had this surgery I would love your honest insight.
-sweets

I think it’s perfectly normal to feel afraid of any surgery. I know most people are afraid of orthopedic surgery especially due to the pain. A friend of mine recently had both shoulders replaced. She was very afraid there would be a lot of pain and she did remarkably well. She said the pain wasn’t near as bad as she feared it would be and she recovered beautifully. It took her about 6 weeks to get back into a normal routine again and she made big strides toward recovery every week. Keep us posted. Your friends at PC will be your cheering squad.

Your husband sounds like he's educating himself and will be on hand to advocate if you need more pain medication.

I'm so sorry you're feeling so nervous, sarahsweets It's perfectly understandable that you'd feel this way. Surgeries are scary for everyone. I have never experienced this so unfortunately I don't have a lot of advice to give to you, sarahsweets. I agree with what all the others have already wisely said better than I ever could. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be able to get through all of this. Just try not to think about it if you can. Avoid reading articles or watching videos about it otherwise you'll just feel even more anxious and scared! Try to find as many distractions for yourself as much as you can. I'm glad your husband is there to help you and support you, like saidso has already wisely said (funny way to word it ). Will there be other people to support you as well? Surronding ourselves with people who love us and that we love back can be the best medicine. Try to remember that you're doing this for your own good and it won't last forever. It will be over at some point and you won't feel pain forever. Most importanty, you'll feel even better afterwards! That's what you're doing the surgery for, after all. Try to remember that if you can. Don't worry, sarahsweets, I'm sure you've got this. You're a strong, wonderful person, sarahsweets. I'm sure you'll be able to get through all of this. Try not to worry too much about it. I know it's hard. Just try to do your best. That's all you can do. I'm sure you'll egt out of it stronger than ever before! You can do this! Remember that we're here for you if you need it. Feel free to PM me anytime. Let me know if I can do something to help you. Wish you good luck! Let us know how it goes. Please keep us updated on the operation. We're all rooting for you and we'll all be here cheering you on, like Sisabel has already wisely said. Sending many hugs to you and your family, sarahsweets

Were the other people men or women? Is the pain worse than childbirth? I dont know nuthin bout birthin babies, just tryin ta help!

Sarah, in my experience reputable hospitals and medical personnel are extremely concerned about patient pain level both pre- and post-op. They seem to be constantly coming around checking, "What is your pain level on a scale of 1-10," and so forth.

And since you seem to feel OK with your doctor, might it help to have a conversation with him/her as to your concern about the pain? And about being given enough medication to combat the pain? Could calm your fears a bit...

Yes, I agree with the above. Perhaps talk to your doctor about which meds he can give you and whether that will help eliminate any pain you will feel?

I can relate as I had a painful wrist surgery and my surgeon advised me to "stay ahead" of the pain by taking my meds exactly on time and as prescribed and it worked! I kept ahead of it and didn't feel a thing until it was time for them to change the cast. Only then did it hurt and once I started the P/T.