It is normal to get yourself freaked out obsessing over your upcoming surgery although there are some knuckleheads (like me) who has no issues with surgery. At 28, I had my first back surgery and would use a local anesthesia when my knee would require arthroscopic surgery. In 2000, my lower back was fused L4-S1 successfully with only periodic bouts of pain, I was fortunate. For a minute. The surgeries kept happening. As of today, I have had over 45 surgeries and I'm almost 64 years of being really old, for the first time in as long as I can remember I went a full year without a surgery (last was April 23, 2024I stroked after surgery). In 2011, I developed pancreatitis, had my first flight aboard a life flight helicopter and was kept in a medically induced coma for almost 3 months and then 45 days in inpatient PT. My surgeries were 6 in left wrists, 4 in both my hands,4 total in lower back, 4 cervical fusions (all at different times), a total reverse shoulder replacement (R) 4 previous surgeries, 2 on my left shoulder and on June 15, 2023 I lost consciousness while driving and drifted into oncoming traffic and collided head on with an oncoming vehicle. I didn't survive it but was returned to life during my 2nd life flight, spent the 1st 6 weeks in a coma. still recovering today. No BS, all true and I wouldn't believe me either. No drugs, no alcohol, no nuthin'. Obviously, I'm accustomed to surgeries now but in the beginning of my surgery streak, shi**** bricks, so I asked the surgeon if I could talk to some patients he'd operated on and got the real scoop from other patients (the doctor's office would reach out tp the prior patients and make sure it's ok with the prior patients). Additionally, I would research as much as I could on the upcoming surgery I was scheduled for, started just reading about the procedures but got braver later where I would watch videos. Knowing more about the upcoming surgery made me a better patient, certainly more knowledgeable. Be an advocate for yourself, it really helps. Promise. Get walking, best exercise you can do but start short distances. Somehow, I received a lemon of a body. I just found out I have a cancerous mass on my right kidney. Stay strong, stay positive and upbeat. Good Luck!!

Bob