Tags
I have been thinking quite a bit about surgery and mental states and outcomes. My question is this: If someone is facing surgery — especially surgery that is supposed to be routine and effortless — and goes into it with a feeling of grave foreboding, does it make the surgery more risky? I know that a positive mental attitude can help in healing, even when the medical odds are not necessarily favorable. But is the opposite true, also? Does a negative or fearful mental attitude, or — worse yet — an acceptance that things are not going to go well, detract from the success of the procedure?
Do “gut feelings” take precedence over a physician’s assurances that the surgery will be a slam-dunk? If the patient is purportedly accepting of, or possibly even welcoming, impending death, does his attitude hasten the negative outcome? Or is death even negative, if the patient says he would welcome it?
I am such a Pollyanna that I can’t imagine welcoming death unless I were in extreme pain and considered well beyond hope. But then, I have never dealt with depression or suicidal feelings, either. I am not trying to judge, simply pondering.
What do you think?
triggershorse 
I found with my two minor surgeries(if there was such a thing)that I was in twilight knock out, I kept telling my surgeon to give me more juice….he did as I asked and I didn’t feel a thing with each extra dose, but I do recall telling him how attractive he was…for a married gal, not a finer moment but he laughed anyway.
LikeLike
I don’t think the doctors pay much attention to the dumb things people say while under anesthesia, other than what pertains to our pain levels (thank goodness!). – Fawn
LikeLike
I can speak to this from personal experience. I had back surgery a year ago, I was concerned because of another medical condition I have that complicates everything! I was not concerned with the surgery itself because the surgeon and hospital had “fixed” me before and it was way more complicated! The surgery was fine, first week of healing was fine and then it went to hell! In 22 days, I had emergency surgery to get infection out of the incision and I almost died on the table as my adrenal glands shut down. I didn’t care what happened, until it almost happened….then I did. So I made a full recovery…Maybe this is too long of a response and I should reblog this…Instead I will reply. I still wonder why sometimes…why I recovered…I still struggle with all the chronic medical crap…but I have “recovered.”
LikeLike
I am glad things worked out for you…and thank you for your response and insight. The doc will be installing a new pacemaker — as “routine” as anything can be that involves the heart — and he doesn’t think there will be any issues at all. But his patient is still pretty freaked out. He officially signed the paperwork this morning appointing me to make decisions if he cannot, and we will go forward. – Fawn
LikeLike