“Helped Me Conquer My Anxiety”

I wanted to express my heartfelt thanks to all of you for making my surgical experience an easy and comfortable one. I’m sure you get a lot of clients throughout the year, and yet you made me feel like I was the most important one. Thank you for that. I was feeling pretty insecure when I first stepped into your office, yet you all have a genuineness about you that inspires trust. Most important.

For me, this has been a long journey that started after having three children followed by a hysterectomy at the age of 26, which threw me into “surgical menopause.” No matter how much exercise or dieting I did, my stomach just continued to grow more distended and lax. After 19 years, I had finally come to terms with it, thinking that I would just make healthy choices for myself and live my life as best I could, and that would be that.

Then, 2+ years ago, my dear sweet husband brought home a brochure for abdominoplasty by Dr. Broadway and said I could do this if I wanted. I was so excited. I went in for my consultation, made my appointment and paid my down payment. But then I began to develop anxiety over the whole thing. It had been so long since I had been through a surgery. I was really fearful. I also realized that the timing wasn’t good as I had three kids graduating college, and I couldn’t get enough time off at work and stuff like that, so I postponed it.

Two years later, my husband pointed out that we were empty nesters, and I was retired so what was I waiting for? So I made the appointment once again and just dealt with my anxiety and nervousness. But I have to tell you that you guys were just awesome. You were very good about getting the information out to me that I needed, about controlling the pain (of which I can’t really remember ever having), about the actual surgery, about what I should expect, about my choices of anesthesia (I chose the epidural and was nervous about that too, and don’t remember it either), and you were all so cheerful and confident that I felt cheerful and confident.

The relief I felt when it was all over was absolutely huge. I knew my old journey was over and a new one was beginning and well, you just cannot know how grateful I am. And it might seem vain to some people, but I believe that everyone needs to look and feel good about themselves, and if there is an opportunity, one should give some serious thought about taking it. Anyway, again, all I can say is thank you and good luck with the office move. Moving is pretty stressful in itself without doing it over the holidays. Merry Christmas, and I will see you soon for another follow-up. – J