Major surgery or death?

[JealousOfTheElderly]

I have to undergo a major life changing complicated surgery for a medical condition. My condition is not life threatening but I live with chronic pain. No guarantee this will help le 100%. Recovery will take a long time.
If you were in my place, would you go through with it or would you just end it all for a one way ticket to peace eternal?

 

[FuneralCry]

I think that in my case I would choose death. To me it sounds like a nightmare going through such a complicated surgery. I would certainly want to be gone. If I was gone then I would be unable to suffer and feel any pain. Best wishes in whatever you decide. I'm sorry that you are stuck in this situation. Life is just too cruel.

 

[keitaro]

i've seen so many surgery horror stories, which scares me. but, of course, there's plenty of successful ones. if you do go through with surgery, i hope it helps your condition.

 

[JealousOfTheElderly]

i've seen so many surgery horror stories, which scares me. but, of course, there's plenty of successful ones. if you do go through with surgery, i hope it helps your condition.

Thank you you are so sweet. If I get it, I hope it gives me hope to live.

 

[Life_and_Death]

having the possibility of being in that place due to my back problems i can totally understand. i wouldnt listen to my vote however, i choose die but i have a phobia of needles and organs make me sick. i just dont like how theyre just there. so yes i would rather die. however my advice, if youre ok with going through with the surgery then do it. you cant take back death, but if the surgery route isnt working suicide is still there.

 

[Doombox]

I can't answer because I'm not in your place. There are a lot of things to consider, like how stable your environment is, if you have people to help you, and how independent you are. If you have all the element in place to swing the odds in your favor, then why not? The poll is deceptive because you ask each of us to answer the question for ourselves, which should have no bearing on your decision for yourself. I know for me, I would not be able to plan for a complicated surgery with a lot of followup simply because I am not in a good situation and I would have nobody to help me.

 

[Suicidebydeath]

It depends on what the major surgery is for, for me.

 

[Achlys]

I recently underwent major surgery, so I'm somewhat obligated to vote yes, but I think one's decision heavily depends on the surgery in question. For instance, if a given surgery has a precedent for resulting in severe complications to the extent of leaving a patient in a vegetative state, I would likely forgo it. Otherwise, supposing the surgery has a chance to improve one's life, I would generally favor pursuing surgery. If one's situation doesn't improve, suicide is still an option after all. I hope you recover smoothly should you choose to undergo surgery.

 

[lofticries]

Really depends on the situation and my mental state.

With that said best of luck with your surgery, op. Hope everything goes smoothly.

 

[virgilwalks]

I'd want to consider the possibility of hope - that it could improve quality of life.

 

[LastFlowers]

It depends on the odds and whether or not other issues unrelated to that one specific surgery would still remain.

But there was a time, before I had other issues progressively compound my situation, where "major surgery" could very well have eliminated most of the initial/core reasons for me ending up in this hell I wish to escape from.
That said, sometimes it's poorly done or unnecessary surgery which leads people to suicide too..just depends which side of luck you land on.

 

[Forever Sleep]

Is there a chance that the surgery could turn things around for you and will they give you care and support after it? It sounds utterly horrific to be in your current state of constant pain but if there is a chance that things could get better for you and you would like to live under those circumstances, then personally, I think it might be worth trying.

I've only had keyhole surgery to remove my gallbladder and prior to that- they performed ERCP to remove a stone from my bile duct. Neither were anywhere near to as painful as the condition but I don't know what type of operation you are waiting for. (I realise mine were only very minor day surgeries). I've also known of a lady advised against major heart surgery because they didn't think she would survive the operation but she went ahead with it and is doing really well.

I would hope they had pain management and support systems in place for surgeries that might create future complications. I guess they also think there is a good chance the operation will improve your quality of life- although of course- they aren't the ones going through it.

I so hope that if you do decide to go through with it, that it goes well. It horrifies me that people have to live their lives in pain. All the best to you.

 

[lights_are_on]

I was thinking about the same question for myself. I thought of getting everything ready to ctb then trying surgery in one last attempt to better my life. If it helps - great. if it doesn't - I already have everything I need.

 

[chloramine]

I hope it goes well for you if you choose the surgery. I voted I would rather die, but I would also rather die than eat a nanaimo bar and those are probably my favourite dessert.

If this surgery has the potential to fix problems that make you want to ctb then I think it's worth trying. Even just quality of life improvements while still planning to ctb can be huge. I also don't have a great grasp on your situation or the specifics of the surgery itself- none of us really have the knowledge to provide a nuanced opinion.

 

[befree]

The decision depends on several factors. I would ask myself:

Is there a risk that I will get even worse if the surgery is not successful or if there are complications during or after the surgery ?
Are there alternatives without drugs (with side effects) and without surgery to treat the chronic pain ?
How much will I suffer after the surgery and will I be able to deal with it ?
Would it be useful to get a second opinion from another doctor ?
Do I have enough info about the risks ?
What is my quality of life without surgery ?
What would be my future life without surgery ?
Will my illness get worse ?
Will the pain get worse ?
What exactly means life changing ?

You should also ask yourself if this health condition is the only reason why you don't want to live anymore. How do you feel about life in general ?
I would suggest that you look for forums on the Internet where you can communicate with people who have the same helth condition and ask about their experiences with the illness and the surgery.

 

[lights_are_on]

I voted I would rather die, but I would also rather die than eat a nanaimo bar and those are probably my favourite dessert.

This made me laugh so much I'm sorry lmao

 

[Deformationalplagio]

I have to undergo a major life changing complicated surgery for a medical condition. My condition is not life threatening but I live with chronic pain. No guarantee this will help le 100%. Recovery will take a long time.
If you were in my place, would you go through with it or would you just end it all for a one way ticket to peace eternal?

If my condition could be fixed (skull deformity) i would 100% do it even if you can imagine how horrible such surgeries would be.

 

[The Abyss]

Surgery, you could still die while under or it fixes your primary concern.

Besides, you could always die after trying it if things don't work out.

 

[DrWh033]

What do you have to lose if you undergo surgery ? Need more details to answer honestly.