No matter how young or old you are, surgery is a scary thing. If you're the friend, close relative or even nurse of someone about to go in for surgery, how do you comfort and reassure them? It isn't always obvious!
But It's Simple
We think of comforting words like "it'll be okay" as a bit useless. They're simply not. Put yourself in the place of your friend or relative. They're nervous, trying not to think about it, but still trying to prepare. They might like to hear encouraging words like:
- How can I help? - this shows them that you care and want to be there for them
- "What are you feeling right now?" - this shows concern and understanding. They're feeling a lot of tough things, and talking about it helps!
- Straight up say it. "It'll be okay." - it feels stupid, but sometimes that's all someone needs to hear. Grab their hand, look them in the eye, and say it.
- tell them "I'll be waiting for you after surgery!" - this helps them think about after surgery instead of focusing on the task ahead
- "Can I give you a hug?" - again, seems trivial, but it can be so comforting
- And If you two are close, don't forget to say "I love you" before they leave for surgery
Now that you know what to say, remember not to say this or act like this:
I Know How You Feel
Don't say "I know how you feel" and go into a story about that one time you broke your arm and had to have it reset. That isn't comforting, and it sends the person you're supposed to be comforting back into their own thoughts and worries.
Encouraging words and a comforting attitude can go miles, and it'll give you some ideas of how to help out once surgery is over, and recovery starts.