Although the things you said your t pointed out are, of course, true, they aren't the things I'd think anyone would want to focus on to deal with anxiety. If it was up to me, I think I'd want to know the actual percent risk for the surgery I was going to have. For most surgery, it would be pretty low risk. If it is a higher risk, it would be scarier, but I'd want to know. As much as it's possible, I think an ideal is to accept the reality that we're all mortal so we can focus on enjoying the moments, long or short, of the life we have. And I think it's impossible to avoid some of the anxiety you're talking about, especially if you have a reason to think your surgery really is unusual or high risk. You're not alone here on PC. Your posts are wonderful, and I hope you'll keep posting about how you're doing.