I have battled anxiety issues on and off for years. Now, I am having hip replacement surgery in just a few weeks, and I am finding some of he bad anxiety coming on for the first time in a long while.
I think for me it is because I have never had a major surgery before, and I am anxious about how it will turn out.
What has helped me out alot is finding a support system to really help me. I have doctors who actually listen (what a concept) and friends who also give a needed ear or shoulder. Doing my research has halped (research is how I found this particular message forum). Finding that I am not the only one out there to have experienced this helps.
I know now that I will never be completly anxiety free, but I am learning to manage what makes me anxious much better.