@Buttonbear “How does one remain positive and stop falling into depression?” If this isn’t the key challenge - mentally at least - of the pre-op phase, I truly don’t know what is. Perhaps the place to start is by mitigating the things that contribute to depression, to the best of our ability.
I had to start with sleep. You may want to look into good habits of sleep hygiene and see if there are helpful ideas there. In my case, pain and worry both cost me sleep, and my husband is a restless sleeper, too. It was a bad combination, and both of us were suffering. So, we’re temporarily in separate spaces, and this has the added bonus of giving me a private place to nap/rest during the day when night time sleep has been elusive.
The next thing I worked on was pain management and comfort. I learned there were limited options and they only help some, which led to the realization that good days are not invitations to overdo, they’re reminders of good times to come. Once I stopped trying to push myself to overcome hip difficulties with will power, and accepted that I was living with limitations for the time being, my attitude began to improve. You may want to work with your primary care doctor on interim pain management, experiment with meditation, massage, or other pain relief alternatives, and look into anti-inflammatory diets.
And then there is distraction. Is there a personal interest or pleasure you just haven’t had time for? I love novels...and I am giving myself permission to read a whole stack I’ve never had time for before. On BoneSmart, the posters have a whole array of interests they share - it’s inspirational. And it reminds me that this “small life” chapter for me is temporary, and it can still be very rewarding.
It’s always reasonable to consult a therapist, if you’ve given the other remedies your best effort and your mood is a bit stubborn. You may find that this chapter in your life is an opportunity to give some old emotional baggage the heave ho. And you’ll be all the better off without it by the time surgery gets scheduled; a positive attitude is a great ally then.
Finally: this too shall pass.