I was so glad to find this section in the forums. I am on the wait list for my THR, which is 5 months right now, so I don't have a surgery date yet, but I'm noticing it's not too early to start worrying and obsessing about it! I want to be informed about the procedure, but too much graphic info really makes me anxious, so I've decided to stop and just trust the professionals to do their jobs. Even thinking about preparing my home for the surgery is making me anxious right now.
I did read an article from Prevention magazine in which the author talked to a surgeon who said he does think people can experience PTSD from major medical procedures, even when it is planned for and necessary.
I've managed to get this old (57), and have never had any major invasive medical procedures, certainly no surgeries, so I think a lot of it is fear of the unknown. I did express my anxiety to my surgeon, but there's not much he can say, other than that yes, it is a major surgery.
It helps so much to know others are struggling with the same issues!