Be optimistic, but don’t discount possible outcomes just because they don’t sound fun.

I did extensive research prior to my brain surgery.  What I learned was helpful, fascinating, and terrifying.  It was very helpful to have information tucked away in my mind to retrieve as I experienced things when waking up.  However, I did discount all scary outcomes just because I didn’t want to experience them, didn’t have time, and couldn’t conceive of those things happening to me.

Topics that were helpful were facial “weakness”, which I learned was actually paralysis; dry eye and gold weight implants in eyelids; single sided deafness; spinal fluid leak; taste changes after surgery that angers facial nerves.