It is quite common to have a reaction like this to heart surgery..its penetration into the deepest part of the body/mind/trust system... It takes time to get over it, and you will be the same again, but you do have to work on it. Expressing your fears to your therapist will help...don't hesitate to say what you fear, even if it sounds irrational.
Since depression is not the issue, I would ask your doctor about antianxiety drugs like klonopin or xanax that can be used occassionally only when the anxiety gets too bad.
Thank you for your response. Yet...there is some depression going on. I do not feel "happy" about anything. I am still waiting to feel like the "new person" I was told I would feel like after they fixed my leak. It hasn't happened yet. In act, I have not gotten my energy back yet. It is taking an awful long time. I just exist, yet I am not so bad that I hate waking up in the morning. I truly think this feeling is bothering me more than the anxiety. I feel as though it is driving the anxiety. Do you still think that Xanax or the other medication you mentioned could work. Do they elevate the mood a bit? Again, thank you for your input.
My dad had a triple bypass last summer and the doctors told us that any mood changes would be normal after this type of surgery, but that we should contact his doctor so they can check it out. We never saw any mood or personality changes.
Anyway, there are several other antidepressants that might work for you. Dont give up. Talk to you doctor again.