Preparing for any kind of surgery is quite the daunting task, even if medics have given you a thousand assurances that it is a simple procedure with next to no risks.
The biggest names on the planet get just as jittery as us when undergoing an operation, even though they've got the world's best doctors at their disposal.
That's why Marilyn Monroe went the extra mile to ensure that her doctor would do a good job when she went under the knife more than 70 years ago.
The blonde bombshell, who passed away when she was 36, used quite an unorthodox method to remind her surgeon of what she did and didn't want, as she obviously had a certain image to keep up with during her days in Hollywood.
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So when she found out she needed to have her appendix removed in 1952, you can imagine that she was quite concerned about how she would heal after it.
Even after taking a break from being booked and busy while she spent a few weeks recovering, Marilyn still had the scarring to worry about as in her game, beauty was everything.
The starlet was admitted to the Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Los Angeles, which we know today as Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, in April 1952 under the care of a Dr Marcus Rabwin.
According to reports, as the medic prepared to begin the routine operation, he peeled back her gown to find that she had strangely taped a note to her stomach.
Well, Marilyn wasn't going to let a silly little thing like being unconscious get in the way of making her wishes clear, was she?
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The letter addressed to her surgeon explained that she was extremely 'thankful' towards him for all of the hard work he was putting in, but it also included a heartbreaking admission too.
It reportedly read: "Dear Dr Rabwin, cut as little as possible.
"I know it seems vain, but that doesn't really enter in to it. The fact I'm a woman is important and means much to me.
"Save please (can't ask enough) what you can - I'm in your hands. You have children and you must know what it means - please Dr Rabwin - I know somehow you will!
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"Thank you - thank you - thank you - For God's sakes Dear Doctor no ovaries removed - please, again, do whatever you can to prevent large scars. Thanking you with all my heart."
As well as proving that this legendary movie star had impeccable manners, a lot of Marilyn fans think that the note plainly spelled out her desperate longing to start a family - and her rumoured battle with endometriosis.
She is reported to have suffered from the crippling condition - which causes tissue similar to the lining of the womb to grow in other places and symptoms such as painful, heavy periods, fatigue and fertility issues - throughout her life.
Seen as though there was little knowledge of the disease at the time, and even less in terms of treatment options, the only route of medical intervention would have likely been the removal of the ovaries.
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This is why fans think Marilyn penned the tragic note and stuck it to her stomach, as she feared that the medic may remove them while she was knocked out, which would have completely scuppered her chances at starting a family.
Her op was successful and Dr Rabwin obeyed her strict orders, which probably explains why she looked so bloody good when she came round from the op.
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Marilyn was photographed looking a million dollars while laying in her hospital bed and browsing through the hordes of get well soon cards she had been sent.
Sadly though, her dream of becoming a mother never came to fruition.
It was revealed that the icon had suffered at least four miscarriages between 1956 and 1962, as well as an ectopic pregnancy in 1958.
Topics: Celebrity, Health, TV and Film, US News
Olivia Burke