It's hard to feel confident when you haven't met the specialist. Planning and preparing to be in pain afterwards might not be a bad idea. At least then if it does happen it will be expected and you can go into management mode (I'm assuming you have lots of pain management experience BW) rather than it coming as a shock and then if you don't get pain, that's just a bonus!
They can definitely give you something for the anxiety on the day. When do you get to meet the specialist? I'm pretty sure they would consider it overkill to give you a GA for a biopsy. (I got mixed up earlier and it was the lung and chest lymph node biopsies that they wouldn't mildly sedate DP for (due to compromised breathing), not the liver one). But having said that, if you were to ask about it with the specialist, it might impress on them how anxious you are feeling about it.
I think a GA for a liver biopsy would be overkill, too. But I certainly think I need something to help me cope with the anxiety on the day. Just something to make me relax and not freak out...
As for when I meet my specialist - I have an appointment in July, but I was told that they would ring me to move it forward and if I haven't heard from them by Wednesday to call them myself to move it.
I'm starting to think that if they won't offer a sedative of any sort I'll get my GP to write me a script and get someone else to drive me. Probably not really a good thing to do, but I feel less anxious if I've got a plan B in place.
Perhaps you could meet them half way and request a twilight sedation. They could give you some pre op meds to calm you down then just the light sedation which means you don't remember anything about it. I've had one for a endoscopy and it makes you sleepy but not totally out to it and I didn't remember a thing about it afterwards.
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