Metal Mouth Message Board

Hi all,

I have surgery on August 19th and most scared about "being put under" with the general anesthesiology at the beginning of the surgery.

Can anyone describe what the experience is like? How is it not scary? Is it like falling asleep in bed at night or do you just feel like you go from awake to passed out in a matter of seconds? Ahhh--so nervous.

Thanks for your support!

I was nervous about this also, what happened was as I was sitting in the waiting room with a IV in me giving me some electro lights or whatever, then they started wheeling me in and gave me some other drug that was suppose to calm my nerves, I didn't feel anything after the first dose, they asked me if I felt calm and I said IDK then they gave me another one. I was switched to another bed in the OR and then I heard my surgeon say something like not to worry and they will take good care of me and then all I remember was waking up in recovery. I don't remember being put out, IDK how they put me out just remember waking up.

Ohhhh...crazy. I am just worried I'll be so nervous/scared that they won't be able to put me out--like when you have trouble falling asleep because you're worried about something. I know I sound like a wimp/idiot...

Don't worry about that, they will give you stuff to calm your nerves.

When I had surgery on my back I had a spinal tap (they gave me a choice between that and general and I chose the tap). When I had my wisdom teeth out they gassed me unconscious and the next thing I remembered was waking up.

I'm having general for my SARPE in a month and I'm getting nervous a bit but I think it'll be OK...

Hi

I had to have a GA for something a few years ago and its nothing to be scared of. Easy to say i know. It depends how nervous/calm you are i think, if your pretty wound up they will probably give you a pre med which will help you "not care what they do". I wasnt give any pre med, they just put the taps in the back of my hand on the ward, took me into the OR got me to lay on the table then they put the drug into my tap and i went out like a light. When i woke up they had moved me back onto a bed and put me into the recovery position - incase i was sick.

From what i remember nothing hurts some people experience a cold sensation going up their arm but i dont recall it.

I only felt a slight burn in my head and arm/hand (where they had put the thing in) and then it all turned black. Exactly like they show it in the movies.

I had the same worries as you. Actually that was the only thing scaring me at that point. There is nothing to be scare of being put under. Dont worry you wont even know you are going out. As far as i know the trip is instantaneous like time travel in back to the future. You are awake and then you wake up. I had SARPE 3 months ago and i had general anesthesia. All I remember is getting on the operation table and then they put a hot blanket on me and i remember telling myself "Ahh that feel great" and then i saw the anesthesist playing with my arm and I woke up in the recovery room. No memory of going out or being out. Actually I'm starting to love anesthesia. I also had sedation which is similar you are not out but you dont remember anything.

ajl1239 wrote:Ohhhh...crazy. I am just worried I'll be so nervous/scared that they won't be able to put me out--like when you have trouble falling asleep because you're worried about something. I know I sound like a wimp/idiot...

Willing or not you will be going out. Even if you are nervous like i was... You cannot and wont be able to fight It. it is forced into anesthesia. In order to fight some medication you have to be counscious of it's effect and it's not the case you wont have memories of pasing out or beginning of passing out. Being under anesthesia is not something you will remember there is no void or darkness or nothing is just a period of which you wont have any memories your are awake and you are awakening.

Ask if you can get some propofol before they wheel you into the room. There's a reason the anesthesiologists call it milk of amnesia. You won't remember a damn thing after they inject that. I remember waving bye to mom while they wheeled me out of the waiting suite and then it's a complete and utter blank. Two thumbs up.

cvn wrote:Ask if you can get some propofol before they wheel you into the room. There's a reason the anesthesiologists call it milk of amnesia. You won't remember a damn thing after they inject that. I remember waving bye to mom while they wheeled me out of the waiting suite and then it's a complete and utter blank. Two thumbs up.

Exactly what my surgeon uses propofol for general anesthesia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propofol

They can also gas you to sleep first, if you want, then they inject you after the gas kicks in. -But I don't find this comfortable because -you- have to consciously inhale something that you know is going to knock you out! Don't worry, it'll be fine.

When you do go to sleep you won't remember a thing, it's not like going to bed at night where if you've had a sound sleep you are aware of it when you wake up. I remember the anaesthesiologist and nurses doing their thing, and it felt almost instantaneous when I woke up, like a long blink.

I was also super nervous about having a general anaesthetic. I had mine a year ago for an op to remove an impacted canine. I was more nervous about the general than anything else. I really did not need to worry.

My experience was that they took me into a room adjacent to the operating theatre about 15 minutes before my op. Was lying on a trolley and the room was really cold so the nurse put a blanket on me, and was hooking me up to a heart monitor etc. That was quite interesting as I could hear my pulse and it was quite regular. It went up quite noticeably once the anaesthetist and another nurse came in! Lots of action at that point as they did the final preparations. She put the taps in the back of my hand and then gave me the anaesthetic - she asked me to count to 10. I think I got to 4. It was actually a really lovely feeling, just like falling asleep when you're super tired. You will absolutely not be able to stay awake - I tried to fight it to see how far I could count. I often find it quite difficult to fall asleep, and I wish I could drop off like this everynight!

My op took about an hour and a quarter and I woke up in recovery feeling like it was minutes later. I'm with Hyrule on this one, I loved having general anaesthetic.

I agree with Hyrule and LB. I love general anesthesia. I know having surgery is not very fun, but when you're out, it's like you don't exist for the whole time the surgery was going on. And it's impossible to remember anything from it and you have no concept of time. It's really the kind of feeling I expect when I die...just absolute nothing.

Oh - since this is your first time, you will learn how anesthesia affects you. It makes me vomit all day after a surgery, so now I tell the doctors about that side effect and they put an anti-nausea drug in when they put me out, so I won't get sick after. Anesthesia has also made me cry uncontrollably, but not everyone is like that, of course. Good luck!

It felt like I was only asleep for a few minutes. When I woke up, I wanted to sleep again because I felt so much pain!