Terrified of upcoming surgery

[JobGloves]

I'm so scared. I can't sleep or eat. I just keep thinking it might go wrong and I might not wake up. It's the being asleep and not in control of what's happening that's getting to me I think. It will be the first operation I've ever had and I'm really struggling. Any words of wisdom? I'm really close to cancelling but it will be life changing.

@JobGloves my partner is a surgeon. By the sounds of it this isn’t anything you absolutely need to have done but is more on the elective side, to improve your life?

My DP does many many operations a week. He’s done literally hundreds in the last few years. None have been problematic. This is especially the case outside of emergencies (think those coming in from car accident etc). These people do this all the time, day in, day out. You will have an anaesthetist in the room the entire time. The feeling of being unconscious is just like falling asleep.

Honestly, if you heard the conversations I have everyday after work with DP you’d know that the entire thing is run of the mill when it’s your job. And like all surgeons, DP takes his job extremely seriously. You will be in safe hands and will be wondering what you were worried about a few hours later!

I know you will still be feeling anxious, I would too, but it’s no riskier than hundreds of other everyday things you do. I would tell the anaesthetist that you are anxious and they will put you at ease.

My colleague was extremely anxious about this before her surgery. She said her anaesthtist was chatting to her and the next thing she knew she woke from surgery. He gave it to her in such a way that she didn’t notice. I, too, had surgery very recently but I rather enjoy the sensation of GA. I had a moment of nervousness about what is something goes wrong but I had faith in my surgeon. I would speak to your team and tell them how you are feeling so that the docs can handle he GA to minimise anxiety. It’s all very quick. You wake up feeling like you are in deep sleep and have been sleeping for a very long time.

@JobGloves just noticed you said it will be two hours...that is very very short in the world of surgery! Try and stay calm.

I've been in floods of noisy messy tears all night. I want to believe that everything will be fine but I just can't. Thank you for everyone who has posted. Reading the replies has helped to settle me a little.

I feel the same as you. I was lucky as for my surgery I was able to have a spinal and stay awake. I know that everyone is highly trained and skilled but your head tells you different!

Had my first ever general anaesthetic 3 months ago. Like you i was anxious and going through all the scare stories. Anyway i had no concept even of falling asleep and literally felt like going straight from the anaesthetic room to being told to wake up. It was so strange - I couldn't stop talking about it for days! I wont be scared of it again.

I have had 5 GA at least.

Frankly I love it. I love the dreamy feeling going out and when you wake up all your nerves are so relaxed.

I would not do it for kicks, but it is an amazing invention for sure.

It is a scary thought but you will be absolutely fine. For some reason I don’t anaesthetise or sedate very well which makes me really anxious but during every procedure I’ve ever had the team caring for me have been amazing, explaining everything and being really reassuring. Apart from perhaps the one who said I’d had enough sedation to floor an elephant and they still needed to top it up!