Having my first general anaesthetic this week and I am nervous!!

[User20231]

As the title says… having my first ever operation this week and my first general anaesthetic. I do feel pretty nervous. Everybody who I’ve spoken to about it and who has it had before has said it happens really quickly and the next thing you wake up.

I’ve always worried that it would only half work and I’d be half asleep but could still feel. I know it sounds silly and I know the doctors are experts, but yes I am just nervous 😬

I had my first five weeks ago today and was terified!
I remember them putting something in the cannula saying it would make me feel a bit woozy, and me thinking, nope, it's not working, and next minute I was waking up about seven hours later.
One thing I will warn you is that I starting crying the moment I woke up and barely stopped for the next five days. And it completely threw my body clock out too, as I was wide awake at 4am for a good couple of hours for weeks afterwards.
Good luck, you'll be fine. The theatre staff really know their stuff.

Had surgery about 10 years ago, I remember falling asleep, literally closing my eyes, and waking up after the surgery but none of the feelings others have described. I was in and out the rest of the day, now husband came to visit me later that day and barely got 3 words out of me in the 2 hours he was there, but was fine the next day.

I've had several and actually love them. That feeling of drifting off. The drowsiness when you come round and the extra sleep you get in. I had nausea once after which was awful but can't lie, I enjoyed the sleep!

Soery, the stuff which was supposed to make me feel woozy came through the mask, not the cannula.
I also had a catheter put in after I was asleep which I dreading but obviously knew nothing about it.

I have the same fears and have never had one. My ds (aged 5) had one earlier in the year though and I watched as they put it in him and he literally fell asleep within seconds. Good luck

I have had a few and I've watched dd have two! Tell them you are nervous, they will take really good care of you. They will give you a sedative which really helps.

I love a GA! As others have said, it's the most relaxing feeling in the world. I loved having the nurse holding my hand and talking to me gently about my kids and then counting down as the warmth flowed through my body like a wave, until the next thing I knew I was in a different place, but the same nurse was there, still holding my hand and saying my name, and I felt so warm and comfortable. In fact I've never felt so comfortable in my life. Lovely.

Then when I was back in my room I was absolutely desperate for a wee. The nurse got me a bed pan and I had the biggest, longest, most satisfying wee of my life 🤗

One word of advice, don't try to sit up too quickly when you're recovering, just relax and stay lying down til you feel completely normal.

You will be fine. Don't worry x

The GA was the only nice part of having all my wisdom teeth out.
It was like I blinked and woke up all refreshed and cheerful.

It’s honestly the most unfrightening experience. I’ve had loads and it’s totally painless and you don’t really feel anything like time has passed. I find the anaesthesiologists are always so friendly because they know they’re dealing with people about to have surgery. They always have properly pointless conversations with you - they’ll ask what have you been watching on telly and did you see x football match at the weekend and then before you can answer them you’re out for the count!

Although of course waking up can be difficult depending on the surgery. Sometimes you can feel uncomfortable or a bit unwell if you’ve had a bigger surgery - however in my experience you never wake up in any pain, you will have had pain medication. You just feel a bit off sometimes.

Ooh GA - enjoy OP! I've had four, the drugs are goooood.

I was scared before my first. The anaesthetist asked me to count down from 10. I said “10, 9, uh” then woke up and said to the post-op nurse “oh! All done? That was quick!” I’m fairly sure he rolled his eyes at me.

I had a few over the years as a young teen and an adult. the going under was great but each time I've had one I come round sobbing and asking for my mum/ husband which is a bit disorientating but have never woken during a procedure.

Ooo best bit is the GA. The wave of relaxation and peace is wonderful as you drift off. Enjoy!

I've had loads and it's quite a nice feeling.

Don't worry about it!

Oh goodness, I love a GA and can't imagine why anyone would be nervous. It's literally the best sleep of your life. I'd have one every week if I could 😴

I've had 9 ops under GA, and the injection (propofol) feels like little sparks running up my vein. They haven't given pre-meds to me since the 1980's though.

I agree with others that it feels just like falling asleep when you're really tired. Actually I don't really remember the falling asleep part. I asked them if they wanted me to count down from 10 and they said "Er... you can if you want to?" so I did even though I felt silly. Can't remember what number I got to.

It didn't feel like an instant wake up to me, it felt like a sleep just without being able to remember a dream. But it felt like time had passed. It took me ages to wake up properly and I was talking all kinds of nonsense to a lovely nurse who humoured everything I said.

It's not the most reassuring story - Michael Jackson's cardiologist gave him propofol to induce unconsciousness, not sleep (they're not the same thing) and eventually killed him doing it! Fortunately anaesthetists are generally better at the job! (DOI: anaesthetist).

Thanks

i don’t remember that feeling! Just gabbling on with myself about utter crap while the anaesthetist was working his magic and then …. Nothing …. Nada …. Not a thing!

i weed myself at some point 🙈 that’s a bit embarrassing cos I woke up in massive pain (tonsillectomy) started crying and got some more morphine (sleepy time) then woke up again and had to tell the poor nurse monitoring me I’d had an accident 🤣

Oh oh if it helps I’ve also had a “heavy sedation” procedure so not full anaesthesia and I remember fuck all about that either so I wasn’t worried about the full anaesthesia not working if that makes sense? I knew I’d be spark out

I had my first ever anaesthetic at the age of 53 last November. I was really nervous but it was absolutely fine and I'd have no qualms at all about having another one. I loved the feeling of being looked after, breathing the lovely cool oxygen and spinning gently into a lovely sleep. When I came round I just slept on and off for next 24 hours..I had a cathether in so didn't even have to get up to go for a wee. I felt so relaxed, no pain due to the morphine pump and it was the best sleep of my life (long-suffering insomniac here).

Thank you all! I’ll post back here after my operation and let you know how I found the anaesthetic!

@User20231 I'm not sure you've said what your operation is for, I hope nothing too serious. But mine wasn't too serious I had a biopsy from my throat.

So contrary to what lots of people are saying about taking it easy, I got up and dressed within 2hrs of the op, put my contact lenses in as I look awful in glasses, and once the consultant had been round, I packed my bag and walked outside (private hospital) called DH to collect me..

Apparently I shouldn't just had walked out on my own, no one told me that! I did have to hold onto the wall and worried I might fall down the stairs. I did my 'I'm absolutely not drunk' face when I had to walk through reception.

Then the next morning I forced myself to take the dogs for a walk as the nurse has said I needed the support stockings on until I was mobile again. So I made myself as mobile as absolutely possible and took them off!

I basically powered through the lethargy so that the hideous rights didn't make my peri meno night sweats any worse!!!

You probably shouldn't do any of that. There are lots of varied experience above of how people felt afterwards, I was obviously at the easy end of things and you might be too.