aibu to be scared stiff of general anaesthetic?

[levington]

Please don't be harsh with me, I appear to be in need of an operation for gallstones, and general anaesthetic is required to operate. I know perhaps I am being silly, but I am absolutely terrified and honestly don't think I am going to survive the op. I'm desperate to find a solution of either not having the op or getting over fear of g.a.

YANBU, I had my first op last year - spinal surgery & was terrified of having the anaesthetic - thought I'd wake up during the op or something. Honestly though, it's absolutely fine & the best thing was the Morphine drip they put me on when I came round :o

I have an operation coming up....

I told my consultant that the only thing I was worried about was the anaesthetic.

He said..."we don't even talk about anaesthetic risk any more" The chances of anything happening are about 10 million to 1...or something ridiculous like that...so please DO NOT WORRY!!!!

Think positively...think how much better you will feel....that you'll go to sleep and when you wake up the problem will be dealt with...and you will be just FINE!

Also.....think of how many people you hear about who are really old or frail...and have really serious operations and come through them right as rain......

I've had several GA's, including fit gallbladder and the very first time I was TERRIFIED. But it was almost pleasant! Ince you've had it done, a whole world of surgery opens! New teeth/tits/lipo etc etc!

I was scared before I had GA too, mostly about being left awake but no one realising When the anaesthetist came round I veeerrry casually mentioned this, and he told me I was more likely to discover I'd won the lottery while getting struck by lightning. Not sure how accurate that is but reassured me!

Whole thing was fine! My sister had to have GA unexpectedly after getting a needle stuck in her foot, and said it was the loveliest sleep she's ever had!

You'll be fine - it's normal to feel apprehensive! Wishing you a speedy recovering :)

As a needle phobic (a real one ) I would recommend asking your GP for a referral for cbt and hypnotherapy

Honestly it's life changing

I certainly wish you all the best, but my advice is centred around asking lots of questions of the anaesthetist. I had to have a d&c whenmy youngest was 10 wks old and i was teary going down to the anaesthetic room. In my experience the staff know you are scared (from kids up to 20 stone dockers) so they try to put you at your ease; the chap who gave me the oxygen mask said " this is just fresh air...unfortunately we could only get it from Port Talbot" which was enough to make me half smile for a mo, then it was all over and I was waking up. A sedative beforehand such as another mumsnetter suggested, may be possible so dont be afraid to ask. xx

The first time I had GA my biggest fear was waking up mid-operation. I was absolutely convinced this would happen, that i'd be in excruciating agony with my innards being pulled out and I would be paralysed and unable to communicate with the surgical team.

The anaesthetist spent ages talking to me beforehand and explaining in real layman's terms why that simply would not happen.

I've since had 2 further GAs and would go so far as to say that I quite enjoyed them !

I had my first GA last year for a Fenton's procedure- excision of scar tissue from delivering DD2- and I was more worried about feeling the whole thing (my fanjo!!) than not waking up again.
I don't remember even having the drug administered- I went from watching the anaesthetist measure out the meds to coming round on the recovery ward. Felt completely fine. I know you will worry anyway but really you don't have to. :)

The anaesthetist will be monitoring you throughout, heart rate, blood pressure etc is watched closely. It's likely they'll give you a sedative, if you explain how worried you are.

Levington I am here to help, read on.

About 18 months ago I was told I had to have an op (my first) to remove a breast lump. I'll explain why I was scared stiff for two main reasons:-

Firstly I trained as a nurse in the mid 80's and nursed for about 20 years yet one of my very first patients stood out clearly in my memory, a 40 year old lady with a DS and a younger DD who had a breast tumour and was dying. I too have a DS and younger DD and was in my early 40s so to start with I was comparing myself to her.

Secondly I worked in the anaesthetic/theatre department for about a year and obviously saw everything that went on and any problems the patients encountered. Thinking about all this scared me and yet I don't recall a patient who went in for a straightforward op and didn't survive, most were straightforward and made a straightforward recovery. Like you, I was simply worried about not being in control and not waking up and remember being very tearful on telling my DCs I had to have an op.

You're probably thinking, how is this helping me? well it's already been said here but anaesthetics are better than they were 20 odd years ago for one thing and they were ok then. Also when I did actually have the op I found it quite pleasant actually having the anaesthetic and waking up woozy and I remember really enjoying a cup of tea. I'm not saying it's a walk in the park as your op is different to mine but it wasn't any where near as bad I had thought.

Make sure you let your medical team know your fears, you should have a pre op assessment with a nurse I think and you should be able to let her know and have a good chat with the anaesthetist. hope this all helps and try to worry. Good luck.

Just to say thanks to all contributors to the thread. Just because I am not replying, I am still taking on board the comments.

Hi Levington

I had my gallbladder removed about 15 years ago and I was so scared beforehand about the GA. I think it is a natural reaction as it is something that you have no control over. However all the medical staff were so nice and really worked hard to relax me (just let them know you are worried). I remember going down to the room before the op and they were chatting to me about Christmas dinner and the next thing I knew I was coming round from the op!!
One thing I would say is that if they offer you a sedative before the op - take it! I didn't and wished that I had as it would have helped me to be a little more calm.
Another thing I try to do if I have to do something that I am scared of is plan something nice and then focus on that i.e. this time next week I will be at the spa/going for a lovely lunch.
I can honestly say though that once I had my gallbladder removed I never looked back. The pain from gallstones was unbearable and you will feel so much better once the pesky thing has gone!
Good Luck

I felt exactly the same. I wrote a letter for my family in case I didn't survive! I did it when they were all out and never told them and then I destroyed it when all was OK. Somehow it just made me feel better and calmer. As it was it went so smoothly, you come round and can't believe it is over!
Good luck. Breathing exercises helped.

I can't offer specific advice - but I am the same. The thought of being "put to sleep" scares the bejesus out of me. I have done it though, and whilst I felt doomed, I have survived their attempts to kill me .

The worst thing ever was last year where dd broke her wrist on holiday and had to have it reset under GA. She was fine of course, as you will be.

I had one this week for an op. I was worried said a teary goodbye to my two small children in the morning. I was fine, the anaesthetic was the best part of the whole thing. One minute I was chatting the next I must have been asleep then all I remember is them telling me to wriggle my toes as my blood pressure was very low. All I kept saying is that i wanted to go back to sleep!

I had two GA in three days last year. One for emcs with DD and one for a minor thing to sort me out a couple of days later. Both fine, just a bit groggy afterwards. I don't remember the drugs being administered for the first one, and for the second, all I remember was having a chat to the nurse.

YANBU! I recently had to have a GA to have potentially cancerous lumps removed. I was more scared of the GA and the operation than I was of having cancer.
I usually am very open about feelings etc, but I only told DH about the procedure and forbid him to tell anybody else about it, or to talk to me about it. I couldn't bear the thought of people trying to re-assure me. "You'll be fine, it's such a standard procedure, it's very safe..etc"
I didn't want to hear any of it - I felt that if anybody would say that to me I would shout at them "I don't care - I'm petrified and it's me who has to go through it, not you, so just shut up" - (yes, I suppose it was good to decide not to tell anybody....)

Of course, in the end, I was absolutely fine

So, my clever words are simply - you are not alone, I wish you all the very best and hope you'll go ahead and have the operation, you might still be terrified, but you will be very relieved when it's over.

levington: I have had many many operations over the years. Please do not be scared. Once you go into the pre-op theatre and you count to ten (which you never get to by the way). You will be back in the ward. I can honestly say you will be absolutely fine... good luck and take care

Hello! I'm an anaesthetist :-)

Ok. Anaesthetics are safe. I always make my patients 3 promises when they are as nervous as you sound

1. they will fall asleep
2. they will stay asleep all the way through surgery
3. they will wake up at the end.

I don't promise that they will be pain free / not feeling sick when they wake up, but I do my best!

You will be seen by the anaesthetist normally on the day you are admitted. He/she will ask questions about any medical conditions, any meds you are currently taking and any allergies. They will double check that you have had nothing to eat or drink and check out how well your mouth opens (and ask about loose teeth).

Here we ask you to sign consent for GA, but in the UK your consent for the surgery counts as consent for the anaesthetic required.

In theatre or the anaesthetic room, you have monitoring put on to watch your heart rate (ECG), blood pressure (cuff around your arm) and oxygen levels (peg on finger). They will put a drip into a vein for fluids, ask you to breathe oxygen through a face mask (smells like plastic!) and then put the anaesthetic medicine in through the drop - normally a strong painkiller followed by the hypnotic. It can burn a bit into your hand or arm as it goes in.

From your point of view - that's it. You fall asleep.

While asleep the anaesthetist will be giving meds for sickness and pain relief, fluids as needed and watching the monitoring to make sure you are asleep and that your heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen levels are normal. If you need extra meds for anything we have cupboards full :)

At the end of surgery you will have meds given to reverse part of the anaesthetic and the anaesthetic you've been kept asleep with will be turned off. As you breathe it out and the levels drop you wake up.

You then get transferred to recovery for an hour or so - to make sure you're awake enough for the ward, comfortable, warm, etc.

It's natural to be scared (I was somewhat apprehensive terrified before my GA for minor surgery last year!) but you will be fine. Anaesthetists are all lovely people :)

Iteowawki: she know's what she is talking about. :) I loved operations i had so much faith every time (27) you will so so be fine I promise you. :)

Oh mate, I know how you feel. GA's scare me too. If its any consolation though, I've had quite a few in my lifetime, (about 10 in total) and it's really not that bad. I've been wheeled in, begged the nurses to make sure I wake up, and then come round from it every time groggy, thanking the nurses and wanting a cup of tea. Don't put off your op, it's scary, but it's only because it's not the norm to you. GA has improved a great deal as well. I had the bulk of mine 20 years ago with the odd one since and I'm still here to tell the tale. It will be ok.

I have had two GA's in the last year. The first was when labour had gone tits up. It was a rush job and happened on top of an epidural and a spinal block (neither of which had worked). I didn't have much chance to be scared and to be honest I don't think I would have cared that much if I never woke up so long as the pain stopped. I had a proper hangover when I came around and had apparently been talking and aware for about 30 mins that I have no memory of.

The second was for a post birth ERPC and was a controlled booked in job. I got scared waiting overnight. I just about contained the fear right up until the first part of the drug hit me (felt like around 9 pints of beer hit me in the head) and then I panicked big time (for about 1.5 seconds until the rest hit and the world disappeared). Waking up afterwards was totally different. Just like waking up from a nice long rest and everything coming together just fine. Not even a second of 'where am I' etc.

This might not be much use to you but it the honest account of someone who was very much afraid and survived.

Under GA I have had:

breast lump removed - all fine
sub total thyroidectomy - 6 inch slit across throat - all fine
d&c due to massive clotting in post partum period - all fine
EPRC (miscarriage) all fine
When I was about 3 (50 years ago) - 4 molars removed - all fine
Tooth removed from roof of palate (grew funny) when I was about 17 - all fine.

DS1: grommets (twice(

• arm rebroken and re-set - all fine)

DD: grommets
leg pinned and reset

DH: Balls rehung due to nasty congenital condition - they were twisting upwards.

We all survived. We are all fine. None of it hurt. None of us would have preferred to have had done what was done without a GA. GA's are very very safe nowadays.

You will feel better afterwards. They have to tell you the bad bits because of potential litigation.

I once had an abscess drained (breast) and a tube inserted to drain puss in breast after infective mastitis. On reflection I wish it had been done under GA but at the time I didn't want to miss out on even an hour of ds or even a feed actually I should just have put him on bottles after the first bout of mastitis.

Good luck OP, it will be fine and you will feel better.

I've had 4 GAs in total, 3 were in the last year.

The first time I was sobbing as they were prepping me up for theatre

I had minor op under GA on Tuesday this week, and this time I was pretty blase about it. Op was at 4pm and I was on my way home by 6pm Only side after the next day was a sore throat (from the tube I think).