AIBU to be petrified of getting a general anaesthetic?

[FineAlrightThen]

I have an ENT procedure on the 30th to remove an obstructing polyp from my sinus. It is only day surgery but I am absolutely petrified of getting the general anesthetic to the point where I'm having serious thoughts of cancelling the surgery! Believe it or not I'm a 30 year old woman not a 6 year old girl

My anxiety is generally out of control but I'm afraid of dying while I'm under or not coming out of it. Or waking up with the tube down my throat unable to breathe. I have a lot to live for as I now have a precious DD!

I'm even afraid of coming out of it and not being able to breathe due to the nature of the surgery. If I do manage to make it through, am I going to wake up thinking I can breathe through my nose when I can't because it's all swollen/packed/bloody etc, am I going to be gasping and freaking out as I regain my bearings. I used to suffer terrible panic attacks as well as my generalised anxiety, it's a horrible feeling thinking something physical is terribly wrong and I'm in danger.

Another thing, I think I'm going to panic as I've heard you can feel the propofol going in to the vein and travelling up your arm?? That will properly terrify me before I lose consciousness. It sounds very scary.

Aaaaahhhhhhh.

I have only had one other anaesthetic when I got teeth extracted as a teen. I actually don't know if it was a general or just sedation, I remember having a mask over my face, 3 seconds later I hear the assistant saying "she's waking up" and I was pissed that they hadn't put me under yet after all that anxiety and bother, in fact it had already been done! I don't remember an IV or anything like that but it was long ago, and I remember immediately feeling awake and well enough to get out of the chair and walk to recovery where I spent 5 minutes then off to go home with my mum like nothing happened. I don't think I ever had a breathing tube or at least I was not aware of it. From what I know a proper general anaesthetic makes you quite out of it for a while in recovery?

Anyway sorry for the novel, it would be helpful to hear others' experiences, good or bad, so I know what to honestly expect. Also if you've had an ENT procedure what was it like? Also if you were sedated beforehand due to anxiety would you recommend it and what's it like? Wondering if I can have a bit of gas and air or something like that to relax me so I don't care about the scary sensations before I'm out.

I share your fear of a GA.

I'm actually booked for surgery myself tomorrow. I've opted for a local as I'm too much of a wimp for a general.

I had to have a GA a couple of weeks ago and I was bloody terrified of the GA for the same reasons as you, that i would wake up at the wrong time or i wouldnt wake up at all then wound myself up thinking about everyone i would leave behind. I was laying on the bed with them putting the canula in thinking my god I've changed my mind. I was lying there chatting to the nurse when I felt myself go light headed and dizzy which came on all of a sudden. Didnt like that and didnt know it would happen. Then I closed my eyes to stop the spinning and woke up in recovery.

Explain how worried you are to your anaesthetist and ask them to explain what they're doing and how it will affect you, as suddenly feeling like that with no warning was very disorienting. If you know what is going to happen you can relax a bit more.

It wouldnt bother me if I ever needed another GA though

Was knocked out for a d&c after a miscarriage.

Nothing to it tbh. You’re awake and then you’re gone and then you’re awake again.

Sorry hit that too soon.

I was terrified but it was totally fine.

I had a GA for a hysterectomy 10 years ago and I was terrified. The anaesthetist though was very good and very reassuring. I didn't have a pre-med and when the anaesthetic went in remember saying in some panic "It isn't working! Oh, I feel..............." The next thing I knew, I was back on the ward.
All the best, OP - you'll be fine.

Ohhhh i know. Its nerve wrecking.
I had it last year i was super nervous. When i went in for pre examination it all got "real" and i was a mess.
I took a lot of deep breaths and listened to calming music and it was fine.

They wheel you off, you counted backwards and then it was all over.

When i woke up i lurched between utterly hysterical tears and blind hysterical laughter for about two hours. It was bizarre at the time, my mum tried to comfort me but DP eventually just gave me trying to work out of i was laughing or crying. 🤷‍♀️

We laugh about it now (although not quite so hysterically).

I would be the same, but ot would be fine. They are specialists at it.

It will be fine, I've had four and was absolutely petrified but fine.

I hope I can reassure you. Things have progressed so much with GAs. I have a bad memory of having a GA when I was 5 years old in the 1950s.so when I had to have one as an adult I was nervous. I have had 6 operations in the past 11 years and it has been fine. The anaesthetists were kind, I was told to count to ten and got to about 4 before falling asleep and I woke up with a sense of well being as if I had just had a very restful sleep.

Ah you're all mad 🤣🤣 I love a GA

that drunken feeling first then complete nothingness
Then within a second you're awake 😊

Honestly I used to work in anaesthetics and ITU and I have never seen a fucked up anaesthetic
Anaesthetists are the medical equivalent of pilots, their jobs are simple, boring but when the shit hits the fan they are fucking awesome

I have a GA just to have my coil changed

You wont be having this procedure, it will be cancelled, please dont worry yourself over this unnecessarily.

I think your surgery will be cancelled!

Try not to stress too much@

Oh thank you all, I'm still petrified but these replies have been quite reassuring. I read a figure that something like 1 in 100,000 or so will die in general anaesthesia, (I don't know why I do this to myself, 20% analytical personality 80% neurosis I think), somehow out of the gravely ill and elderly and all that I think as an otherwise healthy 30 year old woman in for relatively minor day surgery I am going to be that statistic (eye roll). I know it's irrational yet I hate the thought of signing myself up to get drugged into a coma, although rationally I know it's quite safe, the actual thought of what's going on in my brain during it is scary.

Seems a lot of elective surgeries have been cancelled in the UK, however I think this one will go through as DH and I are in the USA through the summer. So far it is scheduled to go through with no cancellation in sight.

Keep them coming, I appreciate all the replies so far, really.

In regard to the 1 in 100,000 statistic, there is a good chance the statistics are skewed by the people where a GA had significant risks but the risk of not doing the operation was greater.

The rate for generally healthy people in their 30s is probably much lower.

Try not be too worried. I was nervous for my first one. But it was an emergency ruptured appendix so I didn’t have time to work myself up. I have a chronic health condition now and have had many many GA’s and now I love them! That feeling of drifting off. Just try and relax as much as possible. You’ll be in safe hands

My last GA was when my eldest was 10 days old. I remember nothing other than walking into theatre, climbing on the bed and saying hi to the theatre nurse.

I woke up and felt like I'd slept for a month, it was less than 45 minutes but with a new born, I felt amazing.

I had my first one a couple of years ago and it was lovely. The nicest sleep I've ever had and then the opportunity to relax for a couple of hours afterwards. I had a one year old at the time so that was nice. No pain at all and I didn't have a tube in my throat. Unless they didn't tell me?! Good luck xx

In current situation. your procedure may be cancelled anyway
You say you had an anaesthetic before, and no ill effects.
If you're that concerned, ask if they will do the procedure without anaesthetic.

I've had GA on three occasions, two were fine, problems coming round from the most recent one - but I would still have GA if needed, and probably in preference to Local anaesthetic if there was a choice, depending on the procedure.

and you can always ask for pre-med first if you're nervous

I had my ga last year for a surgical miscarriage and going down to the operating theatre I was in bits and scared and it's only a short procedure.

the doctor who makes you go to sleep (sorry can't spell it) put me totally at ease and had me laughing while he administered the anaesthetic.

Next thing I know I am waking gradually and there is a nurse sitting next to me in recovery. All over and that nurse stayed by me while I came round properly and looked after me. So while you are waking someone will be there.

Its absolutely understandable to be scared. Modern ananesthetics are very safe. Please talk to your anaesthetist about your fears, a bit of a pre-med might help.
This is routine surgery and you will be absolutley fine, please don't put it off.

I wish I could administer a GA at home. Fabulous stuff it is.

As someone who deals with anaesthetics on a daily basis (not an anaesthetist though) you are bot being at all unreasonable to be nervous. It’s perfectly normal for us and easy to say you will be Filene and it’s perfectly safe as it’s our normal everyday. But it isn’t for you.

The team will recognise that so make them aware. It’s rare to feel propofol (I didn’t but it can feel cold going up the arm). You won’t remember waking up at all (that’s my biggest fear too as I hate having things in my mouth) and I can’t remember being awake until being in recovery in both surgeries. One was tonsils so also ent.

In all seriousness though, no matter where you are having it done, I think it will be cancelled. We have cancelled all elective procedures in my hospital from today.

Btw @Babdoc not all recovery practitioners are ‘She’s’ or nurses 🤔

It’s going to be cancelled!

@FineAlrightThen

Of COURSE YANBU. I would be scared too.

Is local anaesthetic not an option? I have had 6 or 7 procedures/small ops in my life and have always had a local. I would never have a general if I had the choice. Never even had one in my life actually.