AIBU to be petrified of general anaesthesia?

[keabby]

Hello all I'm scheduled to go in for a sinus op in two weeks time. I need a large polyp removed that originates from the cheek sinus as it is affecting my ability to breathe thru my nostril.

The closer this gets the more terrified I am! I hate the thought of losing consciousness and being on a ventilator during the op. It needs done under complete general as it is of the image guided variety and I need to remain perfectly still.

I feel a bit of an idiot because I know how much this is going to improve my life i.e. no nighttime woes like mouth breathing, congestion, snoring anymore but at the same time I think is it really worth the risk? I think well during the day I can breathe fine out of my other nostril etc.

I'm an anxious type and that certainly doesn't help. It all seems so serious as I need to go in for a pre-op appointment to make sure I can tolerate the GA (the need to do this makes me a bit uneasy)

I am petrified. Rationally I know many MANY very ill people go in to GA and surgery and they're fine but I keep thinking my heart will stop or I'll go braindead (more than I already am :D ) during the op. Or that I'll regain consciousness before my body is able to move again. Etc...

Any anesthesiologists on the board by chance? Or those who have gone in for an op?

I think one of the primary things is actually after the drugs are administered and before I go under, what is that like? People say the room starts spinning, I think I'm going to have a proper meltdown if that's the case.

I heard you can get some premedication for anxiety. Can anyone recommend that?

Thanks for letting me have a ramble xx

[Toddlerteaplease]

In 18 years of taking children to theatre, I have never seen anyone be asked to count backwards!

[Toddlerteaplease]

@Davros yes me too. I just wish they wouldn't keep interrupting my doze to tel me they are starting the next scan

[CherrySpritz]

@Toddlerteaplease

In 18 years of taking children to theatre, I have never seen anyone be asked to count backwards!

Me neither and I’m familiar with ORs too.

[FluffyKittensinabasket]

I love a good GA! And how nice the nurses are in recovery.

[Toddlerteaplease]

Usually just chat about holidays!

[Hingeandbracket]

Had GA twice - no room spinning, just a really nice sleep.

Of course I worried about not coming back - but I rationalised it as -

We all have to die at some point.
If I died under GA it would be like dying in my sleep - I'd never know anything about it.

[Hingeandbracket]

I can't breathe through my nose either (the rare times I can it's a few breaths) but no doctor's ever been bothered. I do snore apparently and have a worse sense of smell compared to other people
One of my Ops was to cure my inability to breathe through my nose :)

[Flupibass]

It’s perfectly normal to be nervous. The staff will stay by your side and talk to you. When I’ve had ops the anaesthetists have always been lovely and administered the anaesthetic in the room beside the theatre, not the theatre itself, in the back of my hand. I didn’t feel a thing or have to count down or anything. It was so quick, the next thing you know you’re in recovery. It’s scary because you have to sign all the forms but the chances of anything not going to plan is very very tiny. The waiting is the worse thing, once you are there you’ll be relieved.

[SpiritEssence]

Anyone else had gas for a GA. Not sure why they did gas as was expecting a cannula in me

[Davincitoad]

Best sleep ever!

[ItsSpittingEverybodyIn]

I've loved it everytime I've had general. I usually wake up feeling a bit high but sleepy and lovely. You'll be fine op, you'll be in such good hands, the anaesthetist will come and talk to you beforehand and put your fears at rest.

[GreyGardens88]

I've never had GA, but I'd be worried I would wake up in the middle of surgery paralysed but can feel the pain. I don't know if it's a real thing or not but there used to be scare stories in the 90s lol

[TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince]

Another one who quite likes it.

The spinny feeling when you finally go. And being determined to count down lower than 8. And never succeeding😁

[ItsSpittingEverybodyIn]

Bloody hell Grey Gardens! Don't think op needed that gem.

[QueenCT]

I've had two and I am petrified. As in packing bags and walking out petrified!

They gave me midazolam first as I was so scared. And I asked for as much anti sickness as they could load me with
Lay on the bed, had the needle in and the midazolam, made me feel happy drunk. Not dizzy or sick. Then the anaesthetic. I tried to say "it's not working" and then I woke up
I wake up fast, am never sick and just hungry/thirsty. Only downside is I can never sleep for a day after

Talk to them - honestly I was a sobbing mess and agree to the midazolam to calm me down and see how I felt. After that I didn't really care about anything they asked if I was scared of the needle and I said no scared of going under, not waking up and being sick. He told me he had too much paperwork to do if I died and I was the most monitored I would be in my life under anaesthetic, he would load me with anti sickness and there would be a cup of tea when I woke up

[DisobedientHamster]

They are AWESOME! I recover very quickly from them, have never felt groggy at all after (one time I actually sat up and swung my legs off the bed whilst the nurse had her back turned, all ready to go home). Another time, I grew up bilingual, I thought I was responding to the nurse's questions in English, but I wasn't and it took a few hours till my English came back.

GA is a brilliant invention!

[JovialNickname]

Just remember ...you won't know. You feel totally fine til you're out for the count. They ask you to count backwards from ten and you feel totally fine at that point. If you get to five, feel free to have a prolonged conversation with them. But you won't good luck though I know it's scary x

[BumDiggyDiggyDiggyBumDiggyBum]

I’ve had at least one pretty much every year for the last 10/12 years.

GAs are phenomenal, the best sleep ever. I don’t think I’ve ever been asked to count back either, but it’s always (as far as I remember) the same anaesthetist I get, so they probably know I’m an old hat by now.

In fact, I had to go to a different hospital than usual for my last one and wasn’t asked to count back there either. I remember someone telling me off because I said fentanyl was amazing just before I went out.

The sandwiches and cup of tea afterwards taste utterly amazing too, because you haven’t eaten in so long!

I’m quite jealous OP id love a GA sleep right now! I’m having a different op when cosmetics open back up, under fentanyl sedation this time though which I’m a bit apprehensive about but hey ho it’ll be worth it

[Lockdownlooks]

It’s normal to be worried about something new. I’ve had many GA. Tell them if you are nervous, the operating room staff are brilliant.

As PP have said the anaesthetic in the hand can feel cold. The oxygen mask may also smell a little strange like rubber.

If you need glasses ask to keep them as long as possible (I can barely see without them). With mine they put an id label on the side (presume the same for hearing aids)

[DelphicOracle]

I had my first GA in January this year ... I get the most horrendous vertigo and sickness so I was super worried it was going to make me really really ill.

Also vertigo makes everything spin and so I was terrified that would happen and I’d puke and choke ( not at all dramatic )...

But I told them all before do they gave me lots of anti sickness through IV.... I cried as I walked down but once in there they were so kind and caring .... I remember feeling all fluffy and warm. Then as I counted things started spinning but for less than 2 seconds - I remember because just as it started to feel like vertigo I went I under.... when I woke up I was confused and tired but not even slightly sick ... was actually much much less frightening than I expected ....

[Mummyjsa]

I had my first general anaesthetic at 32 then another a year later. I felt a little sick when I came round from the first one and struggled a bit with low BP but nothing major. Second I was up and going home an hour later.
Be brave, it will be worth it x

[Emcont]

Hi OP.

I've had 2 GA's. One for Rhinoplasty and one when I had my tonsils and adenoids removed.

I was petrified the first time. Convinced I wasn't going to wake up! Honestly, the weeks of worrying was for nothing.

I had the whatever injected into my cannula and a face mask, don't think I even reached 5 either time.

With my rhinoplasty I was also intubated.. that hurt afterwards!

For me personally, my blood pressure drops low after a GA, so I didn't get the amazing sleep after as they wanted me awake lol.

But really, i didn't need to worry at all!

[Emcont]

To a PP, I also fell asleep in one of my MRI's. Found the noise weirdly therapeutic

[QueenCT]

Oh I did have a sore throat after the last one but that was a 5hr op. And some bruising/marks from the BP thing
My neighbour brought me a mcdonalds milkshake which I highly recommend for a sore throat!

[Szalinski]

Oh it's fab, I love GA's! I've had three, the first two they popped a cannula in, injected the drug and it was goodnight Vienna.

The third time, they couldn't find a vein for the cannula so they had to gas me. It was a slightly odd feeling and I had some very loud ringing in my ears and it tasted quite unpleasant but again was unconscious in very quickly

Coming round isn't as nice for me, I always get a bit teary but that soon wears off.

Honestly OP you'll be absolutely fine.