To ask you to explain what general anaesthesia is like...?!

[nonotquite]

I'm getting a gastric sleeve surgery on February and I am TERRIFIED of the anaesthesia!
I haven't ever been put under before and so I have absolutely no idea what to expect. I'm praying it will all go smoothly and I won't freak myself out too much, but right now it's just consuming me and I'm feeling more anxious about it by the day!!

Is anybody able to put my mind at ease..!! What is is really like? Do you really wake up and feel sick and nauseous afterwards?! (I've got a terrible phobia of sickness)

Thank you for any help in advance!!

I’ve only had one GA and I was given pre med before so I was in a state of zen before the anaesthesia was administered, all I heard was ‘we are going to…’ Then I was waking up in the ward oblivious to the convo I’d had with my surgeon in recovery, and had a patient controlled morphine pump for a couple of days. I felt like I was floating on a beautiful cloud.

Had 3 last year within a month. Actually quite liked them. The going to sleep bit was fairly quick.. I was panicky but they were lovely and reassuring. When I “woke up” I was kind of aware of what was going on before I woke (if that makes sense). I was freezing so they put a heater thing in my bed. Afterwards I was very dozy and slept again for a while. Don’t worry OP.. they really aren’t so bad!

It is normal to feel worried about the unknown. The staff are great so talk to them about any particular fears.

I’ve have many GA. I do get nausea so tell them in advance and they make sure to give an anti sickness med.

Whichever type of anaesthesia I’ve had I had an oxygen mask and it can feel strange. If your anaesthetic is by injection it can feel cold.
If you need glasses or a hearing aid let them know and they will allow you to keep them as long as possible and keep them safe for the recovery room.

It's great. Best sleep ever as though on a gorgeous fluffy cloud.

It's a lovely woozy feeling for a few seconds after you have the anaesthetic as you drift off.
Then they wake you briefly in the recovery room and the next thing you're waking up in your hospital bed in your own nightwear.
If you're anything like me, you're bursting with energy and ready to go when you wake back on the ward.
Although, everyone reacts to waking differently as some have said here.
The last time I had a GA, they woke me in recovery and I was fighting with the nurse because I was panicking that I'd slept through my alarm and the kids would be late for school...... despite the fact that the youngest had left school some ten years previously!
To be fair, the struggle only lasted about ten seconds before I was unconscious and waking again on the ward.

You are literally away talking to the anaesthetist and the next moment you are waking up feeling a bit woozy but nothing major.

I've had keyhole surgery and one minute you are awake in the theatre, next you wake up groggy. Some feel a bit nauseas after, but generally the affects wear off quickly after you wake.

@HandScreen

It feels lovely, and the process is very quick. 3-5 seconds of the most comfortable relaxed sleepy feeling, falling into a deep happy sleep.

Exactly my experience , also same description from my husband . I have had one only and was utterly terrified before it, i was slightly headachy afterwards and the next day, then right as rain.

Oh, and OP, a lovely nurse gave me some fantastic advice before my surgery in November.

I had a pre-op assessment the week before the surgery and the nurse told me that the best thing I could do to help my recovery was to do breathing exercises beforehand. So, as often as I thought of it each day, I’d take five of the deepest breaths I could- literally massive breath in until I thought I’d burst, then breath in a little more, hold it for a few seconds, and out again.

After a few days, I noticed that I could take much bigger breaths than when I started, and in recovery, my oxygen levels were really good.

I had surgery in 2016 and was struggling to get my oxygen levels up afterwards and was longer in the recovery room. I definitely think the breathing exercises helped the second time round.

I don't remember going under. Waking up was like opening my eyes and boom the world was there. Very unlike waking up from sleep because I can remember waking up.

I was disorientated and tried to sit up. I kept asking where my (then) 4.5 month baby was.

Like I said up thread, I used to work at the hospital where I had my ops and knew quite a lot of the staff . I was in the recovery ward just waking up and saw a doctor I knew walk past. To my shame , I shouted out ‘Oi , I love you’ .
I had to see him in the course of my job and it was never spoken of

I've only ever had local (c-sections) but what I can say is I've had plenty to do with anaesthetists and they are genuinely, hands down, the best people you could wish to meet! So lovely and reassuring. I don't know why/how, must be part of the entry criteria for the profession 😂 but I guarantee they will put you at ease as soon as they set eyes on you x

I had one a few years ago.

The falling asleep bit was very quick and painless (no dizziness or nausea or other weird unpleasant feelings, no time to get scared. In comparison, I hated gas and air during labour, made me feel all wobbly and weak and panicky)
Waking up is a lot more gradual. I felt a bit confused for a few minutes, but mostly just very tired and weak, and a bit dizzy. Had to lie down in the car when my husband drove me back home, and I had no appetite for dinner. But I felt just fine again after a good night's sleep.

I didn't feel sick at all, and I feel sick very easily (I get migraines too). I didn't feel anxious either (again, I feel anxious very easily), more strangely relaxed.
Aside from the extreme tiredness for a while afterwards, it really wasn't too bad.

I remember I had a tube down my throat and when I woke up I tried to sit up but it felt like an enormous weight pushed me back down in my bed. The nurse came over and asked me to cough as she pulled the tube out. Then I started waking up more. Still a bit fuzzy, but mostly ok.

I had a gastric sleeve in august last year, it was my first time under GA and I was terrified!

When they put you under it is scary, my heart was going ten to the dozen but you really do just fall asleep.

I woke up in pain and was pulling at my IV tubes and saying I couldn't breathe or move etc then was given morphine and felt dizzy and was retching loads but nothing came up - but morphine does that to me.

I then fell asleep and woke up feeling awful, really hung over, no pain really just a general feeling of discomfort. My BP and oxygen was very low so had to take deep breaths or was dizzy and machines beeping. Slept a lot the first 12 hours. After that I was fine. The worst thing about sleeve surgery for me was the drain it's really annoying but they took mine out on day two, the gas pain is hideous too but after 48 hours it goes. As soon as I got home I felt great and have felt great ever since!

Good luck you'll be fine!

[quote Fridaynight2021]@laralou28 I had the same thing. I wasn’t scared or anything, just as I woke I was crying. I loved it, but I did find that bit strange.[/quote]
Strange isn't it! Must just be the affect it has on us lol! I remember the nurse passing me tissues haha maybe it was the relief that it was over and I woke up again haha

It's brilliant - like the best sleep you've ever had. I'd have a GA every week if I could 🤣

They're lovely... but you may still be sick afterwards. I've had two; one for a short op that felt fantastic, and one for an op of about 3 hours. I did throw up once after coming out of the long anaesthesia, but straight away felt fine.

You go all swimmy and dreamy, and then wake up feeling very refreshed. Try not to worry.

I'll be honest and go against the grain. I didn't like it. I asked not to have a pre-med but saw them inject one anyway. I hated the feeling of being dazed and woozy and got a bit upset (I'm teetotal and don't want to feel altered in any way). When they put in the GA, it felt like a v heavy weight on my chest which made me cough and gasp. I don't remember anything after that until I was on the ward again. I know I must have been awake in recovery but have no recollection of it. I don't remember waking up tbh. Just remember being asked if I'd like tea and toast! I don't like the feeling of loss of control and I actively don't drink to avoid the sensation so it wasn't a great experience but not terrible.

I do wonder in hindsight whether I react oddly to anaesthetics in some way. I had some real issues during both spinals when I had my DC, my mother had a bad reaction to a GA (memory loss, regression, aggression) and DD - who has EDS - doesn't take to anaesthetics properly and woke up during surgery.

So I'm probably a bit of an outlier and I assume there's something hereditary going on.

The only issue I had the next morning was my BP dropped for some reason (5hr op, woke up at 4pm)
My obs through the night were fine and I was so used to her saying "perfect" that when she went "hmmm" at 7am I was what's going on?
They asked how I felt and i felt fine but they got me to eat toast and a sweet cup of tea, it was something like 80/60 but went up after that
Discharged at lunch time

I think how you feel after depends on the type of surgery you've had. You won't feel as rough after keyhole surgery as you would say after a laparotomy where you have organs removed. But it can only get so bad, anxiety, sickness and pain are all manageable and will be extremely quickly treated if you communicate really well with your anaesthetist.

I'm terrified of needles so didn't look at that bit and once it was in my arm I was fine. A few seconds of breathing into the thingy and I was out like a light, felt absolutely fine afterwards no nausea at all.

Told me to count from 10 down to 1

I think I got to 8

Then woke up feeling a bit sleepy and hungry

Never felt sick , I've had to GA in last 10 years

Like blinking. One second you're chatting to the anesthetist the next you're waking up in recovery.

It's like no time has passed. I wake up very tired but feeling fine. Never been sick from it. I've had 8 GA in my life.

I’m sick I wake up and it takes me a long time to come around properly - I hate them.