To think this can’t be that unusual before a General Anaesthetic?

[GeneralLevy]

Teenage son, at the stage of eating all he can see, had a GA today.
He wasn’t allowed to eat after 4am. He set his alarm for 3:30am and cooked a small meal. I gave permission, but didn’t wake.
Everyone has treated it like it’s the oddest thing to do, and they keep mentioning it- like it’s never happened and laughing (they ask you many times to check you haven’t eaten before surgery so it keeps coming up).
I get him. He LOVES food, feels dizzy easily. Also the operation was delayed 4 hours so I think it was quite a prudent choice- otherwise he wouldn’t have eaten since 6pm. I know people do fast, but he’s a teenage boy and they really don’t tend to like it.

Yep makes sense teenage boys need soooooo many daily calories he’d be absolutely starving otherwise. Well done him.

Skills! That's how much teens love to eat 😀 hope it went well, and he's recovering sufficiently to eat more later 😀

Sounds like a smart idea to me. Good on him.

Well as operations are so often cancelled or delayed these days I think your son really used his common sense !
We always offered patients tea and toast before their NBM time !

I was to fast from midnight and had a bowl of porridge at 1130. I think I'd have done the same as your DS

When I had my hysterectomy I had to go in the night before and had to fast after a certain time. The nurses said people sometimes had pizza delivered to the ward in the early hours.

He’s quite with it now thanks. Apparently he’s been unable to eat post surgery and keeps stressing this sadly that he won’t be able to eat. He’s though had apple juice, a yougurt, a sandwich and part of a second sandwich, water and is picking at a banana so I’m making sympathetic noises but I’m not worried about the ‘not being able to eat’ issue.

I know a few people who do that. I never do though, I prefer to be hungry rather than sleep deprived. Some people make a big thing about anything a bit unusual. My ds2 sneaked some crisps on the morning of an operation when he was about 6 and I had to make a very embarrassed phone call to the hospital. He was known as the boy who ate the quavers across the whole department for ages. Even now he is 15 the consultant always asks him if he's had any quavers lately.

I probably wouldn’t have done it myself because I love my sleep so much and probably wouldn’t have had much of an appetite at that time, but I would totally expect my 15 year old DS to do it (and would be all for it) because he typically eats a lot.

Most people walk to theatre if they are able.

Some do, some don't. With ds sometimes he prefers to get a good night's sleep beforehand, other times he likes a midnight snack.

When he was 6yo he chose to wake up, have egg mayo sandwiches, go for a scoot round the estate and come back and have hot chocolate... all at midnight.

I wouldn't really want to risk it that close to the deadline, given that the reason, as I understand it, is that they don't want to risk him vomiting or having reflux and choking on it. I guess I would have suggested that he eat something at midnight and then sleep as long as he wanted.

Your boy sounds lovely op. Wishing him a speedy recovery.

I fast most days for 18 hours, but like your son, I love my food and would worry about being really hungry and stressed from all the noise. I would do the same. It's perfectly sensible.

I did the same thing this week (albeit not quite as early). My cut off time was 6am so I got up before then to make sure I had food and a cup of tea in time. I'd have never lasted otherwise so good on him :)

Well I’m biased myself totally, so glad he sounds lovely to another too😄

for some people. I have v little body fat and feel ill and faint if I fast.

your son sounds awesome op!

I think it sounds sensible. You're a lovely dm.

I had an op earlier in the year. Had to fast from 7 so ate at 6.30 am.

The poor teenage boy ahead of me on the list - his dm misread the instructions & had made him fast from 6.30 the day before but as we had to be in by 10am it was too late to feed him that day.

I didn't go to theatre until 4.30pm. I know now it is possible to fast all day and not feel ill but haven't actually tried it since

I had a midnight snack the night before a planned operation as I knew I wouldn't fancy eating at 5.30 am. Not stupid!

my teenagers fast during ramadan so think it's a little dramatic. fasts are often 17 hours long depending on time of year. I have never done it and don't plan to they do it because all their friends do

I would do the same as him to be honest. I think it's fairly sensible!

When I was 6 they woke me up offered me food just before the limit.

When I had my planned c sec, I had the same

He's a perfectly sensible boy and I suspect had you made him toast it would be a less remarkable story

I assume if the cit off is say 8 hours then really it's say 6 and they add a couple of hours because, humans.

So you think it's dramatic to eat before he has to fast even tho you then say you've never fasted yourself.

When I worked in a surgical ward I always offered tea and toast at 0000 and 0600 depending on their fasting time. Sadly things are often delayed if an emergency comes in and because you are then waiting on the next slot available you would still be fasting until it was ruled out that it was going to happen that day so can be a really long wait for people.

And to the pp I would much rather walk down to theatre that be wheeled. I gave birth abroad and they had a policy that you had to be in a wheelchair as an inpatient and I absolutely hated someone pushing me on a chair when there was no reason I couldn't walk.

Was it a light meal he made? I think when I was last going in for an op, they told me just a light meal ie tea and toast the night before?

I can understand why he got up early to make a meal prior to his operation, particularly if he doesn’t do well without food, you could wait all day for your operation in some cases.