To ask what it's like to go under GA

[HerRoyalStressHead]

I've never been under general anaesthetic and I'm due to have an operation on a herniated disc in my neck on Wednesday.
I know I always need more local anaesthetic than they think. Does that mean I'll need more general or is it completely different? In case you haven't gathered yet I'm absolutely clueless.

I had my preop and they said I'll be out for the count before I even count back from 10 to 6. But I've got this fear I'll get to one and still be awake.

What happens if I am still awake?
What if it doesn't work for me?
What if I wake up during surgery?
I'm panicking.

It's a big deal as its the forst time ill have ever been under.

They've said the op is an easy one
They've said that it'll be quick and over with before I know it. But what if there's complications? What if I don't get my grip strength in my hand back? What if I'm still in pain with my neck after? I know I should have asked the preop nurse all this but we were worried I wouldn't even be able to have the op as I'm waiting on an echo to confirm there's nothing structurally wrong with my heart and confirm doctors diagnosis of POTS. She said she'd phone me if things were not going ahead and I've not heard anything yet so I have to go under the assumption it is still going ahead and now all these fears have surfaced. Argh.

My DD has hEDS. She has POTS and locals/sedation don't work on her as they should.

She has had two GA. The first before diagnosis and the second, after.

I'm not going to lie, she woke up during surgery one but right at the end as they stitched her. BUT she had surgery this year and they knew the risk so kept a scanner on her brain to watch for any sign of consciousness and they gave her maximum anaesthesia. All went well.

I don't say this to scare you because not knowing and it happening is what scared DD (she was only 10). Her medical team knowing meant they prevented it second time round.

The going to sleep bit is fine, it’s afterwards that I have a problem. I’m always sick. During my spinal for my c-section I was almost sick until I was given an antiemetic. But lots of medication makes me sick, things like oramorph, pethidine etc are guaranteed to make me sick. Even things like co-codamol can too. So don’t worry if you are sick, or feel very sick afterwards. It can happen and you can have a jab which really helps.

I've had 4 or 5 and they are fine, you are chatting away, then you suddenly feel a but drunk/dizzy and you are asleep. Waking up is a bit strange and you may feel sick or feel some pain, but the nurses can give you meds for that. Good luck x

It is grand. You just sleep and wake up.

Most of mine have been like that, but when I had my varicose veins done, they gave me something that made me go to sleep slowly, while getting progressively more out of it, in a very pleasant way.

I was chatting to the anaesthetist for what seemed like an age, probably talking utter bollocks, and they told me later that my last words before I went under were "Anyway, I think I'm going to go now. Bye." and then I was out. And I woke up feeling a million dollars and ravenously hungry.

I'd love to know what they gave me. It looked like milk of magnesia in they syringe.

@HerRoyalStressHead - I’m a nurse and I have EDS as well. Tell your anaesthetist. EDS really only affects local anaesthetic because it is injected into the skin (connective tissue). The anaesthetic they inject into your cannula goes straight into your bloodstream and it is not affected by EDS. Depending on the surgery, sometimes a local anaesthetic is injected into the site of the operation to decrease pain and inflammation afterwards. This is why your anaesthetist needs to be told.

I have EDS type 3 too and it caused no issue with the GA for me. The anaesthetist was aware but I went under and came round again hours later with no issue.

I was also a bit worried about having EDS as sometimes I need more local anaesthetic for things like dental work or it takes longer to work. Wasn't like that with the GA at all.

They will ask you all sorts about your health history so you'll be able to flag it. My DH had (planned) surgery a few months ago and they did the same with him, so it's not just an emergency surgery thing (my surgery was due to an emergency).

Local anaesthetic and even sedation never works for me, but with general I'm out like a light within a second or two.

I went under GA for the first time ever last summer and although I was really nervous it was so quick it felt like I was only out for a minute and I was being woken back up.
No side effects either.

I've had three GAs in the last three years and always found it quite fascinating.

They take very good care of you: all of you, through the op, they're watching over you. They're your advocate, in a way, keeping an eye out for you.

A lot of anaethestists and assistants seem to be good conversationalists too and I've had interesting chats about books as they prepare me.

They usually come to see you before you go down to theatre, and it's worth telling them how you feel because, in my experience, they will go out of their way to make it easy. I've found them to be quite funny, too.

I honestly think you'll find the whole thing a lot easier than you (understandably) fear.

Yes, I always (10 ops) visualise it as little sparks; like a firework sparkler.

Probably Propofol, an anaesthetic agent also used in ICU to keep ventilated patients sedated/unconscious.

It’s what Michael Jackson paid a doctor to give him every night.

Haven't read the thread but its heaven. Lovely zzzzzzzzzzzz. You can get a sore throat afterwards. I can also get a bit sick so they gove me an anti emetic and so that is fine. In the old days, it was all a bit more rough and ready. Now, tis easy process.

Get the pre med, you'll feel warm and lovely and then go to sleep very quickly

This sounds so nice. I've never had a GA. The only operation I ever had was a c section and it was horrible! Like the idea of having a lovely sleep then waking up with a baby!

I’ve had about 25 GA. The staff are usually lovely and put you at ease. One asked what would you normally be doing on a Wednesday which I thought was a good question to get you chatting. I tend to think of bring in swimming pool on a sunny holiday before I go under. Coming round usually ok I’ve had a couple of reactions once I was shivering cold and another sick. But mostly fine - once I got discharged straight from recovery as I was so well and they had no beds.

I had many good ones and one bad one that scared the shit out of me.

The good ones, I'd count down from 10 and be gone by 5; it's what I imagine death to be like - no dreams, nothing, just out one second and that's it.

The one bad one, I remember suddenly not being able to breathe, coughing, rising up in a panic and having to be pushed down, then blacking out.

God, I love a GA.... utterly fantastic. You know nothing about it, have the absolute best sleep of your life, and wake up in recovery. I never understand why people worry about them, they're fine.

I was also worried before my surgery but my GA was great, just felt like a long nap. The anaesthetist was happy to discuss any specific concerns with me on the day, so you should be able to ask questions about the anaesthetic if you need to

You're asleep before you know what's happening. You aren't aware of a thing, it really is like a very good sleep. I had the option of a GA or a spinal (like in a section) when I was having my ankle pinned back together both of which I've had before and I immediately went for the GA. I woke up in recovery, with a lovely morphine button to boot, I wouldn't recommend breaking your ankle in three places but I must say that that was a good afternoon 😂😂. Particularly the toast I had back on the ward. I dunno what they do to toast in hospital but it's bloody delicious.

Talk to the anaesthetist if you're feeling nervous, they can give you a pre med, they'll be watching you really closely. I had a bit of a sore throat afterwards (both times). You'll be fine.

It’s lovely.

I've had a few and the last one (which I was really looking forward to), I found myself telling them that I loved them very much 😖.
They're brilliant.

it’s super quick and you’re constantly monitored by the anesthesiologist so try not to worry. Everyone is usually so lovely!

I hope this thread has helped you OP, it has helped me - I am terrified of GA! I've never had one and I'm quite frightened by them. It's actually the out for the count bit that scares me- I've only recently realised that this is very likely mentally linked to when I was groped by someone who thought I was asleep whilst I was ill. I was not. Knowing I could talk this through and be treated kindly has really helped.

I am also hypermobile to a degree and sometimes require top ups of local. I definitely needed 2 jabs the last time I had a wisdom tooth out.

I had neurosurgery nine months ago and I loved being wheeled down to theatre in a heated blanket.
I can’t remember the exact procedure of being out to sleep but I do remember thinking this isn’t working, and then waking up what felt like a second later but was actually about eight hours after.
There was a lot of fussing and cleaning me up because my cannula had come out and I remember sobbing to a man - I think he was the anaesthetist or his assistant - to let my heavily pregnant daughter know I was ok.
Then I went up to the emergency post operative care ward and a nurse sat with me all night, monitoring me.
I cried a lot in the three days or so I was in hospital, a lot when I was recovering at home, fairly frequently for months afterwords and even occasionally now - I’m crying now just reading this thread. Not because the surgery was awful, it was fine, but I’d been terrified of having surgery and resisted until it became imperative. And I’d held it together after being diagnosed with a brain tumour and I think I went into a kind of delayed shock after the surgery and most uncharacteristically fell apart.
The other thing I didn’t expect was that my sleep would be disrupted for about a month, presumably because I’d slept most of the day of the surgery and my body clock was out of sync. Every night I’d be awake for a couple of hours between about 4am and 6am, then I’d go back to sleep for a bit.
No sickness or dry throat or anything from the anaesthetic though.