To ask you what general anaesthetic is actually like?

[RainSoakedNights]

I’m having functional endoscopic sinus surgery soon. As far as I can tell the recovery is going to be fine - a bit like a head cold (if anyone has experience of this operation though please let me know!). But I’ve never had so much as a blood test (I’m 26). I’m on Mounjaro so used to injecting myself but I still hate needles (I know, I know!)

Any experiences would be appreciated!

My anaesthetist was great. He met me in my hospital room beforehand to check a few details and said see you soon. The next time we met he chatted away about everything (weather, holiday, kids etc) whilst preparing me for surgery. I remember he told me I was breathing in fabulous Manchester air and the next thing I was coming round back in my room.

I’m not going to be awake at 11:30 🤷🏼‍♀️ my paperwork says to eat a light diet leading up to the surgery

I can see you've had many replies re GA's. Ive had FESS twice now. More recently in May. My second surgery and recovery was so much better. Second time round I also had a septoplasty too. The surgeon used packing and I stayed in overnight, the packing was removed in the morning. The recovery was really good after this. I didnt take the codeine I was prescribed only paracetamol or ibuprofen. I was told to take 2 weeks off work, but I was fine after a week.

First surgery they used dissolvable packing, i think this made things a bit more uncomfortable for longer. I was congested for much longer.

Most of the pain for the first couple of days was in my throat from the tubes from the GA.

Some advice, get a v pillow so that you can sleep propped up for a couple of days

I keep going between waves of feeling quite okay with it all to feeling really anxious. I know it seems like such an overreaction but I’ve never been through anything like this and I’m just scared. I’m scared of the recovery, because I don’t think I can handle being in pain, and I’m scared of being put to sleep

I’ve got a wedge pillow because I’m such a side sleeper! When you say uncomfortable, is it just congestion?

You can buy numbing cream at pharmacies. So provided they have no issue with you using it (don't know about that ) you can take your own if you're worried about accessing it. I have never had GA but I numbed my own hands for my CT scan because I find cannulas really painful.

Doesn't matter if you usually struggle to fall asleep. The anaesthetic is like someone pressing the off switch.

Absolutely fine to get EMLA cream, you just buy it in a pharmacy. Numb both hands and insides of elbows so they've got four access points.

I just really can’t wrap my head around it 😅 like it just doesn’t make sense to me

Yes congestion, with that came headaches and tiredness. I struggled with sleep too

See if it’s congestion and the headaches, I think I can deal with that. I have a pretty permanent sinus headache anyway!

I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks this 🤣

I'm very resistant to local anaesthetic, my dentist can't believe it but general knocked me out just fine. One minute I was talking to the anaesthetist then they said count down from five and I didn't even get to four!

Had a few. One minute you’re awake, then the next minute you’re awake again. You may feel a bit groggy or sick, but they can give you something for nausea. It’s fine.

This is what I just can’t get my head around. Will they be chatting to me? Will it just be quiet?

@RainSoakedNights falling asleep is a natural process that is part of your daily cycle. Getting an anaesthetic is being given several different medications that switch off the conscious part of your brain, makes you unable to move your body but also makes your body relaxed so that you can be moved around as needed by the operating team. It's like the difference between being unconscious like when you have a head injury and are knocked out, or if you faint, and just normally falling asleep. Similar, but different.

If you are really worried about weeing under GA, take a pair of spare knickers with you to wear home.

They will have seen it all before.

I’ve never passed out either 😅 this is why I can’t get my head around it

They will chat to you as you go off. Anaesthetists are all different but either the anaesthetist and the ODP/anaesthetic nurse (their assistant) will chat to you either asking you to count down or picture yourself somewhere you'd love to go like lying on a beach etc.

Your body won't fight the drugs, you will just go off to sleep one minute and be awake the next- people say it's like a pause button that has been pressed.

They'll be talking to you whilst you're conscious, which won't be for long once they administer the anaesthetic.

I love it! They give you something just before that chills you right out.

I suppose it's like when a film or tv show fades to black, and then cuts to another scene. That's what it's like.

The nurses and anaesthetist will chat to you while they get you prepped.

I can still recall the conversation I had with the male nurse who administered my spinal block but within seconds of the sedation being administered I was out like a light.

They had to do this with me because I was so anxious my heart rate was sky high! I'm not sure if it's normal procedure or not but whatever they gave me felt amazing!

The actual anaesthetic was fine though. I woke up trying to get off the bed saying I needed the loo but they wouldn't let me up.

The worst bit for me was after. I had ulcers in my throat from the equipment that were super painful, had to stop the car on the way home to throw up and all I could do was sleep for about 2 days. My blood pressure was low after so I think it was that causing the sleepiness.

I don't know anyone else that this has happened to though so I think I just reacted badly to it.

I only had it once during an emergency surgery so it was chaotic but I remember a nurse asking me what I was having for tea - I started to reply and… then I woke up in a different room feeling disoriented (although that may well be because it hadn’t been planned). no other side effects whatsoever. I’m an insomniac - it’s nothing like falling asleep. As others have said it’s an off switch, there’s no “drifting off”.