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!

The Royal college of Anaesthetists has specific podcasts to reduce anxiety (made by anaesthetists trained in medical hypnosis) which would also be a good option

https://www.rcoa.ac.uk/patients/patient-information-resources/preparing-your-mind-surgery

I definitely dreamt when I had a GA.

I’ve had 4. Each time I’ve never felt the needle going in. If you count back from 10 to 1 I was out each time extremely fast between 9 and 8. One was for the extraction of wisdom teeth, I swallowed blood so did throw up about 5 mins after when they’d put me back in bed in my room - BUPA hospital - but felt fine straight away. Didn’t feel ill after the other 3. All short routine ops though. The longest was 45 mins. It was like time travel for me too. One second I was there with the anaesthetist, the next I was waking up in recovery thinking “have they operated?” I never knew if they used breathing tubes, I was oblivious if they did and one op was on my nose so I’m guessing they may have.

You don't feel the needle going in as they inject it through a canula.

I've had quite a few and actually like it. The anaesthetist is always super chatty and friendly, they give you a sort of pre dose that makes you woozy and in my experience they just keep chatting till you're totally gone. Most times I have sensed no time or anything, just knocked out then awake again. Once I had some nuts dreams about what the anaesthetist had been talking about. Then you get brought cups of tea and food and everyone has to look after you when you get home (I absolutely DO NOT ham this up for more sympathy and less jobs for as long as possible).

Got my 10th in a few weeks, it’s fine, the anaesthetists are always lovely, You are asleep in seconds and wake up in recovery.

I remember lying on the bed and it was a bit scary because they were all there in scrubs and I could see the theatre door. He kept going on about the gin and tonic ( meaning the anesthetic injection) but I wish he'd just stuck to the facts 😂 as it just confused me. I felt the stuff go in and almost immediately they put a mask on me and it tasted horrible. I didn't know that was going to happen so it wasn't nice to have that slapped on. A second later I was waking up, was really dopey for at least a couple of hours.

When I had my gallbladder removed the nurses were going over the safe surgery checklist, the part where they were recording how many sponges and stuff they had, while we waited for the anesthesiologist. They told me when the surgery was over they would do it again to make sure they had the right number of things and nothing had been left inside. But it was still kind of odd.

My experiences of surgery and GA have always been quite positive. A nice little dose of something relaxing and then the best sleep of my life.

Best experience was my hysterectomy. Was woken up with a warm blanket wrapped around me, handed a cup of tea and not too long after introduced to the morphine button. Lovely. 😁

Thanks all - I’ve got this weird calm that has come over me. Just want it over with now

Last one I had was for egg collection for IVF. Needle in, didn’t feel it, was told I would feel sleepy in a moment. Didn’t believe them. Then woke up having had the best sleep of my life and some very vivid dreams. Awake and functional in a few minutes. Cup of tea and into my clothes and off into London within half an hour. It was my birthday so want for a big posh dinner that night with no ill effects.
If I’d had anything that needed surgery or painkillers that would have made the recovery much much harder which shows it’s not the GA that impacts but the reason you have it.

Good to hear OP you’re feeling calm and if your GA happens to be this Friday as mine is we can go through it together. I’ll hold your hand. ❤️My surgery is booked for 1230 pm. Got to be there for 1030am. Feel free to DM me x

That's good and this is what I find usually happens in these scenarios. Staff too tend to be very reassuring and helpful especially when you say to them you are anxious. Good luck!

Thank you! I think it’s just the realisation that I can’t say no now. I’ve resigned myself to being at the bottom of the list though, and im prepared for a very long day of waiting