General anaesthetic questions?

[aliceinwonderland2]

Hi! I’m due to have my first general anaesthetic next week and feeling increasingly anxious. It would be so helpful to hear from an anaesthetist or medical professional but any answers from anyone who can offer their own experience of a GA themselves would be gratefully received!

Are you always intubated with a breathing tube? The procedure I’m having is going to last about 45 mins-1 hour. It shouldn’t be too complicated so I’m wondering whether I’ll have the tube?

Would somebody notice quickly if I was beginning to wake up during the surgery? My main fear is waking up too early.

Do you think I would be able to go back to work the day after? I haven’t booked off the day after off work because I was told it will only be a day surgery thing but now I’m worried that was a silly decision.

Any other advice/experiences you have to offer would be really great. I hate the feeling of being out of control so knowing as much as I can about what will happen is helping my anxieties.

Thank you so much

Xx

I have had a few GAs, and they are absolutely nothing to worry about.

No you really can't go to work the next day. You aren't allowed to drive for 24 hours after a GA for a start, and you might still be feeling the effects of the GA, and whatever procedure you have had.

Please don't worry. It is all in a day's work for the anaesthatist

I've had a couple and I really couldn't tell you if I was intubated.
Agree with first reply that you need to give it a day for the effects to wear off.

Not medical so can't help with the first parts, but you'll need time off afterwards.
People react differently (and of course you can be under for different amounts of time) but the last two times I've had a GA, I've felt the effects for a good week afterwards. DH was the same the one time he had a GA - it took him about a week to recover from that.

If they use a tube you might have a sore throat the next day. Get some Difflam spray just in case. Don't go to work! Try not to worry

Ok this could be long! I was terrified, as in walking out terrified before a short op
The lovely anaesthetist asked if they could just give me something to relax me and see how I felt so I agreed (midazolam, I recommend asking for a pre med!)
After that, I felt drunk but not sick, more laughing a lot and then they gave me the anaesthetic. Next thing I know was waking up and I was hungry

Second GA much the same, except it was 5hrs. They even looked up my previous op to use the same meds. I asked for anti sickness again. Woke up on the ward, and was eating 2hrs later demanding seconds of jam roly poly

I go very wired after a GA and don't sleep for 2 days but apparently that's unusual. McDonald's milkshake is the best if you do have a sore throat, mine wasn't sore after the first op but it was after the second

The first GA I recovered v quickly from, the second was a massive op and I did nothing but sleep/eat/watch a film for 3 weeks

Ask away if there's anything else, I was a nightmare, terrified I would wake up, terrified I wouldn't...

I dont remember the day after my GA as i slept most of it. It took several days to shake off the tired sluggish feeling

This might sound quite weird but I actually like having a GA!

This is how mine have mostly gone: They chat to you whilst setting you up in the theatre prep room which is like a clinic room attached to the theatre. This is before you go in, they try and keep you in a good mood, then they all make the same joke "this one's the gin and tonic" when they give you the drug to go to sleep. This amuses me as I wonder if they teach them the joke in lecture 27 of medical school or if it's passed around in a secret book of medic jokes.

They ask you to count down from 10 and you go "ten, niine, eiggghht, seveeeeeen...... "gone -

it's like that nice bit in the morning when you're pressing snooze on your alarm clock

Then next thing someone's chatting to you in the recovery room about your family, presumably this helps you want to come round quicker. This is a bit like being drunk and trying to sober up for a sensible conversation with your parents.

I have a few times woken up laughing about some stupid in-joke inside my head so I guess that's the "gin" wearing off

I did have a different method just one time as I opted for a spinal block but they discussed this option with me beforehand for consent.

Honestly it's nothing to be scared of at all!

Oh and I have zero idea whether I had a breathing tube. I imagine I did (am quite fat so I imagine they want my airway clear) but I haven't ever been able to tell nor had any reason to ask.

When you wake up you might have an oxygen mask or a tube. If a mask keep it on as then you get nice pure air to breathe, it's again lovely like being up a mountain. I was annoyed last time when they took it off me because I didn't need it

Sorry should clarify when I said "when you wake up you might have an oxygen mask or tube" I mean the thin tube that goes under your nose when you're on the ward not the "intubated" type of tube you see on House/ER!