Can any anaesthetics/surgery experts reassure me?

[madaddam]

I have. Changed my name for this as it is going to make me sound completely NUTS.

I had surgery to remove my gallbladder earlier this week. I was absolutely terrified, first of the general anaesthetic, then of the risks of surgery itself, then, about them removing it and finding something else wrong.

I was last on the list so had pretty much been waiting all day on the ward and getting more and more worked up. I cried everytime anyone spoke to me.

So, I had a lovely anaesthetist who saw I was upset as she was preparing to knock me out. She was chatting and trying to distract me and reassure me.

Next thing I knew, I was coming round in the ward. She was there loudly saying my name. I was really disoriented and confused, as well as relieved that I was alive. But then, I'm sure I heard her say to one of the recovery nurses, pretty loudly "bit of a tumour". So now I'm convinced they found a tumour during the op.

Now, I just want someone to tell me that I'm being an idiot because

I was out of it

She probably wouldn't have said that loudly to the nurse??

And

I was discharged that day with a letter saying my op has gone to plan and no follow up required (although I understand they test the gallbladder afterwards?)

I didn't see a surgeon at all other than the one who came round in the morning to go through the consent forms, and I don't think it was him doing the op.

Is it possible for me to have imagined that I heard her say this? Have I lost my mind?

Honestly? I think you misheard the nurse. You were groggy and probably on strong pain relief. You'd just started coming round, you were relieved you'd survived the op. There was an awful lot going on in the room by the sound of it.
If there had been something else wrong, they would have been to see you as soon as you were fully awake and aware.
I don't think you have anything to worry about at all.
Wishing you a speedy recovery 🌹

You're being an idiot because you were out of it and she absolutely would not have said that to the nurse.

And you were discharged that day with a letter saying your operation had gone to plan and no follow up was required. Very likely your gallbladder would have been tested afterwards. Standard procedure, even when the docs are certain that there is no malignancy in the part removed.

It is entirely possible that you have imagined that you heard her say this. It is also entirely possible that she said something entirely different, which you misheard in your grogginess.

No, you have not lost your mind. You are simply very anxious. Here's looking forward to a full recovery and a pain-free future for you.

When i was being stitched up after my cesarian I heard the doctors doing the stitching talking and thought they were talking about me. They were saying "I'm very worried about her, it's a serious situation, I'm not sure what's going to happen" etc and I was lying there completely traumatised anyway and thinking that I must be dying or my baby must be dying and all sorts of things were going through my head. After about 5 minutes the conversation moved on and I realised they had been talking about a friend or colleague of theirs and not about me.

It could be something similar OP. They may well have said that but were talking about another patient. They would't have said it had all gone to plan if they had found a tumour.

Go to YouTube
Search for conversations after anaesthetic.
Watch.

I personally have only seen a clip of one of these (they make me concerned if the person consents to their vulnerability being shared... and you can tell consent about being videos is very dubious).

But hopefully this will show you how unclear a patients post- anaesthetic thoughts are.

Also, never heard the phrase "bit of a tumour"

There is only one way to put your mind at rest and that is to check with the surgeon and/or your own doctor that everything is indeed OK. You can mention this specific phrase you have heard to double check that they do not see any risk of a tumour.
There is nothing wrong with being anxious and you are not an idiot or nuts. Surgery is scary.

I did say to her a little later, "is everything ok" and she said "yes everything's fine from our point of view" by which I think she meant as opposed from my own point of view as at that point they were giving me more pain relief as I was very sore. But then I wondered if by "our point of view" she meant as the anaesthetist as opposed to the surgeon.....

I'm overthinking this aren't I?

They could have said it (I don't think so though) or they could be talking about another patient (again. I don't think so) The language isn't professional or realistic "a bit of" that's the main thing for me that makes me think its not true.
You were worrying before the op about this and I think you imagined it while you were half asleep.

You have 2 choices now.
Forget about it, accept you were wrong and enjoy Christmas and your life. Or. Stress about it.

If you can't shake it though, just call your dr. or the hospital.

Definitely overthinking it. With modern anaesthetics the wake up is often clearer than it used to be but people often take a while to be really clear headed. People think they haven’t had the op yet, think they are on that lovely beach I told them to imagine or as last week say I haven’t done my shopping yet and try to get off the trolley. I can easily see an overheard remark getting misinterpreted.

I'm not in anyway medical, but "a bit of a tumour" doesn't sound like something someone would say. If they thought you had ""a bit of a tumour" they would certainly be following you up urgently.

When my DM had an operation and they found something they did not expect, she was told straight away that the follow up appointment will be organised. OP, I think you have misheard/imagined the nurses' conversation after being anaesthetised, and shouldn't worry.
I work at the hospital and can not imagine anyone gossiping about the patients' medical condition in front of them.

Do you have a post op follow up appointment? They should have the histopathology results back by then. You can ask more then.

Thank you for the reassuring responses. I agree it was a weird phrase and didn't seem like something the anaesthetist would say as she had been super professional and lovely and matter of fact prior to the op.

I’m married to an anaesthetist. If you had a tumour you’d be having tests already or about to.

Imagine the trouble they’d be in if they found a tumour and didn’t do anything about it? That’s job ending stuff. They don’t want to lose their jobs, nor do they want you to die of an untreated tumour.

Please put it behind you, or if you can’t try to contact the person directly to confirm, this is just anxiety.

It seems highly highly likely you misheard or even completely imagined this as you were coming out of anaesthetic.

Could have been:
‘what are you having on your jacket potato today?’
‘bit of tuna’

Try not to worry. And if you can stop worrying ask about it at a follow up appointment.

This is classic anxiety. The more you worry, the more you worry.

Let it go OP, if there were a problem they would have told you.

Make a conscious effort to let that worry go like a cloud passing in the sky, and enjoy your Christmas xx

Likely you misheard or they weren't talking about you. If you're worried though call the team and see if you can schedule a follow up.

When I came round from my last GA the nurses in the recovery room were chatting about the relative merits of local undertaker firms
I think the first thing I said was "I'm still here you know!"

I think you either misheard or they were talking about someone else. They might have even been having a conversation about one of their family members. We do chat while working …
You have been told that all went well. That’s all you need to know.