Surgery is in four days!

[tanaproma 12]

Hey guys!

So I'm getting my surgery done on Wednesday, which is only four days away! So I have a couple of questions for you guys! The experienced bunch! I've never had surgery before in my life, and I'm very nervous about pain/suffering. Do you guys mind answering a few questions for me? It'll really help me get my head on straight.

How do you feel while you're knocked out? Like do you dream? Is it like sleeping? What happens? Do you inadvertedly feel something moving around inside your stomach? I know it's the hardest question ever, but really, what does it feel like? How does time pass?

Does it feel like you close your eyes now -- and the next minute, boom, surgery over? Or do you feel every last waking minute?

As soon as you wake up? Are you in pain? How disoriented are you? Do you panic? How do you feel? Can you talk right away? When do they take the cathater off? How does it feel when they take the cathater off? Does it hurt? Sting?

I know it seems like a lot, but I'd appreciate the help! Please guys!

[Pepper123 320]

Hiya…well I've had surgery before…and for me…its like going and waking up…i was just in a little pain but mostly out of it…until i got a bed….and that was when i got my appendix out…no fun but everyone is different...

[tanaproma 12]

Yeah, that's the same answer I've heard from a lot of people! I'm just nervous all around. I'm just hoping for the best and doing excessive research on the worst of the worst. You know what I mean?

[G33kg1rl 36]

I haven't gotten my sleeve yet (I'm having surgery on Wednesday too), but I've had other surgeries. You don't dream under general anesthesia. It's like time skips--one minute you're getting something put in your IV, and bang! The next minute you're in the recovery room. You don't feel anything during the procedure. You may feel pretty groggy when you come to--like you may be able to hear people talking around you, but be too sleepy to respond. That's about it for weirdness, though. It's not like sleep paralysis or anything disturbing like that.

In my experience, catheters don't hurt going in or out. They feel a little strange during the in and out procedure, like pressure where there's normally no pressure, but other than that you don't notice them.

General anesthesia really isn't so bad. You may be surprised at how easy it goes.

[Maltese gal 63]

I've had surgery before and trust me the first time I felt the same anxieties you do, it was better than I ever thought and the same as the answers above, actually it's a great feeling a few seconds before you go under lol I even asked them if I could have more for home! Of course I was kidding, so you'll be fine and do great hun no worries )

[misslu58 7]

Going to sleep with anesthia is nothing. You will be talking to them and everything. You may be awake a little while they put the mask on your face, but once the stuff goes in the iv, you are out. You will wake up in the recovery room and everyone will be buzzing around you. They will say your name and you will just open your eyes up. It is like wow, where did the time go. If you are a smoker, your throat may hurt a bit from the tube they put down while you are sleeping. It would just feel like a sore throat sensation though.

The catheter is put in while you are sleeping, so you will not feel it. If you are lucky (like I was), it is removed while you are sleeping too and then you will be able to pee like normal. It will come out a little slower after a cath has been in, but that only lasts like a day or two.

You can talk right away when you wake up. You will feel somewhat groggy, and sleepy, but that will go away. You will probably have an oxygen tube thing (like you see people on tv with--it goes in both nostrils). That does not hurt, it is only to help you breath better and get more oxygen after anesthia (people do not breath deep enough). They will give you a spirometer (or whatever it is called) for breathing exercises while you are recovering... to keep your lungs clear.

You may have the pumps on your legs to prevent blood clots.. they feel wonderful--they massage your calfs (LOL).

You will have an iv in.. that may be the most uncomfortable thing you will have. They will give you a shot in the hand or whereever they are going to put it on your arm. It will only sting a bit, like a bug bite. That numbs the area and then they insert the iv thing. They will tape it all up and that is that. This is the port that your iv fluids will go in, the medicine to put you to sleep, all your drugs after the surgery. You may have a PCA hooked up too.. that is a machine that hooks to your iv for pain meds that you can push the button to release.

Anxiety is normal, even for someone who has had surgery before. You will do wonderfully as long as you remember you are in the hands of experts. This is what they have studied for and are trained to do.....

Wishing you luck and a speedy recovery. Let us know how it goes for you.

[kimpossible80 25]

Going to sleep under anesthesia is pain free. I did have pain afterwards but it's kind of a surreal experience with the pain medication and I kept falling back asleep. I felt some discomfort the next day, but nothing significant.

Best of luck to you!

[LadyCane 12]

The anesthesiologist is typically very sneaky and as soon as you get on the table they have given you something to relax you and then they put a mask over your nose and mouth and you're out. The next thing I knew they were saying my name in recovery. I didn't really have any pain that I remember at this point. My whole abdomen felt numb.

You'll do fine. The anesthesiologist will come in and talk with you before surgery. Let the know you're nervous and they will be sure to get you medicated well.