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What Is It Really Like When You Wake Up After Surgery?

Like several others, my surgery is Tuesday. What is it REALLY like when you wake up? Please descride with HONESTY. Can you give me any comparisons, so I can get psyched for dealing with it? What was YOUR most difficult aspect of surgery? Pain? Swallowing? Nausea? PLEASE SHARE!

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  • Less of Leslie
    Less of Leslie

    I had an AMAZING experience. I last remember being put onto the OR table, the mask being placed on my face and counting backward...I only remember getting to 7! LOL! The next thing I knew, my name w

  • karenb4729
    karenb4729

    My surgery isn't until June 4th but I had laprascopic surgery back in 1987 for endometriosis/ruptured ovarian cyst. Going into the surgery I wasn't sure if I was going to wake up with a hystorectomy

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I remember being whelled into the operating room and nothing else until I was being moved into my room. As for pain, I have a pretty high-tollerance so I never asked for meds. The nurse finally made me take some, but I hate the way they made me itch.

After that I only remember being told to walk and drink; which I did. My dad walked with me the 1st time and he kept telling me to slow down because I wasn't in a marthon...lol.

It was a great experince. But I did HATE having the drain removed. It was the oddest sensation I have ever felt in my life, but thankfully it lasted for seconds and that was it.

My surgery experience went really well. I don't remember when I went out before surgery. I just remember talking to my sister and best friend, and the next thing I know I was attempting to wake up in recovery. I heard a lot of nurses talking and working. Then I remember the guy rolling me from recovery to my room. I was nauseated, but pain meds always do that to me. I did have pain when I moved, but I did have a pain ball and a morphine drip. I stayed for two days in the hosp because my blood pressure went up and I couldn't keep anything down. Once I got home and off the strong meds the nausea went away completely. I'm two weeks out and I'm very close to feeling completely normal. The only discomfort I feel is in my stomach if I bend down. I don't regret it one bit and I'd do it over again in a heartbeat.

My surgery isn't until June 4th but I had laprascopic surgery back in 1987 for endometriosis/ruptured ovarian cyst. Going into the surgery I wasn't sure if I was going to wake up with a hystorectomy or not so was pretty nervous. I remember when they started pushing on the anesthesia and before it was all put in I was asleep. I can't remember waking up in recovery but I do remember waking up in my room, I managed to reach the phone and called my husband and asked him if he knew if I had the hysterectomy or not... he said he hadn't talked to the Dr yet so I looked under the blanket and saw only a small bandage on my belly button and knew that they just did the laser surgery.

The one thing I really remember from this surgery is how it was hard to stand fully upright - I wanted to walk hunched over because it was not comfortable to stand up straight. I also wanted to just hold onto my stomach. Oh, and I was bloated for about a week where I looked kind of like I was pregnant. Anyway - I said all that because that's kind of what I expect to feel like when I complete this surgery, maybe a bit sorer.

I remember joking around with my coworkers on the OR bed and then getting hit with the fentanyl and the instant warm feeling all over and next thing I remembered was my PACU nurse telling me she gave me pain medicine and was it helping and only shaking my head no. Then I heard her asked my doc if she could change it to Morphine and that helped. I remember trying to open my eyes but couldn't see because of the lubricant they put in ur eyes when ur put to sleep. She used a warm cloth to help clear them and then my doc put his hand on my shoulder (I remember it was a cold hand!) and telling me I did great. Next thing I know I was being rolled into my room.

I do remember having a really dry burning throat and asking for ice chips. I used my pain pump and asked for zofran which made most of the discomfort diminish. I was up and walking around 4 hrs after surgery with help and independently 8hrs post op.

I also remember that the warm beef broth they gave me for dinner that night was the best thing ever!

I remember being rolled into the OR and talking to the people in there. The last thing I remember was seeing the anesthesiologist before I woke up in recovery. I was groggy but minimal pain. I think I was mostly coherent for about an hour before they rolled me up to my room. I remember them kicking my mom out of the room until they had me settled in my hospital bed. I fought like mad to lose the oxygen and won! My surgery was at 10am, my doctor checked in on me about 4, and I was up walking the halls by 5pm. I slept on and off for about 24 hours before I felt more like me. I felt slight discomfort in my stomach, but otherwise good. I barely used the morphine pump and once they took that off, didn't take any pain meds.

Everyone is different. Hopefully you have a good experience.

Oh - I had no nausea right after surgery. My surgeon had prescribed Emend which I took a couple hours before surgery and that seemed to do the trick. I did get nauseous the next day, probably from the morphine and the migraine I had - but the nurse team acted SUPER FAST when we told them I was nauseous. They really don't want you vomiting.

I used my morphine pump mainly so I could sleep. And I loved my catheter. :) Hated my drain, though and someone already said it, but it feels freakin' WEIRD when they take it out. Not painful, just godawful strange. Remember to hold your breath while they're removing it (if you even have one).

  • Author

I remember being whelled into the operating room and nothing else until I was being moved into my room. As for pain, I have a pretty high-tollerance so I never asked for meds. The nurse finally made me take some, but I hate the way they made me itch.

After that I only remember being told to walk and drink; which I did. My dad walked with me the 1st time and he kept telling me to slow down because I wasn't in a marthon...lol.

It was a great experince. But I did HATE having the drain removed. It was the oddest sensation I have ever felt in my life, but thankfully it lasted for seconds and that was it.

You are ALLERGIC to whatever pain meds they gave you. I would find out, and ask to never be given that again. I am allergic to Morphine, and had that exact same reaction. I thought I had bugs crawling on me! I found this out when I had my gallbladder removed, and it was icky to say the least. Thanks for your reply :D

  • Author

Thanks SO much everyone!!! This has really helped me. I LOVE this forum, and appreciate all my friends that live in my computer....LOL!

Many of you won't believe this but I wasn't nervous a single second prior to my surgery. I was mentally READY! I remember laying on the OR table and stretching my arms out to my side. I was told that I was getting ready to have the best margarita of my life and that was it. I was OUT! Next thing I remember was waking up and feeling SOOOO tired. I couldn't keep my eyes open. I had NO pain' date=' no nausea, no gas, NADA. I slept for about 2-3 hours and when I finally woke up I still had no pain. I never had any gas or nausea during my entire experience. Just a lil abdominal soreness that felt like I did about 100 crunches.

It was an amazing experience and truly a piece of cake!!! :)

Good Luck![/quote']

How much did you weigh going into surgery? I'm not nervous one bit. I know I need this too. My surgery is June 4th. I've never been in the hospital so it's a new experience for me.

My surgery isn't until June 4th but I had laprascopic surgery back in 1987 for endometriosis/ruptured ovarian cyst. Going into the surgery I wasn't sure if I was going to wake up with a hystorectomy or not so was pretty nervous. I remember when they started pushing on the anesthesia and before it was all put in I was asleep. I can't remember waking up in recovery but I do remember waking up in my room' date=' I managed to reach the phone and called my husband and asked him if he knew if I had the hysterectomy or not... he said he hadn't talked to the Dr yet so I looked under the blanket and saw only a small bandage on my belly button and knew that they just did the laser surgery.

The one thing I really remember from this surgery is how it was hard to stand fully upright - I wanted to walk hunched over because it was not comfortable to stand up straight. I also wanted to just hold onto my stomach. Oh, and I was bloated for about a week where I looked kind of like I was pregnant. Anyway - I said all that because that's kind of what I expect to feel like when I complete this surgery, maybe a bit sorer.[/quote']

June 4th here too!!

Just out of curiosity..... is the sensation after the surgery similar to c-section? For some reason' date=' that's what I keep comparing it to in my mind.[/quote']

Ok I had asked this many times and never could get any real answers! I have had 3 csections and this is a walk in the park compared to csections! Walking is so easy even right after. Getting in and out of bed is not hard. Im just very blessed that I had no co complications and everything has been a breeze thus far. Good luck!

Many of you won't believe this but I wasn't nervous a single second prior to my surgery. I was mentally READY! I remember laying on the OR table and stretching my arms out to my side. I was told that I was getting ready to have the best margarita of my life and that was it. I was OUT! Next thing I remember was waking up and feeling SOOOO tired. I couldn't keep my eyes open. I had NO pain' date=' no nausea, no gas, NADA. I slept for about 2-3 hours and when I finally woke up I still had no pain. I never had any gas or nausea during my entire experience. Just a lil abdominal soreness that felt like I did about 100 crunches.

It was an amazing experience and truly a piece of cake!!! :)

Good Luck![/quote']

Same here! Not one complaint

I woke up to a nurse calling my name. Then I realized I was HOT. I had those compression boots on and they had me bundled up in covers so I was boiling. I must have drifted back to sleep for a second, but when I woke up there was a little fan blowing on my face. The recovery room nurse was awesome.

I was so nervous about the waking up part! I was afraid I'd wake up in a panic or in a lot of pain...thankfully, none of that happened! I remember being taken into the operating room and I remember laying back but nothing after that...I don't even remember them placing the mask over my mouth lol. Waking up is strange because your ears work before anything else. I know remember machines beeping and people talking but that's about it. I swear someone gave me a spoonful of ice but I'm sure that cant be since I couldn't have anything until after the leak test. I had no nausea and no vomitting and truthfully, no real pain. I think I opened my eyes a few times because I remember two people sitting beside me...but I have no clue who they were or what they were doing. My first real memories started on the ride from recovery back to my room. Whoever was rolling me was kind enough to warn me of any bump in our way (elevators or doorways)...I remember sort of bracing myself. I think I dozed quite a bit once I was in my room but like clock work, 3 hours after surgery they were coming to get me for a walk! :-)

Oh, and as for comparing the sleeve to a c-section. The only comparison I would make is that first time trying to stand up. That tight pulling feeling when you first stand up is the same...other than that I wouldn't really compare the two. The incision on a c-section is so much lower than your small sleeve incisions...I dont think I would compare the two.

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