Anesthesia for the 1st Time

[arizonalp 0]

Can anyone tell me what being under anesthesia is like? Ive never had any kind of surgery, nor have I been 'put under' before so I'm curious to know! Of course I realize I'll be unconscious, BUT do you remember or feel anything at all? And does it kick in immediately and you just fall asleep?

[arizonalp 0]

Yikes, I just realized I posted this question is the wrong group...isn't a success story (yet!) Sorry.

[Bufflehead 6,358]

No, you don't remember or feel anything. One minute you are awake in the operating room and talking to the surgical team and the next minute you are waking up in the recovery room (or so it seems). There is no sensation of getting sleepy or losing consciousness even.

You will be pretty groggy and weak in the recovery room for 30 minutes to an hour, but get more and more awake and lucid very quickly.

[Arts137 1,811]

It's like some saying, OK, and you ready, you saying sure, and then you wake up in the recovery room. Think of it as a dreamless sleep. It's FINE!!!

[Fixerupper 335]

I don't even remember being in the operating room. One minute I was talking to my husband and the next I was done.

[JamiO 52]

I remember being wheeled to the operating room a d that's it for a while. I wasn't very coherent in the recovery room, I kind of panicked because I felt like I couldn't breath, and I am pretty sure they shot something in my IV for me to shut up. And then about 2 hours later I woke up in the hospital room to my husband and mother.

[MsBadu504 45]

My first time being under anesthesia, I could remember them placing a mask on my face and counting backward. In January, k had my appendix removed and they gave me some medicine before I went into the OR, and I just remember getting on the table and waking up in my room. I felt like someone woke me up in the middle of the night.

Difference between the first and the last time bring under anesthesia is my weight. Since I've gained more weight I have become claustrophobic; so I'm so glad I don't remember the mask.

[Brighteyes 237]

Make sure they put a motion sickness patch on you and if you start to feel anxious they can give you some meds in your IV to mellow you out. I have had to have surgery before a couple times. I general ask for something to help my anxiety and am asleep before they even get me into the surgical room. When you wake up the nurses will want you to cough. That is always the first thing I remember coming out of surgery.

[BKLYNgal87 503]

I agree with everyone. Standard anesthesia practice includes giving you a sedative/muscle relaxant before general anesthesia. This will help you relax and get sleepy. Midazolam is a miracle drug because it also wipes out short term memory after it's given. I didn't even remember them administering propofol (the general anesthetic that puts you to sleep). All I remember is talking to the anesthesia resident in the OR about Game of Thrones and lights out! The scopolamine patch is also a great idea. I had it myself and highly recommend it.

[Kimmy1813 77]

My first dealings with anesthesia were during my EGD last month and I was terrified. I know that obviously there is a difference between it and the sleeve surgery....for the EGD, I was only out for a very short period, but I had a really good experience with it. I remember being wheeled to the room and then I was waking up in recovery. That has made me feel a little better about my upcoming surgery. I'm hoping my experience with the anesthesia for it goes over as well

[PGee 318]

These are a couple of my surgery experiences....you'll do fine.

One time they had me counting backwards from 100, and I'm thinking "this is never going to work".....got to 97 and the next thing I knew I was in recovery.

One other time, I was quite nervous, the dr was trying to get me to relax and kept having me describe to him my favorite vacation spot......I thought he was nuts.....then I look around the room, and there is like 7 people all standing there around the operating table, just staring at me.....waiting, and I realize, oh, this is the part that I'm supposed to be out LOL I closed my eyes, thought of a beach, and that was it.

With a general anesthesia, I'm very groggy and typically grumpy when they wake me up LOL I was hoping they'd do a twilight type anesthesia for this operation--no such luck. LOL

[PGee 318]

[Heyher 581]

I was pretty freaked out. They gave me the lovely "cocktail" before wheeling me back. I remember them singing and carrying on. Doc said "time to get started" and I freaked because I was still awake. Well for about 2 more seconds. I woke up in the or when they were moving me to my bed. Fell back asleep for a little while. Woke up in recovery and chatted with the nurses. Passed back out woke up in time to get wheeled to my room. Just felt so sleepy after surgery. Like I had stayed up for 48 hours and all I wanted was sleep.< /p>

[arizonalp 0]

Thank you all for the great feedback. Sounds like I won't have time to be worried about it, since it'll be over as soon as it starts! Cool.

[gaijingal 62]

Yeah, they give you "milk of amnesia", and you don't remember anything. In my job, I administer "light" anesthesia, so I was wanting to experience things, and thought I'd at least notice the burn in the IV when they initially put me under, but nope. I don't know who administered it, because I was helping the anesthetist position my arm (the arm piece wouldn't snap into the table), and then I was waking up in my room.

Perhaps you lose the last few minutes before the med, because memories don't chemically get made? Not really a VSG question, but I think I'll ask an anesthetist the next time I get a chance!