Has anyone ever had a general anaesthetic?
scouseyb123
Posts: 204 Forum Member
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What is it like? I am getting my tonsils out next week as they cause sleep apnea in me so I need them out!! I am bricking it!!
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scouseyb123
Posts: 204 scouseyb123
Posts: 204
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Years ago it was gas......:o
More recently it's an injection into your arm, like a blood test
It was great........never felt a thing
When i went you drank some green liquid, then they put wierd white gel on your hands. Then gave you some gas and you pass out.
Then you wake up a while later feeling groggy. You half wake up for a while gradually coming round. Then whatever you have had done hurts.
Enjoy your ice cream
I don't even remember it really. One minute I was talking to the surgeon and the next thing I knew I was awake in the recovery room telling a nurse how much I loved chinese food.
Good luck.
Good luck and please try not to worry.
Yeah, this really.. I remember waking and feeling really groggy, apparently I was saying some really wacky stuff, a person who woke later after anaesthesia in the bed next go me, was sobbing and crying. It can just be the way anaesthesia effects different people... Your procedure though, doesn't get more routine, should have no worries!
I've had general anaesthetic for four procedures, including having my tonsils and adenoids out at 5 years old. You literally go unconscious within about 10-15 seconds of the injection into your hand and wake up with a nurse talking to you in the recovery room. It's amazing really, and they will all put you at your ease. And think of all that lovely ice cream you get afterwards to soothe your throat - do they still do that after a tonsillectomy ? I can still remember eating mine - it was Neapolitan, the first I'd had
No,unfortunately not - not in hospital anyway! When I had my tonsils out as an adult they wanted me to eat toast and other rough stuff to scrape all the crap that builds up off the back of your throat.... torture!
The nurse said to me before hand that when you wake up you'll think you've woken up early and will panic.
and she was right!
I was flapping about trying to tell them to put me back under
It seemed to wear off pretty much straight away then in the night I needed to pee but apparently a (rare?) side effect is local paralysis and I just couldn't go. The urge got worse and worse I was in absolute agony until finally a doc came and inserted a catheter. It wasn't pleasant.
Had them out when i was 6 :kitty: (you will be alright)
Plenty of ice cream afterwards
Going under takes very little time and she says that many patients wake up carry on the same conversation that they were having before going under. If it is going to effect you then the most likely side effect is that you might wake up feeling nauseous but it will soon pass.
Thanks for the chuckle
As to health risks I worked out that it was safe.
The death rate was lower than the normal death rate, so if 1,000,000 were anaesthetised and 1,000,000 just sat there more sat there would die than anaesthetised.
Didn't feel nauseous when I woke up but after the first (dental) I was vaguely aware of ranting randomly about eating tinned tuna accompanied by a few 'f' words
The other three were for surgical and I have to say the worst thing is probably not the anaesthetic but getting the cannula put in your hand or arm. My body seems to 'reject' it and every time it throbs and itches like mad to the extent that I was begging them to take it out and wanting pain relief for that rather than the site of the operation !
You will be fine. Like someone earlier said, if you are generally healthy the risks of complications are extremely rare. Good luck and have a speedy recovery.
Ps. Forgot to add, another poster was right. After a tonsillectomy you don't get ice cream, you have to eat toast. MY son had his tonsils out along with 5 other kids in the same ward. The nest day they all had to eat a whole slice of toast before being allowed to be discharged. Cue lots of crying and gagging...it was awful !
Post anaesthetic shivering is fairly common apparenty - I've had it and it was quite unpleasant. I was compos mentis and up and about very quickly after my last general anaesthetic, the nurses were surprised. Interesting you say about going under being like dying - I've had exactly the same thought before. You just sort of slip out of conciousness into darkness. If that is what dying is like then it won't be so bad I suppose.
yeap, as listed on NHS website,
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Anaesthetic-general/Pages/Definition.aspx
Mine were done as an adult, and the op itself wasn't too bad although I had to stay in hospital for a few days as apparently there is more of a risk of bleeding post-op in adults than in children. It was my first GA as well, and I was also bricking it!
The worst thing was the earache for about two weeks afterwards due to the swelling - I lived for the next lot of painkillers! Stock up if you can before the op, and try to avoid seeing too many people in that time - you definitely don't want any infections when you've had a tonsillectomy.
Good luck OP, I'm sure you'll be fine!
The anaesthetic was fine just a little prick in the arm then off sleep.
Came round in the recovery room with 2 nurses in attendance, a catheter had been inserted which was a good idea as you don't have to worry about going to the loo and that was that.
I had my tonsils out in the 1960's, when I was 13. I was ordered to eat cornflakes afterwards, no chance of any ice cream!
I mentioned this to the anaesthetist before one operation, and he gave me a different cocktail of drugs from what is normally used.
Instead of going out like a light, it took quite a while for me to go under. I remember gabbling away while it took effect, probably making less and sense as I got more out of it, and the last thing I remember is saying "I think I'm going to go now, bye" while 2 doctors laughed at me.
When I came round, I felt fantastic, I could have gone and partied. They wouldn't let me have anything to eat or drink, and I phoned my mate, demanding that she came and picked me up because I was going to discharge myself. My sensible friend turned up with sandwiches, a flask of tea and some doughnuts. When then surgeon came round to do his post-op checks, I was sitting in bed, with all my slap on, joking, laughing, eating and drinking.
He said that if the anaesthetic made you look and feel that good, he was going to try some for himself.