Terrified of having general anaesthetic!

[stressy]

Hi all!

I have to go into hospital soon for a minor procedure to remove a cyst in my eyelid. I went for the consultation the other day and expected them to say I could have it removed under a local anaesthetic, but they said it has to be a general :ohmy: I've never ever been "put under" before and I am terrified to say the least!

I am agoraphobic so even going to the hospital is a trial for me! I've also got a medical phobia and I'm mildly asthmatic and what if I can't breathe?! :scared15:
And the thought of having something unnatural in my body that makes me sleep involuntarily, really freaks me out, I keep thinking I'm going to have a panic attack just beforehand or after I wake up, feel faint, or be sick, or whatever!

Then I read horror stories about anaesthesia awareness and I get even more freaked out!

Any reassurance and sharing of your own experiences are much appreciated!
I'm in my twenties and feel like such a baby :blush:

[Greenman50]

Only had it done once , they said count to ten , i got to three and woke up and it was all over :D Mine was a boil / cyst from under the arm .

[stu398]

Hey,

Just letting you know, about a year ago I 'went under' for the first time for an operation on my hand after an accident.
I was SO NERVOUS!! However, all the nurses and doctors were so, so friendly, comforting and they calmed me down so much.
Before I knew it, I had gone under and I didn't even notice, until I woke up and was perfectly fine :)

It's a scary prospect, but they've done it thousands of times, and they'll look after you :)
Trust me, you have nothing to worry about!

Stu

[countrygirl]

I have been under 3 times and the last one was for a big op - I am always terrified that I will not wake up but I always have! You really don't know anything they always say start counting and you think ha its not working and thats your last thought - I always find that the moment of waking up is a lovely feeling very happy for me - I am always so glad to be awake and survived that I will not go back to sleep and keep my eyes open no matter what which is not a good thing as you feel very woozy for a bit afterwards. The first two I had were quick ones lasting about 15 mins and I felt completely fine about 10 mins after coming round- the last one was a much longer op lasting a couple of hours and it took me about 10 hrs afterwards to stop feeling dizzy if I moved too suddenly. I would imagine your eyelid op will be very quick so you should be fine quickly as well.

If anything is going to go wrong then you are of course in the best possible place with the best possible chance - all that medical knowhow right there!

[ladybird64]

I had an op (gall bladder removal) a couple of years ago now and was also a bit nervous as I have pretty severe asthma that has landed me in intensive care a few times.

The anaesthetist came round to talk to me and put me at ease..remember that this is what they do all the time and they often do anaesthesia for very sick patients who are at great risk.

Try not to worry too much, I'm sure they will look after you very well and then you can pop back on here and reassure others! :)

[beccaroo]

Hi,
I had my first general anaesthetic last year to have all 4 wisdom teeth removed and like you I was terrified but honestly, it's over so quickly. I didn't even feel them injecting me. The last thing i remembered was having a lovely chat with the nurse about where i worked and the next thing i knew i was awake in the recovery room. I didn't even feel ill and proceeded to scoff several bowls of weetabix (even with my bad teeth!).

As for feeling like a baby...I'm 26 and can't even swallow tablets! ha haha

[scanny77]

Hi there,
I can completely sympathise. I had my first GA in September and was terrified for weeks before but it was completely ok. The anethetist and nurse were lovely, I mentioned beforehand that I was very nervous. Thet took me in the the anaesthetic room and injected something which he said would make me feel woozy (pre med i think), I was lying watching the heart beat monitor and suddenly went very floaty and the nurse gave me an oxygen mask and that is the last thing I remember - didn't even have to count down from 10! Woke up in recovery and first thing I asked was when was I having my op - nurse told me that it was all done and had gone well. Was in bed and having some lunch an hour later!
Good luck, you'll be fine x

[Hazel B]

Hi, I've had anaesthetic about 7 times when I was a kid, once for wisdom teeth removal and 3 weeks ago for gallbladder removal. The staff will know how to put you at ease and you can have "pre-op" drugs to help you stay calm. The person in charge will be very experienced and know how to deal with conditions such as asthma. You sometimes count down from 10, but a few weeks ago I can't even remember going under, you just come round with absolutely no memory whatsoever.

I think they will want you very still for a small procedure on your eye, that's why they want general not local.

Hope it goes well.

[miggymoggy]

Hey, I've had about 8 or 9 ops as I have endometriosis, all with general. First time i was terrified too, but it's honestly nothing to worry about. They check your health before giving you a GA anyway, and nowadays things RARELY IF EVER go wrong. I;ve personally never heard of someone not waking up, although that's what everyone worries about.
If you tell them you are worried, they will give you a valium about 1/2 hour beforehand, which calms you right down.
It's actually a nice feeling as you go under, but each time I think "god, it's not going to work, I'm not going to sleep" and the next thing I know I am being woken up and I am saying to them "has it been done yet" and they say "yes, all done".
I think it's this big fear people have as it's a new thing, but HONESTLY, it's nowhere near as bad as you expect. You'll be absolutely fine, I promise;.

[stressy]

Thank you all for sharing your experiences and kind words!

It's very tempting to just cancel when the appointment comes through, but I don't want to do that as I would rather just get it over and done with and conquer my fear!

I thought it would be a local because that's what most websites say about this op: that it's just a small outpatient procedure under a local anaesthetic, like going to the dentist. I would've still been nervous about it, but now I have something new to worry about :-/

Also, I don't think I'm allowed to eat beforehand? And going without food usually compounds my feelings of anxiety and dizziness. :(

[Hazel B]

You can't eat 4 hours before, you can have clear fluid like water 4 hours before - if you have an early appointment it's not too bad. Please don't cancel, the anticipation of something new is always worse than the actual event.

You will be so proud of yourself when it's all over!

[Typer]

I think everyone is a little nervous about having a general anaesthetic. I have friends who are calm people, yet still get anxious before an op. Its natural as it makes a person feel out of control.

I am guessing that you will be out for just a short while and so you wont get too much anaesthetic. I am sure you'll be fine. Let them know you are nervous as they'll be sure to explain how it will work.

[alicegreen]

I too was terrified of this but having been through it once I would certainly worry a lot less if I needed another GA.
It is like others describe,you are asleep before you know it then the next thing youknow you are being woken up in recovery. I also had the euphoria feeling on waking and actually, as a control freak, the painkillers and stuff that I had made me the most relaxed I have probably ever been. I really enjoyed being looked after and had such good care from the nurses and doctors. The staff in teh operating theatre were completely brilliant when I said how nervous I was.

You will be fine,promise x

[Kramer]

I have had three minor operations requiring general anesthetic, and this may seem strange but I even though I have anxiety issues, I was very calm before the anesthetic, and really enjoyed the relaxed feeling after I had woken up in recovery.

Provided that your operation is minor and gives you no major cause for concern, I can recommend the anesthetic experience. I was out for about an hour each time, and had no nausea afterwards as I was told I might. You don't remember a thing about being knocked out, and after I woke in recovery, I just enjoyed a relaxed feeling that I haven't had for a long time. I just wish the nurse didn't keep trying to wake me up, I wanted to doze and enjoy the relaxed effect more :)

[Katie6]

I have had general anesthetic about 7 times, for various minor proceedures, i am a total wimp and have felt terrified each time, but always after i feel so silly for making a fuss, as it is never as bad as what i had expected. You may feel worried now about how you might feel after, but when you have actually come round from the op you won't care as you will feel sleepy and relaxed, and in my opinion it would be a whole lot scarier to be awake for the proceedure. Some people feel a little woozy for the rest of the day after the op, but nothing rest and sleep won't sort out x

[unfitwellhappy]

They wouldn't be able to do it via local as it's near your eye and the body has natural defensive reactions to the eyes (flinching etc) (try it! get someone else to move their finger slowly towards your eye lol)

Remember you wont just have a surgeon, you will have a nurse and most importantly
an anesthesiologist who will be in charge of looking after you while you are "asleep", and ensure that the correct (and continual) dose of the anesthetic is administered (be it IV or via gas etc).

Honestly, the worst thing about surgery now is the unflattering gown I had to wear beforehand.

You will be fine :)

[stressy]

Thank you all!

I guess I'm just anxious about what happens to me when I'm under! Is it like being asleep? Do you dream? Or is it like when you faint and feel horrible?



They wouldn't be able to do it via local as it's near your eye and the body has natural defensive reactions to the eyes (flinching etc) (try it! get someone else to move their finger slowly towards your eye lol)


I researched this particular operation when my GP told me I'd have to have it, and almost everywhere online say it is done with a local anaesthetic - a general is usually given to children who are less able to keep still. There are even videos on Youtube of it being done while the patient was awake, so I totally psyched myself up about what to expect.
The surgeon's decision for a general totally caught me off guard :-/

[Hazel B]

It's not really like anything else, you don't dream or know anything at all. You just go "under" and then wake up again, no memory of what happened, no dreams, nothing. You won't know anyhtiong about it and won't have any memory of it, you may just remember the moment you're counting down from 10, or the feeling of the anaesthetic taking effect.

You may have discomfort in the area of your op afterwards when you're more conscious and any scars/stitches wil be sore, but that's it. Please try not to fret too much.