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 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?!
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

[Greenman50]

Only had it done once , they said count to ten , i got to three and woke up and it was all over 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. :(