6 days to go and I'm FREAKED OUT!!! Please help me!

***LONG LONG LONG rant***    Please help!

I have 6 days until my surgery (March 29th), and I'm terrified!  NOT of the surgery, but of the anesthesia! JUST the anesthesia.  I don't care about the pain etc... Just the anesthesia. 
 I have never been under general anesthesia...just sedation.

What am I scared of? 

1. Not being in control of my body...yes, I have control issues.

Trust.

2. Trust is something that needs to be earned (with me).  . I have issues with putting my trust...my life in the hands of someone that I have only known for 45 minutes!

3. Anxiety attacks

Just like with  my three c-sections ( which I was awake for) , I just know I'm going to have an anxiety attack once they wheel me back  into the operating room.  OOOOH,  how I Abhor anxiety attacks!!    just I can't stand that moment of , "okay.... count from ten..." 

 I know I'm going to scream: "wait...wait...I'm not ready don;t push the button...okay I'm ready...wait....WAIT....!"  that very minute when I'm staring at the medication they are going to insert into my IV. The fading away and the dreamless sleep!

Will I wake up?

Does the anesthesiologist know what he/she is doing?

Are they drunk or high?

What if I have a reaction to it can they save me?

Will I breathe on my own while under?

Does the medication sting?

Can I smell it?

Can I taste it?

Do they  gas me?

Would the gas bother my asthma?

Can you have your significant other in there with you until you clonk out?

and some of you, my dear friends,  might tell me not to worry because they will give me something for anxiety prior to putting me under such as Versed. But  I heard Versed is terrible for people with asthma! It causes breathing problems.  Besides,  I don't  like to be drugged up, loopy or out of it.  EVER!!!!  I once tried marijuana when I was 16, and hated EVERY moment of it! I almost called 911.  I could not wait to sleep that stuff off.  How do people do it? However, Morphine is a different story because  It does not make me loopy, it just makes me sleep the best sleep I have ever slept since probably I was in the womb! Then itchy!   ** okay I'm getting off the subject**

So, this is what I am asking you guys:

Could you please tell me your experiences with anesthesia? Especially those with asthma!

Did you have the stuff, that made you relax prior to? How did it feel?

Any of you have Kaiser (Ms. Shell, since I am going to the same hospital as you did, I most certainly want to hear from you girl)?

when you wake up are your arms strapped down?

Is the breathing tube ( if any ) still in?

Does it really feel like an instant that you have been asleep?

No matter what, I am doing this surgery, I Just need to find  a way to get through that moment of "giving up control"

Thank you for taking the time to read this madness!  

hi,
For me the anesthesia was not that bad. I was in the pre op room and they started my IV and my anesthesiologist came in and talked to me and then my surgeon came in and talked to me and asked if I had any questions. They really made sure that I was comfortable. When I was wheeled into the OR the anesthesiologist was there and comforted me and then I got on the table and they got me into position. There was no mask, no counting to 10. I was just told that in a bit they would give me something to relax. Then I woke up in the recovery room no breathing tube but they do insert a catheter so you don't have to get up and pee. All in all it wasn't too bad. 3 hours after I got to my room I was up and walking. My surgeon came to check on me and all was good. I have asthma and have had 3 endoscopy's done under versed and have been fine with it. You are going to do great... just remember to breathe. I have Kaiser but I chose to go to Pacific Bariatric.

When I had my bypass almost 3 years ago it was the first time I had ever had surgery or been put under. I didn't know what to expect and I was scared too. I remember being wheeled into the OR and being really jittery about the whole thing. Then I just remember nothing...I woke up in post-op and it was all over. I wasn't told I was being put under, I think they just added something to my IV and I was out.

When I woke up in recovery I was complaining of a lot of pain and I was loud. The nurses told me I was yelling.  I DON'T REMEMBER A THING. I only knew about it because I was told.  

I only remember being wheeled into my room and trying to stay awake. The anesthesia left very, very nauseous and the first night after surgery was really rough. I couldn't move without wanting to dry-heave and eventually the nurses had to give me a shot to make it better. 

This past year, when I had plastics I talked to the anesthesiologist about all those things that happened to me the first time and how nasueous I was after surgery. This time around I was so deathly afraid to wake up in pain because of all I had read about plastic surgery.

She was great, she said she was glad I told her about what happened and knew exactly what to give me. She added another medication to my IV after surgery that treated the nausea. She told me "Don't worry, I'm gonna snow you, you won't feel a thing." I don't know what that meant but she was right.

 I woke up in recovery kind of loopy, but happy and making jokes with my nurses. 

All those questions you have....ask the anesthesiologist. You'll get a chance to to talk to them before surgery about any concerns you might have. Ask them if they had a good night's sleep, or if they have a hangover, ask about their credentials....anything you want. That's YOUR TIME. If it makes you feel better to ask, do it! 

 

It will be ok. You have to let go, and trust the medical professionals to be in control. Good Luck! 

PS: When I woke up I was not strapped down. There were compression garments around my legs, to stimulate circulation. I was hooked up to a lot of IVs, a morphine drip, and little gadget on my finger to monitor the levels of oxygen in my blood. There was a oxygen thing around my face, sticking in my nose (but not deep inside my nostrils) No tubes in my mouth. 

If you're concerned about all these things, write them all down and you will get to ask them all before surgery.  

Thank you guys for your reply.  It is really helping me calm down!


XOXOXO

Celeste

Celeste,

I am an asthmatic and had no issues with the anesthesia what so ever.  I think it is normal to fear the unknown as I did it myself.  One thing that really helped me was using my iPod.  I wore it in to surgery (Bette Midler) and when I woke up, they had it in my ears again and I woke up to Andrea Boccelli (it went A-Z).  I love music and it was wonderfully relaxing.  I had a fantastic anesthesiologist who asked me to call him Manny when they wheeled me back.  He was my buddy and took excellent care of me.

I totally understand you fears, I was where you are.  They will put something in your IV prior to surgery and it will help greatly.  My husband was with me until they wheeled me down the hall to surgery and he was in recovery when I woke up (although I didn't know that until a month after surgery)  LOL.

Hang in there, your feelings are normal.  Make sure you tell your concerns to both your surgeon and the anesthesiologist and they will work miracles!

Barb

Take a chill pill..You'll be just fine.  Docs know exactly what their doing and I'm sure you'll be in good hands.

Hello! Each and every individual is unique and different relative to how they will feel after anesthesia and surgery in general. 
I was scared, and my husband was more scared for me than I was, especially of the anesthesia.  I did have something for my nerves/anxiety, which helped a lot!  I was fine with no side affects from the medication and/or the anesthesia and the hospital and doctors were very good.

I am sending you lots of hugs and positive vibes.  Keep us posted on your wls journey! 

Terry
 

 The anesthesiologists are very competent and totally know what they are doing. If it's any consolation, they have the highest malpractice insurance of any doctors. They literally have your life in their hands. Don't worry. Have them give you something in your IV to relax you. My anesth put a mask on me in the OR and I don't remember a thing. Ask them specifically what they are going to give you. I did (I am in the medical field so maybe that helped me more than the average person) so I knew exactly what I was getting. Waking up from anesthesia (for me at least) is like waking up from the dead. Recovery room nurses are trained to help people wake up from anesthesia and can help you calm down and are there waiting for you to ask for anything from pain meds to anxiety meds. Don't worry. Let it go and let the professionals do their job, You will be fine. 
Good Luck!
leanne

Just be sure to communicate all your feelings and anxiety to the nurse and the rest of your team. Tell them before you go and remind them again the day of your surgery just as you're checking in. These folks are professional and will know what you'll need to get from point A to point B.

I had never been completely under before my RNY either. I was rolled into the prep room. I chatted with the anesthesiologist, he put something into my IV and I don't remember a thing after that until I came to in my hospital room with my husband in a chair beside my bed. I was hooked up to an IV for pain meds and had monitors on for my heart, but no breathing tube. I don't think I had an oxygen mask either. I had compression socks on, but they didn't bother me. A few hours later, I sat up and a couple hours after that I took a walk.

I have confidence that you'll be able to get through the anxiety knowing the greater reason you're doing this. Just keep your eyes and mind on the prize. Good luck!! We'll be thinking about you a lot.

MsBlues