Scared to death

Hi all, I just got back from my 5 hour pre-op testing at Hurley and I was told that sometimes they have to insert the airway tube before they put the patient all the way under before surgery.  I am so scared that this will happen to me.  Has anyone else had this happen suring their surgery at Hurley?  I have had other surgeries and have never had this done but I am heavier now.  When I was leaving the doctor asked me if I had had panic attacks or had ever been claustrophobic.  Why would he ask that?  He also changed my blood pressure medicine to one with a water pill but my blood pressure has been wonderful 120 over 70. It was elevated there, 140 over 60 but it was because of this airway tube thing.  My regular doctor won't be too pleased. I don't know where I should get my prescription changed or not.  Help.  And, my doctor is going on vacation and won't be bac****il Sept. With my surgery less than 3 weeks away, I am really scared now. Susan in Mt. Morris

Sounds pretty run of the mill to me. Even if they have to do it before you are all the way under you probably won't be to involved. Twilight anesthesia is pretty gone so you will still be quite  a bit  la-lad. I bet you'll be just fine. kp

Just like KP said, the twilight shot they give you will put you in another world.  Just had my surgery Friday, and when they gave me the shot they wheeled me in OR and don't even remember being moved from the one bed to the other.  Don't worry about all the particulars....you'll do just fine. When my WLS doctor changed my meds before surgery, she had me check with my regular doctor just to be sure he agreed with everything.  These people know what they are doing. Best of luck.

i gotta agree with Kev.  Everytime i've been "twilighted" (including yesterday) i've been out cold.  Supposedly i can be woken if they need to have me respond but  i'd never know it.  The last thing i remember yesterday is getting on the operating table and then kaput, i was gone.  And they hadn't given me anything more than the twilight (versed and fentanyl.) as for the bp meds, don't worry about it, the surgeon knows what he's doing.  I was on lots of blood pressure medicines and they changed it right before surgery and within days after surgery i was able to stop taking ALL of them.  My bp hasn't been high since.  It used to be 130/90 even with the meds. 

Hi Susan It's normal to be scared when you don't know what to expect.   They have to give me an injection before they can put the anesthesia mask on me cause i'm claustrophobic.   If they see you're the least bit nervous they'll do that for you too.    You'll be out in no time.    as for the prescription, i would go ahead and change it, especially since it has the water pill in it.  your pressure wasn't that high, so i'm sure it's a low dose.   You won't need it probably after surgery anyway.    Good luck to you Linda

They have to cover all the bases with you, just in case.  I had my surgery at Hurley.  They gave me something as I was waiting to go into the OR.  It relaxed me.  Then they gave me something else right before they wheeled me into the OR.....Dr. Farhan called it a "happy drug"...LOL!  I BARELY remember moving onto the OR table.  Then I was completely out.   You will do fine.  It's hard to not be nervous about everything that is about to happen.  It's normal.  I don't know anyone who wasn't!  Tina

I am right there with the rest of them.. I had my surgery at Hurley and once they gave me that shot, I don't remember anything..... The bp med thing I think is just the norm... I was on 2 bp meds and they added the diuretic one to my med list as well.  And my bp was like yours.... had been normal but was a bit up the day of PATs.... If you have questions about it though I would call your doctor or call Hurley and ask someone there... Won't be much longer now and you will be on the losing side.... Good Luck...

Thank you for all the responses.  I feel better about it after talking to my own Internal Medicine doc.  She called me today, bless her heart.  She said to go on the bp meds because it was very low dose and seeing that I was so nerved up it might help keep my bp down before surgery.  I hope everyone is right about being put out.  I watched that TLC show Big Medicine and they had a very large patient  on there and they were trying to put an airway tube in him while he was awake.   I have had many surgeries and I have always been wide awake  on the operating table until they are almost ready to cut.  And just recently I woke up during a colonoscopy, not pleasant.  Do you get to talk to the Anesthesiologist before surgery?  I guess I can tell him or her my fears.   Thank again, Susan in Mt. Morris

I qui****ching that show or any similar as soon as I got a surgery date. I was terrified, too and just couldn't think about the actual surgery.  I worked hard to make the decision and knew it was right, so I refused to think about it anymore. I could think about the things that I had to do that day and plan for after the surgery, but I tried to put the actual surgery itself out of my mind. I don't even remember leaving pre-op, nor do I remember post-op. My first vague memory is in my room and the first clear memory is probably not until the next day. It is now 4 weeks since my surgery and everything is going very well. I feel great, have lost 28 lbs,  and am so glad I did it. But I still don't want to watch Big Medicine or any other show about bypass surgery - I'm just not ready yet.