Question:
I am severely claustrophobic and wonder if the post op intubation will frighten me.

In reading the patient hand out from my surgeon I saw that I will be intubated for up to 24 hours post op. The fear of not being able to control my surrounding scares me to death. I am severly claustrophobic and will not even ride in the back seat of a 2 door car. Can anyone relate ? Do they keep you pretty well sedated? Any help appreciated. I am seriously thinking of cancelling because of this.    — [Anonymous] (posted on April 22, 2001)

April 22, 2001
My surgeon told me there was a POSSIBILITY that I would still be intubated after surgery because of my severe asthma, but by the time I woke up, the tube was gone. Not all patients have the tube when they wake up. I can relate because I don't think I could stand the tube either. My mother and brother were on life support before they died and the tube just scares the pants off me! Anyway, PLEASE talk to the surgeon about this. The surgery can be a life-saving procedure. They DO heavily sedate you if you have the tube, and most people say they don't remember it, so... check with the surgeon to see if it will apply in your particular case. Good luck!
   — Maria H.

April 22, 2001
First of all..... DON'T cancel because of this fear! I was terrified of the very same thing! BUT I did it anyway and am so glad that I did! Here's my story that I lived :-) to tell about.... I DID wake up intubated in the recovery room and was totally aware of my surroundings and that I was intubated. I was SOOOO groggy, but I remember it to be like trying to breathe through a straw. It was a hard 'pull' for each breath, but I was breathing fine. So..... I remember laying there thinking, "I can either panic and really get things in an uproar, or I can just go back to sleep." There were tons of people all around me, so I decided to let them handle things and off I went to dreamland. I also remember being awake when they extubated me.... that stunk. They made me cough as they pulled out the tube and the cough hurt my tummy. Then they put a cool mist oxygen mask over my face and I was back off to dreamland. Woke up in my room a little while later. A little bit scary? Maybe.... but every word of it true. NOTHING that I wouldn't do again tomorrow if I had to to get this surgery done. Guess what I'm trying to say is this: Fear can defeat the most well laid plans if you let it. You have to believe and trust in the people you are turning your life over to by agreeing to this surgery. They have done it hundreds of times. You will be safe in their able hands. Turn your claustrophobia over to a higher power, and KNOW that you will be safe. I wish you much peace on your journey. Email me if you'd like to talk more about this. I'm only 20 days post-op, so it's fresh in my memory.~Laurie
   — Laurie L.

April 22, 2001
I was told before my surgery that there are occasional circumstances in which patients might wake up with the breathing tube still in... but I totally didn't expect that to happen to ME! I was supposed to have my surgery Laparoscopically but due to complications during surgery, it was converted to open, I received a couple transfusions, and spent the first 24 hours in ICU after surgery. AND, I woke up with the breathing tube in. They did keep me very groggy while the tube was in, and it was a very interresting sensation. I couldn't tell if I was in control of my breathing or not... and I tried to figure it out (being the total control freak that I am!). But the truth is that I just kept dozing off. I was mostly frustrated because I couldn't talk. There was a part of me that knew the lap didn't work out, but I wanted to ask someone about it -- and what happened. The breathing tube was in for a fairly short time after I initially woke up but my oxygen levels were great so it came out pretty quickly (i quit smoking just 1 month before my surgery). I'm just 4 weeks post-op so it's all very fresh in my mind, too. My hope for you is that the fear of remaining morbidly obese outweighs (no pun intended) the fear of intubation -- it's a very temporary discomfort and you'd be groggy throughout and in capable hands! Good luck to you -- and god bless!
   — Karen V.

April 22, 2001
I am not trying to scare you but I will tell you my story. I woke up in the icu and I was fighting the breathing tube. I could not stand it because like someone else said, it felt like breathing through a staw. The ICU nurses got so tired of it beeping they finally cut off the volume when they were in the room. I have a history of asthma and was being followed by pulmonology as well. The kept it in for I know at least 36 hours after my surgery. In mho, too long but better safe than sorry. For you, the tube may not stay in too long. When you wake up, just try and be prepared for it so you will not panic.
   — Jan M.

May 24, 2001
I relate to your fear, I also am very fearful of the same situation. I have 7 weeks to go to go to my surgery. In having to deal with a lot of physical pain in my life I have resorted to visual imagery to get me thru difficult and painful times. Instead of focusing the things that are make you scared or that are causing you pain, focus on something that brings you joy or at lest calm and distraction. Close your eyes and think of a field of wildflowers or a calmly flowing river, play out a little movie in your head. People think I am wacked when I say that I do this but it really does help. Oh, and one other thing, I have found out that more often than not the anticipation of fear or pain is often worse than the actual experence.Good luck to you
   — [Anonymous]

May 24, 2001
Call your surgeon. I can't imagine you will be conscious and intubated. Usually intubation is only under anesthesia. An NG tube post-op is much more likely and is nasal, not oral.
   — Alicia V.

August 3, 2004
I am a severe asthmatic and have had many intubation tubes in my life. PLEASE don't let it scare you or make you nervous. They are used for a reason and they removed them as fast as possible. It does feel weird, because you can't volunterily swallow or talk. You just need to relax and let the machine do it's job which is easier said than done. The nurses are usually good at making sure your sedated if you need to stay on it any length of time because they don't want you pulling on the tubes. Once your breathing well on your own it's usually out and if you have no history of breathing problems and aren't a smoker it shouldn't be an issue. Good luck Kathi
   — kpratt2

August 3, 2004
I had no breathing tube at all when I woke up. Talk to your surgeon about this prior to surgery and tell him your concerns. Please don't cancel. If you inform your surgeon ahead of time, they can take steps to make sure you'll do fine. Please tell him the degree of claustrophobia you have and I'm sure he'll make sure there are no issues.
   — Cathy S.