"need" some sympathy, having first surgery

[steve2470]

It's inguinal hernia surgery, not a super big deal, but my very first surgery. I know a lot of you have had to endure much worse. Thanks to all of you who posted earlier today for me. Can anyone relate to the first surgery jitters ?

[politicaholic]

1. In my first surgery i just went from the standpoint...

that i was most likely going to die on the operating table. When I woke up and I was alive it was great, but come to think of it...initially I was slightly disappointed. I was hoping that I might just die a little so that I could have that white light tunnel experience and the whole "floating over the bed" thing, but that didn't happen, so I'm still an atheist.

oh well...

The first one is easy. It's the fifth and sixth one you need to worry about. You won't need that though so, good luck! Break a leg? No, I'll stay with good luck.

[steve2470]

2. thank you

:-)

[Lone_Star_Dem]

3. You'll be fine...

It's more scary when you have time to worry about it. Try and keep busy and don't dwell on it if you can.

When I was coming out of anesthesia once the anesthesiologist was talking to me. He was saying things like how are you. Calling my name and asking me to wake up. I finally was able to respond and for some reason what I said was, "I'm fine thank you, how are you?" He got quite a kick out of that one.

[RobinA]

41. Similar Bizarro Reaction

You go in for minor surgery and about a thousand people ask you for your name, address, birthday, etc. My name and town have to be spelled for people, because they get it wrong.

The anesthesiologist is trying to bring me out and I'm still completely gone, but I can hear and on some level my persoanlity is totally intact. He asks me my name, where I live and my birthday. I have absolutely no conscious knowledge of anything, including where I am, but down deep I know and I think, Christ, of all the stupid times to be asking for this information. I then proceed to spell me name, give him the full address plus spelling of the town, and my birthday. They must have thought I was a lunatic, but on the other hand, they must get some pretty weird responses.

[ScreamingMeemie]

4. Yes I can. I get every surgery jitters and it is all normal.

The worst part is the fear. Some people will say the worst part is the cap that covers your hair...;) Then they put an I.V. in and give you something to "help you relax", you say goodbye to your loved ones and they will wheel you into the O.R., which will be freezing cold. They will move you to the operating table and you will feel like you are going to fall off. They will place some warmed towels (the best part of the whole deal) over you and move your arms out to the side. The anesthesiolgist will make small talk with you, but it will be hard because your teeth are chattering....and then you will drift off under that bright light. You will wake to the sound of the beep beep of a heart monitor and nurses talking about the weekend. You will be groggy and fade in and out. If the nurses are nice, they will place more warm towels over you (I love me them warmed towels)You will make little test movements to check out how painful it is...or is not. If you are outpatient, they will soon sit you up. If you are inpatient, they will soon move you to your room and you will sleep most of the day away. You will have made it through your first, and hopefully last, surgery.

Take care steve, you will be in my thoughts. :hug:

[steve2470]

10. Thanks MrsGrumpy, sweet of you nt

[ScreamingMeemie]

18. You're welcome steve...and I forgot to mention, enjoy the pain pills

the almost make the whole thing worth it. ;)

[MissB]

5. After the first, the rest get easier

Just kidding. You'll be fine. The worst that could happen is they could numb you too much and you'll end up having to stay overnight until you can pee again.

[steve2470]

7. lol I never thought of that angle

It's going to be same day surgery. I don't know if that makes a difference or not.

[MissB]

13. It is a day surgery

In and out in just a few hours. Unless they numb you too much, then you get to stay until you can prove yourself. :shrug: So don't get into some pissing contest, and you'll be fine.

[steve2470]

16. lol

pissing contest = reminds of me of what my southern cracker Dad used to tell me, " Son, you can't win a pissing contest with a skunk". Great expression.

[FuzzySlippers]

6. I've never had surgery

but my mother had that done a couple of times. They do that laparoscopically, don't they? I'm sure you'll do just fine. Best wishes.

[steve2470]

8. I think that's what my doc said. Thanks ! nt

[Erika]

9. I reviewed my will the 1st time I had surgery

I was scared to death that I would die from anethesia shock or something along that line. I don't like needles or any part of the medical world. I felt very vulnerable with so much out of my control.

I've had several more since then. It still is not a pleasant thing, but I've found I can handle it. So can you. Take care.

[Reverend_Smitty]

11. Never had surgery before...

so I can't tell you what to expect, but I can give you a hug :hug: and send some happy thoughts your way

[steve2470]

12. Thanks RevSmitty !

:-)

[Reverend_Smitty]

22. no problem!

:hi:

[NNadir]

14. I've never had surgery myself but my kid had more than thirty of them.

I would have rather had thirty myself.

His first one was the worst. They lied and said he didn't need anesthesia. That was one of the most horrible moments of my life, when I held my baby down for that.

You'll be fine though.

Wait, now that I think of it, some people regard a vascectomy as surgery, and I had one of those.

I also had a thoracotomy once, but I was in a coma, so I didn't really anticipate it.

[steve2470]

20. So sorry to hear that.

They should always give a child anesthesia, unless the parent refuses it .

[NNadir]

23. Well, you know what? It happened because of billing.

The dermatology department didn't have access to anesthesia, so if they told you that it was available, they lost patients and thus, money.

It sucked.

[steve2470]

25. That really really sucks.

Their love of money (the root of all evil) made your child suffer.
:wtf:

[yellowdogintexas]

15. if this is being done laproscopically, your recovery will be

much easier, and your post op pain much much less than the oldfashioned major abdominal incision of the past.

best of luck, I am certain you will do fine, and by the way, the warm blankets are the BOMB!!!!

[yvr girl]

17. A little general anesthesia story for you

I had day surgery, where I was put under.

I remember being in the operating room and the nurses hooking me up to various monitors. They put something in my IV, the world became fuzzy and I was out.

Next thing I remember was someone (a nurse) shaking me, "Time to wake up now, c'mon wake up"

My reply was somewhere between a grunt and a groan.

A few minutes later she tried again. I was a bit more aware, but I felt like a lump of lead...a nauseous lump of lead. She turned my head to the left just in case I got sick.

Off to the right, I heard the following comments:

Nurse: Mr. Smith, you need to get back in bed.
Nurse: Mr. Smith, you can't leave yet.
Nurse: Mr. Smith, you don't have any clothes on.

I thought to myself, 'you should take a look at this little spectacle.'

I couldn't. I was unable to turn my head to the right and look. For the life of me, I don't know how Mr. Smith managed to get out of bed. I tossed my cookies when they moved me from Recovery to the ward. (And I love every amusement park ride you could mention.)

It wasn't so bad though - I lived to tell the tale.

[mcscajun]

19. Oh yeah. Had my first (and so far Only) surgery five years ago.

I was 48 and had never, ever been in a hospital overnight before. Then I had to have most of my thyroid removed.

Like another poster here, I had the thing going on in my head that maybe I'd die on the table (for no good or particular reason, mind you). The worst part was getting the IV in prior to being moved to the O/R.

Once in there, I remember them saying "Goodnight, (name omitted)", and nothing else until I woke up and puked over the side in Recovery. Then I passed out again and woke up in my room, with my sisters there. I was way doped out on Morphine and drifting in and out, claiming I couldn't sleep. My sisters just laughed (of course, I didn't know this, 'cause I'd passed out again.) 'cause I'd been sleeping for hours!

You're in good hands; relax, don't worry, and good luck to you!

[Quakerfriend]

21. I've had oodles of surgery, including

one 6 hr. surgery, the day I was born, weighing less than 3 lbs!!

Don't worry a bit. You are likely to be just fine. Relax and look forward to total healing.

I'll put you in a 'bubble of light'. :9

[steve2470]

24. Thank you so much

means a lot to me :-)

[Steve Nash is god 13]

26. my first was when i was 5, seven years ago ,it was a hernia also

i was pretty scared but i handled it. but anyways, good luck!! :pals::grouphug::grouphug:

[steve2470]

27. thank you

:-)

[bridgit]

28. just lay yourself into the hands...

of your surgical team, breath deep, and soon it will all be over. hubby had that last year, i was with him for the whole process; the post op nurses had a ball with him still being his personable self = smoke'n & joke'n, grip'n & grin'n so doped up he didn't know he had no pants on.

he had to move real slow for about a week & sleep sitting up, but he's back to being ornery now

[steve2470]

29. LOL I'm glad he's fine now nt

[bridgit]

30. as will you be friend, as will you...

:thumbsup:

[AlienGirl]

31. I had my sixth (I think) surgery two days ago

Everything will be kind of boring/frightening until they give you a pre-op shot. Make SURE to ask for "something to calm you down" so they'll give you that pre-op shot...it's usually Versed, which makes you feel *great.* It also makes you forget the whole going-into-the-OR bit.

I've never had nausea afterward; they usually give you some anti-nausea stuff through the IV.

When you get home afterward, take some pain pills (probably oxycodone) and fall asleep. You'll feel better in no time!

:hug:

Tucker

[regnaD kciN]

35. But watch out for side-effects!

When you get home afterward, take some pain pills (probably oxycodone) and fall asleep. You'll feel better in no time!

But you may act like a Republican until the pills wear off. ;-)

[auntAgonist]

32. good luck Steve

you'll be just fine :)

[steve2470]

33. thank you !

:-)

[BlueIris]

34. Good luck, and it's interesting to see this post today.

For some reason, I was just thinking of my first surgery experience the other morning (wisdom teeth--general anesthesia, but not really the same thing at all, sorry). I was, despite having not been nervous, suddenly FREAKED when I was in the chair. The DMD's assistant, the DMD and my mom talked me back into it, though, and once they gave my the oxygen I was fine. I don't even remember closing my eyes. Anyway, I am sure yours will go well.

[entanglement]

36. Just make sure to remind them to give

you anesthesia before they use their chain-saws on you. :evilgrin:


Best of luck for the surgery!

[sans qualia]

37. Last month

I had an appendectomy. General anesthesia is so cool! I was lying on the operating table, they asked me to put my arms on these little mini-table things they wheeled over, and then the next thing I knew I was in the recovery room with an inexplicably sore throat. I don't even remember them putting anything in my IV, so there must have been at least a little while when I was completely awake and lucid, but that I have absolutely no memory of thanks to the amnestic they gave me. I find this thought endlessly fascinating. If I don't remember this period, even if I was awake at the time, did I ever really experience it in any meaningful way? Anyway, yeah I was nervous at first too, but it really wasn't that bad. I was walking a couple of days afterwards. Plus all the demerol and percocet I got didn't hurt either. :) Good luck!

[July]

38. My son had that surgery a couple of years ago.

It didn't take very long (although the before and after parts were lengthy), and he recovered very quickly.

One word of advice: they won't let you leave until you can pee. Once you come out of the anesthesia, keep drinking (well, follow the nurse's advice). We waited HOURS for my son to be able to pee. Finally, the doctor said, "make him stand in the bathroom with the water running, he'll go" -- and it worked.

Hope all goes well and you're feeling like yourself very soon.

[zanne]

39. My first surgery (and hospital stay) was for cardiac bypass surgery

I thought I had bronchitis because of a nagging pain in my chest. A week after my doctor's visit, I had bypass surgery (6 bypasses). I was 38.

[Heidi]

40. Thinking of you, Steve.

Good vibes en route. :hug: