The thing about general anesthesia is that it doesn’t feel like you just took a nap, it feels like you just lost 2 hours of your life! But, you know, despite the fact that I’d just lost those 2 hours or so and had various areas in my throat altered (they removed my tonsils, adenoids, uvula–the hangy thing in the back of the throat–and part of my soft palate) I didn’t think to ask where was I (in post-op) or how everything went (just fine and dandy), no, I wanted my book (Why Girls Are Weird, by Pamela Ribon of pamie.com)
And the drugs I was on? Didn’t feel a thing. At least not any time soon.
I always (well, twice) experience the post-surgery high where you feel positively GREAT. Of course, this is due to morphine.
Exactly right! I felt NOTHING until about the time I got home that afternoon. Though I will say my 2nd experience waking up from anesthesia was not so wondrous… more about that later this month.
I haven’t had any problems waking up from general anesthesia, but going into “twilight” anesthesia is TERRIFYING.
The only problem (and this was after the gallbladder surgery) was the pain–I felt it before my eyes fluttered open and I wanted to try and crawl away from it. It was like 1 minute I’m being strapped to the table (seriously, I do believe that’s the last thing I remember, them lashing my arms to boards extending from the OR table like I was being crucified) the next I’m in this dark cloud of pain so strong I could almost hear it. Of course, there were a couple of snags with that procedure and it took a little longer than it should and then they couldn’t give me more meds til I was in my room and, oh, just tons of fun that one.
Once I’d had a chance to talk to the anesthesiologist (who, without my glasses on, reminded me of Stanley Tucci) and his 2 assistants and impress upon them the care they needed to take because of the other stuff at work, things started moving so fast I didn’t have time to be nervous!
Oh, they did that with my arms, too. Thankfully, I had no issues waking up. With the twilight anesthesia, it took effect too slowly and I felt like I was still awake and alert and everyone’s voices were weirdly echoing and I thought, “I’m going to go crazy after 30-60 minutes of this! So I don’t lose my mind, I’ll focus on the thought, ‘Twilight anesthesia sucks!’” I repeated it to myself a few times and then I was finally out. *shudder* Horrible experience.
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