Anesthesia (sp?)

[MissSammyD 0]

I'm being banded in May. I have never had to be put under, and I am *SO* scared of that! If any of you would calm my fears of this, I'd LOVE that. I'm a smoker of about 1 1/2 packs a day too..I'm trying to quit before the surgery but it's really really hard. Help me to not be so scared of going under please..Also, did any of you dream or anything while you were out?

``Samantha

[melzie_99 22]

I've been 'put under' 3 times now for various surgeries; yes, there's always a risk but I wouldn't worry too much. From my experience they inject a drug in your IV to make you sleepy and I'm always out within 30 seconds. Next thing you know you're in recovery. No dreaming; just fall asleep in one spot and wake up in another. I would continue to work on cutting out the smoking; I'm sure your dr has all ready recommended that you to. If you get too nervous beforehand they normally will offer you something to help you relax before you go in for surgery. Just focus on the positive; you'll be fine!

[MissSammyD 0]

Thank you!!!

[Jessrosec3 0]

I used the electronic cigerette (cigotine) to quit smoking. I smoked a pack to a pack and a half a day for 15 years. I bought the cig and still smoked a regular cigerette once or twice a day for the 1st few days of use then continued to just use the electronic cigerette for 3 weeks. They sell cartridges with different millagrams of nicotine so you can wheen yourself off it. It really helped me quit and I would recommend it to anyone trying to quit. I havent had my surgery yet but have been under anestheasia twice. Nothing to be affraid of, you just get sleepy and fall asleep just like you would when you go to bed at night.

Hope this helps a little

[stateofzen 46]

Anesthesia has amnestic properties-- which means it interrupts your brain's ability to encode memories-- so you will not remember anything from seconds/minutes after they start your IV until you hit recovery. It knocks you out, but maybe not immediately (definitely before they start the surgery though). One interesting thing to know is that people often start talking like a motor mouth, or crying a bunch, or have some other cognitive response before they lose consciousness-- but don't worry, if you do something embarrassing, you won't remember it and your surgeon's team will have the good manners to never mention it They're used to it.

I've been under 3x now. I'm not a smoker, so I can't comment on that. I will say that coming out, you typically have to wear an oxygen mask and they won't pull you from recovery until your blood oxygen levels get high enough. I imagine that for some smoker's with reduced lung capacity that this process takes longer, but that is speculation on my part.

In any case, for the patient, it is usually easy peasy. They start the IV and you're completely unaware until you wake up in recovery.

[Kalipso2 25]

i was a anesthesia virgin too before my surgery but i was more worried about the I.V. in the hand and having it stay there than being put under.

when i was wheeled into the operating room, they had me put both arms out to the side and a mask was put over my mouth and nose. that's the last thing i remember. i think i took in 2 deep breaths and i was out.

next thing i knew, i woke up in the recovery room. all these annoying nurses kept trying to get me to wake up and i just wanted to sleep so i ignored them until i couldn't stand their voices anymore and said, "yes, i'm awake!!"

i spent the night in the hospital and i barely remember the trip from recovery to my room.

i wasn't given anything to relax me before surgery because i got bumped up from the bottom of the surgery list so there was no time.

[malta760 0]

It is the weirdest thing....... its like falling asleep really fast and not dreaming and sleeping really hard until you start to slowly wake up. it's not bad at all. I have only been put out once but it was the best sleep i ever had Good luck on your journey

[slm2007 7]

I'm not a smoker and I wish you the absolute best of luck on quitting before your surgery. I know that my surgeons office will test the patients urine before surgery to see if there are any traces of nicotine or the by-product in the urine...(they both take a certain amount of time to get out of your system, so they know how long you have "quit"). They will not do any surgery if they find any trace in the urine. Just an FYI, I don't know if your surgeon will do that or not.

As for the surgery and being put under.....easy pee-zie. Nothing to worry about. The only thing is that when you come out of it, you might be sick to your stomach so make sure you let them know so they can give you medication. I remember when I had my gallbladder out, I had the most amazingly attractive anethesiologist (sp?).....he gave me some good stuff to "relax" me and I started the stupidest conversation with him. When I woke up...the first thing I realized is that he saw me naked! I'm glad I never saw him again (not that he'd remember me anyhow but I'd totally remember him!). Getting put under is nothing to worry about, you won't remember a thing and it is amazing how that stuff works.

[54Shirley 105]

I have been put under for a lot of surgeries. .

It's not a big deal at all. They give you a shot sometimes like in the I V line to get you comfortable. Then when on the table the Anesthesiologist, (WHO HAS BEEN IN TOUCH WITH YOUR DR.) will start to administer it in the I.V... I remember being told to count backwards from 100. I got to 99, and that's all I remember. I was asleep.

If you love a good night sleep? That's basically what it's like.

Then you wake up in Recovery.

I quit smoking over 25 yrs. ago. I can tell you what I did, and it works, but ! you really got to be ready to quit.

I threw all my stuff away having to do with smoking. Then,, every time I had a urge to smoke, I would go into the kitchen,

get a QUART size glass, and fill it with Water. Then stand by the sink, and drink that whole thing down "BOTTOMS UP".

You do that every time you get the urge, and don't give in, and I tell you what. This will kill the urge to smoke, or eat.

It will also cleanse your system from the Tar, and Nicotine.

It takes about 1 week, and you are cigarette free.

The funny thing to me about this was about 1 month later, a news report came on about a new way to quit smoking that works.

It's called Flushing. Gee, maybe I could have become rich off this. LOL Hew new.

Good luck, Shirley.

[ElizabethNYC 1]

My surgery was the third time I was put under and it's real easy. First time I was put under it was through the mask both other times it was IV. It's actually a weird feeling knowing that you were just awake and in what feels like two seconds you are waking up! You don't remember anything, no dreams or stuff like that.

As far as quitting smoking this is how I did it. I just decided that I was going to do it, no excuses no more "I'm going to quit but just one more pack" none of that. I had a pack with 2 cigarettes left, I smoked them and then threw everything away that had to do with me smoking. The next day I got the phone call to start my liquid diet so I kind of lucked out, within a day my mind was off the cigarettes and now I had to worry about not eating (which by the way was harder than not smoking).

I wish you the best of luck on both journeys!!!! Please keep us updated.

[Kelly K. 0]

I would not be worried. I have been put under twice before. It's just like your in a very deep sleep. I always seem to feel rested once I wake up.

[JourneyGirl 10]

I am not a smoker so I can't help you on that but good luck.

As for being put under it is really no big deal. I do understand being nervous, I was as well my first time. Mine were all done through an IV. They administered the drug and honestly I tried to pay attention as to how long it would take. I wondered if I would go "out" when they were wheeling me into surgery, would I hear them talking, or would it be before.... How long would I stay awake. It sounds like I am a nut, it is just something that I do each time. For the band surgery I was talking to the nurse, blinked and that was it. That was the last thing I remember. Next thing you know I am waking up in recovery. I think it was about 10 seconds, if that, after giving me the drug.

If you get real nervous, just tell them. They will give you something to calm your nerves. Don't worry, you will be fine!!

Good luck,

Wendy

[KristenC 13]

Can I just say I LOVE anesthesia. I feel like its the best sleep ever. When you wake up you feel so relaxed. I would def try to quit smoking asap so you don't have any complications and so you can heal faster.

[AlienBandit 10]

Don't be nervous if this is your first time being put under.

I have had many surgeries and am so used to being put under I never worry about it anymore.

For me they set me up on the table, I chat with the nurses, I hear my doc come into the operating room, I get injection with a big white tube of something that stings a little, my doc says hello, if I have time I remind him of my requests ( no staples etc) and then I am out.

Sometimes I wake up still strapped to the table (if it is a short surgery where I am not drugged as heavily), sometimes I wake up on the way to my recovery room and sometimes I wake up in my recovery room. Then I just relax and nap.

Seriously being put under is no big deal.

[isit5yet 37]

They may give you something like Verced before you go in, which will totally take the edge off and you'll be less fearful. I didn't dream about anything and don't remember anything. My nurse said that younger women tend to come out of anesthesia crying and men come out swinging hehehe. I was just groggy and wanted to nap.