Tuesday Oct 10

I'm scheduled for 7:40 am Tuesday...I'm scared...for some reason. Anesthetic scares me...any encouraging words?

The "sleepy docs" do a great job of relaxing you... and then waking you up! I got my IV in pre-op. It started with just a saline solution and then some anti-nausea stuff. I couldn't tell they were doing anything. Then the docs come in and do medical history one more time. Sometimes this is done with a CRNA (certified registered nurse anesthetist) as well as the anesthesiologist. But regardless, based on your history and vitals (weight) they'll give you what most call a "six pack". Usually they tell you just prior to that addition to your iv that you'll be sleepy, send you loved ones on out, and then wheel you to the OR. In my case, and it's been this way the last few surgeries, I don't remember them telling me I'd be sleepy.... just all of a sudden hearing them gently nudging me away and wheeling me to my room.

My mother began managing a group of anesthesiologists when I was 12 and she ended when I was 37 when she suffered a stroke. Since then, she has remained working with them on a limited basis. My family has even been a stand-in for next of kin when one of the doc's needed to have surgery himself and his family was out of the country!

Modern medicine is truly miraculous. Just be sure to be completely honest with your anesthestist, follow your doc's pre-op orders to the letter, and then plan for your recovery.

Best wishes ~

Oh one last thing... lots of people get uptight when they learn they are having a CRNA at the head of their table. But rest assured that the chief anesthesiologist is in and out and absolutely certain all is going well. I believe that the AMA has mandated that an anesethesiologist can not supervise more than 4 CRNA's at any given time. And to become a CRNA takes lots and lots of additional training... not just a couple of semesters in school!