Anesthesia

I have had 4 surgeries and each time I have had such a hard time dealing with the Anesthesia. Anyone have any ideas? I get put to sleep just fine but waking up is always so hard. I feel like I can't. It isn't like I am groggy but that I literally can't get up. I can hear stuff that is going on in the room but can't force myself to open up my eyes or move my body. Eventually I get to be hazy and maybe mumble but than I fall back asleep. This lasts for hours after my surgery.
Everyone acts like I am just being lazy or tired but I really am having trouble getting my body to wake up.

Is this normal?

I don't know about normal, but I have the same issue. I only had 2 surgeries prior to my hysterectomy. I told the anesthesiologist about it and he said that because my surgeries were emergencies (late at night) it made sense because the body's natural tendency is to sleep.

He was positive that it would not be the same with the hyst. Well, let me see ... My 10:40am surgery did not start until 1:00pm and was not finished until 8:00pm (my bladder got nicked).

You can guess the results there.

I could hear people talking in the recovery room. I couldn't stay awake more than a few seconds. That made me miserable ... again.

My anesthesiologist actually came to see me the next morning. He was so sorry that the whole waking up thing didn't go as he had planned. I told him it was fine. I was ready to move on. I know how you feel and other than taking to your and anesthesiologist - I have no idea what to tell you to do. Sorry.

Blessings on you ....

I agree, be sure to talk with the anesthesiologist before hand about your concerns. Maybe even mention that in your pre-op work-up, if you have not done that yet.
I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

just my .02 worth...would you and your doctor consider epidural as your anesthesia? this is a thin needle which is placed in your spine with morphine which lasts up to 24 hours after surgery so you are pain free, and when you are in recovery you wake up normal and not groggy or anything. you are alert and 100% pain free. this is in place of general anesthesia which you are totally gone with a tube in your mouth and machines doing breathing and everything else for you. this epidural worked for me great...felt no pain at all, but you have to ask your doctor what he thinks and do what is best for you. I will keep you in my prayers.
blessings,

I have had many surgeries, including a LSH last June and a lap. gall bladder removal in Jan. I am one of these dumb people who is not afraid of the operating room. I had versed to "relax" me before entering the OR prior to the LSH, but refused it before the gall bladder surgery. They told me it would be better anyway since I would wake up better/faster. I did notice a difference, but you can ask your own doctor about this option.
Kim
LSH 6/27/07

I would talk to your dr, Dont know if it is normal but that is how i am after every surgery. takes a few hours for me to be able to move about . good luck
hugs
lisa

I have only been under anthesia twice. Within a 8 month period mind you. I go to sleep very quickly and I wake up extremely fast. In fact the first surgery which was major spine surgery I actually woke up during the surgery. No pain just weird. So when the LSH came I told the anthesia dr. that I woke up during surgery and that I wake up very fast. He looked up my charts and I did wake up during sugery. He told me he would put a brain monitor on so he could see when it was happening. When he took the mask off after this surgery I woke up seeing the mask being lifted off and I looked at him and said see I told you so. He said that he never had anyone wake up that fast and stay alert. I never went back to sleep until many hours later. From what I have heard and from other family members that have had surgery waking up really slow is fairly normal.

I don't know how true this is but I read on here somewhere that you are not superpose to eat tomatoes or potatoes a few days before surgery. I wish I knew how to find those threads to show you what they said exactly. It made some since although the night before my surgery my mother-in-law made meatloaf with mashed potatoes the meat loaf was smothered in tomatoes sauce. I saw that and thought oh well i guess I won't wake up during the surgery. I don't know if it hurt or not since I am very sensitive to pain killers (extra strength Tylenol makes me sleepy!) I can't say it was a hard time waking up as much as I just felt out of it. Google the tomatoe thing or maybe someone that reads this knows what I am talking about and will share the link.
Good luck! Best wishes.