General anesthesia

Just was curious. I am having General Anesthesia when I have my TAH on Friday. Do they numb you first or is that part of the anesthesia itself? I always wondered that.

I'm not sure exactly what you mean, but basicly its like you go to sleep and they anesthetise you to feel no pain, then you wake up afterwards with no memory of it. So there's not really local numbing of an area, just all over lack of pain. I'm sure an anesthesiologist would cringe at my description but hopefully it made some sense.

No, that makes sense. I just always wondered how anesthesia worked in a sense. I guess when you go to sleep, you are in a state where you won't feel anything then. Hmmm. works for me, as long as I feel nothing I am good to go.

Be sure to talk to your anesthesiologist, they will answer all your questions.

When you get to the hospital you will have an IV. There is where they will give you the meds that will put you to sleep for the surgery. You will drift off to sleep and wake up not remembering anything of the surgery itself.

Sometimes along with the general anesthesia they will do a spinal which can help with pain control after the surgery is over (you'll be numb for a while). They didn't do it for my TVH, but it was an option, and I could've requested it. I don't know if they'd do it before you're under or after. The anesthesiologist and MD can talk more about your options. Good luck!

I have been under general 6 times so far. Every time they have done it, they put the IV in, and I'm given something that makes me "loopy".. not out of it all together, but something that makes me not care. By the time I'm wheeled in the OR, I get an oxygen mask and the anesthesiologist starts to put something in my IV line and says "Count backward from 100".. the farthest I remember counting down is 98.. LOL

Don't remember anything else of surgery, but the RECOVERY ROOM?? Make them give you the air blanket with the warm air that blows thru it!! That's the BEST!!!!

They gave me a spinal which I was awake for, but they had given me the no remember meds already, so after the spinal I lied down on the table and I was gone.

My first experience with general anesthesia was for my hysterectomy and the thing I worried the most about -- it wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. Be sure to ask all your questions as you will see the doctor prior to the surgery. good luck

It is not unusual to be nauseated after general so you might want to ask your anesthesiologist about that. Mine went ahead and put something in my IV to help.

I always get nauseated, so I did request the meds for that with my IV....what a difference it made. I never felt nauseated at all, that made the first day so much easier. I was able to get up and walk within 14 hours!