What scares you the most about surgery?

Thanks! Ohhh that's funny! Yeah, I worry about that too!(house chores getting done....or I should say .. lack of) Anyhow, what will be......will be....there's no changing that! So why worry?

OK I too have never heard of that being put to sleep for surgery and waking up before it was finished in so much pain you couldn't even yell it out! But omg today I heard it on the morning talk show radio that it can actually happen! I was like whoa what? so I'm deffiantly going to ask my doctor about it because it has terrified me.. I have had many surgeries before and that has never happened other then waking up in recovery and being in pain but there was a nurse right beside me and with in seconds she pushed the pain meds and I was fine! so I'm not going to worry to much about it because the odds must be so slim as i said before this morning I have never even heard of it!! Good luck to you all and lots of prayers and xoxoxoxoxo

NOW, this is what I call Fear - but again you will hardly ever hear of this happening. We had something, about this on our local tv programme, last week. In my case, I am having Epidural and with regard to this - those of us, who have had anaesthetic before, will often be given a similar one (if there were no problems) Talk to the Anaethetists, about this - they watch over you & they will also put your mind at ease. There have been cases where people have woken up - but thankfully, this does NOT happen too often. The tv programme, showed how a person woke, in the middle of surgery and was not able to tell the surgeon or make anyone aware, that she was awake. Most people, would not believe her BUT she actually remembered, what they had been talking about in the O.R. and told them.((Scary)) donna42

I have heard about "twilight" drugs that paitents are sometimes given during medical procedures. These drugs don't put you to sleep but they cause you to loose your memory of everything that happened during that time period. So you're awake but later can't remember a thing. I don't like the thought of that. I like to remember everything.

So about a week before my hysterectomy, I actually spent a few moments worrying that I might be awake during surgery and feel all the pain, but that they might give me a "twilight" drug that would cause me to quickly forget it all by the time surgery was over. In other words, I would go through hell during surgery but not be aware of it afterwards. I even decided that if this happened and I was able to move, I would use my fingernail to scratch my thumb so that afterwards this would be a sign to me that indeed I had been awake and felt the pain!

Well, fortunately I quickly realized how silly and deranged my thinking was--I mean, I'm not Edgar Allan Poe! I was simply letting my fears get the best of me.

I have book called "The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy" by Lauren Streicher, M.D. She says that "the risk of dying from anesthesia is 1 in 250,000 even though surgeries have become more complicated and are often performed on older and sicker patients. The risk of a healthy woman dying during surgery is less than 0.03 %; in other words, almost zero."

She also says that "Monitors are used that measure the depth of unconsciousness. Don't worry about urban legands in which someone went through surgery and felt the whole thing even though they were paralyzed and no one knew they could feel what was going on. Doesn't happen."

Well, I took comfort in reading that and I decided to quit worrying that freak horrible things might happen to me. I started trusting that God would watch over me and that put me at peace. I was actually quite calm by the time I went to the hosptial.

I ended up having no complications at all. And even if I had, I know they wouldn't have been anything like as bad as my previous fears.

It's human nature to worry (especially for us women), but please, sisters, try not to overdo the fretting. Most likely your surgery will go just fine.

Best wishes to all!

Ok so its a urban legened? I mean I can see why a radio talk show would talk about it then but i think they should have said it was a myth because that was the first real scare I got! lol but tyvm Ferrin for putting my mind more at ease

My biggest fear is the sex issue. What is it going to be like after? It has to be better than now, but will it be as good as it was before?

Hi again Meatball,
I agree with your theory about her waking up in OR before pain meds & doesn't remember because she was too out of it. Thanks for easing my mind because I was appalled that she could tell me something like that when she knows I'm going to have surgery soon! I was thinking about it over & over lin my head like a horror movie!

I had a breast reduction surgery at age 15 and remember waking up in the OR but I only remember looking up and seeing the doctors standing over me and then I was right back out of it. I don't remember feeling any pain. When I woke up in recovery I woke up crying like a baby (also did that after lap) then threw up like a half a dozen times although didn't throw up after lap. That is another fear I always have a fear of throwing up but really don't want to with my belly being cut up.
Now after reading these posts I think I am kinda taking on everyone elses fears. But I know I will be OK and so will everyone else. I am just going to think about how much better I will feel after I heal.
Wishing everyone there own good thoughts

EVERYTHING! (Almost). Although I didn't like the sensation of the anesthesia when they put me under for my laparoscopy ... I do know that I can handle it. My biggest fear is that someone will screw up whilst poking about in my belly and that I'll get infected or get complications and maybe not survive. My second biggest fear is that I will suddenly age after the surgery and experience horrendous mood swings etc. My third biggest fear is that my "not so bright" dog Rocky ... and supreme ruler of the universe Kitty ... will unexpectedly jump on my belly when I get home...as they did after my laparoscopy. I worry way too much ...

Dear Ferrin,

Soon I am to have my surgery & it may not be Epidural as planned. More recently, there has been talk of hospitals, being sued because a Patient has woken up, and has not been able, to make them aware of this. This is very rare! We have ALL of the latest technology. As this board is open, for ladies all over the world, I would not want to say the programme, i had watched, "Panorama" that the people in it, were either telling lies or talking from some Urban Legend.The Hospital apologised- she had been paid out- she said publicly that she was having nightmairs.

Apparently the tubes, can (in rare cases) be placed wrong & there have been incidents where a person has been awake for much of her surgery.

This is not likely to happen to anyone again. I know this has happened, as I respect the lady who spoke out, and the hospitals opinions I "Do NOT believe, this is ALL Urban Legend" or it could possibly, only happen in the UK. Anaesethists, are very quick, to act and there are two with you, watching at all times so, if one person, should fail to check on something - another would - right down to the medication that has been given to you. Since watching the programme I had asked at my hospital about this.

Once, happy with your decision, to have the surgery - it is best to write your fears down. They are your fears, so you own them! Talk to your doctor or the person who will be putting you to sleep. They have heard everything, believe me. The last thing they would want would be for anyone to wake up, sooner, than expected. I honestly, do not think this happens, except where something has been wrong, at the start. I do not like scare monegering or lies. Like you, I have decided to use my Faith and to Trust those who will be taking care of me. This can be hard, as once we walk thru those hospital doors many of us, feel helpless. I am sure our surgeries will go well.

With regard to twilight sleep - this is given as sedation & if I have my epidural, I would want this, too. i hardly want to watch those, in the O.R. taking out my uterus? There is another time, that twilight sleep is also given & people do remember. It is when they have injections in their spine at the pain clinic in the UK.

We will be OK. You will have read the statistics. Some of my friends work in Critical Care & even tho they trust their work friends - they were still a little afraid, on the day of surgery. It is possibly the same for all of us. WISHING EVERYONE WELL & come on - please let us try, to encourage each other thru the surgery. At the rate, I am going, I think I will be the last one to have it and you will have all recovered. Prayers & HUGS) donna42