Decision to make: Epidural v. general anesthsia

Please help and Quick
My scheduled TAH is for 2/18/08. At pre-op yesterday my doc informed me I could have an epidural vs. tradition anethsia--I would be able to talk to her and see the operation. At my myomectomy I had general and loved "being out of it." However I am most interested in being able to talk to my doc because there is a miracle chance my tumor may have grown a "border" which did not allow her to remove the largest tumor. There may have to be decisions made, and I would like to do that.
Although I would like to hear and see the operation, I do not want to be aware of time--I do look forward to being drunk so that I am not so acutely aware of all the bustle around me. Please let me know if you have done the epidural and how you liked it. thanks for your help the clock's ticking!
TKH

I will be having a TAH Feb 20 and also was given the option of an epidural or general. I'm hoping to have the epidural for 2 reasons. I tend to get very nausated and vomit following a general. Can't imagine doing this with a new incision. Also, when I had my D@C I had a bad sore throat from the tube they put down your throat. I'm hoping to avoid both of these things. With an epidural I'm told I will still get drugs and will sleep off and on.

My girlfriend had abdominal surgery under epidural (not hyster) and loved it. She was aware and able to talk but still relaxed enough to drown out the hustle and bustle of surgery. I was in there with her and we talked most of the time. I'm kind of hoping to have an epidural myself because I HATE being OUT (I have a phobia of not waking up, but that's just me!), plus I like to know what's going on. Haven't had one personally yet but if you think you might have to make decisions by all means go for it! I wish I would have been able to talk with my doc 7 years ago and tell him to do the hyster when he found big fibroid during tubal ligation but chose to leave it because it would have been more complicated to remove fibroid than to leave it. That way I wouldn't have to go through it now and could have saved myself a lot of pain! Best of luck to you, let us know what you decided on!