Help me please. Having a General Anesthetic tomorrow! So scared and panicking. Really need questions answered

Question

I am very scared of needles, and anything medical.
Will they use a big needle?
Will it hurt?
What does "going to sleep" feel like?

Also TERRIFFIED that i will wake up, during the procedure. !!!
I really need answers on this please.

Also will i wake up afterwards?!!!!!!

Please answer honestly, I really need to know what is going to happen.

Thankyou. Extremely nervous, and squeamish.!!!

Answer 1

I was terrified too of general anesthetic. They don't poke you with a needle. It is inserted through your IV. So no worry there. They ask you to count backwards, 100, 99, 98 and I was out. It doesn't hurt at all. It feels like you were really tired and drifted off.

As for waking up during the procedure, that is not likely to happen. If it does, they constantly monitor your vital signs. Any spike in those, and they are on it. Adding more anethetic if needed.

Answer 2

Lauren:

I am very scared of needles, and anything medical.

This is not an abnormal feeling. But think of the number of people who have preceded you and settle for apprehensive but not scared or panicked.

Will they use a big needle?

I wouldn't call my needle tiny but it was much smaller than those used to draw blood sample or for a blood donation.

Will it hurt?

That depends a lot on who dose the job. Some people are just better at it than others but the worst I have ever experienced was not nearly as bad as bumping my arm hard enough to bruise it. The best case was about like a blood draw for blood tests. I call it "smarting" not really hurting.

What does "going to sleep" feel like?

It feels like you are exhausted, so tired that you just can't stay awake.

Also TERRIFFIED that i will wake up, during the procedure. !!!
I really need answers on this please.

This just AIN'T gonna happen. There is a person, well trained and experienced, who's only job in the operating room is to keep you asleep and alive. It may be a specially trained nurse or a doctor but you will be in good hands.

Also will i wake up afterwards?!!!!!!

I have been under general anesthetic four times in my life. The first time was in 1953 or there abouts. It was ether. They don't use that stuff anymore. Subsequently I have had dental extractions of impacted wisdom teeth, amputation of a finger and my gall bladder removed. I am, according to all my doctors, abnormal in that I come out from under anesthesia very quickly and with virtually no side effects. I won’t lie to you, there are dangers but they are grossly over rated. Nearly everyone in my immediate family has had some sort of procedure requiring general anesthesia and all are fine or have died of completely unassociated conditions.

Every word I have written is FACT or my honest belief. Now I don’t know your age or why you are having surgery but I would bet $ 1000 that if there is a problem, it won’t have anything to do with the anesthesia. You may have a reaction but the worst I have seen was a very upset stomach for a couple of days. And think about it, if you have a reaction, what better place than a hospital?

Good luck and I really hope this helps. Contact me through my profile when you get home. I would love to hear how good it went…

Answer 3

hello. i am a Registered Nurse IN England and would like to ease your anxiety. unless you are having an epidural forget the big needles, or needles at all. a small needle is inserted into your hand and a fine plastic tube is then inserted into the vien called a cannula. this is a port to your bloodstream which has a self closing cap. syringes can then be inserted into your cannula to give you intra-venous drugs... ie your anesthetic. the insertion of this cannula may hurt a little bit, but then its done. no more. there is a cream that can be applied used on children, if you let a nurse know that you have a needle phobia and ask for this then im sure it wont be a problem. YOU WILL NOT WAKE UP DURING THE PROCEDURE! the anesthetist (or anesthesiologist as you Americans call them) use an EEG machine to monitor your brains awareness during the op, continually altering the drugs to counter balance awareness, without altering life function. they are very skilled people. please dont worry undully. good luck, you wont need it!!

Answer 4

Sure it will hurt slightly, but the pain is quick. Bite your lip, it will hurt for a little while, then go away. Same thing. The IV needle is not very large, and if the nurse or anetheseoligist is good, they slip in almost unnoticed.
Most likely you will get some gas to knock you out, through a mask as well as through an IV. You will go to sleep almost instantly, and won't wake up. for a couple of hours at least. It is a deep sleep, you won;t remember anything.
You will get over any pain or discomfort you have, in a few days. Accept it and get on with it.

Answer 5

It is a scary thing to go for surgery, but your fears are too intense. Going to sleep is not a bad feeling, its like being lifted up to the clouds then bye bye you are off to sleep. It is not unpleasant. If you are afraid of needles look away when they give you the needle. Usually they insert a needle into your hand, look away, and just remember it only takes a minute to insert the needle. This needle has an attachment that they hook up to an IV and that is how the anesthetic is introduced to your body. Trust your doctor to take good care of you. They will monitor you throught the entire surgery, all you vital signs. You will not wake up. Just close you eyes and let the sleep overtake you. You will be fine. You will wake up after the surgery. Try to relax and trust those around you, this is all normal to them. God Bless you and I pray that all will go well for you.

Answer 6

Please don't panic. I can tell you from experience it seems much worse than it really is.
The worst part of it will be getting the IV where they will actually administer the drug that "puts you to sleep", and as long as you have a good nurse who inserts the IV, you will barely even feel a little "stick" - the last time I got one, I never even felt the IV get put in.
No, you will not wake up during the procedure - the anesthesiologist is there to make sure that doesn't happen. Yes, you will wake up after wards.
As far as what does it feel like going to sleep, it actually feels pretty good. If you are as terrified as you seem to be, be sure to let the anesthesiologist know that you are freaking out and ask if you can have something to help you relax a little bit - I have never had one tell me no. When they actually administer the meds to put you to sleep - you will go out so quickly that you probably won't even remember it. Also, when you wake up - you will feel like you had just gone to sleep - you don't have that feeling of having been asleep for a long time.
Don't panic, you'll be fine.

Answer 7

You won't remember going to sleep. They will probably start an IV in your hand in order to insert a type of port for administering medication. That is going to hurt a little; nothing you can't handle. If you have not been told, DO NOT eat anything by mouth after midnight. You will not wake up during the procedure and, if you do, you won't remember it. Yes, you will wake up. There is always a risk in any type of general anesthesia but if you are being cared for by a reputable health care provider, you'll be in good hands.

By the way, it's perfectly normal to have all the feelings you are expressing. Relax, everything will be fine.

Answer 8

Here's the good news: After you fall asleep, you'll be totally out of it, you won't know (and won't care) what's going on. Don't worry, you won't wake up during the procedure.

The needle won't be big. It may "pinch" a bit when they put it in, but the pain isn't bad at all. They'll put an IV in your hand or arm, and it's a thin needle. Yes, you'll wake up afterwards. Before your procedure, ask to speak with the anesthesiologist, who will answer all your questions. You'll be fine!

Answer 9

I have had several surgeries and it is scary at first but not many people have severe side effects with the new medications and good medical technology these days. My personal experience the needle is small it hurts only a little. You will feel drowsy and relaxed. Like i said, with advanced medical technology people wake up after wards feeling a little tipsy and sore from the surgery but you will be just fine. I was a little scared but I have survived surgery 4 times! Relax and don't be scared!

Answer 10

I can tell you that the medical staff will certainly know that you are nervous. You will likely begin talking fast and that will be true giveaway. They are going to give you a sedative before they begin to do anything, probably versed and fentanol. About 4 to 5 seconds after they give you that I assure you, that you will not care about anything they do to you. You will be more relaxed than you have ever been in your life, and when you are under you are in deep and and don't worry about waking up. You are monitored the entire time for vital signs and you will wake up and do fine. I know I have had it and I am a bigger chicken than you are.