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Turns Out It’s Not Required To Count Back To 10 Before Anesthesia Kicks In And Here Are 30 Stories Of What Actually Happens
We all have seen it in the movies: the nurse puts in an IV or attaches a mask and the anesthesiologist asks the patient who's about to get surgery to count down from ten. That's how many of us who have never had surgery probably imagine it actually goes. However, recently, a Twitter user who has undergone surgery was surprised to find out that this is not the case. Instead of counting, the nurse just said "goodbye" and that was it. Apparently, the method of checking whether the anesthetics are starting to kick in is outdated and not used as often these days. This revelation prompted people to share their own stories of what happened before anesthesia kicked in, and believe me, most of the responses are not what you expect. Scroll down to read some of the best stories Twitter users had to share!
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#10
hunger games 4 years ago
they told me it was going to be bubble gum flavored it wasn't so i held my breath too
Mike Rodrick 4 years ago
Who has ever had ether as an anesthetic? That was my 1st surgery. I won't say how many years ago that was.
nettie netwitch 4 years ago
I had. 55 years ago. The surgeon couldn't hear me counting anymore and broke my arm before I had passed out. Since then every anesthesist had to promise me - first knock out, then surgery.
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Lynn Morello 4 years ago
My last surgery was a complete shoulder replacement, The Anesthesiologist said count down from 100. I remember saying, 99.
Dawn Adams 4 years ago
I found that it was in my best interest to suck that stuff down and go to sleep.
#11
Marky Mark 4 years ago
This happened to me too. I once went in for surgery on a shattered arm and work up with no titties. It was actually a big relief since I never had any to start with.
#12
The Dumb Alex 4 years ago
This is beautiful, did the nurses or doctor sing with cause that would be even better!!
#13
Laugh Fan 4 years ago
I had to have eyelid surgery and the nurse went to a lot of trouble to smooth my fringe underneath the cap I had to wear so that it wouldn't all stick up afterwards. Thought that was really sweet. Though when I woke up in agony I couldn't have cared less if my hair was standing on end and pointing in twenty different directions.
#17
Marky Mark 4 years ago
Was your anesthesiologist Ashton Kutcher or Seann William Scott from "Dude, Where is My Car?"
#18
Rosie Hamilton 4 years ago
One hospital told me it would sting but that I wouldn't remember it. Um, liars (and it SERIOUSLY stings). Next op I was ready for it but they just gave me a dose of fentanyl right before the anaesthetic and I didn't feel it at all. So, unnecessary pain - unless you can't take fentanyl.
#19
#20
IT'S THE SWEET ONE 4 years ago
Haha, I got laughy gas and right before I went under I started making terrible knock-knock jokes and cracking up.
#23
Alexandru Bucur 4 years ago
To be frank, when I was 5 and busted my forehead open on a metal drawer pull while playing soccer indoors I asked to be shown all the instruments the doctor had, even those that weren't directly involved. He had to threaten to put me under in order for me to stay still enough to get those stitches done.
#26
Chris Jones 4 years ago
I was so chilled out for one op I was having that they wheeled me right into the OR - no knocking me out in prep outside which had been the norm for my other surgeries. I was on strong anti-depressants at the time which made me numb af about everything.
#28
#29
Vanta Black 4 years ago
"Oh that? It's... uh... part of my costume? Yeah, let's go with that." said the doctor, casually hiding a name tag reading "Frankenstein".
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Doc Thissen 4 years ago
I woke up after my colonoscopy, asking first "Who roofied me?" then when they gave me the results, I said, "So what you're saying is, I'm the perfect a*****e?"
LittleMissLotus 4 years ago
I remember I got doped up during a dental surgery... I thought I was a goose for an hour 😂
Billie Davis 4 years ago
do you remember if you said anything? I wonder what a goose would say if they could talk!
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Cori 4 years ago
I've had 3 eye surgeries. The first was when I was a toddler, but the others were a year apart in high school. After the first of those one of the nurses gave me a piece of coffee cake and it was really good. The second time around though I must have had a bad reaction because when I came to, I heard 2 nurses talking about a movie they had seen and this seriously pissed me off. For context, I am usually painfully polite. Not this time though. I was so angry. Then I remembered the coffee cake and insisted on having some. There was no coffee cake. This was in no way acceptable. My dad eventually brought me a snack cake from a vending machine. By then I was starting to come out of it and started falling all over myself trying to apologize for being so awful. A nurse who remembered me said, 'it's okay sweetheart. We know you're not really like that.' To this day, I still feel awful about it.
kurisutofu 4 years ago
I had surgery once but they didn't ask me to count or anything. I was in the prep room and told that I would receive the anesthesia. The anesthesiologist was busy getting things ready but after a blink, I decided to disturb him and ask how long it would take for the effect to be felt. He laughed and said "it's done, the surgery is over. We brought you to the prep room to wake you up". I didn't believe him at first because I was dead sure I had been conscious the whole time and no time has passed. I saw the scar on my body and realized my blink had not been a blink. :)
Becca Gizmo the Squirrel 4 years ago
My step dad had his wisdom teeth out around 1974. He got out under everything went fine and next thing he knew he was watching tv at home. He had drove himself home and everything. They were pretty lax in the '70's. He was awake when driving just not aware. Kinda like when taking xanax.
Sam Kunz 4 years ago
I've heard the same thing. That must be pretty jolting to have happen LOL
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John L 4 years ago
I've had both knees reconstructed. The first time, I woke up during surgery to the surgeon flopping my leg around like a leg of lamb. Didn't hurt or anything, but it was a very odd thing to "imagine". When I went in for my second surgery, I told the anesthetist about my previous experience. He told me not to worry. Told me to count down and next thing I hear is "CODE BLUE, CODE BLUE!!!". I see myself on the table, with the doctor and paddles.....naw, just kidding. Woke up, not having realized I hadn't finished counting down. Anesthetics have a difficult job, judging the amount of anesthesia needed for each individual.
kate h 4 years ago (edited)
My favorite was the anesthesiologist who was getting me ready, saying he'd give me something to relax first. I was in the middle of a sentence when it hit my system and I just said "wowwww..." He said "Takes you back, don't it?" haha! He was spot on - I lived during the Quaalude years...
cybermerlin2000 4 years ago
Went in for a colon and endoscopy. As they took me for the procedure I said "If the room is round or the doctor has large black eyes then I'm out of there!" Woke up with the doctor standing next to me and,as he leaned down, he said "The room was square and these are my eyes" Then he walked away chuckling (His eyes were brown)
Cody Eriksen 4 years ago
Wisdom teeth surgery I had the HOTTEST dude for my nurse. He held my hand and said 'Good Night Princess' He was there when I woke up. I asked him to marry me.
Mark Serbian 4 years ago
Had my wisdom teeth removed at the San Francisco Veteran's Hospital. Terrified that I'd come out with a vasectomy or something. They gave me Valium and Demerol intravenously, and I was OUT before I could even count. Woke up in the middle and there were people inside my mouth with picks and shovels banging around and then a HUGE face swam into my field of view and, in a deep voice, said, "GO BACK TO SLEEP!" When I woke up, I offered to sell them my soul for more of that stuff...
Jill Pulcifer 4 years ago
When I was 16 I had my wisdom teeth out, I woke up tied down. Apparently I woke up in the middle of the surgery and straight socked the nurse. I have no memory of this, I just woke up tied down and hated by a nurse with a bloody lip. Then I cried the whole way home because I had a belief that I left my lips at the dentist office. What I lament the most about the whole thing is that I have never been in a fight in my entire life, and the one time I just haul off and sock someone, I dont even get to remember it.
Chris DiFonso 4 years ago
Another side effect of anesthesia, speaking from personal experience, is losing memory of a short amount of time before the anesthesia is administered. Several minutes of time got erased from my memory, the doctor assured me that was normal.
Helen Haley 4 years ago
Apparently, when I was coming out of anesthesia an old woman was telling me she was a widow and a really sad story and I was trying to give her a pep talk and telling her she could do it.
NeverGoWoke 4 years ago
Well, it's a good thing Nurses and anesthesiologist's have a good sense of humour 😂
Erin 4 years ago
I'm getting wisdom tooth removal surgery on the 20th...I'm really scared about it :(
Stephanie Freeman 4 years ago
It's ok to be scared. Just remember to take a couple of deep breaths and you will be out cold. You won't remember a thing. They can tell when you're waking up or have woken up because your blood pressure rises when you feel pain, and it is constantly monitored. If you come to, they will know. (Because of several medical issues, I have had about 20 GA surgeries total in my life. I only woke up once, at the beginning of my 1st surgery after a really bad wreck. (I had 8 in 11 days because of it.))
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Daniel Nilssen 4 years ago
When I was in the usmc I was put under for my wisdom teeth. They asked me to count backwards from a hundred and I got all the way to 52.
Rob Crush 4 years ago
I had surgery a couple weeks ago. They didn't have me count down but rather told me to think of a nice peaceful place. When I woke up in recovery my wife came to see me. I had abdominal surgery and the nurse said that my breast augmentation was a success! My wife said that I had double D's. Without hesitation I said that my wife was not my proxy and that I specifically asked for triple D's and to expect a malpractice suit LOL. Everyone got a kick out of if.
TheKnightOwl 4 years ago
I did get to do that count backwards thing when I was 9yrs old having kidney surgery. Pretty sure I made it from 10 to 8 ...anything after that is gone until the next day (it was a long surgery). I've been under twice since then and accused the anaesthetist of not warning me he was going to start like he promised...apparently he did warn me, and we spoke for about 30 seconds afterwards; I remember nothing.
Sam Kunz 4 years ago
I had 3 surgeries in a 2 month span. All put under for them. The first two were fine. The 3rd scared the c**p out of me. I was laying on the table and they started the drugs and suddenly it felt like a thousand knives were stabbing me in the face and I said "Uh, I don't remember this last time...." and then was out. It was only a second. But still scary. I read later on that some botched executions, the prisoner said the same thing.....
Little Wonder 4 years ago
All I got was "Okay we're just going to pop this needle in" and the next thing I knew I was waking up in recovery with a boob out because my hospital night gown was too big. The nurse came over to cover me up and I said "Is that mine?" haha
Kitt 4 years ago
I told the surgeon that it was very cold in the O.R., and the surgeon looked at my chest and said "yes, you're showing the temperature very well." I told him I didn't think he should be saying things like that about my breasts, and his response was, "Don't work, you won't remember any of this." Guess what, I remember.
Vanessa Lapato 4 years ago
I once had to take a friend to get her wisdom teeth taken out. After a while, I was summoned from the waiting room to go see my friend. The surgery was over, but she was making a scene and refusing to leave. The anesthetic had knocked her out so fast, she didn't realize any time had passed, so she didn't believe they had really done the procedure. She was certain they were trying to fraudulently charge her credit card. I had to look in her mouth to reassure her that the teeth were, in fact, gone.
Mike Crow 4 years ago
before I went under for cancer surgery I was told that after it was done I would wake up gently to a nurse calling my name. When the surgery I had five nurses shouting at me to wake up and take a breath. Apparently I stopped breathing shortly after being disconnected from the breathing apparatus.
Tatiana Hadleigh 4 years ago
I was being put under when I was 16 for surgery--the anesthesiologist just turned to me and said "you are about to feel the best you ever have felt for about 4 seconds". He was SO right.
Jennie-Lind Normand 4 years ago
First time under anaesthesia I was maybe 7, nurse told me to count back from 10....10, 9, 8, 42, q, r, s.... The next time was 25+ years later, anesthesiologist told me to count back from 10 and if I got dizzy to just close my eyes...10, 9, super dizzy like I was falling and spinning.... and out
Tiny Dynamine 4 years ago
They should say it's a slow acting anaesthetic and ask them to count down from a million to see if they can make it through 999,999.
Jo Choto 4 years ago
Had some things go very, very wrong when I was supposed to be giving birth to my daughter. She stopped moving in utero and there were no readings for her. I was hemorrhaging badly, on the way out myself. My doc arrived and had me taken at great speed to surgery. They were giving me anesthetic but I was still awake as she picked up the scalpel and was about to cut. I remember saying, "I'm not asleep yet!!" Then I passed out. Then I died. They got my baby out and were able to resuscitate both of us. Yay! I always wake up from anesthesia ravenously hungry. Nobody believes me that I won't throw up.
William Teach 4 years ago
I don't think I made it down to 6 both times I was anesthetized (broken leg and ankle)
Humberto Hepp 4 years ago
As an anesthetist, the funniest one patitent i remember was one that started telling a joke while we was already administering facial oxigen and starting iv drugs. In the middle if the joke he started to gag, repeat words and felt asleep before he could finish the joke. When he woke up he just picked up the joke from the exact point he left it and finished. We were amazed 😂
Karen Fernley 4 years ago
I had an ear op in august, and before i was stuck with needles, i told the nurse my veins like to hide. Well, i lay down on the teolley, and the anaesthetic lady and nurse had a job of trying to find a vein on my hand. They tried in various places and i now have a tiny mark inside my wrist. Eventually, they found a vein and off i went to sleep. Woke up later, wondering why i was just waking up and thought id been shopping in the Trafford Centre 😅
Scott Lloyd 4 years ago
kidney stone removal twice. god I loved the knockout juice best dam sleep i had all year. other things about this was not so great I almost did not need anything to knock me out on the second surgery almost brained myself getting on the table on the dam machine. I is true it goes in and then you wake up wondering did it start yet.
tatjana filipic 4 years ago
During epidural asked midwife can I have this to go... Also fell asleep after it kicked in...
April Simnel 4 years ago (edited)
I've had twilight and full anesthesia. Twilight was on my foot about 7 years ago, and I basically watched them cut my foot open, slice off the bunion, and push my big toe bones back into their proper positions. I remember watching and asking them, "Ooooh, so what was that? And now what are you going to do?" When I went fully under, that was 20 years ago. I was getting the tumor-filled half of my thyroid removed. I didn't feel the pinprick of the needle at all, I was chatting with the hot surgeon. "What do you do?" he asked me. "I'm a production coordinator for TV and movies." "Oh, yeah? My little brother's a screenwriter." "Can he get me a job? My show's about to end." "Nah, sorry, he can barely get a job himself!" As we were laughing, I went under, and I woke up a few hours later in the recovery room right when he was checking in on me. He was REALLY hot. And very nice. Too bad he was married.
Lara Verne 4 years ago
I was five years old when I got anesthesia before surgery. I was crying like they were murdering me, because I was scared. Second time when I was 14, because of the bone marrow aspiration. They gave me some pill, I was drugged and confused but I didn't lose consciousnes . It was quite painful, I remember I tried to fight doctor.
OHIOWAndering_Around 3 years ago
I've had to have glasses since the 2nd grade and my eyes are terrible, but when I had my appendix out at 16 I woke up with perfect vision. I said, "I think I have someone else's eyes. I can see the clock on the wall clearly." I heard the nurse laugh before I fell asleep again. I don't remember anything until leaving the next day. Less than 24 hours in the hospital was considered outpatient and since my dad is a paramedic they felt safe sending me home since I had no complications.
Ann Abdelzaher 4 years ago
LOL I react weirdly to anesthesia. depending on what it is I can be difficult to put under. Sedation dentist said I was the only one that "helped" while under by moving my mouth the way he needed me to without being told. For my Tonsils I went under really fast but also woke up really fast ... scared the c**p out of my nurse in the recovery room because he was still putting the brakes on on the bed when I woke and asked for water! Also woke up in the middle of my colonoscopy .... that was a strange experience.
Trash Panda 4 years ago
My older brother was in a horrific car wreck many years ago. My mom and I were there together for one of a dozen surgeries he had to have. After going into surgery, a nurse came out and trying to lighten my mom's spirits a bit, she said that as my brother was drifting off from the anesthesia, he said. "I'll be back and remember, I love you." That nurse told my mom that he had said it in such a sweet way. Everyone got a kick out of it.
Celtic Pirate Queen 4 years ago
When I had my wisdom teeth pulled (all 4 at once) & was gone in about 6 seconds. When I woke up the Doctor told me that I had a beautiful voice. I was apparently singing Elton John's "Sweet Painted Lady as I came to. Same exact thing happened when I had a tooth extraction many years later. I guess that's my anesthesia song.
Gracie Mae 4 years ago
Been under numerous times: always told to count backwards from 100 (never made it past 95); had an anesthesiologist named Dr. Venom; had one OR rocking out & had a neat mural on the ceiling. Never anything interesting. Always amazes me how it seems like you wake up and don't miss any time but it's hours later!
Miomirko Buhtlić 4 years ago
It was really weird for me feeling it coming (drowsiness) and knowing that you're out in a few seconds..
Rinpai 4 years ago
I apparently never really have that "high" going in or coming out of anesthesia. I just knock out then wake up normally. The weirdest thing I ever said was just that I wanted 5 more minutes of sleep (I was in pretty bad shape at this time and was sleeping a bunch regardless) and the weirdest thing I ever did was try to walk immediately (was like 4 or 5 and it was the first time I had been put under for anything, woke up and felt incredibly normal so I thought I could walk, walked into a wall). TL;DR been under many times for many things, never had any funny interactions. Just kind of pass out and wake up.
Barbara Baldwin 4 years ago
They took the fun out of surgery when they started using amnesiacs (milk of amnesia). I enjoyed the feeling of going under. It was the only narcotic I was willing to try...
Shull GaRett 4 years ago
My first time i was getting a surgery with anesthesia was when i was ~15, It was an eye surgery. I remember when the magic was starting but the air tube didnt want to stay in the nose i asked nurse if i can go get some electrical tape to glue it in place as their was not working as expected. Only thing i remember was that she said she can use more tape so i do not need to worry and i was gone
Louise 89 4 years ago
My crazy experiences have been after I've woke up. I 'came round' talking to a nurse about how she will be able to have kids one day and she gripped my hand and said thank you. I don't remember any of the conversation apart from those 2 sentences. Another was me crying my eyes out trying to get up when I had blurry vision, panicking asking everyone what time it was coz my dad was going to be mad at me. My dad is the most loving caring person I know and I was just worried he had waited a long time in the waiting room and I didn't want him to get uncomfortable. Didn't translate that way tho XD
Slune 4 years ago
When I woke up after a hip replacement the.nurse was asking whether I am actually English speaking. Wondering why she's asking, she told me I have talked quiet bizarre things. Despite off loss of blood I felt red as a tomato: before surgery I had been reading " I hope they serve beer in hell" by Tucker Max. In English.... SHAME....
Kelly Von Tee 4 years ago
They asked me how I was feeling and I giggled. They all laughed and then I was out!
Walkus-Andrew Andrea 4 years ago
The last operation I had was on my toes. It was supposed to have been a morning surgery but they were way behind. I went in at 230 pm and was counting down and, the next thing I knew, I was awake. And I asked if they were done. I thought it was the afternoon, it was actually 7:30 p.m. I can't believe I went under so fast and so thoroughly. Lol
Parmeisan 4 years ago
I've had this kind of anaesthesia a few times too, but the most memorable operation I've had was one where they just did local anesthetic. They were installing a shunt just below my neck for kidney dialysis and it was so surreal because I couldn't really see what they were doing (they'd put up a sheet) but I could feel it. It didn't hurt though, it had the same sensation as someone tugging on the collar of your shirt. Just a lot of little tugs on my skin and when they were done I had a neck penis. (Seriously, the shunt was covered in gauze and folded up near the top it looked just like one. And I had to wear a condom on it to shower.)
Louise 89 4 years ago
I had a csection and got that same tugging feeling it's strange. no pain but a reminder of what they are actually doing lol Also when they moved me over to another bed I could see them moving my legs but couldn't feel a thing and it was like they were someone else's legs, I was also drugged up (by them) lol :D
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Mystery Egg 4 years ago
I went under for an op when I was 18. The last thing I remember is the anaesthesiologist asking me if I felt sleepy. I remember saying 'no' and then waking up in recovery.
Hollie Newton 4 years ago
When I was little I kept crying and hyperventilating so the anesthetic wasn't working in the end they blew bubbles and I had my teddy too
Victoria Swift 4 years ago
I was scoped in my stomach two weeks ago. They turned me on my side and put a bit in my mouth. I asked the nurse what I was supposed to do with my tongue. I was waiting for her response when I suddenly heard my mom chatting with someone and then say "yoouu hoo" in my direction. I thought, "why in the hell did they bring her back into the procedure room?" I looked over my shoulder expecting to see her sitting next to the doctor and tv monitors, but instead she was sitting in a chair next to a window. I was in a totally different room. That was so trippy. I also have had three C-sections. Hands down I wish they would put us to sleep for C-sections than to have to be awake the entire time. The scope was a piece of cake. But very disorienting.
ntensegirl 4 years ago
I have had numerous surgeries and have never had an issue with anaesthetic...except for ONE time....I was having a procedure where they have to put you under "twilight sedation" so you dont feel anything, or remember anything, but you are coherent enough that they are able to get scope and laser down your throat. So I was having my gall bladder duct widened (because I ended up with a gall stone a year after gall bladder surgery...whole other story) and the head of the surgical team came in, introduced himself to me and said you are in good hands, I am the head of surgical, you wont feel anything...quickly in and out... so..... they gave me some anaesthetic..and I could feel it working a bit...but I was totally lucid...I then hear the doctor saying to a totally OTHER doctor...no not this way...go in this way (it was apparantly a teaching hospital...Kingston General Hospital in Kingston Ontario) and then they started to widen the duct and I started screaming (as well as I could scream
ntensegirl 4 years ago
with tubes down my throat...they couldnt understand what was going on...so he was like give her more fentanyl this shouldnt be happening...after the procedure was done..I got off the operating table (by myself not even a bit loopy) and onto the guerney. So the NEXT time I had to have surgery...I told them...hey...make sure I am REALLY actually OUT this time..and I have never had surgery at that hospital again
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What does a Foxxy say? 4 years ago
I imagine that the deep sleep you get when under anaesthetic is what death would be like. An endless slumber unaware of anything.
NeverGoWoke 4 years ago
I wonder why people don't dream when they're under Anesthetia? It would be interesting to see what the brain is doing, if anything at all.
Alex Bailey 4 years ago
The brain isn't sending the relevant signals - as John L said it's unconscious and not asleep. It's a relief not to dream tbh. Some dreams are disturbing and so to wake up without any awareness of time passing is a major plus as far as I'm concerned.
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Doc Thissen 4 years ago
I woke up after my colonoscopy, asking first "Who roofied me?" then when they gave me the results, I said, "So what you're saying is, I'm the perfect a*****e?"
LittleMissLotus 4 years ago
I remember I got doped up during a dental surgery... I thought I was a goose for an hour 😂
Billie Davis 4 years ago
do you remember if you said anything? I wonder what a goose would say if they could talk!
Load More Replies... Cori 4 years ago
I've had 3 eye surgeries. The first was when I was a toddler, but the others were a year apart in high school. After the first of those one of the nurses gave me a piece of coffee cake and it was really good. The second time around though I must have had a bad reaction because when I came to, I heard 2 nurses talking about a movie they had seen and this seriously pissed me off. For context, I am usually painfully polite. Not this time though. I was so angry. Then I remembered the coffee cake and insisted on having some. There was no coffee cake. This was in no way acceptable. My dad eventually brought me a snack cake from a vending machine. By then I was starting to come out of it and started falling all over myself trying to apologize for being so awful. A nurse who remembered me said, 'it's okay sweetheart. We know you're not really like that.' To this day, I still feel awful about it.
kurisutofu 4 years ago
I had surgery once but they didn't ask me to count or anything. I was in the prep room and told that I would receive the anesthesia. The anesthesiologist was busy getting things ready but after a blink, I decided to disturb him and ask how long it would take for the effect to be felt. He laughed and said "it's done, the surgery is over. We brought you to the prep room to wake you up". I didn't believe him at first because I was dead sure I had been conscious the whole time and no time has passed. I saw the scar on my body and realized my blink had not been a blink. :)
Becca Gizmo the Squirrel 4 years ago
My step dad had his wisdom teeth out around 1974. He got out under everything went fine and next thing he knew he was watching tv at home. He had drove himself home and everything. They were pretty lax in the '70's. He was awake when driving just not aware. Kinda like when taking xanax.
Sam Kunz 4 years ago
I've heard the same thing. That must be pretty jolting to have happen LOL
Load More Replies... John L 4 years ago
I've had both knees reconstructed. The first time, I woke up during surgery to the surgeon flopping my leg around like a leg of lamb. Didn't hurt or anything, but it was a very odd thing to "imagine". When I went in for my second surgery, I told the anesthetist about my previous experience. He told me not to worry. Told me to count down and next thing I hear is "CODE BLUE, CODE BLUE!!!". I see myself on the table, with the doctor and paddles.....naw, just kidding. Woke up, not having realized I hadn't finished counting down. Anesthetics have a difficult job, judging the amount of anesthesia needed for each individual.
kate h 4 years ago (edited)
My favorite was the anesthesiologist who was getting me ready, saying he'd give me something to relax first. I was in the middle of a sentence when it hit my system and I just said "wowwww..." He said "Takes you back, don't it?" haha! He was spot on - I lived during the Quaalude years...
cybermerlin2000 4 years ago
Went in for a colon and endoscopy. As they took me for the procedure I said "If the room is round or the doctor has large black eyes then I'm out of there!" Woke up with the doctor standing next to me and,as he leaned down, he said "The room was square and these are my eyes" Then he walked away chuckling (His eyes were brown)
Cody Eriksen 4 years ago
Wisdom teeth surgery I had the HOTTEST dude for my nurse. He held my hand and said 'Good Night Princess' He was there when I woke up. I asked him to marry me.
Mark Serbian 4 years ago
Had my wisdom teeth removed at the San Francisco Veteran's Hospital. Terrified that I'd come out with a vasectomy or something. They gave me Valium and Demerol intravenously, and I was OUT before I could even count. Woke up in the middle and there were people inside my mouth with picks and shovels banging around and then a HUGE face swam into my field of view and, in a deep voice, said, "GO BACK TO SLEEP!" When I woke up, I offered to sell them my soul for more of that stuff...
Jill Pulcifer 4 years ago
When I was 16 I had my wisdom teeth out, I woke up tied down. Apparently I woke up in the middle of the surgery and straight socked the nurse. I have no memory of this, I just woke up tied down and hated by a nurse with a bloody lip. Then I cried the whole way home because I had a belief that I left my lips at the dentist office. What I lament the most about the whole thing is that I have never been in a fight in my entire life, and the one time I just haul off and sock someone, I dont even get to remember it.
Chris DiFonso 4 years ago
Another side effect of anesthesia, speaking from personal experience, is losing memory of a short amount of time before the anesthesia is administered. Several minutes of time got erased from my memory, the doctor assured me that was normal.
Helen Haley 4 years ago
Apparently, when I was coming out of anesthesia an old woman was telling me she was a widow and a really sad story and I was trying to give her a pep talk and telling her she could do it.
NeverGoWoke 4 years ago
Well, it's a good thing Nurses and anesthesiologist's have a good sense of humour 😂
Erin 4 years ago
I'm getting wisdom tooth removal surgery on the 20th...I'm really scared about it :(
Stephanie Freeman 4 years ago
It's ok to be scared. Just remember to take a couple of deep breaths and you will be out cold. You won't remember a thing. They can tell when you're waking up or have woken up because your blood pressure rises when you feel pain, and it is constantly monitored. If you come to, they will know. (Because of several medical issues, I have had about 20 GA surgeries total in my life. I only woke up once, at the beginning of my 1st surgery after a really bad wreck. (I had 8 in 11 days because of it.))
Load More Replies... Daniel Nilssen 4 years ago
When I was in the usmc I was put under for my wisdom teeth. They asked me to count backwards from a hundred and I got all the way to 52.
Rob Crush 4 years ago
I had surgery a couple weeks ago. They didn't have me count down but rather told me to think of a nice peaceful place. When I woke up in recovery my wife came to see me. I had abdominal surgery and the nurse said that my breast augmentation was a success! My wife said that I had double D's. Without hesitation I said that my wife was not my proxy and that I specifically asked for triple D's and to expect a malpractice suit LOL. Everyone got a kick out of if.
TheKnightOwl 4 years ago
I did get to do that count backwards thing when I was 9yrs old having kidney surgery. Pretty sure I made it from 10 to 8 ...anything after that is gone until the next day (it was a long surgery). I've been under twice since then and accused the anaesthetist of not warning me he was going to start like he promised...apparently he did warn me, and we spoke for about 30 seconds afterwards; I remember nothing.
Sam Kunz 4 years ago
I had 3 surgeries in a 2 month span. All put under for them. The first two were fine. The 3rd scared the c**p out of me. I was laying on the table and they started the drugs and suddenly it felt like a thousand knives were stabbing me in the face and I said "Uh, I don't remember this last time...." and then was out. It was only a second. But still scary. I read later on that some botched executions, the prisoner said the same thing.....
Little Wonder 4 years ago
All I got was "Okay we're just going to pop this needle in" and the next thing I knew I was waking up in recovery with a boob out because my hospital night gown was too big. The nurse came over to cover me up and I said "Is that mine?" haha
Kitt 4 years ago
I told the surgeon that it was very cold in the O.R., and the surgeon looked at my chest and said "yes, you're showing the temperature very well." I told him I didn't think he should be saying things like that about my breasts, and his response was, "Don't work, you won't remember any of this." Guess what, I remember.
Vanessa Lapato 4 years ago
I once had to take a friend to get her wisdom teeth taken out. After a while, I was summoned from the waiting room to go see my friend. The surgery was over, but she was making a scene and refusing to leave. The anesthetic had knocked her out so fast, she didn't realize any time had passed, so she didn't believe they had really done the procedure. She was certain they were trying to fraudulently charge her credit card. I had to look in her mouth to reassure her that the teeth were, in fact, gone.
Mike Crow 4 years ago
before I went under for cancer surgery I was told that after it was done I would wake up gently to a nurse calling my name. When the surgery I had five nurses shouting at me to wake up and take a breath. Apparently I stopped breathing shortly after being disconnected from the breathing apparatus.
Tatiana Hadleigh 4 years ago
I was being put under when I was 16 for surgery--the anesthesiologist just turned to me and said "you are about to feel the best you ever have felt for about 4 seconds". He was SO right.
Jennie-Lind Normand 4 years ago
First time under anaesthesia I was maybe 7, nurse told me to count back from 10....10, 9, 8, 42, q, r, s.... The next time was 25+ years later, anesthesiologist told me to count back from 10 and if I got dizzy to just close my eyes...10, 9, super dizzy like I was falling and spinning.... and out
Tiny Dynamine 4 years ago
They should say it's a slow acting anaesthetic and ask them to count down from a million to see if they can make it through 999,999.
Jo Choto 4 years ago
Had some things go very, very wrong when I was supposed to be giving birth to my daughter. She stopped moving in utero and there were no readings for her. I was hemorrhaging badly, on the way out myself. My doc arrived and had me taken at great speed to surgery. They were giving me anesthetic but I was still awake as she picked up the scalpel and was about to cut. I remember saying, "I'm not asleep yet!!" Then I passed out. Then I died. They got my baby out and were able to resuscitate both of us. Yay! I always wake up from anesthesia ravenously hungry. Nobody believes me that I won't throw up.
William Teach 4 years ago
I don't think I made it down to 6 both times I was anesthetized (broken leg and ankle)
Humberto Hepp 4 years ago
As an anesthetist, the funniest one patitent i remember was one that started telling a joke while we was already administering facial oxigen and starting iv drugs. In the middle if the joke he started to gag, repeat words and felt asleep before he could finish the joke. When he woke up he just picked up the joke from the exact point he left it and finished. We were amazed 😂
Karen Fernley 4 years ago
I had an ear op in august, and before i was stuck with needles, i told the nurse my veins like to hide. Well, i lay down on the teolley, and the anaesthetic lady and nurse had a job of trying to find a vein on my hand. They tried in various places and i now have a tiny mark inside my wrist. Eventually, they found a vein and off i went to sleep. Woke up later, wondering why i was just waking up and thought id been shopping in the Trafford Centre 😅
Scott Lloyd 4 years ago
kidney stone removal twice. god I loved the knockout juice best dam sleep i had all year. other things about this was not so great I almost did not need anything to knock me out on the second surgery almost brained myself getting on the table on the dam machine. I is true it goes in and then you wake up wondering did it start yet.
tatjana filipic 4 years ago
During epidural asked midwife can I have this to go... Also fell asleep after it kicked in...
April Simnel 4 years ago (edited)
I've had twilight and full anesthesia. Twilight was on my foot about 7 years ago, and I basically watched them cut my foot open, slice off the bunion, and push my big toe bones back into their proper positions. I remember watching and asking them, "Ooooh, so what was that? And now what are you going to do?" When I went fully under, that was 20 years ago. I was getting the tumor-filled half of my thyroid removed. I didn't feel the pinprick of the needle at all, I was chatting with the hot surgeon. "What do you do?" he asked me. "I'm a production coordinator for TV and movies." "Oh, yeah? My little brother's a screenwriter." "Can he get me a job? My show's about to end." "Nah, sorry, he can barely get a job himself!" As we were laughing, I went under, and I woke up a few hours later in the recovery room right when he was checking in on me. He was REALLY hot. And very nice. Too bad he was married.
Lara Verne 4 years ago
I was five years old when I got anesthesia before surgery. I was crying like they were murdering me, because I was scared. Second time when I was 14, because of the bone marrow aspiration. They gave me some pill, I was drugged and confused but I didn't lose consciousnes . It was quite painful, I remember I tried to fight doctor.
OHIOWAndering_Around 3 years ago
I've had to have glasses since the 2nd grade and my eyes are terrible, but when I had my appendix out at 16 I woke up with perfect vision. I said, "I think I have someone else's eyes. I can see the clock on the wall clearly." I heard the nurse laugh before I fell asleep again. I don't remember anything until leaving the next day. Less than 24 hours in the hospital was considered outpatient and since my dad is a paramedic they felt safe sending me home since I had no complications.
Ann Abdelzaher 4 years ago
LOL I react weirdly to anesthesia. depending on what it is I can be difficult to put under. Sedation dentist said I was the only one that "helped" while under by moving my mouth the way he needed me to without being told. For my Tonsils I went under really fast but also woke up really fast ... scared the c**p out of my nurse in the recovery room because he was still putting the brakes on on the bed when I woke and asked for water! Also woke up in the middle of my colonoscopy .... that was a strange experience.
Trash Panda 4 years ago
My older brother was in a horrific car wreck many years ago. My mom and I were there together for one of a dozen surgeries he had to have. After going into surgery, a nurse came out and trying to lighten my mom's spirits a bit, she said that as my brother was drifting off from the anesthesia, he said. "I'll be back and remember, I love you." That nurse told my mom that he had said it in such a sweet way. Everyone got a kick out of it.
Celtic Pirate Queen 4 years ago
When I had my wisdom teeth pulled (all 4 at once) & was gone in about 6 seconds. When I woke up the Doctor told me that I had a beautiful voice. I was apparently singing Elton John's "Sweet Painted Lady as I came to. Same exact thing happened when I had a tooth extraction many years later. I guess that's my anesthesia song.
Gracie Mae 4 years ago
Been under numerous times: always told to count backwards from 100 (never made it past 95); had an anesthesiologist named Dr. Venom; had one OR rocking out & had a neat mural on the ceiling. Never anything interesting. Always amazes me how it seems like you wake up and don't miss any time but it's hours later!
Miomirko Buhtlić 4 years ago
It was really weird for me feeling it coming (drowsiness) and knowing that you're out in a few seconds..
Rinpai 4 years ago
I apparently never really have that "high" going in or coming out of anesthesia. I just knock out then wake up normally. The weirdest thing I ever said was just that I wanted 5 more minutes of sleep (I was in pretty bad shape at this time and was sleeping a bunch regardless) and the weirdest thing I ever did was try to walk immediately (was like 4 or 5 and it was the first time I had been put under for anything, woke up and felt incredibly normal so I thought I could walk, walked into a wall). TL;DR been under many times for many things, never had any funny interactions. Just kind of pass out and wake up.
Barbara Baldwin 4 years ago
They took the fun out of surgery when they started using amnesiacs (milk of amnesia). I enjoyed the feeling of going under. It was the only narcotic I was willing to try...
Shull GaRett 4 years ago
My first time i was getting a surgery with anesthesia was when i was ~15, It was an eye surgery. I remember when the magic was starting but the air tube didnt want to stay in the nose i asked nurse if i can go get some electrical tape to glue it in place as their was not working as expected. Only thing i remember was that she said she can use more tape so i do not need to worry and i was gone
Louise 89 4 years ago
My crazy experiences have been after I've woke up. I 'came round' talking to a nurse about how she will be able to have kids one day and she gripped my hand and said thank you. I don't remember any of the conversation apart from those 2 sentences. Another was me crying my eyes out trying to get up when I had blurry vision, panicking asking everyone what time it was coz my dad was going to be mad at me. My dad is the most loving caring person I know and I was just worried he had waited a long time in the waiting room and I didn't want him to get uncomfortable. Didn't translate that way tho XD
Slune 4 years ago
When I woke up after a hip replacement the.nurse was asking whether I am actually English speaking. Wondering why she's asking, she told me I have talked quiet bizarre things. Despite off loss of blood I felt red as a tomato: before surgery I had been reading " I hope they serve beer in hell" by Tucker Max. In English.... SHAME....
Kelly Von Tee 4 years ago
They asked me how I was feeling and I giggled. They all laughed and then I was out!
Walkus-Andrew Andrea 4 years ago
The last operation I had was on my toes. It was supposed to have been a morning surgery but they were way behind. I went in at 230 pm and was counting down and, the next thing I knew, I was awake. And I asked if they were done. I thought it was the afternoon, it was actually 7:30 p.m. I can't believe I went under so fast and so thoroughly. Lol
Parmeisan 4 years ago
I've had this kind of anaesthesia a few times too, but the most memorable operation I've had was one where they just did local anesthetic. They were installing a shunt just below my neck for kidney dialysis and it was so surreal because I couldn't really see what they were doing (they'd put up a sheet) but I could feel it. It didn't hurt though, it had the same sensation as someone tugging on the collar of your shirt. Just a lot of little tugs on my skin and when they were done I had a neck penis. (Seriously, the shunt was covered in gauze and folded up near the top it looked just like one. And I had to wear a condom on it to shower.)
Louise 89 4 years ago
I had a csection and got that same tugging feeling it's strange. no pain but a reminder of what they are actually doing lol Also when they moved me over to another bed I could see them moving my legs but couldn't feel a thing and it was like they were someone else's legs, I was also drugged up (by them) lol :D
Load More Replies... Mystery Egg 4 years ago
I went under for an op when I was 18. The last thing I remember is the anaesthesiologist asking me if I felt sleepy. I remember saying 'no' and then waking up in recovery.
Hollie Newton 4 years ago
When I was little I kept crying and hyperventilating so the anesthetic wasn't working in the end they blew bubbles and I had my teddy too
Victoria Swift 4 years ago
I was scoped in my stomach two weeks ago. They turned me on my side and put a bit in my mouth. I asked the nurse what I was supposed to do with my tongue. I was waiting for her response when I suddenly heard my mom chatting with someone and then say "yoouu hoo" in my direction. I thought, "why in the hell did they bring her back into the procedure room?" I looked over my shoulder expecting to see her sitting next to the doctor and tv monitors, but instead she was sitting in a chair next to a window. I was in a totally different room. That was so trippy. I also have had three C-sections. Hands down I wish they would put us to sleep for C-sections than to have to be awake the entire time. The scope was a piece of cake. But very disorienting.
ntensegirl 4 years ago
I have had numerous surgeries and have never had an issue with anaesthetic...except for ONE time....I was having a procedure where they have to put you under "twilight sedation" so you dont feel anything, or remember anything, but you are coherent enough that they are able to get scope and laser down your throat. So I was having my gall bladder duct widened (because I ended up with a gall stone a year after gall bladder surgery...whole other story) and the head of the surgical team came in, introduced himself to me and said you are in good hands, I am the head of surgical, you wont feel anything...quickly in and out... so..... they gave me some anaesthetic..and I could feel it working a bit...but I was totally lucid...I then hear the doctor saying to a totally OTHER doctor...no not this way...go in this way (it was apparantly a teaching hospital...Kingston General Hospital in Kingston Ontario) and then they started to widen the duct and I started screaming (as well as I could scream
ntensegirl 4 years ago
with tubes down my throat...they couldnt understand what was going on...so he was like give her more fentanyl this shouldnt be happening...after the procedure was done..I got off the operating table (by myself not even a bit loopy) and onto the guerney. So the NEXT time I had to have surgery...I told them...hey...make sure I am REALLY actually OUT this time..and I have never had surgery at that hospital again
Load More Replies... What does a Foxxy say? 4 years ago
I imagine that the deep sleep you get when under anaesthetic is what death would be like. An endless slumber unaware of anything.
NeverGoWoke 4 years ago
I wonder why people don't dream when they're under Anesthetia? It would be interesting to see what the brain is doing, if anything at all.
Alex Bailey 4 years ago
The brain isn't sending the relevant signals - as John L said it's unconscious and not asleep. It's a relief not to dream tbh. Some dreams are disturbing and so to wake up without any awareness of time passing is a major plus as far as I'm concerned.
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