Ant

Stupidly accidentally cut my wrist yesterday and they need to do surgery on my tendons. I've never had an operation and frankly I'm bricking it.

What's going to sleep like?

Here's a picture for the people that aren't squeamish

dpb

Okay

How on earth did you manage that

Going to sleep is like going to sleep. I spect


( only time happened to me, when I was 6, had to swallow some disgusting strawberry flavored concoction - didn't remember after that)

Chip

Ooh that looks nice

As for going to sleep it's no problem at all, before you know it you'll be awake, on the ward and wanting to come home. That'll be quite painful though for a few days I would imagine. Probs have to keep your arm in a sling as well as keeping it dry for about a week as well.

Dr Chip.

Ant

Tried to catch a "safety" Stanley knife . I clearly missed

Good thing is I have my own room

Always got to look at the positives

Ant

They say it's got to be in plaster too. I go away on holiday in 3 weeks . The lack of jet ski action is killing me right now

andylinney

Personal experience of being put under anaesthetic was actually quite pleasant, a few lines were put into the back of my hands and the medication was passed into them, within a few moments I felt warm, fuzzy and very relaxed. The feeling was like slipping into a warm bath.

Coming round in the recovery room I remember feeling like I was being woken from the best sleep ever, apparently I asked the nurse to turn the lights off and let me have another hour...

There's no concept of time whatsoever, I initially thought they hadn't done the operation and had just brought me straight around as there was no discomfort on waking. That took a little longer to set in. Oddly enough the most uncomfortable thing was the bruising which didn't really set in for 24hours.

There's certainly nothing to fear and I'd not be anxious if I needed to do it all again.

Get well soon.

dazsti72

The going to sleep was fine for me.
It was the waking up with my under pants on back to front I didn't like.

andylinney

At least they put yours back on...

dpb

I imagine jetsking will be off the menu for a while

LSherratt

iTrader: (1)

Nice tattoo

pimmo2000

iTrader: (6)

It's fine, you don't notice it happening, then you wake up.

mike1210

I always ask for a chill pill before going down to theater. Typically this is Diazepam or Alazopram which makes you nice and calm when they put you under.

andylinney

Midazolam is fun too, I must admit I could see why Michael Jackson had his doctor give him that every night.

Ant

Not the best ey

Ant

Sounds like I have nothing to worry about then, I'm still waiting to be told when it's happening as on Sunday they don't do slots it's a queue kind of thing. I just want it over and done with

David Lock

Sundays are usually reserved for med student practice days

But hopefully you will get one that speaks English and he can phone the golf course and speak to the consultant if there are any problems. And they often have some bottles of spare blood in the fridge if needed.

Just make sure they give you an anaesthetic and operate on the correct wrist

dl

You'll be fine btw. Good luck.

scoobyboy

i've had a couple and yes your just in a queue, back in november i had half my thyroid removed and the mrs was more worried than i was! needle in the hand that they then pump the drug through and within 5 secs i was out of it. it's fun for a second or two until you go to sleep that as the drug takes effect you start to see everything swim in the centre of your vision and i remember telling the docs it's starting to work then i was gone lol.
i was then woken up by the fittest of nurses 3 hrs later in the recovery room, there was no pain what so ever and i remember being pulled around a bit as they swapped me on to another bed but to be honest i couldn't of cared less i was still quite sleepy.

absolutely nothing to worry about and enjoy being fussed over by the nurses!!

Ant

Well fuss was nothing being sent home as I won't get seen today I'll be operated on tomorrow

JTaylor

Looks nasty, Ant, good luck with the op.

Turbohot

Hi Ant, your injury certainly looks nasty, man.

As per dpb's guess, clinical sleep with full knockout isn't like our regular 'going to sleep' phenomenon. I've had three surgeries (two Caesarian ones for babies and one for my gland removal) in my life when I was fully knocked out. The sleep doctor and his assistant carried on talking some inane stuff to me after giving me sleep injection e.g. where I got my nice slippers from, what do I do for hobbies etc. and before I knew, I was out like a light. No thoughts to go round and round in my head to delay my sleep, no dreams or nightmares to keep me company. I didn't know when I woke up, but all three times, I thought I would have liked it for a bit longer. Waking up for my babies was worth it, but third time, I wasn't so sure, as the post-operative discomfort (due to the incision; not due to sleep injection) was a living hell for a few months during my recovery period. Anyway, for me, that empty experience of nothingness was a pleasant one; every time. No after sickness, no complications.

Hope you take it well as well. Good luck.

tony de wonderful

There's a 'theory' that operations/anaesthetic is actually really stressful on the body despite it being painless.

Perhaps our resident expert Ding can answer?

Last time I went under for my shoulder surgery I had this tendon/muscle inflammation/pain thing going on for a year after all over my body. Not saying it was blame necessarily but having surgery isn't a trivial thing.

andylinney

It's no theory, there's good reason behind doctors being cautious about who they operate on. Nothing is without risk.

People develop post operative problems and recovery is linked to the persons ability to deal with the recovery process as much as it is from a technical point of view.

In the health board where I work the orthopaedic teams won't put people with a BMI of over 30 on the waiting list until they've completed an exercise and weight loss programme, it's as valid a part of the treatment as the surgery itself as it prepares people for the rigours of what is very invasive treatment.

However, from the patient's perspective, actually being given anesthesia isn't unpleasant and is certainly nothing to worry about if, like the OP, the procedure is necessary.

RobsyUK

iTrader: (2)

I might as well scare the crap out of you....

My dad woke up during the operation to find what he said was a Bic pen down his bell end.

The only thing I hate about it is the waking up grotty.

rossyboy

iTrader: (8)

You may find yourself talking complete ****e when you wake up in the recovery room. Well I did anyway

andy97

iTrader: (1)

Ant not looked at your injury😨 but everyone reacts to full anesthesia differently. I had a hernia op and was woozy for a few days, other have very little affects and some feel like they have been run over. Good luck, take time to recover and have physiotherapy if mobility is required - pay for it if not offered on nhs

Ant

Dare I ask what operation he was having done robsy?

I've just had a lovely BBQ and Hot Tub session (with 1 arm dry)

Sounds daft but I'm glad it's my tendon as when it first hit I thought it was an artery and I was a gonna . All sorts of thoughts were rushing through my head

scooby1994

iTrader: (2)

i did the same thing but glazing a window,cut three tendons and an artery ,the tendons were sown back together and apparently you have two arteries in youre wrist so the cut one was kind of re routed into the other one,as for the anesthetic and the op ,don't worry ,just let them get on with it as they know what they are doing

Ant

3!!! I feel your pain

I'm lucky I've cut a "spare" one apparently . I have full feeling and functionality in the tests they do but they just said it would be better to fix it.

How long did recovery take? Did you have a pot on? When did it come off?

Sorry for the questions I just want to know for work reasons

stevebt

iTrader: (8)

Nasty little cut, as said above its not th going to sleep its the waking up bit that a pain. You want to wake up but you just can't.

Thy usually give you a pre med to relax your heart rate then its an injection into a pre fixed needle in your arm and your out within 2 seconds and all you can remember is trying to wake up

powerwrx

iTrader: (11)

.....just await the toast, its the best toast you'll ever eat