Re: Re: you're going to put that catheter WHERE? - EDITH

[Guest guest]

Hi,

While one wakes it isn't a fully awake, scary thing.......... It just means

that the drug they have given to make one sleep and not care about what they

are doing along with the spinal anaesthetic, isn't quite taking one all the

way so to speak............ So while one may surface there is neither pain

nor panic, I think I was more curious than any other form of response - the

anaesthetist said that I spoke to him but I don't remember that

bit..........i.e. that something is happening 'to one' simply doesn't seem

to register anywhere that matters............. I would presume those who

stay awake for the whole precedings are in the same sort of

limbo.............for the OS couldn't really afford to have some patient

panic and go nuts.......... and the spinal bit stops any pain............

So if one regains some form of consciousness they just push a bit more drug

down the line and back to lar lar land one goes.......... I actually thought

the whole thing interesting and was happy it happened......... though no way

could I have thought to have planned it to happen preop..........i.e. the

old battle most of us have with the imagined being far scarier than the

reality...........smile

And I was glad of the catheter - I felt so exhausted, sore and stuffed for

the first 36 hrs I had no desire to go anywhere........ I think the sheer

exhaustion of being terrified something would stop me having the operation

caught up with me at that point...........besides, I just wanted to lay

there and feel the wonder that finally 35 yrs of horror maybe at an

end........and not want to start facing what I knew was a very long and hard

rehab time.

Edith LBHR Dr. L Walter Syd Aust 8/02

> You woke up during the operation?!!

>

> THat was my absolute nightmare before I went in. Were you in pain?

>

> Did they give you more drugs to knock you out again?

>

> I can understand why some people would rather be awake for the

> entire operation and it's something I would have considered had my

> surgeon suggested it. But how terrifying to wake up mid bone

> crunching!!

>

> I didn't have a catheter, just old fashioned bed panning. It wasn't

> so bad - it was quite nice to take the weight off my staped swollen

> bum for a couple of minutes a few times a day. It did provide and

> incentive for me to get walking more quickly to salvage a little

> dignity!

>

> Morag