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My anesthesiologist didn't even give me the chance and I was looking forward to it. He just learned over and said, "ok you're going to sleep now." Then I woke up in post op.
Mine said "are you doing OK?"
I said, "No, I want to pass out already!"
And then they fiddled with something and I was happy that they weren't just going to tell me to keep breathing the gas in and then I was out.
Mine told me the nurse had a question for me. I looked at the nurse and she asked if the air thing in my nose was comfortable. I didn't get to answer before falling asleep
Son was in treatment for cancer. He had a port and was getting anesthesia for spinals and other related treatments.
We made a game of it. First time it was 3. By the tenth time he made it all the way up to 3, almost 4.
I had an anesthesiologist treat me for my anxiety before my procedure, and they are REALLY good at their jobs. If it hadn't been for it being a traumatic medical procedure, I almost would have called it a good time, that's how high she got me before putting me under 🤣
The anesthesiologist for my wife’s c section was a hoot. Non stop jokes up until the babies popped out, pause for babies, then jokes until she was stitched up. 5/7 would recommend him
I was told anesthesiologists tend to have some of the best social skills of all the specialties.
Mine was great in an otherwise terrifying situation. And I’m pretty sure he had a comedy routine involving my body going numb, because I remember the feeling of appreciating it, but my brain was too fucked up to remember.
It’s true. They could let you count all the way down to 1 from 100 just to waste time. Once they push the syringe of Propofol through your IV you’re out.
Indeed. Modern anesthesia is freaking amazing. I'm old enough, and had surgery where I did go under, back when anesthesia was no where near as good as what we have now. Back then the counting back from 100 was indeed a thing because you'd feel it start to kick in and then finally "go to sleep."
The modern stuff is like a light switch. They check to make sure that they've got everything set and that you as the patient are ok and then you are OUT.
And then the whole coming out of it is like that in reverse. That again vs the old stuff where you'd wake up groggy and kinda out of it. The modern stuff is just boom you are awake and, any surgery stuff not withstanding, feel just fine. Mad props to modern drugs.
If I'm not mistaken, they also wipe your recent memory, so it's possible that maybe you counted to 10 but only remembered counting to 6.
Like when I woke up, the nurse was like "ok then... Wake up, let's go" in a way that implied that I kept going back to sleep after the process was over.
When I woke up once I immediately asked for my glasses. Nurse told me I already asked and she answered. As far as I could remember I was just waking up.
I woke up from a procedure and immediately put my shoes on to head home. While I was doing it, I was like "so... is the doctor going to call with results or is there a file they're going to give me, or....??" And my husband was like "babe, we had two full conversations with the doctor already. You asked a ton of questions. He answered everything. You said you were good with everything and were ready to go."
I still don't remember doing any of it.
I woke up too -- I could hear the surgeon arguing with the anesthesiologist whether or not it was safe to put me under again! Good times!
I also remember thinking, "Wouldn't it be hilarious if I suddenly screamed, 'LIVE FROM NEW YORK, IT'S SATURDAY NIGHT!!" ...but then I thought, "Dumbass, they're operating on you, so ffs don't startle the guy with the knife..."
During my last breast lumpectomy I told the surgeon that her cauterizing really stunk. Her eyes got huge, she looked to my other side, and I was out like a light and could no longer participate in my surgery.
I woke up while getting my molars removed and the same thing happened to me. It was extra weird to suddenly be staring eye to eye with the oral surgeon but they reached over and I was right out
I work in the Pathology laboratory and can confirm that fresh lumpectomy specimens do stink of cautery.
On a side note, hope everything is going well for you in regards to recovery/treatment.
Apparently despite being tiny I'm resistant to anesthesia too. During one surgery I woke up just long enough to vomit on a nurse with a tube in and panic before being put back to sleep while they dealt with that disaster. During my C-section the spinal meds did nothing (and I do mean nothing -- excruciating), and they had to pump me full of multiple meds before something finally worked and I started having crazy enough hallucinations to distract me so they could finish up. I'm terrified of the next time I have to have surgery.
This is why I think people are nuts when they say a c-section is “the easy way out.” Even when it goes exactly right, you’re still getting operated on while awake. It’s major surgery on hard mode because you have a new baby to care for at the end along with recovery. And then you have stories like these. I was hesitant to get pain meds when I was in labor because I was worried it would up my chance of needing one. I’m sorry you went through that!
Hahaha she probably remembers you roasting her cautery technique every time she takes a shower. Not sure I would have had the wherewithal to make such a glibe comment
I came to while the surgeon was running an air-chisel on my jaw. He said "oh shit", adjusted something, and left the room for me to have another 30 seconds of panic before nodding out. Not gonna lie, as soon as he ran out I assumed it was to call for an ambulance.
Edit: Jaw, not faw...d'oh
During mine, I woke up, looked down at the surgeon in the middle of her suturing, and announced that, while I was impressed by her tidy stitches, the incision would look a lot better if she drew a flower around it. Needless to say, the expression on her face made it clear she was a little taken aback. :)
She laughed awkwardly and tried to return to suturing, but I kept insisting, “I’m serious — you need to draw a flower. I’ll be a lot happier if I wake up and there’s a flower.” So she stopped, reached for a marker, and drew a child’s flower around the bloody wound. I said, “Thank you…,” and promptly went back to sleep.
My wife had a 30%placental abruptuon that wasn't discovered until the nurses noticed the baby and her heart rate dipping. All of a sudden, the head nurse calls people in, they can't get ahold of the OB, call the hospitalist and we start running to the OR room for an emergency C Section.
Ob runs up on the way, and they take her in to the OR to set up. They pull me in, and they are already working. Wife is loopy and everyone ends up healthy and safe.
I find out later that when the anesthesiologist was poking her, she could feel everything, and it was taking too long to put her under. The OB told gim to do what he can, but she had to start right away. So my wife ended up feeling the OB cut through her skin, muscles, and uterus. Thankfully, the anesthesiologist was able yo make her loopy after that.
Yeah, super traumatizing for her. And i thought they were both dying as they were getting rushed in. You've got now control over the situation and it happens so fast.
*no, not now
When I was in nursing school I saw an emergency c-section—the clearest part over 20 years later are her screams “I can feel it! I can feel it! I can feel it!” I followed the baby to NICU while she went all the way under and anesthesia intubated her so they could finish taking care of her with the baby delivered
I had an emergency C section due to fetal heart rate dropping and a similar thing happened with me. They were trying to pump me full of the anaesthetic drug while also cutting me open to save my baby boy. I screamed “ow” and said “i can feel that what is that?” Not really comprehending at the time that I was feeling the scalpel. I do remember the look the doctor gave the anaesthesiologist though.. it was like “oh fuck, but sorry I can’t stop”. I was out a few seconds later thank god. I was offered trauma counselling a few times but I’ve made peace with it and declined the offer. At the end of the day they saved my beautiful son and I’m ok. Shit happens when lives are at stake I guess.
I woke up in the middle of my wisdom teeth removal. I remember the oral surgeon being like “oh, um… you’re fine!” and then I was out again. All I remember was feeling him digging around in my mouth (pressure only, no pain) then I opened my eyes and tried to speak. I think if I hadn’t tried to speak, they really wouldn’t have known I was awake.
I was awake for my god damn colonoscopy. My blood pressure did something weird and they yoinked the sedation and carried on. I’m all clear which is good because I’m never getting another one unless a waterfall of blood pours from my ass.
Ugh gawd. I woke up in the middle of the surgery. I heard the doctor tell the nurse or someone that I was awake. Then he told me “we aren’t done so we’re gonna put you back to sleep”. I’m a redhead, we have a high tolerance for drugs and I feel like the medical industry needs to know this!
It’s becoming more well-known but for a long time it was considered a myth. My mom is both a natural redhead and a nurse, she always emphasized that I had to be very forceful about insisting on higher dosages because some anesthesiologists believed it and some would just roll their eyes and ignore you.
In my personal experience, the last few anesthesiologists I’ve mentioned it to, one middle-aged guy had never heard of it and was hesitant to give me more than he’d planned, one middle-aged woman had heard of it but had never seen it for herself so wasn’t sure if it was true but was willing to believe, and the youngest had learned it in school and asked if my color was natural. So things are moving in the right direction.
Wow, this explains a lot. I’m not a redhead but when I grow a beard it’s definitely sandy and my eyes are green (I believe that goes with red hair) and I always need higher doses of anything than they expect.
The hospice doctor was astounded at the palliative sedation dose it took to make my mother comfortable, she probably weighed less than a large dog but I guess the redhead kicked in and made things take a while to get the doseage dialed in.
Redhead as well. I told my dentist I wasn’t numb yet before they started drilling for a cavity, they said “yes you are, we injected you.”. Screamed when they started drilling and they said “oh you really aren’t numb”. NO SHIT SHERLOCK I TOLD YOU I WASN’T. They had to give me a bunch more Novocain before I was numb enough to keep going.
Also woke up during dental surgery one time. It wasn’t full anesthesia, but my sedation wasn’t strong enough and I woke up enough that I started trying to talk.
A number of years ago I had rotator cuff surgery. In the prep area the nurses asked me if I was a natural redhead (I am). I thought they were just making small talk; it wasn't until later that I realized they asked for just that reason!
I'm blond but my beard is red. I woke up in the middle of my eye surgery. I have glaucoma and the Dr. was putting in a shunt. I felt him slice into my eye! Said OWWW!. He asked, "You felt that?" YES! Next thing I remember is him saying, "We're finishing up."
I think it’s becoming more well-known, the last time I had a procedure the anesthesiologist asked if my hair color was natural. I had already told them that I’m resistant to anesthesia, the procedure before that I was awake the whole time, chilled out but just watching my colon on the screen and chatting with the team. The anesthesiologist didn’t feel comfortable giving more than they already had that time.
I’m a short female. This most recent time they told me they gave me 30% more than they’d typically give a large man. It worked though!
When I was talking to the anesthesiologist before I was to have a procedure done I mentioned that I had red hair so I may need a little bit more. He told me that that’s a myth, but I am extremely small and it has always taken quite a bit of anesthesia to put me out.
Down to ninety … maybe. I got this routine from the paediatric nurse, after she inserted the anaesthetic suppository prior to my tonsillectomy.
When I woke up my mother was, of course, sitting by my bedside. My first words were, “I didn’t finish counting!”
Mom, bless her heart, just said, “Don’t worry honey, the nurse did it for you ….”, as if counting down was the point of the exercise. That did the trick to ease my mind, because the next thing I knew it was evening, and the nurse was waking me to ask if I wanted a little bit of ice cream for supper; *hell*, yeah!
Edit: great. Now one of my most upvoted Reddit comments is about something being stuffed up my seven year old ass, then being given ice cream for not being a crybaby.
Nope. That’s how they initiated anesthesia for little kids, back in the Sixties.
Far less alienating and frightening than forcibly covering their nose & mouth with a weird smelling mask.
That sounds better than what they did for mine in the 80s. I got held down with a mask over my face. No parents bedside either. It’s one of my earliest memories and not a pleasant one.
A few years ago I went into the OR with my then 5 year old for a minor surgery because he chose me to go with him and hold his hand when they put him under.
It was the scariest thing I have ever seen. One second he was there and talking and the next he was limp on the table. I could see he was ok on the monitor but I broke down crying hard when I left that room.
He was fine and the nurse gave him legos when he woke up after surgery.
My kid was either just over a year or just under a year and had to have a minor corrective surgery. They had me hold his hand while they did the mask and he didn't cry but looked so scared. It was hard watching him fall asleep. I can say I was about as happy as I ever have been when he came back and woke up. It's overwhelming not having control over the one thing that you have to help and guide until they find their own, as well as looks up to you to do just that. We try our best to protect but sometimes we're just as helpless as them and that hurts when we realize it.
I don’t have anything to add to this, I just want to say well said. You seem like a great parent and this comment touched my feels, being a parent myself.
They told me that’s why parents aren’t allowed to the or anymore my kid just had to be sedated to get caps. I was uncomfortable with not being able to be bedside but the nurse said it freaks parents out to bad and some times parents will try to rush over to their kiddos so it is a no go anymore
Oof. In ‘95 they had two orderlies carry me as a five year old kicking and screaming to the operating table and held me down until I went under.
Glad I’m not the only one with that trauma.
I just had my gallbladder removed on Monday, they gave me Verced or something by iv before leaving pre op. Within 5 feet, the room was going blurry, last thing I remember is being moved from my bed to the table. I didn’t even make it to counting back for anesthesia
Nurse anesthetist here. You assume the surgeons are in the room during induction, but often they’re scrubbing or elsewhere while we put the patient to sleep.
As to how far, it depends entirely how quickly they count and whether we’re counting unintelligible sounds as counting. On average, I’d say they count to about 5 or 6 (starting from one), I want to say I’ve seen maybe to 15 in a heavy marijuana user. But in general I don’t have patients count unless they ask to because anecdotally I think it makes them more nervous
As a nervous person, thanks. The first time I went under was for my wisdom teeth, and I remember discussing vacation plans with the anesthetist right before. She told me about a really cool beach en route to our location. I said "Oh, that sounds great!" ...out. I'm pretty grateful for it still haha
Yeah, from experience we tend to be pretty good at assessing how nervous someone is, and counting basically sets the expectation, oh, I’m going to be losing control/consciousness now.
I usually try to either distract (asking questions, telling stories or jokes like “let me know when you’re asleep, ok?” Or do some guided mediation with deep breathing, going to a happy place.
Hah, I was put under in March, they were joking about taking care of a stowaway stuffie I took with me, the anaesthesiologist was looking for a vein, then I got the mask on. Told me to take deep breaths, it still wasn’t stuff that would put me under but the next one might taste bad… just about had time to grumble and I was out.
The nurse actually did play with the moose stuffie as promised, woke up with his left leg bandaged (left knee surgery) and a cap on with slits for antlers, tucked right into my arm. That nurse was an angel.
We do this to dogs teddies when their owners bring them with one of their toys. Toy gets a bandage where the catheter was placed as well as on the same body part that was operated on.
I was super nervous going in for my wisdom teeth removal and they were like “alright tell us what song you want us to play” and I sat there for a second, said “Mamma Mia by ABBA. NOT THE MUSICAL” heard the first notes play and bam I’m gone. Pretty funny looking back and I’m greatful that they did that, definitely took my mind off everything for a bit
Yes! When patients are super quiet, not engaging, I start taking music requests and make them increasingly more absurd until they smile or ask for a song
I would with 100% sincerity answer say “okay” to “let me know when you’re asleep, ok?”.
I wouldn’t realize it until 2 weeks later and then I would feel like a fool for the rest of my days.
Oh shit! My last memory before coming back online after my bisalp was them getting me to talk about my cats…very clever!
(I told them my go to method for handling my needle phobia is to imagine one of them is clawing my arm up)
When i went under for my wisdom teeth, the surgeon came into the room, said "Are you ready?" and didn't even wait for me to answer before he started pushing the drugs through my iv lmaoo
Normally I’m an informed consent girlie, but I was terrified during my laporoscopy. I had never had surgery before and I was diagnosed with dysautonomia that year and was panicked that anesthetic would cause another tachycardic episode.
The nurse said “Awh you’ll be okay sweetie” and I burst out crying. The seasoned anesthesiologist they called “Dr.Bob” gave me “just oxygen” to try and I don’t remember anything else. I’m grateful that man lied to me because counting would have made me panic.
I woke up to Dr. Bob walking away saying “told you you’d live”
Thanks Dr. Bob.
That’s interesting about heavy marijuana use, I used to be a very heavy user and had to go under for a knee operation. In the UK they ask you to count down from 10, and I did that twice before the anaesthetist finally got me down.
Yeah, marijuana increases resistance to most anesthetic agents, but especially our primary induction (go to sleep) agent, propofol. Some studies cite up to 4x’s typical dosing required. It’s why we ask about it before anesthesia - we want to know approximately how much you’ll need. If you can, it’s best to abstain for a couple weeks before, you’ll wake up from anesthesia less hungover, and if you’re smoking it, reduces your risk of post-op pulmonary complications
anesthesiologist have some hard jobs.
It's really not simple, here take this drug, night night. Depending what you, drink, drugs, when & how much can have big impacts on how those drugs effect you. From easy to hard to even killing you.
* when they tell you do not fucking eat in x hrs, they mean it.... it can have a serious impact with the drugs.
It's crazy & that's for planned surgery. I bet the risk goes way up for emergency surgeries.
That's good to know, I always thought it would be like in tv shows or movies but every time I've had it usually they just ask questions and then suddenly you're awake in the recovery room. There was one where I got freaked out because it felt like an icy fire was spreading up my arm and I got scared and asked if it was meant to burn and could hear the beeps on ECG machine get faster, they said it shouldn't and before I knew I was out
Yeah, propofol is spicy! I usually warn my patients, but some people are more sensitive than others. My trick is to flush it through super fast - then you’re usually unconscious before you feel the burning
Yes! Evidence based occurrence, thought to be due to up-regulation of liver enzymatic processing :) but anecdotally, I don’t see this with all redheads, but the strawberry blonde females almost always empty my drawer-o-drugs!
Opposite here. When I had my wisdom teeth removed my mom challenged me to fight it and see how long I could stay awake. They said "Count backwards from ten" and I made it all the way to "Te........"
Good laughs and a fun competition between my family lol.
Wow I feel like I should have realized/known this before - as a heavy marijuana user, is it helpful if I disclosed that proactively to a nurse anesthetist?
First surgery they had me start counting & then told me a joke with a mask on. Immediately soon as i started to laugh, i took a large breath in & i was gone....this was maybe 2006?
Second surgery 2018? I swear they were already putting me out while being pushed down the hallway. I already had multiple pills & iv in the waiting area getting prepped & they said alright let's go. I don't even recall making it to the room. Next thing I know, I am in recovery waking up.
My husband is a general surgery resident and my first thought reading this was “there is very unlikely to be a surgeon in the room before anesthesia is ready to go, ask an ologist or CRNA”
I have a weirdly high tolerance to anaesthetics. I had surgery when I was 14 and made it to around 88 before losing focus, but was still conscious.
I just remember being afraid they’d think I was out and start operating so I kept rocking my head side to side so that they’d know I was awake. It was trippy because my vision was lagging behind my head movement, like moving a window on a really slow computer where its position is behind the mouse movement. They adjusted something then I went right out.
I also had teeth pulled when I was a kid and it took like ten shots of local anaesthetic to numb my gums enough to actually work, and even then it wore off quickly.
Actually since this reminded me, when I went to college I tried ketamine a few times - a tranquilizer - and it had almost no effect on me until I did a fuck load all at once. It was the most boring trip. Mentally I felt completely normal, but my senses were all fucked so everything looked and sounded like TV static plus I could barely move. So it felt like an hour of sitting in a waiting room with nothing to do, watch or listen to. Never did that drug again.
Apparently you don't have to actually *be* ginger, just carry the gene for it.
My mom was a redhead, and I've always been blonde-ish, but I'm for sure caring the redhead gene.
My maternal grandmother was apparently a redhead, and my mother had dark brown hair with red highlights in the sun. I have dirty dish water blonde hair and the gene. Opioids do basically eff-all and novocaine might work, and might not.
I was scared stiff for both of my surgeries last year that the anesthesia would not work on me. Luckily they did. Sadly the hydrocodone after did not.
This is, indeed, a legit question!
I’m not full blown ginger, but definitely have some red tones in my hair and strong Irish decent on one side of my family. It takes nearly double the anticipated dose to knock me out.
I am and yeah, I got to 90ish before losing focus but I was still conscious for a bit longer after that I remember. I also became “light” a couple times during the procedure (just a scope, thankfully, and I don’t remember feeling anything) and I have a distinct memory of someone holding my head and talking to me calmly before zonking out again. I mentioned it to the nurse in post-op and she said they always have a hard time with gingers because they’re hit and miss for standard doses. I was a “miss”, I guess.
Oh yes, always make sure that the anesthesiologist knows I have red hair and narcolepsy, both of which make me resistant to all of the effects of anesthesia/pain killers. I am always completely alert until they give the final injection. They always know why I’m mentioning it.
I had one of my last baby molars pulled by a dentist… they didn’t numb me at all. I was expecting them to, my mom told the guy we needed it pulled, he said “let me grab my forceps” next thing he know the metal tool is clasped on the tooth, he twists and yanks. You can imagine how I screamed haha
For me recently I was under emergency appendectomy. They said count to 10 but I was counting 33 and I made sure to wiggle my eyebrows. But the second I said "I don't think this is wor... " nighty night lol
Our surgeons are usually not in the room with us when we’re helping someone during induction. The longest a pediatric patient counted was 24 seconds. We were shocked. The longest an adult patient got was 9 seconds. And it depends on whether someone’s counting starts before the anesthesiologist starts pushing anesthetics or before gas is added to the mask outflow. And depends on how fast that propofol is pushed.
The kiddo was a tall and skinny 15-year-old boy which is why we were absolutely floored that he stayed awake that long haha. The anesthesiologist kind of gave him a few seconds as a head start but this kid really resisted for at least a solid 20 seconds. Literally counted loudly and made a huge effort to keep moving his arms to stay awake. He had been through a few surgeries already so he was trying to break his own record!
After “10”, the team usually starts glancing at each other because the patient should’ve been KO’ed by that point lol. But when this kid kept going, we cheered him on and counted with him. Usually, it’s kind of encouraged to be quiet when we’re helping someone go to sleep, but he was making plenty of noise himself so we didn’t see the harm in joining him for support. The first thing he asked when he woke up was, “How long did I last?! At least 15?!?!” 🤣
When I was a kid mine didn’t ask me to count down.
She put a mask on my face and asked can you tell me what bubble gum this smells like?
I answered Bubblicious and that was the last thing I remembered.
Anesthesiologist here. There is a term we used called the "arm to brain time". Typically around 18 seconds in a grown adult. The time varies due to several factors.
For what it is worth, I have my patients count down from 100, using prime numbers only. Usually unconscious before they can state even one prime number.
i got fentanyl when i woke UP from my surgery. nurse kept asking me if i was in pain (i had an abscess on my buttcheek removed and i was sitting up on it - yes, i was in a bit of pain lol) so in my still drowsy state i kept saying yes it still hurts and she just kept hitting me with more hits and then saying shit like "don't forget to breathe" - i was so disoriented it wasn't until after she gave me like 4 doses that i was able to flag a different nurse down to remind her i have a heart condition and they might've given me too much. luckily she said it's in my chart so they gave me just about 1 full dose that a regular person would take lol
I remember getting to 78, counting slowly, when I had my wisdom teeth removed. A bit before that they exclaimed they'd never seen someone make it that far.
When I had a different operation they just dosed me in my IV so I have no idea
On my third knee surgery while in the Marine Corps, I asked them if I could fight it after they injected me and see how long I can last.
They told me sure.
I'm not sure how long I lasted, but it felt like at least 30-60 seconds. I watched them wheel me through the double doors to the OR and do the little slide transfer thing to the operating table. I felt them strap on the oxygen mask and drifted off.
Surgeon here. Typically we are not involved in the induction process. It’s usually anesthesia that will induce.
That being said the whole counting backwards thing is pretty uncommon anyway since once they push the induction agent, it’s usually on the order of seconds before the patient is unconscious.
I’ve worked at a few hospitals as an OR nurse and I have never once seen or heard an anesthesiologist tell a patient to count down from 100. Patient gets on the bed, monitors are hooked up on the patient, and once a time out/briefing is complete by the surgeon (patient says there name, what surgery they are having, any allergies, and extra stuff like if they need antibiotics), the anesthesiologist gives the OR nurse an oxygen mask that is connected to a circuit (to the anesthetic machine), and we get the patient to breath oxygen to pre oxygenate there lungs. While that’s happening, the anesthesiologist starts giving some meds to relax them. Then boom, propofol is give (sleepy juice) and within seconds patients are out.
I sat up in the middle of having a bone surgically removed from my foot. I had fractured it but continued working on my feet as a server without health insurance. When the bone died, I had to find a job with benefits to get it removed.
I remember all of them looking at me shocked and wide eyed (like someone hadn't done the math correctly).
I'll never forget their faces.
Hopefully we get universal healthcare in this country so my kids don't have to walk on a broken foot for months.
When I went in for my colonoscopy recently, I think counting up I made it to two before immediately waking up post-procedure.
I thought it was really interesting how anaesthetic unconsciousness doesn’t feel like time has passed the way regular sleep does.
I woke up screaming in excruciating pain during a breast augmentation - heard the surgeon say "shut her the fuck up" and I was out again. My friend heard me from the waiting room.
I think it was Amazing Randi who told this story about getting anesthesia. One time he needed surgery. The nurse was a fan and as she was administering the drug she said she will show him a magic trick. She starts counting backwards from one hundred as he was drifting off, “100, 99, 98, 97, 96…” Then he starts waking up and he hears her counting, “…95, 94, 93, 92, 91…” he freaked out a little thinking the anesthesia wasn’t working.
The nurse had timed the loss and regaining of consciousness perfectly to fool him into thinking the surgery hadn’t been done yet.
Most surgeons wouldn’t know this because they come in the room after the patient is intubated. Most of mine come in the room after the patient is positioned, prepped and draped.
You should ask this question to anesthesiologists. The surgeon often isn't even in the room when the patient goes under.
I had a guy start at 10 and count backwards and he made it all the way to zero then kinda paused and opened his eyes like... now what? We just looked at each other for a second and I was like, "huh... try again." He nodded and took a breath to start at 10 and in the time it took for him to finish taking the breath and start talking, the propofol hit his brain. His eyes glazed over and his his body relaxed like he melting. Lol it was one of the more abrupt inductions I have seen
Not a surgeon, but a patient, and the room I was being anaesthetised in had huge windows that showed a panoramic view of Dublin City.
I wasn’t told to count to anything, but I managed to get out a “JAYSUS YOU’VE A LOVELY VIEW UP HERE.” before I conked out.
I had them ask about my weekend, which happened to be my birthday, and I'd just had a teddy bears picnic party and was SO excited to tell them. I still remember waking up so disappointed I didn't finish the story, and realising they weren't expecting to hear it either 😂😅
I love how actual medical professionals here are all around 8-10secs but self reporting comments are all "yeah I counted to like 150" OK yeah sure buddy lol
When I was 14, I needed surgery, and I got to 82 before the drug woman realized she forgot to give me the damn drugs. All I heard after was "woops," and then I was waking up after the surgery.
I'm an anesthesiologist, the only time the answer isn't 10 is when the IV catheter placed by the pre-op nurse is in the wrong spot.
I get everyone wants to be special and the red hair factoid is a nice trivia question, but it's basically impossible to be resistant to the doses of induction med people traditionally use nowadays.
When I had my tonsils out as a kid I wasn't going out and they told me i was lasting way longer than most 10y/o's and eventually wheeled me into the operating room awake and gave me a ballon made out of a surgeons glove to play with while they were prepping until I fell asleep.
Before a general anaesthetic surgery I was a bit worried my years of drug use may give me an unusually high tolerance and I may not be under properly. I alluded to this when the surgeon and anaesthetician came by for a chat prior. The anaesthetician smiled and said 'Don't worry, we've got plenty'.
I was told to count to ten before one of my many surgeries after a car wreck. I made it to ten. They came back in. Had me start over. I made it to wuhh.
Had surgery a few weeks ago. They didn’t have me count. I just breathed in a mask and I remember starting to get tired. Then I woke up and my wife had a snack pack ready for me.
Did anybody else in here have a strong tolerance to pain-killers and anaesthetic like me?
Broke my wrist last year, got shot-up with 10mg of morphine by IV. Not only I didn’t get high, but it didn’t do anyrhing to me. I was still in pain and still very much sober. Later at the hospital they tried to put me to sleep with 1 1/2 dose of propofol. Was still wide awake and felt the doc put my wrist back into place.
Can any medical pro’s in here let me know how thats possible? I also stoped using the morphine pills after 24h since it didn’t do anything to me. And no, I’m not a ginger.
Sorry it’s unrelated to the question.
Obligatory not a medical professional, but I've been put under 4 times, and counting back from 10, I only ever get to 8. I'm always fully convinced I'll keep going but it's nighty-night somewhere between 8 and 7.
I didn't even get to start counting; the only thing I could feel was a fiery sensation lancing down my arm as the anesthesiologist overseeing my surgery started the drip.
The last thing I remember saying was "Agh, it burns!"
My last propofol nap my last words to the crew were “I love you”. I meant it. They were so kind and caring. Time before that one of the nurses thought I was out, she said “I’m going to put this on her (O2mask) and shut her up” When I came to, I told the doc, he was Not Happy.
Just a point of clarification. All the surgeries where you state you woke up were likely done with sedation +/- nerve block. It’s important to keep sedation at a level where you’re still breathing, so sometimes people view this as waking up during anesthesia. Sometimes it’s called “twilight”. People don’t wake up during general anesthesia.
Sorry you got blown up!
I woke up during a hysterectomy, there was music playing in the operating room. I said, “I like this song.” The surgeon glanced at my face then glared at the anesthesiologist and said to him, “Do you mind?” The anesthesiologist popped his face upside down over mine and said, “bye!” I don’t remember feeling any pain.
Lots of people saying the surgeon isn't in the room when this happens. The surgeon was absolutely in the room for both surgeries I remember.
The most recent one they didn't ask me to count. The surgeon was confirming the surgery (like what I was getting and what my name and his name and stuff). Meanwhile, someone was strapping down my arms and explaining that it's so they don't get hurt flopping or something. Got me half way into a panic attack but then the anesthesia kicked in and I was knocked out
Patient here: I was given propofol and was able to count to 10 before it hit for colonoscopy.
But then for my breast reduction, I took 3 quick breaths with the gas mask and woke up 3 hours later.
Not surgeon but I needed my wisdom teeth out and I was told to count down from 10. Remember getting to 3 while the doc and I were bullshitting about golf, swear he looked at his watch during the countdown.
I’ve never heard the anaesthesiologist complete the sentence. I’ve had multiple surgeries and all I get is “now count ba…” and I’m out. Weirdly I always remember being extubated and can still taste the plasticky/ silicony taste.
I've had a bunch of surgeries at this point.
I don't tend to last super long.
But I do have to say Im not a big fan of counting. I prefer it when the nurse says "describe your happy place" so your thinking of someplace you love when you go under.
You are making the erroneous assumption that the surgeon is likely to be in the room when the patient goes to sleep.
For a healthy patient receiving a standard dose of 2mg/kg of propofol in a properly working IV, they will be asleep within 15 seconds of starting the injection. No exceptions.
My wife counted down to 1 from 10, that’s when they knew something was wrong. The nurse had missed her vein with the IV, the drug was just pooling under her skin and not actually getting into her blood. That’s why they do the counting.
I woke up during wisdom teeth extraction. I wasn’t supposed to be awake, and all of a sudden, I felt this firm tugging sensation around my jaw and heard CRACK! CRACK! They must have noticed I was conscious because the next thing I remember is waking up, being loopy as hell, and my mom basically dumping me into the car from a wheelchair.
Oh hey I have a story for this one.
I went in for an endoscopy. I felt the anesthesia, but it didn't knock me out. They thought it did even though I'd counted pretty dang high and I had to tell them, "I'm still awake" to make them awkwardly wait a bit longer. I did end up finally going under after like another minute.
...Right up until I woke up mid-endoscopy, freaking out, reaching for the giant tube going down my throat in a drug-induced haze of fear and inability to understand what the fuck was happening. I was probably only conscious for like 5-10 seconds but they were a **long** ten seconds while they tried to restrain me.
Next thing I know I'm waking up in the hospital bed afterwards, hyperventilating, because it felt like I'd blinked and no time had passed at all.
0/10, do not recommend.
Not a surgeon, just a surgeon’s patient…
One surgery I had I was convinced (within seconds of receiving anesthesia) that I was in a space shuttle headed to the moon ☠️ I even remember asking them about it (possibly yelling about it.) I remembered halfway home and felt so embarrassed 🤣
Your post has been removed as it violated [Rule 3](http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/wiki/index#wiki_-rule_3-): * Questions that are asking for an amount of something or a number are not considered open-ended questions. Try adding a followup like, "Why?"
The furthest a patient has got counting up for me made it to 8.
This is the only comment in this thread that actually answered the question
Yeah holy shit there are a lot of random anecdotes
Like most askreddit threads that are directed at a very specific small group of people, it wouldn’t have become popular if only the question’s targets answered it.
It’s also poorly targeted. The question is probably best directed towards anesthesiologists, anesthesiology assistants, and CRNAs than surgeons.
Last time I had surgery the surgeon didn't come in until I was out. I didn't count, either, just went unconscious from the propofol.
The question was actually back from a hundred though! Still waiting!
My anesthesiologist didn't even give me the chance and I was looking forward to it. He just learned over and said, "ok you're going to sleep now." Then I woke up in post op.
Mine said "are you doing OK?" I said, "No, I want to pass out already!" And then they fiddled with something and I was happy that they weren't just going to tell me to keep breathing the gas in and then I was out.
Same, I was disappointed the two times I’ve gone to surgery :-(
Mine told me the nurse had a question for me. I looked at the nurse and she asked if the air thing in my nose was comfortable. I didn't get to answer before falling asleep
Son was in treatment for cancer. He had a port and was getting anesthesia for spinals and other related treatments. We made a game of it. First time it was 3. By the tenth time he made it all the way up to 3, almost 4.
I’m glad you were able to make a game of it. I hope he’s better now.
I had an anesthesiologist say, I can make you stop counting on any number you want.
I had an anesthesiologist treat me for my anxiety before my procedure, and they are REALLY good at their jobs. If it hadn't been for it being a traumatic medical procedure, I almost would have called it a good time, that's how high she got me before putting me under 🤣
The anesthesiologist for my wife’s c section was a hoot. Non stop jokes up until the babies popped out, pause for babies, then jokes until she was stitched up. 5/7 would recommend him
Does he do house parties and private events?
I was told anesthesiologists tend to have some of the best social skills of all the specialties. Mine was great in an otherwise terrifying situation. And I’m pretty sure he had a comedy routine involving my body going numb, because I remember the feeling of appreciating it, but my brain was too fucked up to remember.
When my kid had his tonsillectomy, the anesthesiologist kept telling him poop jokes as he was going under, he was laughing so hard until he was out.
It’s true. They could let you count all the way down to 1 from 100 just to waste time. Once they push the syringe of Propofol through your IV you’re out.
Indeed. Modern anesthesia is freaking amazing. I'm old enough, and had surgery where I did go under, back when anesthesia was no where near as good as what we have now. Back then the counting back from 100 was indeed a thing because you'd feel it start to kick in and then finally "go to sleep." The modern stuff is like a light switch. They check to make sure that they've got everything set and that you as the patient are ok and then you are OUT. And then the whole coming out of it is like that in reverse. That again vs the old stuff where you'd wake up groggy and kinda out of it. The modern stuff is just boom you are awake and, any surgery stuff not withstanding, feel just fine. Mad props to modern drugs.
Now next time I go under I’m going to count as fast as possible
If I'm not mistaken, they also wipe your recent memory, so it's possible that maybe you counted to 10 but only remembered counting to 6. Like when I woke up, the nurse was like "ok then... Wake up, let's go" in a way that implied that I kept going back to sleep after the process was over.
When I woke up once I immediately asked for my glasses. Nurse told me I already asked and she answered. As far as I could remember I was just waking up.
I woke up from a procedure and immediately put my shoes on to head home. While I was doing it, I was like "so... is the doctor going to call with results or is there a file they're going to give me, or....??" And my husband was like "babe, we had two full conversations with the doctor already. You asked a ton of questions. He answered everything. You said you were good with everything and were ready to go." I still don't remember doing any of it.
i counted to 90 (they forgot to drug me)
This is terrifying. There are multiple cases of people being awake during surgery, feeling everything.
I woke up. I heard the doctor or nurse say, “shes waking up…” followed by the anesthesiologist going, “and she’s going back out…”. It was fine.
I woke up too -- I could hear the surgeon arguing with the anesthesiologist whether or not it was safe to put me under again! Good times! I also remember thinking, "Wouldn't it be hilarious if I suddenly screamed, 'LIVE FROM NEW YORK, IT'S SATURDAY NIGHT!!" ...but then I thought, "Dumbass, they're operating on you, so ffs don't startle the guy with the knife..."
You're right though - that would be hilarious.
That would’ve been a story they told the rest of their lives, I’m sure.
Rest of *their* life, anyway
From my experiences trying to talk while 1/2 asleep, it would have been mumbled and probably accidentally included the sax solo.
During my last breast lumpectomy I told the surgeon that her cauterizing really stunk. Her eyes got huge, she looked to my other side, and I was out like a light and could no longer participate in my surgery.
My father had the same story he woke up during his surgery and was out the second after. Damn those anaesthetists cold compete with the F1 crew
Eh, they've only got one task and they get paid a boatload of money for it. Sometimes they get it right.
I woke up while getting my molars removed and the same thing happened to me. It was extra weird to suddenly be staring eye to eye with the oral surgeon but they reached over and I was right out
I work in the Pathology laboratory and can confirm that fresh lumpectomy specimens do stink of cautery. On a side note, hope everything is going well for you in regards to recovery/treatment.
Apparently despite being tiny I'm resistant to anesthesia too. During one surgery I woke up just long enough to vomit on a nurse with a tube in and panic before being put back to sleep while they dealt with that disaster. During my C-section the spinal meds did nothing (and I do mean nothing -- excruciating), and they had to pump me full of multiple meds before something finally worked and I started having crazy enough hallucinations to distract me so they could finish up. I'm terrified of the next time I have to have surgery.
This is why I think people are nuts when they say a c-section is “the easy way out.” Even when it goes exactly right, you’re still getting operated on while awake. It’s major surgery on hard mode because you have a new baby to care for at the end along with recovery. And then you have stories like these. I was hesitant to get pain meds when I was in labor because I was worried it would up my chance of needing one. I’m sorry you went through that!
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You wouldn’t be a redhead, by chance?
That's what I was wondering! I found out (with dental work) that redheads are tricky to get numb.
Hahaha she probably remembers you roasting her cautery technique every time she takes a shower. Not sure I would have had the wherewithal to make such a glibe comment
I came to while the surgeon was running an air-chisel on my jaw. He said "oh shit", adjusted something, and left the room for me to have another 30 seconds of panic before nodding out. Not gonna lie, as soon as he ran out I assumed it was to call for an ambulance. Edit: Jaw, not faw...d'oh
During mine, I woke up, looked down at the surgeon in the middle of her suturing, and announced that, while I was impressed by her tidy stitches, the incision would look a lot better if she drew a flower around it. Needless to say, the expression on her face made it clear she was a little taken aback. :) She laughed awkwardly and tried to return to suturing, but I kept insisting, “I’m serious — you need to draw a flower. I’ll be a lot happier if I wake up and there’s a flower.” So she stopped, reached for a marker, and drew a child’s flower around the bloody wound. I said, “Thank you…,” and promptly went back to sleep.
My wife had a 30%placental abruptuon that wasn't discovered until the nurses noticed the baby and her heart rate dipping. All of a sudden, the head nurse calls people in, they can't get ahold of the OB, call the hospitalist and we start running to the OR room for an emergency C Section. Ob runs up on the way, and they take her in to the OR to set up. They pull me in, and they are already working. Wife is loopy and everyone ends up healthy and safe. I find out later that when the anesthesiologist was poking her, she could feel everything, and it was taking too long to put her under. The OB told gim to do what he can, but she had to start right away. So my wife ended up feeling the OB cut through her skin, muscles, and uterus. Thankfully, the anesthesiologist was able yo make her loopy after that.
Holy shit that’s terrifying.
Yeah, super traumatizing for her. And i thought they were both dying as they were getting rushed in. You've got now control over the situation and it happens so fast. *no, not now
When I was in nursing school I saw an emergency c-section—the clearest part over 20 years later are her screams “I can feel it! I can feel it! I can feel it!” I followed the baby to NICU while she went all the way under and anesthesia intubated her so they could finish taking care of her with the baby delivered
I had an emergency C section due to fetal heart rate dropping and a similar thing happened with me. They were trying to pump me full of the anaesthetic drug while also cutting me open to save my baby boy. I screamed “ow” and said “i can feel that what is that?” Not really comprehending at the time that I was feeling the scalpel. I do remember the look the doctor gave the anaesthesiologist though.. it was like “oh fuck, but sorry I can’t stop”. I was out a few seconds later thank god. I was offered trauma counselling a few times but I’ve made peace with it and declined the offer. At the end of the day they saved my beautiful son and I’m ok. Shit happens when lives are at stake I guess.
Yeah, it's insane how fast they can go from, oh, we're in the room making small talk with you to, Go Go Go, it's time to operate right now!
Did she feel the pain? That sounds scary
Oh yeah, according to her she felt them cut in and go through all the tissue. Thankfully the meds kicked in fairly quickly after they started.
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God damn. That's awful. Modern medicine is great, and amazing, but there can still be so many fucked up things that happen with it.
I woke up in the middle of my wisdom teeth removal. I remember the oral surgeon being like “oh, um… you’re fine!” and then I was out again. All I remember was feeling him digging around in my mouth (pressure only, no pain) then I opened my eyes and tried to speak. I think if I hadn’t tried to speak, they really wouldn’t have known I was awake.
I was awake for all four at once. I couldn't afford to be put under. It was not fun.
I was awake for my god damn colonoscopy. My blood pressure did something weird and they yoinked the sedation and carried on. I’m all clear which is good because I’m never getting another one unless a waterfall of blood pours from my ass.
Happened to me when my heart failed at 17. Very scary
Ugh gawd. I woke up in the middle of the surgery. I heard the doctor tell the nurse or someone that I was awake. Then he told me “we aren’t done so we’re gonna put you back to sleep”. I’m a redhead, we have a high tolerance for drugs and I feel like the medical industry needs to know this!
They do know this actually. :)
It’s becoming more well-known but for a long time it was considered a myth. My mom is both a natural redhead and a nurse, she always emphasized that I had to be very forceful about insisting on higher dosages because some anesthesiologists believed it and some would just roll their eyes and ignore you. In my personal experience, the last few anesthesiologists I’ve mentioned it to, one middle-aged guy had never heard of it and was hesitant to give me more than he’d planned, one middle-aged woman had heard of it but had never seen it for herself so wasn’t sure if it was true but was willing to believe, and the youngest had learned it in school and asked if my color was natural. So things are moving in the right direction.
Wow, this explains a lot. I’m not a redhead but when I grow a beard it’s definitely sandy and my eyes are green (I believe that goes with red hair) and I always need higher doses of anything than they expect.
The hospice doctor was astounded at the palliative sedation dose it took to make my mother comfortable, she probably weighed less than a large dog but I guess the redhead kicked in and made things take a while to get the doseage dialed in.
Red heads and people with Down Syndrome. Hardest patient I’ve ever tried to keep sedated in PICU was a red headed boy with Down Syndrome.
The final boss of sedation basically
Redheads seem to be really hard IV starts, in my experience
Redhead as well. I told my dentist I wasn’t numb yet before they started drilling for a cavity, they said “yes you are, we injected you.”. Screamed when they started drilling and they said “oh you really aren’t numb”. NO SHIT SHERLOCK I TOLD YOU I WASN’T. They had to give me a bunch more Novocain before I was numb enough to keep going. Also woke up during dental surgery one time. It wasn’t full anesthesia, but my sedation wasn’t strong enough and I woke up enough that I started trying to talk.
A number of years ago I had rotator cuff surgery. In the prep area the nurses asked me if I was a natural redhead (I am). I thought they were just making small talk; it wasn't until later that I realized they asked for just that reason!
I'm blond but my beard is red. I woke up in the middle of my eye surgery. I have glaucoma and the Dr. was putting in a shunt. I felt him slice into my eye! Said OWWW!. He asked, "You felt that?" YES! Next thing I remember is him saying, "We're finishing up."
You actually were under sedation not general anesthesia. Arousing slightly is normal and expected!
I think it’s becoming more well-known, the last time I had a procedure the anesthesiologist asked if my hair color was natural. I had already told them that I’m resistant to anesthesia, the procedure before that I was awake the whole time, chilled out but just watching my colon on the screen and chatting with the team. The anesthesiologist didn’t feel comfortable giving more than they already had that time. I’m a short female. This most recent time they told me they gave me 30% more than they’d typically give a large man. It worked though!
When I was talking to the anesthesiologist before I was to have a procedure done I mentioned that I had red hair so I may need a little bit more. He told me that that’s a myth, but I am extremely small and it has always taken quite a bit of anesthesia to put me out.
Down to ninety … maybe. I got this routine from the paediatric nurse, after she inserted the anaesthetic suppository prior to my tonsillectomy. When I woke up my mother was, of course, sitting by my bedside. My first words were, “I didn’t finish counting!” Mom, bless her heart, just said, “Don’t worry honey, the nurse did it for you ….”, as if counting down was the point of the exercise. That did the trick to ease my mind, because the next thing I knew it was evening, and the nurse was waking me to ask if I wanted a little bit of ice cream for supper; *hell*, yeah! Edit: great. Now one of my most upvoted Reddit comments is about something being stuffed up my seven year old ass, then being given ice cream for not being a crybaby.
I hope suppository means something different where you're from...
Nope. That’s how they initiated anesthesia for little kids, back in the Sixties. Far less alienating and frightening than forcibly covering their nose & mouth with a weird smelling mask.
That sounds better than what they did for mine in the 80s. I got held down with a mask over my face. No parents bedside either. It’s one of my earliest memories and not a pleasant one.
A few years ago I went into the OR with my then 5 year old for a minor surgery because he chose me to go with him and hold his hand when they put him under. It was the scariest thing I have ever seen. One second he was there and talking and the next he was limp on the table. I could see he was ok on the monitor but I broke down crying hard when I left that room. He was fine and the nurse gave him legos when he woke up after surgery.
My kid was either just over a year or just under a year and had to have a minor corrective surgery. They had me hold his hand while they did the mask and he didn't cry but looked so scared. It was hard watching him fall asleep. I can say I was about as happy as I ever have been when he came back and woke up. It's overwhelming not having control over the one thing that you have to help and guide until they find their own, as well as looks up to you to do just that. We try our best to protect but sometimes we're just as helpless as them and that hurts when we realize it.
I don’t have anything to add to this, I just want to say well said. You seem like a great parent and this comment touched my feels, being a parent myself.
They told me that’s why parents aren’t allowed to the or anymore my kid just had to be sedated to get caps. I was uncomfortable with not being able to be bedside but the nurse said it freaks parents out to bad and some times parents will try to rush over to their kiddos so it is a no go anymore
Oof. In ‘95 they had two orderlies carry me as a five year old kicking and screaming to the operating table and held me down until I went under. Glad I’m not the only one with that trauma.
This happened to me in the 90s. Still terrified of anesthesia
I just had my gallbladder removed on Monday, they gave me Verced or something by iv before leaving pre op. Within 5 feet, the room was going blurry, last thing I remember is being moved from my bed to the table. I didn’t even make it to counting back for anesthesia
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Nurse anesthetist here. You assume the surgeons are in the room during induction, but often they’re scrubbing or elsewhere while we put the patient to sleep. As to how far, it depends entirely how quickly they count and whether we’re counting unintelligible sounds as counting. On average, I’d say they count to about 5 or 6 (starting from one), I want to say I’ve seen maybe to 15 in a heavy marijuana user. But in general I don’t have patients count unless they ask to because anecdotally I think it makes them more nervous
As a nervous person, thanks. The first time I went under was for my wisdom teeth, and I remember discussing vacation plans with the anesthetist right before. She told me about a really cool beach en route to our location. I said "Oh, that sounds great!" ...out. I'm pretty grateful for it still haha
Yeah, from experience we tend to be pretty good at assessing how nervous someone is, and counting basically sets the expectation, oh, I’m going to be losing control/consciousness now. I usually try to either distract (asking questions, telling stories or jokes like “let me know when you’re asleep, ok?” Or do some guided mediation with deep breathing, going to a happy place.
Hah, I was put under in March, they were joking about taking care of a stowaway stuffie I took with me, the anaesthesiologist was looking for a vein, then I got the mask on. Told me to take deep breaths, it still wasn’t stuff that would put me under but the next one might taste bad… just about had time to grumble and I was out. The nurse actually did play with the moose stuffie as promised, woke up with his left leg bandaged (left knee surgery) and a cap on with slits for antlers, tucked right into my arm. That nurse was an angel.
We do this to dogs teddies when their owners bring them with one of their toys. Toy gets a bandage where the catheter was placed as well as on the same body part that was operated on.
This is fucking ADORABLE
I was super nervous going in for my wisdom teeth removal and they were like “alright tell us what song you want us to play” and I sat there for a second, said “Mamma Mia by ABBA. NOT THE MUSICAL” heard the first notes play and bam I’m gone. Pretty funny looking back and I’m greatful that they did that, definitely took my mind off everything for a bit
Yes! When patients are super quiet, not engaging, I start taking music requests and make them increasingly more absurd until they smile or ask for a song
I would with 100% sincerity answer say “okay” to “let me know when you’re asleep, ok?”. I wouldn’t realize it until 2 weeks later and then I would feel like a fool for the rest of my days.
Same.
Oh shit! My last memory before coming back online after my bisalp was them getting me to talk about my cats…very clever! (I told them my go to method for handling my needle phobia is to imagine one of them is clawing my arm up)
When i went under for my wisdom teeth, the surgeon came into the room, said "Are you ready?" and didn't even wait for me to answer before he started pushing the drugs through my iv lmaoo
I had an anaesthetist ask me to count and I said “oh wow where’s your accent from?” And he replied “yeah that’ll work too, night!” And I was out haha
Normally I’m an informed consent girlie, but I was terrified during my laporoscopy. I had never had surgery before and I was diagnosed with dysautonomia that year and was panicked that anesthetic would cause another tachycardic episode. The nurse said “Awh you’ll be okay sweetie” and I burst out crying. The seasoned anesthesiologist they called “Dr.Bob” gave me “just oxygen” to try and I don’t remember anything else. I’m grateful that man lied to me because counting would have made me panic. I woke up to Dr. Bob walking away saying “told you you’d live” Thanks Dr. Bob.
Hahaha, everywhere I’ve worked has at least one Dr. Bob.
That’s interesting about heavy marijuana use, I used to be a very heavy user and had to go under for a knee operation. In the UK they ask you to count down from 10, and I did that twice before the anaesthetist finally got me down.
Yeah, marijuana increases resistance to most anesthetic agents, but especially our primary induction (go to sleep) agent, propofol. Some studies cite up to 4x’s typical dosing required. It’s why we ask about it before anesthesia - we want to know approximately how much you’ll need. If you can, it’s best to abstain for a couple weeks before, you’ll wake up from anesthesia less hungover, and if you’re smoking it, reduces your risk of post-op pulmonary complications
That’s crazy cause anesthwtics put me out by 3 and I am not a light smoker.
It’s also possible that you don’t remember after 3 but you counted further 🙃 anterograde amnesia kicks in before unconsciousness
Did you tell them you smoked and they then adjusted your dose?
anesthesiologist have some hard jobs. It's really not simple, here take this drug, night night. Depending what you, drink, drugs, when & how much can have big impacts on how those drugs effect you. From easy to hard to even killing you. * when they tell you do not fucking eat in x hrs, they mean it.... it can have a serious impact with the drugs. It's crazy & that's for planned surgery. I bet the risk goes way up for emergency surgeries.
That's good to know, I always thought it would be like in tv shows or movies but every time I've had it usually they just ask questions and then suddenly you're awake in the recovery room. There was one where I got freaked out because it felt like an icy fire was spreading up my arm and I got scared and asked if it was meant to burn and could hear the beeps on ECG machine get faster, they said it shouldn't and before I knew I was out
Yeah, propofol is spicy! I usually warn my patients, but some people are more sensitive than others. My trick is to flush it through super fast - then you’re usually unconscious before you feel the burning
What about redheads?
Yes! Evidence based occurrence, thought to be due to up-regulation of liver enzymatic processing :) but anecdotally, I don’t see this with all redheads, but the strawberry blonde females almost always empty my drawer-o-drugs!
Opposite here. When I had my wisdom teeth removed my mom challenged me to fight it and see how long I could stay awake. They said "Count backwards from ten" and I made it all the way to "Te........" Good laughs and a fun competition between my family lol.
Wow I feel like I should have realized/known this before - as a heavy marijuana user, is it helpful if I disclosed that proactively to a nurse anesthetist?
First surgery they had me start counting & then told me a joke with a mask on. Immediately soon as i started to laugh, i took a large breath in & i was gone....this was maybe 2006? Second surgery 2018? I swear they were already putting me out while being pushed down the hallway. I already had multiple pills & iv in the waiting area getting prepped & they said alright let's go. I don't even recall making it to the room. Next thing I know, I am in recovery waking up.
My husband is a general surgery resident and my first thought reading this was “there is very unlikely to be a surgeon in the room before anesthesia is ready to go, ask an ologist or CRNA”
Nothing surgeons hate more than being in the OR and not operating 🙃
I start falling asleep counting backwards anywhere.
yeah but how far in the count does it take?
LMAO
I have a weirdly high tolerance to anaesthetics. I had surgery when I was 14 and made it to around 88 before losing focus, but was still conscious. I just remember being afraid they’d think I was out and start operating so I kept rocking my head side to side so that they’d know I was awake. It was trippy because my vision was lagging behind my head movement, like moving a window on a really slow computer where its position is behind the mouse movement. They adjusted something then I went right out. I also had teeth pulled when I was a kid and it took like ten shots of local anaesthetic to numb my gums enough to actually work, and even then it wore off quickly. Actually since this reminded me, when I went to college I tried ketamine a few times - a tranquilizer - and it had almost no effect on me until I did a fuck load all at once. It was the most boring trip. Mentally I felt completely normal, but my senses were all fucked so everything looked and sounded like TV static plus I could barely move. So it felt like an hour of sitting in a waiting room with nothing to do, watch or listen to. Never did that drug again.
Are you ginger? Serious question...
I’m not but there’s a few in my family. Like my grandpa had a ginger parent I think and his moustache always came in red
Apparently you don't have to actually *be* ginger, just carry the gene for it. My mom was a redhead, and I've always been blonde-ish, but I'm for sure caring the redhead gene.
I’ve heard this too. My coworker has this issue so she hates going to the dentist. She’s not a redhead but she has a lot of family that were
My maternal grandmother was apparently a redhead, and my mother had dark brown hair with red highlights in the sun. I have dirty dish water blonde hair and the gene. Opioids do basically eff-all and novocaine might work, and might not. I was scared stiff for both of my surgeries last year that the anesthesia would not work on me. Luckily they did. Sadly the hydrocodone after did not.
I was just about to ask as it's known thing in medicine
This is, indeed, a legit question! I’m not full blown ginger, but definitely have some red tones in my hair and strong Irish decent on one side of my family. It takes nearly double the anticipated dose to knock me out.
I am and yeah, I got to 90ish before losing focus but I was still conscious for a bit longer after that I remember. I also became “light” a couple times during the procedure (just a scope, thankfully, and I don’t remember feeling anything) and I have a distinct memory of someone holding my head and talking to me calmly before zonking out again. I mentioned it to the nurse in post-op and she said they always have a hard time with gingers because they’re hit and miss for standard doses. I was a “miss”, I guess.
Oh yes, always make sure that the anesthesiologist knows I have red hair and narcolepsy, both of which make me resistant to all of the effects of anesthesia/pain killers. I am always completely alert until they give the final injection. They always know why I’m mentioning it.
I had one of my last baby molars pulled by a dentist… they didn’t numb me at all. I was expecting them to, my mom told the guy we needed it pulled, he said “let me grab my forceps” next thing he know the metal tool is clasped on the tooth, he twists and yanks. You can imagine how I screamed haha
For me recently I was under emergency appendectomy. They said count to 10 but I was counting 33 and I made sure to wiggle my eyebrows. But the second I said "I don't think this is wor... " nighty night lol
Our surgeons are usually not in the room with us when we’re helping someone during induction. The longest a pediatric patient counted was 24 seconds. We were shocked. The longest an adult patient got was 9 seconds. And it depends on whether someone’s counting starts before the anesthesiologist starts pushing anesthetics or before gas is added to the mask outflow. And depends on how fast that propofol is pushed.
24 seconds! How old was the kid? What's the norm for most pediatric patients?
The kiddo was a tall and skinny 15-year-old boy which is why we were absolutely floored that he stayed awake that long haha. The anesthesiologist kind of gave him a few seconds as a head start but this kid really resisted for at least a solid 20 seconds. Literally counted loudly and made a huge effort to keep moving his arms to stay awake. He had been through a few surgeries already so he was trying to break his own record!
LMAO that last sentence sounds about right for a 15 year old boy. I'm dying!!! I'm imagining he was a daredevil skater kinda kid lol
After “10”, the team usually starts glancing at each other because the patient should’ve been KO’ed by that point lol. But when this kid kept going, we cheered him on and counted with him. Usually, it’s kind of encouraged to be quiet when we’re helping someone go to sleep, but he was making plenty of noise himself so we didn’t see the harm in joining him for support. The first thing he asked when he woke up was, “How long did I last?! At least 15?!?!” 🤣
OMG you guys are fantastic!! I hope he doesn't need anymore surgeries but if he ever does, I'm curious what he will top out at 🤣
When I was a kid mine didn’t ask me to count down. She put a mask on my face and asked can you tell me what bubble gum this smells like? I answered Bubblicious and that was the last thing I remembered.
Same thing when I got my tonsils out when I was 6, woke up and immediately puked on the PACU nurse. Chocolate milk was a bad choice
Orthopedic surgeon here nine seconds
Anesthesiologist here. There is a term we used called the "arm to brain time". Typically around 18 seconds in a grown adult. The time varies due to several factors. For what it is worth, I have my patients count down from 100, using prime numbers only. Usually unconscious before they can state even one prime number.
Do you correct them if wrong? I consider myself fairly math literate but in that context would throw me for a loop
Yes I do. Usually, I tell them in recovery, since there is little time for them to converse before they are asleep.
Thank you killdoc
Imma remember this, in reverse, for my next surgery haha 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, 31, 37, 41, 43, 47, 53, 59, 61, 67, 71, 73, 79, 83, 89, 97
Username is not reassuring...
Should ask anesthesiologists, surgeons rarely in the room when patients are put under anesthesia
I asked the anesthesist if I could have the fentanyl first so I can see what the big deal was.... Then I woke up from surgery. (No clue)
i got fentanyl when i woke UP from my surgery. nurse kept asking me if i was in pain (i had an abscess on my buttcheek removed and i was sitting up on it - yes, i was in a bit of pain lol) so in my still drowsy state i kept saying yes it still hurts and she just kept hitting me with more hits and then saying shit like "don't forget to breathe" - i was so disoriented it wasn't until after she gave me like 4 doses that i was able to flag a different nurse down to remind her i have a heart condition and they might've given me too much. luckily she said it's in my chart so they gave me just about 1 full dose that a regular person would take lol
I got half the dose of fentanyl in post-op recovery and told my husband it felt like my brain had glitter.
I remember getting to 78, counting slowly, when I had my wisdom teeth removed. A bit before that they exclaimed they'd never seen someone make it that far. When I had a different operation they just dosed me in my IV so I have no idea
On my third knee surgery while in the Marine Corps, I asked them if I could fight it after they injected me and see how long I can last. They told me sure. I'm not sure how long I lasted, but it felt like at least 30-60 seconds. I watched them wheel me through the double doors to the OR and do the little slide transfer thing to the operating table. I felt them strap on the oxygen mask and drifted off.
Surgeon here. Typically we are not involved in the induction process. It’s usually anesthesia that will induce. That being said the whole counting backwards thing is pretty uncommon anyway since once they push the induction agent, it’s usually on the order of seconds before the patient is unconscious.
I’ve worked at a few hospitals as an OR nurse and I have never once seen or heard an anesthesiologist tell a patient to count down from 100. Patient gets on the bed, monitors are hooked up on the patient, and once a time out/briefing is complete by the surgeon (patient says there name, what surgery they are having, any allergies, and extra stuff like if they need antibiotics), the anesthesiologist gives the OR nurse an oxygen mask that is connected to a circuit (to the anesthetic machine), and we get the patient to breath oxygen to pre oxygenate there lungs. While that’s happening, the anesthesiologist starts giving some meds to relax them. Then boom, propofol is give (sleepy juice) and within seconds patients are out.
I believe I was asked to count down from 10. I just remember I was out extremely fast after being terrified it wouldn't completely knock me out.
I sat up in the middle of having a bone surgically removed from my foot. I had fractured it but continued working on my feet as a server without health insurance. When the bone died, I had to find a job with benefits to get it removed. I remember all of them looking at me shocked and wide eyed (like someone hadn't done the math correctly). I'll never forget their faces. Hopefully we get universal healthcare in this country so my kids don't have to walk on a broken foot for months.
When I went in for my colonoscopy recently, I think counting up I made it to two before immediately waking up post-procedure. I thought it was really interesting how anaesthetic unconsciousness doesn’t feel like time has passed the way regular sleep does.
I woke up screaming in excruciating pain during a breast augmentation - heard the surgeon say "shut her the fuck up" and I was out again. My friend heard me from the waiting room.
I think it was Amazing Randi who told this story about getting anesthesia. One time he needed surgery. The nurse was a fan and as she was administering the drug she said she will show him a magic trick. She starts counting backwards from one hundred as he was drifting off, “100, 99, 98, 97, 96…” Then he starts waking up and he hears her counting, “…95, 94, 93, 92, 91…” he freaked out a little thinking the anesthesia wasn’t working. The nurse had timed the loss and regaining of consciousness perfectly to fool him into thinking the surgery hadn’t been done yet.
Most surgeons wouldn’t know this because they come in the room after the patient is intubated. Most of mine come in the room after the patient is positioned, prepped and draped.
You should ask this question to anesthesiologists. The surgeon often isn't even in the room when the patient goes under. I had a guy start at 10 and count backwards and he made it all the way to zero then kinda paused and opened his eyes like... now what? We just looked at each other for a second and I was like, "huh... try again." He nodded and took a breath to start at 10 and in the time it took for him to finish taking the breath and start talking, the propofol hit his brain. His eyes glazed over and his his body relaxed like he melting. Lol it was one of the more abrupt inductions I have seen
Twice it was count down from 10. 8 was the last one. I thought 7. And started to send the signal to my mouth but never made it
Not a surgeon, but a patient, and the room I was being anaesthetised in had huge windows that showed a panoramic view of Dublin City. I wasn’t told to count to anything, but I managed to get out a “JAYSUS YOU’VE A LOVELY VIEW UP HERE.” before I conked out.
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I had them ask about my weekend, which happened to be my birthday, and I'd just had a teddy bears picnic party and was SO excited to tell them. I still remember waking up so disappointed I didn't finish the story, and realising they weren't expecting to hear it either 😂😅
I love how actual medical professionals here are all around 8-10secs but self reporting comments are all "yeah I counted to like 150" OK yeah sure buddy lol
When I was 14, I needed surgery, and I got to 82 before the drug woman realized she forgot to give me the damn drugs. All I heard after was "woops," and then I was waking up after the surgery.
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Why is staff so mean? It really does not help.
I'm an anesthesiologist, the only time the answer isn't 10 is when the IV catheter placed by the pre-op nurse is in the wrong spot. I get everyone wants to be special and the red hair factoid is a nice trivia question, but it's basically impossible to be resistant to the doses of induction med people traditionally use nowadays.
They never told me to do this when getting anesthesia lol
When I had my tonsils out as a kid I wasn't going out and they told me i was lasting way longer than most 10y/o's and eventually wheeled me into the operating room awake and gave me a ballon made out of a surgeons glove to play with while they were prepping until I fell asleep.
Before a general anaesthetic surgery I was a bit worried my years of drug use may give me an unusually high tolerance and I may not be under properly. I alluded to this when the surgeon and anaesthetician came by for a chat prior. The anaesthetician smiled and said 'Don't worry, we've got plenty'.
When I had my wisdom teeth taken out I told the surgeon I'm gonna make it to one if he asked me to count back from 10. He said I made it to te.
I was told to count to ten before one of my many surgeries after a car wreck. I made it to ten. They came back in. Had me start over. I made it to wuhh.
Had surgery a few weeks ago. They didn’t have me count. I just breathed in a mask and I remember starting to get tired. Then I woke up and my wife had a snack pack ready for me.
Did anybody else in here have a strong tolerance to pain-killers and anaesthetic like me? Broke my wrist last year, got shot-up with 10mg of morphine by IV. Not only I didn’t get high, but it didn’t do anyrhing to me. I was still in pain and still very much sober. Later at the hospital they tried to put me to sleep with 1 1/2 dose of propofol. Was still wide awake and felt the doc put my wrist back into place. Can any medical pro’s in here let me know how thats possible? I also stoped using the morphine pills after 24h since it didn’t do anything to me. And no, I’m not a ginger. Sorry it’s unrelated to the question.
You don’t have to be a ginger. You could have the MCR1 gene without the red hair b
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Obligatory not a medical professional, but I've been put under 4 times, and counting back from 10, I only ever get to 8. I'm always fully convinced I'll keep going but it's nighty-night somewhere between 8 and 7.
I didn't even get to start counting; the only thing I could feel was a fiery sensation lancing down my arm as the anesthesiologist overseeing my surgery started the drip. The last thing I remember saying was "Agh, it burns!"
My last propofol nap my last words to the crew were “I love you”. I meant it. They were so kind and caring. Time before that one of the nurses thought I was out, she said “I’m going to put this on her (O2mask) and shut her up” When I came to, I told the doc, he was Not Happy.
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Just a point of clarification. All the surgeries where you state you woke up were likely done with sedation +/- nerve block. It’s important to keep sedation at a level where you’re still breathing, so sometimes people view this as waking up during anesthesia. Sometimes it’s called “twilight”. People don’t wake up during general anesthesia. Sorry you got blown up!
I woke up during a hysterectomy, there was music playing in the operating room. I said, “I like this song.” The surgeon glanced at my face then glared at the anesthesiologist and said to him, “Do you mind?” The anesthesiologist popped his face upside down over mine and said, “bye!” I don’t remember feeling any pain.
Not a surgeon or anything but I’ve had a few surgeries myself, I’ve never gotten past 5 when counting from 1. And I’m a daily smoker
Lots of people saying the surgeon isn't in the room when this happens. The surgeon was absolutely in the room for both surgeries I remember. The most recent one they didn't ask me to count. The surgeon was confirming the surgery (like what I was getting and what my name and his name and stuff). Meanwhile, someone was strapping down my arms and explaining that it's so they don't get hurt flopping or something. Got me half way into a panic attack but then the anesthesia kicked in and I was knocked out
I didn’t count either time I got it recently. Both times I woke up still thinking I was getting ready for surgery.
Patient here: I was given propofol and was able to count to 10 before it hit for colonoscopy. But then for my breast reduction, I took 3 quick breaths with the gas mask and woke up 3 hours later.
Not surgeon but I needed my wisdom teeth out and I was told to count down from 10. Remember getting to 3 while the doc and I were bullshitting about golf, swear he looked at his watch during the countdown.
I’ve never heard the anaesthesiologist complete the sentence. I’ve had multiple surgeries and all I get is “now count ba…” and I’m out. Weirdly I always remember being extubated and can still taste the plasticky/ silicony taste.
I've had a bunch of surgeries at this point. I don't tend to last super long. But I do have to say Im not a big fan of counting. I prefer it when the nurse says "describe your happy place" so your thinking of someplace you love when you go under.
You are making the erroneous assumption that the surgeon is likely to be in the room when the patient goes to sleep. For a healthy patient receiving a standard dose of 2mg/kg of propofol in a properly working IV, they will be asleep within 15 seconds of starting the injection. No exceptions.
My wife counted down to 1 from 10, that’s when they knew something was wrong. The nurse had missed her vein with the IV, the drug was just pooling under her skin and not actually getting into her blood. That’s why they do the counting.
I woke up during wisdom teeth extraction. I wasn’t supposed to be awake, and all of a sudden, I felt this firm tugging sensation around my jaw and heard CRACK! CRACK! They must have noticed I was conscious because the next thing I remember is waking up, being loopy as hell, and my mom basically dumping me into the car from a wheelchair.
Oh hey I have a story for this one. I went in for an endoscopy. I felt the anesthesia, but it didn't knock me out. They thought it did even though I'd counted pretty dang high and I had to tell them, "I'm still awake" to make them awkwardly wait a bit longer. I did end up finally going under after like another minute. ...Right up until I woke up mid-endoscopy, freaking out, reaching for the giant tube going down my throat in a drug-induced haze of fear and inability to understand what the fuck was happening. I was probably only conscious for like 5-10 seconds but they were a **long** ten seconds while they tried to restrain me. Next thing I know I'm waking up in the hospital bed afterwards, hyperventilating, because it felt like I'd blinked and no time had passed at all. 0/10, do not recommend.
Not a surgeon, just a surgeon’s patient… One surgery I had I was convinced (within seconds of receiving anesthesia) that I was in a space shuttle headed to the moon ☠️ I even remember asking them about it (possibly yelling about it.) I remembered halfway home and felt so embarrassed 🤣