Well, that was uncontroversial...

[jducoeur]

Just got through the endoscopy, which was remarkable mostly for how utterly ordinary the experience was. I've never been under sedation before, so the prospect was a smidgeon daunting. In fact, the only unsettling part of the experience is the absolutely total retrograde amnesia. I don't even rememer waking up -- it just blended smoothly from "okay, we're putting in the sedative" to "okay, we're done", in an apparent span of about two minutes. I would *swear* that I didn't fall asleep, but there's 20-30 missing minutes in the middle there.

(As expected, there's nothing dramatically wrong -- a slight hiatal hernia. Does confirm that I'm going to have to experiment with and modify my eating habits, though. I *will* be cross if I have to swear off chocolate...)

Comments

[goldsquare.livejournal.com]

Did they give you Versed? Excellent for sedation and retrograde amnesia...

I remember my Versed before my recent surgery, and nothing afterwards. I woke up in my hospital bed. I don't even recall the recovery room.

[jducoeur]

Y'know, it didn't occur to me to inquire. Hmph...

[goldsquare.livejournal.com]

Or, you asked after. ::giggle::

[cvirtue.livejournal.com]

Be prepared for the occasional spot that you do remember, un-anchored to your time stream.

A day or so after my similar surgery/anesthesia, I remember quizzing the staff about some medical tubule, and them showing it to me, but I have no idea if it was early or late in the experience, or what it was, except that it was yellow plastic. Very peculiar.

[elizabear.livejournal.com]

I have been managing my hiatal hernia by moderating carbs. It's gotten a lot better over the years, to the point now where several bagels a week doesn't cause me pain.

[jducoeur]

Interesting. Certainly, I do tend to run a somewhat carb-heavy diet, so that's an intriguing data point...

[elizabear.livejournal.com]

My doctor specifically told me carbs were a factor, and it turned out to be true for me.

Of course, sometimes I forget (and it doesn't help to have #2 crowding my stomach). I had toast for breakfast and then french bread pizza for lunch, and it's kicked up a bit. :( Some antacids will calm things down a bit.

[dauphin1974.livejournal.com]

I deal with my hiatal hernia by taking smaller bites, eating slower and remembering to loosen my belt before sitting down to eat. The first two are common advice in all "living better" classes as well. In my case, there's no specific food that causes it, just something about how I eat. YMMV.

[jducoeur]

As with the previous comment from elizabear, that's interesting and possibly relevant -- certainly I have a bad habit of typically eating too quickly. Thanks...

[laurion]

The only time I've had sedation was like that. I faguely recall turning over, looking at the doctor and asking when the anastesia would kick in and when we'd get started, at which point he told me we were all done....

[hungrytiger]

Ditto. I have a vague memory of being wheeled in to the OR and the staff straping my arm down. The next memory is me wondering why it's taking so long to get started and where everyone is. I asked something to that effect only to find that we were already done.

It was somewhat disturbing, although it's not like I remember the act of falling asleep either.

[gyzki.livejournal.com]

I would *swear* that I didn't fall asleep, but there's 20-30 missing minutes in the middle there.

Yes, I had the same experience (or lack thereof?) with my shmolonoscopy a couple months ago: I "remember" that I was awake, but can't remember what was going on.

Anaesthetic

[metageek.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I had that effect when I had some surgery when I was a kid. The nurse pushed the plunger to put some anaesthetic in me; the next thing I knew, I was awake in the recovery room.

In my most recent surgeries, though (two separate operations on my arms, for RSI), I was awake the whole time. The stuff kept me from feeling pain, and made me spacey, but I could follow the conversation; and, at one point in the second operation, I was able to realize that I was starting to feel, and ask for more medication.