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This and That and Talk - My Transplant

Transplants | Last Active: Aug 14 9:57pm | Replies (1677)

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@gaylea1

@rosemarya I have a quick question to ask you. I am overcoming my anxiety about the surgery except for one part. I am afraid that I will be awake when the breathing tube goes in and waking to having the breathing tube still in place. I have had a few nasty experiences where I wasn't completely sedated and choking on the breathing tube as it was inserted. I'm also afraid of waking and choking on the tube. Do they wait until you are totally out to insert the tube and do they remove it prior to waking?

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Replies to "@rosemarya I have a quick question to ask you. I am overcoming my anxiety about the..."

I had my transplant 7 mos ago and I can tell you that the last thing I remember was starting to get a spinal and the first thing after surgery was in recovery. Be sure to let the anesthesiologist know about your concerns. I told him about my problem with nausea. They will come up with a plan to address them. I also was asked about the last thing I remember prior and the first after.

gaylea,
As you may or may not know, I had a dialysis treatment before the surgery. During that time, the anesthesiologist came to visit me. He explained to me exactly what he would be doing to me before and during the surgery. He asked me if I had any concerns or questions. My main concern was that I didn't want to feel anything, or be aware of anything. I just wanted to fall asleep, and then to wake up. He assured me that that was exactly what he was there to do. He added that I didn't need to worry about anything. And that is exactly what happened.
I have only a vague awareness of people moving around me and voices as I was waking. My favorite voice was my son saying, "Mom, you're not yellow!" The breathing tube was already gone.
I was amazed at how everything (liver and kidney transplant) seemed to happen in the blink of an eye.

@gaylea1 somewhere else on Connect another member suggested bringing a history of your general anesthesia experiences with you to share with the anesthesiologist. How you've felt or reacted in the past can be useful information for them. Perhaps you could write things down and put it in your bag.

@gaylea1 this may sound strange, but I have no memory of having a breathing tube! I suppose I must have but I was very out of it, and I think that is probably typical.
JK