Surgery

[Unda]

So... I've not been able to work out lately (suck) because I've been in crippling abdominal pain, at first i thought it was back pain because it was radiating everywhere essentially above my hips and below my shoulders. Turns out that it's gall stones and my gall bladder is trying to bring me down from the inside and, well, seeing as I'm in alternating amounts of pain and on a really rubbish low fat diet to prevent it getting worse I can't work out at all and it's going to be WEEKS until they can get me into surgery. What has this place done to me? I'm going nuts because I can't work out!

So, bitching about that aside I wanted to ask a question from any rebels here who have been under the knife. I've never had surgery of any kind before, heck I've never even had PAIN like this before and I've certainly never been under general anasthetic before. What's it like having an operation? I've heard that general is like going to sleep and then waking up and it's all done (really hope that I don't wake up DURING or anything!), but how much does it hurt after? It's only keyhole surgery but they might end up taking the whole gall bladder out and not just the stones and, well, I imagine losing an organ HURTS. Do the painkillers that they give you after actually take the pain away or do they just make you too spaced to complain?

Basically I'm freaking out a bit here. I know I have to have the surgery and I do want to so that I can get better and get back to levelling up but... I'm kinda scared.

[ebm1224]

i feel you! i've been under general anestesia (sp?) a few times - an operation on my toe when i was like 11, wisdom teeth removal at 22ish, and an upperendoscopy a couple years ago. the thought of being not in control of my body and all the worries associated with surgery can be a bit overwhelming.

BUT! ...it's not that bad.

seriously.

waiting for the surgery is really the worst part. because it always seems to take forever. but once they start your anestesia you fall asleep pretty naturally. and then you wake up. it's a little disorienting at first but not bad. usually, you're pretty drugged up so likely you won't be in much pain. in reality, it takes abou 24 hours for the anestetia to wear off so that first 12 hours or so will likely seem kind of dream-like.

the best advice i can give is to have someone with you that you trust and care about. someone that can write down what hte doctor says about how things went, what you need to do to take care of yourself your follow-up appointment, and someone that can help you get home and situated so you can recover.

but don't worry - you'll be fine and feeling better soon! good luck!

[Unda]

I think you're right. I think it's the lack of control thing that scares me. I don't drink and I don't take drugs, i partially don't drink because i really don't like the taste, but a large part of both of those is that I hate the idea of not being in control of my own body. My body is mine, you know? I shouldn't ever be powerless in it. So the idea of being knocked out by drugs and having people actually cut me and remove bits of me is scary.

That's probably not a healthy way to look at this...

[Waldo]

My wife had her gallbladder removed about 6 months ago. She was quite worried about it beforehand but glad that its gone now in hindsight. The "attacks" she used to get from it looked absolutely horrifying.

And painkillers, unless they make you numb or take away inflammation, don't really do anything to take away pain. They just make it so you really don't care that its there.