Is my view on the risk of surgeries optimistic, pessimistic or realistic? Trigger Warning: Topic of death

[Richelle-H]

You are probably more likely to die of infection in the hospital from what l have read.

Having contracted two blood born infections while in hospital I can say it is all too common. While in that hospital I also developed a blood clot in my left leg and that may have been involved in the TIA that I experienced; which almost ended my life ( I remember nothing of what went on between the time I lost consciousness and regaining it [ ~ 24 hrs. later] ). I found out that I had been as close to death as any one can come and still be themselves after regaining consciousness and the ability to speak (intubation makes that difficult ). Loved ones were told that I was unresponsive and might not survive, but here I am.

I have had more than a few surgeries in my lifetime, Each requiring some form of anesthetic. Most recently Fentanyl for a colonoscopy. Each time it was like a light switch turning ME off. It was not like sleep; no dreaming, no sense of time or place; a short bit of disorientation upon the light being turned on again. That is how I see death; the light switch goes to the off position and breaks off. I do not dwell on it anymore having been as close to death as you can come, and still be here and yourself, several times now. Worrying about it
is only inhibitory.

 

[Aspychata]

@Richelle-H

Leg blood clots are so dangerous, it's amazing you survived all that you did. Oh boy, l want to borrow your lucky charm. Seriously, get over to the lottery office.

 

[Richelle-H]

Leg blood clots are so dangerous, it's amazing you survived all that you did.

I have an IVC filter in my chest thanks to the first time and I am now permanently on a blood thinner thanks to it reoccurring in the same leg in almost the exact same place some six years later. I don't think that the luck that I have had in regards to my health and mortality translate well to the lotto; I have far to many losing tickets scattered throughout my life.

 

[Aspychata]

I didn't know it could reoccur in the same area. That was the problem with Covid vaccines, people can suffer from blood clots up to 6 months afterwards.

 

[Thinx]

I've had a couple of 'no other realistic choice' surgeries last year and again 2 weeks ago. Both were surprising emergencies, but as noted by others, odds were more about weighing the likelihood of death if I didn't have it with other potential risks if I did. No contest in either case. Yes it's strange as I wake up, this time I was a bit muddled because I took a while to realise I was only just waking up... weird. Thank all things good for our excellent emergency health services here in UK, on a shoestring yet going strong.

 

[Au Naturel]

That's a very philosophical point of view and probably one that I'd take. One should never get fixated on something one can do nothing about.

“There are only two things to worry about, either you are
healthy or you are sick. If you are healthy, then there is nothing
to worry about. But if you are sick there are only two things to
worry about, either you will get well or you will die. If you get
well, then there is nothing to worry about. But if you die there
are only two things to worry about, either you will go to
heaven or to hell. If you go to heaven, then there is nothing to
worry about. And if you to go hell, you'll be so darn busy
shaking hands with your friends you won't have time to worry.”​

― Wolfgang Riebe

 

[SusanLR]

I've had general anesthesia for four surgeries.
The totally going under with the anesthesia mask is so quick you don't know it happens.
But the so called "twilight" sedations of versed and fentanyl were a nightmare for me and I refuse them now. If it is something the doctors will do without sedation, I take the pain and stay awake. Propofol if I have to have something. Quick out.
Those have included cataract surgery- awake. No pain, just found it interesting.

Cardiac catheterization- awake. No pain, just had to know I must be able to lie still without panic.

The big one was a core liver biopsy-awake. Pain. And knowing I had to lie still or risk a possible life-threatening situation.
When asked the next morning by the doctor's nurse if I would recommend it to anyone else, I answered, if they want to know what being stabbed in the stomach with a knife is like, yeah.

A bit of input on what I experienced during and after the big four that required the total anesthesia.
The liver biopsy was because I had liver cancer.
My feelings were the same. I'd rather die on the operating table than not trying.
They had to remove half of it to get a clean removal of the tumor.
I was kept under a drug induced coma for two days. So, I was out during the surgery and wasn't allowed to wake up until two days later.
I did have two experiences while in the time of sedation.
I remember something that was like a dream.
It was like being in a large concrete drainage tunnel and I was sitting at the end of it looking through a wire covered opening at nothing but bright neon green light.

Then at some point, I felt I was wrapped up in a hammock swinging back and forth when I heard a man say, Happy Thanksgiving.
It probably was, since the surgery was the day before Thanksgiving.
Some smarties probably changing me to another bed on Thanksgiving.

The second surgery was a DNC. Pretty uneventful.

Third was a hysterectomy. I woke up in post-op suddenly and saw people running around dressed in white and quickly ask if we had been in a war.

Fourth was gallbladder removal.
Again, the anesthesia got to me. I woke up in post-op and couldn't feel my breathing. Thought I was suffocating and went into a panic attack. Two cc Ativan calmed that. The nurse said, " You couldn't be screaming if you weren't breathing, could you?" Makes sense and fell back asleep. The intubation tube was out so it wasn't that. She said the anesthesia hadn't worn off totally and I couldn't feel yet.