The stars have finally aligned

[UberScout]

Ladies and gentlemen, the stars have lined up.

I got back from my consultation at the oral surgeon the other day. They have at long last decided on a date for my dental surgery. Two days after Christmas, I will go under to have this demon in my mouth exorcised at last. No more pain attacks at 3 AM!! No more bone-shattering, nerve-crippling pain!!

That is the good news.

The bad news?

I'm shaking at the thought of going under another medical sleep again. I've done it four times in my life, so I have experience. But, there was the very first time it happened;

When they woke me up the first time, they almost couldn't get me up, and they had to shout my name loud enough for the whole recovery pod to hear. Two other kids in there were watching, and we're a little scared, because I popped up like a hyperactive Frankenstein. The reason? I didn't even know I was asleep; in fact, I actually thought I was dead...

And for all I know... I probably WAS dead. If that's what death was like, then let me explain the feeling; i was half-blind, in a black and grey space. There were candleflames floating around me, speaking in low voices. Shapes of all kinds were flying about as well, in different colors.

I tried to talk to the flames, but I couldn't speak, though I could think. Apparently the flames heard my thoughts, because they kept saying things like "everything happens for a reason, child" and "this is all part of the plan, just trust us" . The black space got brighter and brighter, until I heard them.

I shot up awake because I was afraid, and I was too young to leave. Was that death ? Was I really dead? Is that what I'm going to see when it happens for real?

And what if i go there again? What if I end up staying there?! What will I do?! What would my mom and stepdad or sisters say?! Oh God... No...I can't go back there!! If that was Hell, I don't want to go back!!

What do I do?! Someone tell me!!

 

[SusanLR]

I've had three major surgeries and I'm always shaking in shock as they put me under.
The experience was never good.
Once it took two bottles of Narcan to bring me back and Narcan is not to be used unless absolutely necessary as it is known to cause cardiac arrest many times.
One of the times I just suddenly popped up, eyes flew open and I couldn't feel myself breathing.
Guess I woke up too soon. Scary as could be. I panicked and was put back under with a shot of Ativan.

The most major, when I had half my liver removed due to cancer, I had one of those weird experiences too while I was under.
I was sitting inside the end of what looked like a large concrete pipe, like a water or sewer main,
and there was a black grid like covering over the end so I could not go through. Beyond it I saw nothing
but bright green coloured light. I wasn't afraid. I was just sitting in that pipe looking through the mesh
at the beautiful light.
Never had a dream like that or another experience like it under anesthesia.

I avoid being put under at all costs unless absolutely necessary.
I had eight teeth pulled just with local novacaine in preparation for braces in my teens.

When I had to get my liver biopsy I refused to be put under. Very dangerous. If you jump and the
needle goes in the wrong area, whoops!
It was like being stabbed in the stomach with a knife. Worst pain I've felt in my life.
But, I kept still. Now That's how bad I hate to be put under.

Who knows what the death experience will be like. Maybe you communicated with what looked like
flames. Maybe I saw a bright green light and the mesh at the end of the tunnel meant
I couldn't go to it. Who knows? It may be a different experience to different people.

 

[tlc]

Good for you. I fought a bad molar and constant flare ups and abcesses with it for over a year, just had it out a few months ago. Have had teeth out being put to sleep before too, along with 2 digestive scopes this year. For me it was one of the easiest things I ever did. Never even needed pain meds afterwards, even though they prescribed them just in case.

This was a consultation, did you explain your prevoius experiences with being put out? If they know that, they can make adjustments and be extra watchful this time. They've likely dealt with this before and maybe there's a different medicine they can use.

 

[Progster]

I've had anaesthetic twice in my life, once to have teeth out and once for surgery. Having the teeth out just meant I was knocked out for a few minutes, no dreams, nothing. Off then on. When I had the anaesthetic for surgery, it felt like falling asleep, with the difference that when I'm normally falling asleep and become aware of it, I immediately stop falling asleep and become awake again. It was like I was dreaming and then I woke up and it was over, feeling groggy. Like sleeping, but definitely not sleeping, because when you are asleep, you can still become aware of your envorionment and respond to stimuli, and any stimuli will cause you to wake up, but that doesn't happen when you are under anaesthetic, it's a reduced level of consciousness and mental functioning. It's very scary because I have no control over it, my life literally in the hands of the doctors, but I went through with it because it was either that, or a slow, certain death from breast cancer.

When I had to get my liver biopsy I refused to be put under. Very dangerous. If you jump and the
needle goes in the wrong area, whoops!
It was like being stabbed in the stomach with a knife. Worst pain I've felt in my life.
But, I kept still. Now That's how bad I hate to be put under.

Wow, there's no way I could have done that. I don't deal well with pain and being poked, prodded, etc. I think I would have taken the anaesthetic.

 

[UberScout]

Whoa whoa, hold up, you had breast cancer?!

That hit me like a ton of bricks just now. I couldn't imagine living with cancer at all; in fact it's one of my biggest fears.

 

[tree]

@UberScout

When I had my four wisdom teeth out, I was not asleep.
They were, each one, impacted (stuck under other teeth, no
possibility of them ever erupting.)

I have had general anesthetic six times, but not ever for any
dental procedure. How does it happen that your procedure
has been scheduled for 'being asleep'?

 

[George Newman]

@UberScout

When I had my four wisdom teeth out, I was not asleep.
They were, each one, impacted (stuck under other teeth, no
possibility of them ever erupting.)

I have had general anesthetic six times, but not ever for any
dental procedure. How does it happen that your procedure
has been scheduled for 'being asleep'?

I can request that I be put to sleep for my dental procedures but my insurance will not cover it. As a result, I’ve never been under for dental procedures. I’ve not tried since my HFA diagnosis.

 

[UberScout]

@UberScout

When I had my four wisdom teeth out, I was not asleep.
They were, each one, impacted (stuck under other teeth, no
possibility of them ever erupting.)

I have had general anesthetic six times, but not ever for any
dental procedure. How does it happen that your procedure
has been scheduled for 'being asleep'?

I don't know how, but somehow they understood what "asleep" meant, at my consultation. That, and the doctor there actually remembers me, because I went there for my wisdom teeth three years ago.

He knows I'm Autistic and that I have a very low tolerance of pain of any kind, so he kinda worked out a unique set-up specifically for me... I guess I should feel special. Well, what he told me was that I wouldn't be %100 asleep, I would still be breathing on my own, but not conscious enough that I know there are forceps and picks tearing at my viscera.

 

[Mr Allen]

I had my wisdom teeth took out aged about 11 (so nearly 32 years ago).

I felt nothing as I was under local anaesthetic at the time, and when I came round they had me playing video games (not Xbox, it was the mid 80's)

 

[rollerskate]

Ladies and gentlemen, the stars have lined up.

I got back from my consultation at the oral surgeon the other day. They have at long last decided on a date for my dental surgery. Two days after Christmas, I will go under to have this demon in my mouth exorcised at last. No more pain attacks at 3 AM!! No more bone-shattering, nerve-crippling pain!!

That is the good news.

The bad news?

I'm shaking at the thought of going under another medical sleep again. I've done it four times in my life, so I have experience. But, there was the very first time it happened;

When they woke me up the first time, they almost couldn't get me up, and they had to shout my name loud enough for the whole recovery pod to hear. Two other kids in there were watching, and we're a little scared, because I popped up like a hyperactive Frankenstein. The reason? I didn't even know I was asleep; in fact, I actually thought I was dead...

And for all I know... I probably WAS dead. If that's what death was like, then let me explain the feeling; i was half-blind, in a black and grey space. There were candleflames floating around me, speaking in low voices. Shapes of all kinds were flying about as well, in different colors.

I tried to talk to the flames, but I couldn't speak, though I could think. Apparently the flames heard my thoughts, because they kept saying things like "everything happens for a reason, child" and "this is all part of the plan, just trust us" . The black space got brighter and brighter, until I heard them.

I shot up awake because I was afraid, and I was too young to leave. Was that death ? Was I really dead? Is that what I'm going to see when it happens for real?

And what if i go there again? What if I end up staying there?! What will I do?! What would my mom and stepdad or sisters say?! Oh God... No...I can't go back there!! If that was Hell, I don't want to go back!!

What do I do?! Someone tell me!!

Near death experiences aren't even in the same ballpark. You're relaxed and happy, not afraid at all. Good memories fly past you. You may hear or see dead ones reassuring you that everything is okay, and they've been waiting a long time to be with you again. There's a light you feel very drawn to.

Anesthesia is horrible, and they hada hard time getting me to stay asleep. Honestly, is there any way you can request laughing gas instead, or are they done with that nowadays? That is MUCH better than whatever they put in the drip.

I'm going to need wisdom teeth pulled soon, too, probably. But I'm not nearly as afraid of being put to sleep as I am of being awake during that. I had some drilling done for cavities as a kid. They used a local, but I could still feel it. I cried the entire time, with them insisting I couldn't feel anything, and I am like. Yes the hell I am. Why can't anyone acknowledge that?

Looking back now, I wonder if that was a hint of my autism.

I also had a local used in a minor surgical procedure. I still felt that, too.

The one time I was put under, it was against my will, and I kept waking up and trying to run. They ended up strapping me down to the table. Then had the nerve to tell me I never woke up. But I remembered what they were doing, and later looked it up to find out. That was indeed real.

I don't remember any weird dreams. Just battling to wake up and escape.

 

[Mr Allen]

On the contrary, if you're in the scariest experience ever, it's literally brown trousers time

 

[tree]

@UberScout

Viscera means internal organs.
Like in your abdomen.
It is unlikely that anybody would be messing with you there,
while you're at the dentist.

They gave me some valium before I had my wisdom teeth out.
It was not a stressful experience.
I had local anesthetic.