ANA Discussion Forum
Archive => Archives => Topic started by: msuscottie on August 30, 2005, 10:19:14 am
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Just curious, how quickly did everyone wake up after your surgery? What was your first thought? The first thing you saw?
Just curious because after my first surgery I was out for almost 3 days because of complications and I don't really remember the instant that I woke up. I'm heading inti stage 2 surgery within the next year or so, and just wanted to get an idea on what to expect.
Thanks!
Scott
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3.5cm AN Partially Removed
10/7/04 Providence Hospital, Southfield, MI
Dr. Pieper & Dr. LaRouere
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I woke up in intensive care  they were giving me injections which immediately made me start vomiting.  My dad and mom had just walked in but they were taken out and I fell back asleep. Probably was awake the first time within 30 minutes of surgery
When I came too again I was in pain, my head was propt up funny.  My neck hurt and I was afraid to move as I had no idea what I was supposed to do.   I search for a nurses call button but couldn't find one.  I grabbed the little basin they have for you to thow up in and started banging on the rail of the bed.  I tired calling out but my voice wasn't really working.  After an hour of me banging out SOS on the rail  a nurse finally came in and asked me "do you need something?  I heard you banging out SOS and I figured you were just trying to be funny. ÂÂ
They gave me a call button this time.  gave me more injections and I was out again.  I awoke very sick,  pushed the call button and it did not work. It was broken. A doctor saw me throwing up and a nurse finally came in about an hour after I originally pushed the call button.
the next surgery I woke up on my way to the room. I was in a lot of pain.  They dosed me with moraphine (which makes me very very sick) and i spent the day in a haze of pain and fleeting consiousness. So within about 10 minutes of leaving the OR.
Now I know why you want someone to stay with you.  For me it wasn't really an option.ÂÂ
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My surgery was about 8 hours and I woke up 2 to 3 hours after that. At first it  was wierd because I could hear what was going on around me, but I could not open my eyes. When I finally did, I was hoping I would see my kids and my hubby, but I unfortunetly saw a member of my family who I am not too crazy about. Seeing him and being on morphine was not a good combo. LOL! I just remember, I was soooooo thirsty and I wanted the bandage on my head off because it was so tight and of course, I kept wanting to know about my tumor, but I could not seem to get my words out. Once I was off the morphine, I felt so much better.
matti
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I remember my husband and brother kissing me when I get moved to ICU, about 2 hours after surgery. I have no memory before that. For the next 8 days I was over-medicated and was constatly hallucinating, throwing up and sleeping. Once I got moved to rehab and was taken off the pain meds I "woke up" for good.
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My surgery was about 8 hours, it was late in the day when I woke in recovery and don't remember being moved to ICU. I do remember waking for a moment in ICU and seeing my husband and in-laws. I remember my mother in laws saying, "my gosh she has IV's everywhere, even in her foot". My husband took my hand, but I couldn't grab hold as my arm was numb. I couldn't speak but a whisper and tell him, that was hard. I had a nurse..what a piece of work she was. I needed ice BAD! Now I can't speak and I am in ICU whispering at the top of my lungs "could someone help me" over and over. My nurse comes over all put out and states, "I have work to do, you need to let me get it done, so here you take your ice". Then promptly walks away. Needless to say, I was in and out and taking in more chips then I should have...you guessed it sick all over! Well at that point I was definately awake!!! LOL
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My ICU was fine. No vomiting, no real pain. I remember my Dad and sister talking about 2 hours after surgery but I was too tired to respond.The nurses were great. One of the nurses gave me a sponge bath the next day, it was wonderful and she was so gentle. Later I realized that ICU wasn't really about me getting better, it was about making sure I didn't die. When they are sure you will live, they send you to the hospital to get better.
I know everyone has very different experiences. Mine just went really well.
Mary
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I woke up in the recovery room. I remember one of the docs talking to me, but I couldn't see him. I eventually opened my eyes and there was a recovery nurse walking around my hospital bed constantly checking things. I kept asking her questions about my surgery, how it went, is my face moving, did they get the whole tumor out etc. She knew nothing! I was so frustrated because I wanted answers and she had none. She said that my family knew everything and that I would see them shortly. I think I was in recovery for about 2 hours, then they wheeled my bed into the ICU and I was able to see my wife and family. I was surprisingly with it, even the doctors/nurses commented on it.
Oh...and I was so thirsty and I was craving pizza. My wife said all I kept talking about was pizza. :D
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I asked my husband this question because he just had his surgery last week. He was awake shortly after the surgery was over and remembers masked surgical faces like doctors bending over him and saying "wake up." He thought he was still in the OR. Probably not far from the OR if it wasn't in the OR. Maybe in a recovery area? Not sure. Then he remembers being wheeled into the ICU and feeling like crap. I got to come in about 5 minutes after he woke up. They were very accommodating about me visiting him. He said to me, "Oh, my head hurts." And I said, "It will get better, hon." And he said, "Please, please keep telling me that." He was in a lot of pain and nausea, he said. I almost fainted then because I felt so bad for him. I got lightheaded and had to sit down with my head between my legs. That was about 10 p.m. and he was awake for most of the night because of the pain and nausea. They gave him morphine but it wasn't helping with the pain. Around 5 a.m. they switched him to a different IV pain medication and he went to sleep for an hour. Then they woke him up again to check him over.
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I WOKE UP A COUPLE OF HOURS AFTER SURGERY WHILE IN ICU.......A MESSAGE OF RECOMMENDATION FOR EVERYONE ASK FOR NAUSEAS PILLS IF YOU WAKE UP AND FEEL YOU'RE ABOUT TO THROW UP THEY PREVENT YOU FROM IT AND ARE GREAT.
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I cannor remember how soon after the operation I "woke up" but my stay in ICU was not good because of the nurses regarding me as being unable to notice or respond. I had one nurse who spent the time throwing his keys into the air. They were all pretty unresponsive to my needs although there was supposed to be one nurse to each patient. Also there was a shift of clerical workers who came into the centre of ICU from 10pm to 6am (ICU was like a wheel with cubicles off the centre) and the workers worked in the centre. So from 10pm to 6am it was noisy with people talking.
Reading all your posts I think my experience was mild compared to all yours. I was disgusted with the treatment so many of you described. There are drugs which can be put in with the anaesthetic - usually there should be no nausea, and lack of pain management is unnecessary generally. Of couse sometimes some people don't react well to medications but there are so many posts describing this.
It seems to doctors do their jobs as well as they can but the care afterwards doesn't seem to mastter much. Is there anything we can do about this for the ones following us?
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Bluestar, you right. I had an awful experience in ICU. I remember crying because I wanted my husband so bad,they didn't let him stay. My nurse seemed annoyed from the get go. I remember it was very loud in the ICU that night, they were having a going away party for someone. Looking back that is probably why I was awake alot that night, really just wanted to sleep. When they let my husband in the next morning I was never so glad to see someone in my life. I told him what had happened once I could get all the words out(took most of the next day), he never left my side (once I got a regular room) for the rest of my hospital stay. I am facing down a possibilty of another surgery, BUT my surgeon and I will have a "prayer" session on this matter.
As far as the nausea drugs and pain management, that I will say I was lucky on. I made myself sick on all that ice, only. Pain and nausea were kept under control throughout my stay. I had some great nurses once in my room. They were able to make my trip home more bearable. Long, long drive. For this I was very grateful! But the funny thing is, I guess I didn't learn my lesson in ICU, my husband told me all the way home I kept asking for ICE!!!!!
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When I woke up, I felt ZERO pain or nausea. My wife stayed with me the whole time in the ICU and my regular room. The ICU nurse tried to make her leave at night, but I nicely said "Hey, I just had brain surgery, my wife is going to stay the night with me." She said ok, pulled the curtains and no one ever said a thing to us.
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I had surgery in May. I can't say enough about my doctors and all the staff at U of Michigan. The ICU nurses and staff attended to me around the clock. I can't remember much of the first few days, but I do remember one nurse telling me"it's no time to try and be a hero", meaning I kept trying to put off the pain meds as long as possible. When I asked for it as soon as I started feeling the pain, I felt much better. Yes, I was very nauseous(sp?), but I always react that way to the anesthetic, not everyone does. I had a very positive experiance. luv2teachsped
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Just curious, how quickly did everyone wake up after your surgery? What was your first thought? The first thing you saw?
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Woke up right away after 7.5 hours of surgery
"Damn, my neck is sore"! - from being jerked to the side for 7.5 hours.
Team of doctors and my wife who noted that I could smile.
Then, I threw up.
:)
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Not sure on how quickly I woke after surgery, but the first thought was, "why are you waking me up, I'm tired!", then immediately the second thought was, "HEY I WOKE UP!!!!" WooHoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I had my surgery on May 3rd. The last thing I remember was saying night-night to Jerry and telling the doc to be on his best. The next thing I remember is opening my eyes and seeing the clock in the ICU. I left for surgery at 11:45 am......being told I would be in surgery at least 4.5 hours. When I looked at the clock, it read 4:45. I panicked cuz that meant I was under for 17 hours. In fact, my surgery was over in 3.5 hours and it was 4:45pm the same day. I was relieved. My first thoughts after waking and being told the correct time was relief....that it all must have gone better than okay.
After waking, I have total recall. Didn't go in and out...and was told I was talking in recovery...no recall of that.
I realized right away I had left-sided facial paralysis....and was bummed. Didn't understand the ramifications of an eye that wouldn't close...until several hours later.
The staff in ICU were great...and it helped me and them immensely that I had studied this indepth before having the surgery...before actually going to the doctors.
If I can suggest anything to the newbies...read, read, read about this...ask, ask, ask questions...and be opened-minded. We all come out of this differently....no two surgeries are the same.....
But don't be afraid to ask questions....and question the answers you get if you feel the need to.
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I have no idea what the time was when I woke up, or how long my surgery was. I should ask my parents I guess. I remember being very cozy in all the blankets that I was under. My mom and dad were there and I made my mom feel bad because I told her she didn't have to wait around all evening and only see me for 10 minutes every hour. She thought it was because I didn't want to see her, but that's not what I meant.
The nurses in ICU were great. I didn't like it though when she would make me roll from my back to my side..I'm sure you can all recall how that felt! I thought I was going to fly off the bed!
Kristin
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Are any of these responses, except Kristins from surgery at House?
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My response was a House surgery.(mary 117). I was just glad to be awake again. And as I said before, the nurses were great.
Mary
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I woke up about an hour after surgery. I was in ICU. I remember seeing my sister and son standing at the end of the bed. I looked at them and said God is Good! Then I complained about my nose itching. They stayed for a little while and then I fell asleep. The nurses in ICU were great! I never once had to press the nurses button. The doctors were great also! Ann
Surgery at House Ear Clinic
July 26, 2005
Dr. Brackmann & Dr. Hitselberger
5mmx8mm left AN
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I had my surgery 5/9/05. My surgery was 10 hrs long, not sure when I woke up in ICU, but when I did my mouth was really dry and the room was tilted. I felt like I was going to fall out of bed, when I looked to the right instead of looking at the wall I was looking directly at the floor. I kept hanging onto the rails afraid I was going to fall. When my boyfriend and son came in to see me I asked him to lick my lips, because the nurse would not give me anything. Of course, he did not. LOL :) :)
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Icechips were like gold to me since that was all they offered. I guess they were for everyone alse here too.I remember pleading with the nurse for just one glass of water. I also remember throwing up when I first stood up but felt so much better afterwards. By day two all I wanted to do was test myself and when the PT suggested walking up and down the staircases with thier help I was very motivated and excited. They were astonished at how well I did so shortly after surgery. Today balance is not a problem.