Do you remember anything about your surgery??

My RNY was a little less than 90 minutes. I remember very clearly everything up until I was put under to to moment in recovery I could hear things, but didn't have my eyes opened yet, including the nurses talking about (of all things for an rny patient) bar-b-qued ribs and how delicious they were. Found out later they had all bought some bar-b-que plates for a fundraiser.

My plastic surgery last month was a little under 10 hours on the table. I have foggy recollections at best of recovery. I did have great music going on in my head. I got out of recovery and into my room about 7 that night after going in about 7 that morning and I don't have really clear memories until the next day.

 I don't remember going in to the OR, but I remember being in recovery.  I was throwing up from the pain and the nurses were really sweet.  They kept asking me what my pain level was on a scale of 1 to 10 and I kept saying "ummm a three".    A THREE???  I think I was a big liar.  Also a friend of my sister's worked in there and I remember talking to her, and another nurse was telling me she'd had RNY a year ago and I told her she looked great, but that was the truth.  My sister's friend told her later that I was really sick in there, but I only remember throwing up once, maybe twice.

When it was time to go I remember the nurse giving me a shot and my husband and sons telling me they love me.  I woke up in recovery a couple of times and one of the nurses said my family will be waiting for me in my room.  They were there  for a few moments, I told them I loved them and would see them later.  Lights out until the next day other than remembering a couple of stats being taken during the night.

I remember being in preop, IV, the whole shabang ... UNTIL they gave me the Versed (the amnesia medicine).  Then it's weird little memories, like ... barely remember scooting onto the OR bed.  Barely remember the mask (and I remember it being black, and we don't have black ones in our OR).  Next thing I knew, I was in Recovery, realized who my nurse was (someone I didn't like), feeling nauseated/hot.  Next, I was in my room, still groggy but knew I had to pee.  I had people tell me later that they had come to visit me, but I had no memory of them being there.  That kind of thing.

I'm now a nurse in the OR at the hospital I had surgery in, and I'm having plastic surgery there tomorrow (tummy tuck).  NOW...I'm almost scared that I won't remember anything, because I know all of the people who will be taking care of me and participating in my surgery, putting my catheter in, etc.  I'm more nervous now than I was 3 years ago.  lol  My concerns are about things like ... what will I say?  what about being naked in front of coworkers?  Aaaaaaaaaaah!  lol  But at least I got to hand pick my team.  

As for brain fog, I have that NOW and I can't blame it on surgery.  Well, kinda I guess I can because it's nerves...right? 

I wish I didn't remember as much from surgeries or procedures.  Unfortunately Versed does not have an amnesic effect on me.  Now the lingering effects of forgetfulness I have heard of after Versed use in some individuals.  The Versed is just to relax you pre-op and not usualy to help induce anesthesia, that's usually diprivan.  Google Versed, if you don't want it agin (because the side-effects are too bothersome) you can ask them to skip it.  Some anethesiologists don't always offer it anyways and some love it. 

I know it doesn't work with some folks. I'm in bliss everytime I know they're going to use Versed on me, because I know I won't remember a thing.

Once, during a colonoscopy, they didn't give me ENOUGH of either the versed or whatever else... I woke up halfway through the procedure and I REMEMBER that. yuck

Then another time, I was getting a cortisone injection in my tailbone (my second such injection) and this time they FORGOT to give me all the happy drugs. The nurses and other people were talking about all kinds of strange things and ignoring me, then the doc approaches me with this SWORD of a needle... and I started complaining loudly... NOBODY GAVE ME THE HAPPY DRUGS... GIVE EM TO ME NOW BEFORE YOU STICK THAT THING IN ME!!!!!

I really, honestly could have done without seeing that freaking needle and REMEMBERING it. Especially as I'm having the same procedure in a couple of weeks. Already having nightmares about having my rear end skewered. (that sounds wrong!)

Lady lithia, I know the horror. I have had quite a few spinal injections and like I said before versed doesn't have an amnesic effect on me. It does relax me a little for about 5 or 10 min. I wish they used diprivan for them like a lot of docs do for endoscopy now. Although I guess its a little more important to be semi conscious for the spinal injections. Hope your injections were helpful.

Versed.  It's some good stuff.  It has an amnesiac effect.

I remember right up to the time I scooted over to the OR table, then I heard the anesthetist say "here comes the propofol".  I also remember hearing the scrub tech say "So and so, I need you to put on a pair of gloves and help me get these instruments together" at which point I laughed... because his instruments are a pain to get together the first few times you use them.

I remember the anestes.... person giving me something in my IV, saying goodbye to my husband, being wheeled down the hall and through some double doors into an operating room that didn't look like an operating room and I think maybe 3women in scrubs were standing there and then I don't remember anything until waking up feeling like I was going to puke.  Someone said, "wake up and BREATHE!" and I looked around and felt dizzy and nauseas and asked for a bucket to puke in.  (which never happened)  Then I remember my room after i woke up again..and some friends visited me...I remember that they came..but I have NO idea what we talked about.  Aparently I talked on the phone to all 3 of my sisters at different times, a couple other friends and my parents and I don't remember ANY conversations with any of them.  I don't even really remember my fist day home.  It wasn't until after I took myself off of the pain meds that my "brain started working" again.  :)   I've had 2 C-sections before and NOTHING knocked me out like that before.

I insisted on walking to the OR.

I had no Versed.

I remember everything like getting strapped in, until they put the mask on my face.

Had a chance to meet the whole medical team before I went under, and developed a crush on the Resident who would be first assisting. (What was his name, again?)



Generally speaking, I'd guess it's best NOT to remember too much about our surgeries, right? I'm pretty happy with my level of memory...