is there a doc in the house? how about a nurse? ;)
 

okay, please don't scare me anymore than i already am. i am posting here because i need reassurance, if you have a horror story PLEASE do not post it, because i don't know if i can go through with this as it is.

okay, i have to have my tonsils taken out, doc said absolutely no way around it. i am not afraid to be cut on, as a matter of fact i don't care about that all. they could perform a lobotomy on me for all i care, if i could just be awake for it! :no: this is MAJOR big huge phobia. like my biggest phobia of many! i am terrified to be put under....TERRIFIED......I AM YELLING THIS AND CRYING NOW, LIKE A BIG GINORMOUS OVERGROWN BABY.......absolutely scared to death of anesthesia. i have literally cried all day, (doesnt help my ears, nose and throat either!)

i need some words of encouragement, because i cant not have this done. doctor already told me it is not an option. please someone help be be less scared, because i am flipping terrified!

I'm so sorry you feel so bad, and sorrier still that anesthesia is a phobia of yours. I know that must have been very rough news to hear that you'd need an operation. :(

I had my tonsils out as a kid. I remember waking up and asking my mom when they'd do the surgery and I told her that I felt better so maybe I wouldn't really need it after all. She replied that I'd already had the surgery--it was so simple that I didn't even know they'd done it. It was super-quick and the anesthesia was brief and light.

If you let your doc(s) know about your feelings about anesthesia--and it's a common phobia, so they won't be surprised to hear it--they'll generally give you something to calm you down beforehand.

I'm one of the most phobic people ever, yet the last time I needed to get anesthetized, I remember (vaguely, heh heh) being wheeled into the OR singing and joking with the doctors and nurses. (I tried to hum Darth Vader's theme music because I thought a piece of equipment looked like the Death Star for some reason.) The harder thing to handle, by far, was the anxiety I had before getting to the hospital; if I'd told my doctor about it, he would have helped me deal with it either pharmaceutically or psychologically.

Talk to your doctor and see what he/she advises. They really can help. :)

I got my tonsils taken out last winter! Although it was a painful procedure, the doctors and nurses were so kind and they are so knowledgeable in their line of work! They do these very often and know what they are doing! :) It helped me to take comfort in their professionalism and kindness around my surgery.

But my most encouragement comes from how happy you'll be after! I have not had a single day of sore throat since I healed from surgery! :) I used to constantly have strep and sore throats and I'm so much healthier!

You CAN do this!! It will be so worth it. Trust your doctors! All my best wishes to you!

What is his reason that you have to have your tonsils removed?

awe shucks guys......i am crying again.......i just love the support here at 3fc. i know it is a simple procedure, just so scared i won't wake up..........

ddc:
i have had a chronic sore throat for almost a year. i also have a high white blood cell count, now the problem is reaching into my ears and have some hearing loss, well i have had hearing loss for a long time, but it is getting worse due to fluid in my ears, this morning my tongue and tonsils were so swollen i had teeth imprints on the sides of my tongue. and was having a hard time talking.....couple all that with ridiculously swollen tonsils and pain in throat and neck. all yea that green stuff i hack up is pleasant as well, the doc finallly said he has had it with me and my phobia, he called me a stubborn fool, and said it had to be done. yep he sure did.

Ok, yeah, sounds like you probably need to have it done.
I'm just a skeptic and thought maybe a second opinion might have another answer.
I'm sure you will be fine. Thousands of people have surgery everyday. But, I can understand your apprehensions. My son was told by a urologist that he needed surgery for a varicocele, but our second opinion doc said it wasn't necessary. We went with the second opinion.

Best wishes and hugs to you !! :)

Aww!! Don't be scared!!

I had my tonsils out in 4th grade RIGHT before my birthday, LOL. I had major issues, very similar to the ones you're having right now, so they HAD to come out. I remember crying because I was SO SCARED, and the nurse telling me it was ok. I hate needles, and I associated being put under with being "put to sleep" because of the way my mom explained the surgery. The nurse held my hand and told me to count backwards from 10. I remember getting to 9 and then waking up in recovery. Same with my appendectomy.

So :hug: You'll be great!! AAAND!! I recommend watermelon sorbet for recovery. :D

Awe... I have a friend with the same phobia, so I have seen it first hand. It helped her when I told her that it was just a time of uninterrupted sleep. (she had three kids under the age of 5 when she had surgery)

*hugs*

It will be ok. Cliche I know, but it will be.

hey pipernoswiper (met you over at the other thread a couple weeks ago :) ) I am so sorry you're SO anxious about this...but it will be fine! Your doctor would NOT advice general anesthesia if you were not able to handle it physically (however I don't like his tone for calling you a 'stubborn fool')

I know this is not as major as tonsils but I had dental surgery 3 weeks ago with general anesthesia; I was given a Valium 30 minutes beforehand and boy did that help. I did not watch as the asst. put the needle in my arm but I didn't feel it much or care at that point, I felt pretty carefree :D And I swear it felt like NO time passed, when they were rousing me.

I can't imagine how awful you must feel with them all swollen and infected and it affecting your hearing; I can only think how much better you will feel once those yucky things are out and you are recovering.

TIFF ~ I have been put under for knee, ears (twice), gums, hernias and last month a colonoscopy....

The drug nurse walks up and says" I am putting the goodies in the IV, you know what to do"...I say yes....count to 1 backwards from 10....she says "That won't be necessary".....snooooooze.....

Reminds me of a funny (not for my brother) story....when my 2 younger brothers were 6 and 4 they had their tonsils taken out...they knew their throats would be sore but they would get ice cream....my youngest brother wanted to know why his pee-pee hurt....

Mom and dad didn't mention he would be getting his circumcision at the same time....poor little guy....

You'll be fine....relax.....breath....

thanks again you guys...ALL OF YOU, like i'll be going along fine, think about it, start bawling, then start laughing cuz i'm bawling and being a baby.......i swear. and yeah the doc was actually frustrated with me i think.....sorta didnt tell the whole truth to him for quite some time, sigh.....because i knew what was going to happen, but this morning with the whole swollen tongue thing, had to come clean......he did agree though to treat me with some heavy antibiotics and hopefully....fingers crossed........i can wait till just after christmas to have it done,but that was truly like pulling teeth to get him to let me wait. i really don't want to do it before christmas. i go back to him next week, i will know then how when i have to do it for sure.

oh crap EZ lmao.............needed that! too funny

Its totally understandable. All I can offer you is a little prayer and good thoughts. And well wishes for a speedy recovery.

I know you are afraid, and frankly I understand. Just this July, I had to have a small procedure done (GYN) that they had to anesthisize me for. I fought with the doctor, and then was scared. It all turned out to be unnecessary. I am not joking, here or making light of it. It was the BEST NAP, I have had in years! The best part is that it was really nothing.
I know there will be some pain after you get up, but if you can focus on some relaxation techniques before, it may help out after. Good luck, and know our prayers are with you.

Totally understandable. I've had several surgeries and it always worries me.

But that stuff they give me beforehand as a relaxer, well, it's great stuff, the only problem I have with that stuff is that my mouth runs in overdrive, while my brain is in reverse.

The last time the nurse came in and gave me the relaxing stuff, then the anethesia guy came in to put in the IV and well, he was a guy a couple of years older than me that I went to high school with and had a crush on in high school, well, he told me to relax my hand on his, to see how relaxed I was, and yup! I told him all about the crush and how I'd always wanted to hold his hand. And how cute I thought he was back in the day and on and on. *rolls eyes*

He came to see me the next day to see how I'd gotten along, and I was somewhat embarassed but I did mention, I felt silly for what I said, he just laughed and said it was ok, he understood the drugs make people say all kinds of stuff, in fact, I was one of his nicer patients lately. :carrot:

You'll be fine and feel so much better when you get those pesky tonsils out.

On another note I work for a veterinarian and we use basically the same procedures on animals, it's all very safe stuff.