If you have had a colonoscopy, you know that the prep for the procedure is “torture”. However, the sleep during the procedure is “divine”. If it were only thus for two of my three surgeries. I have had three surgeries, the appendectomy, the prostate biopsy, and the most recent double inguinal (groin) hernia surgery. Yes, I know the anesthesia is different when a person has a colonoscopy, but for such intrusive and post pain procedures, could they not make the sleep enjoyable for regular surgeries?

I didn’t have a real surgery until I was 48 almost 49. It was  Saturday April 25, 2015. It was an emergency appendectomy. I had ZERO symptoms until 15 hours before my surgery. I even jogged 3 hours before my abdomen started aching. Once at Memorial Hospital in Chattanooga, I spent about 2 hours crawling to the Emergency Restroom Bathroom or rolling in constant discomfort on the waiting room floor. About 3 hours later, the ER physician said I needed pain medicine, but NO NURSE or whomever was attending, came to check my chart/computer. I lay and had dry heaves for another hour. I finally told Sean who was sitting by my side, “I don’t care who this disturbs, but I’m whistling for help!” I started, and the nurse walked in and said, “Sir, you are being too loud.” I answered, “I’m in pain!” The nurse continued, “… the doctor hasn’t given me any orders.”, I exclaimed, “He was here, and I asked for something for nausea.” Sean added, “yes, he was here and said he would prescribe Zofran.” I cannot remember if the nurse looked at a computer in the room or went to her station because my eyes were closed, but in a few minutes, she returned with the Zofran. I think she apologized, but it didn’t matter, the pain subsided until the CT scan was completed and read; appendicitis! This was approximately at 4 AM, and the emergency appendectomy was scheduled for about 7:30 AM that Sunday morning. The rest that I received from the anesthesia was spectacular. I did not even wake up from the surgery with a headache. Around 2 PM, the nurse had me walking, smiling, and talking as we strolled down the halls of Memorial Hospital. I was dismissed around 5 PM that evening. The BEST things to come of this emergency surgery were my surgery sleep/relief after 15 hours of abdomen pain and the surgeon on call, Dr. Walter Rose. I will mention him again later. The subsequent surgeries to come were lackluster to the appendectomy.

Fast forward 8 years to 2023 and my battle with a high Prostate Specifical Antigen along with an enlarged prostate. The MRI had shown LOW percentages of possible cancer; however, to be 100% sure, I wanted a prostate biopsy. It was at Erlanger with my urologist, Dr. Singh. The wait for this surgery was different, and I did not like it at all. The wait AND the post op was worse than the surgery! The sleep was okay, but Dr. Singh had NEVER said anything about being intubated. I did not realize they had stuck the tube down my throat until I could not swallow during lunch that afternoon. I never had a headache or felt nauseous, but I was “in a fog” all that Thursday. Friday and the weekend found me with lower abdominal pain and that was all. Thanks be to God I was 100% cancer free. If my prostate doesn’t behave, it could all happen again. Once again, neither a comfortable nor dignified experience, but at least the “rest” during surgery was so-so. I had not been battling agonizing abdomen pain for 15 hours, so I guess , perhaps, I didn’t appreciate the sleep as well. LOL

I wish someone would have shared that the longer the surgery the worse I would feel after the surgery. Not the pain, but the effects of the anesthesia. Back at Memorial on August 29 of this year, I found myself waiting for my hernia surgery. The surgeons in Knoxville could not even do an evaluation until the second week of September. Dr. Rose from Chattanooga could perform surgery a month earlier! As I lay on the gurney right before the surgery, the nurse anesthetist gave me my initial shot to “relax me”. I immediately felt the burn. OUCH!  In a few seconds, they began rolling me out of my private, pre-surgery holding room ( I do have to say KUDOS for the individual preop rooms at Memorial. The multi-patient preop room at Erlanger was horrible.) As I rolled to surgery, I remember seeing a few faces, but then I “was gone”.  When I started coming to, I could hear the quiet chatter around me, then the movement to a post op, individual room. The more I came out of the anesthesia, the worse I felt. I have an idea that most of us can take healing pain because we know that it will wane and finally subside, BUT that nausea accompanied by a headache! I did not want to open my eyes, and barely did for 6 hours. Most of you probably don’t know how much Sean loves popular music. As Sean and I pulled away from Memorial to return home to Knoxville, I asked Sean to turn off the radio. He made it over 2 hours without music because he knew how badly I was feeling; true love! I had nausea until up into the morning of August 30. It had been 24 hours. Four weeks later, there are just a few twinges of recuperation pain in my lower abdomen. I am lifting weights again (no squats as of yet) and jogging. However, the memory of the headache and nausea live on!

I will never forget listening to a wonderful, family friend, Gladys Souther Wilson, from Varnell ,Georgia. She had undergone multiple surgeries by the time she was 58, and she once said that every surgery is different. She was correct. If you have several minutes, share some of your surgery experiences. Does everyone have bad side effects from anesthesia? Does everyone go through headaches and nausea? Was my last 24-hour bout of anesthesia withdrawal normal?

So, to finish up, 1 ) Please , do, leave a comment. 2) I know most of us don’t like to plaster our surgeries across social media, so if a procedure or a surgery comes up where you would appreciate some prayers, reach out to me (DM on Facebook, Instagram, or a text message). I will do the same to you.

Last thing… thank you God for the people who have created anesthesia for surgeries whether they’ve been good or bad experiences afterwards. The sleep during surgery is one of Your mercies.