Karen Lynn Vidra, The Texas Tornado, click
here to update your pages on AuthorsDen.
Anesthesia Nightmare, Or: Anesthesia Gone Horribly Wrong (*FICTIONALIZED Account of a Very Real Problem For Many People*) by Karen Lynn Vidra, The Texas Tornado
Saturday, November 8, 2003
M'buti Sormiento writes about a secret that most people don't even know about, even her husband, Roberto. The following was extremely difficult for her to write. She cried as she wrote this story.
Got the idea for this story after watching the "Today Show" when there was a woman on there who talked about this problem. She had an eye removed, and she was on the operating table for 5 1/2 hours, and was AWARE of ALL that was going on around her and what was happening TO her DURING the duration of her surgery. She now has post traumatic distress syndrome BECAUSE of this, and her life hasn't been the same since!
Most people, upon going in for surgery, are nervous anyway, but each time I have gone in for surgery in the past, it awakens new and painful (and even frightening) memories for me.
When most people go in for surgery, they get anesthesia, and once the anesthesia takes effect, they don't know a thing (or feel a thing) until they wake up in the Recovery Room, and the surgery is finished.
(The type of anesthesia I am referring to is general. That is when the person is put to sleep before surgery, and they don't know a thing until they later wake up in the Recovery Room, and the surgery is overwith and done.)
For me, it isn't that simple.
Each time I have had surgery, I have been aware of everything that has gone on during my surgery, and I feel pain and pressure, which frightens the hell out of me. I can recall the doctors' and nurses' conversations as they operated on me, and I can remember that soft, relaxing music was being played in the operating theatre, and I also can recall feeling pain as they cut and did their surgery on me. I couldn't cry out or anything, as I was paralyzed from the medications I had been given, and I had a tube down my throat; so crying or trying to wiggle my fingers or give them some sort of sign that I was awake proved to be totally fruitless. All I could do was lie there and shake in terror as the pain and the uncertainty of my situation overtook me. Only then, when the pain DID get to be TOO intense did I mercifully black out.
I have had surgery for burns and also for removing dead skin from the time I had flesh-eating disease, and I can't even begin to tell you what I can remember from those surgeries. I can remember feeling incredible pain and pressure, and I also can recount conversations between the surgical staff and even the sounds, sights, and smells; all proved to be extremely unnerving to me, and I still suffer nightmares now from it. I have a condition known as anesthesia awareness, which is when a person who has undergone anesthesia remains aware, even after being given powerful drugs prior to surgery so the person isn't aware of the surgery, what is going on around them, or even aware of the pain or pressure that is normally not felt during the surgery. Sometimes I can't be put to sleep anyway during my surgery because I have extremely low blood pressure, but I am not referring to those times. I am referring to the times I had my deep skin debridements when I had been burned or had my flesh-eating disease, and even though I was SUPPOSED to be unconscious and/or unaware of what was going on, I was NOT. I was aware as I am right now as I type this, and I still suffer horribly from it. I still wake up in the middle of the night, screaming my head off, and shaking and sweating from terror, and I can't calm down until someone consoles me and tells me that I had a bad dream and that everything is going to be okay.
I have tried to tell people about my problem, but they look at me like I am crazy, and they think I have some rocks loose in my head. They tell me that I am being silly or just crying out for attention or sympathy because I happen to be disabled physically, but the truth of the matter is, I DO remember ALL that went on during my surgeries; and most of what I remember was NOT at ALL pleasant! It is no wonder I have such a morbid, unreasonable fear of hospitals, especially if I am scheduled for any surgery, no matter HOW minor. If people could only understand the trauma I have had to endure, or experience what I have first-hand, ONLY then will they sympathize with my plight!
Hmmm..I sometimes wonder if I really *AM* crazy. Maybe I DO belong in some mental hospital and pretend that all of this isn't real. But the fact of the matter is, this *IS* real, and it has really affected my personal life and my emotional one. I can't watch a show now on television that features surgery because of past traumas regarding MY surgeries, and it only opens up new wounds and causes me to have reaccurring nightmares. I have post-traumatic distress syndrome as a result of my anesthesia awareness, and my life thusly has been a living hell. I am trying to understand what has happened to me and WHY, and I am trying to see if I can find anyone else who has suffered problems similar to mine. So far, I have been unsuccessful, but if anyone can help me, I am desperate to know, and I hopefully won't feel so scared or alone.
~M'buti.
Authors' Note (Karen Lynn):
There IS help available for people such as M'buti or ANYONE who suffers from anesthesia awareness.
Anesthesia awareness is one of the best kept secrets in anesthesia, and the least-known phenonema in the medical or legal fields. People who suffer from anesthesia awareness are aware of their own surgeries, even after being given powerful drugs or pain-killers. They may be awake, but few people are aware of this.
The cause of anesthesia awareness is lack of care or attention on the part of the anesthesiologist before, during, or after surgery. Anesthesiologists admitted that they weren't aware of a person's awareness during surgery, as drugs given during the surgery are sometimes mislabeled or administered in the wrong order, and tanks do empty out before a doctor is aware that something is going on with the patient. Patients seldom get to meet their anesthesiologist more than five hours before surgery; they have no selection of anesthesiology provider or a chance to check out the credentials of or knowing whether the person doing the administering of the anesthesia is an M.D. or nurse anesthesiologist or whether he/she will be monitoring ONLY THEIR SURGERY or several other surgeries at once! Patients are rarely told whether they will be paralyzed and if and what types of monitoring equipment will be used to determine their level of consciousness.
The best act of defense against anesthesia awareness is an active defense, meaning that you act like you know more about the potential problem than you actually do.
WHAT TO DO IN THE EVENT OF A PROBLEM WITH ANESTHESIA AWARENESS:
~Make it clear in pre-op or pre-registration that you want time with your anesthesiologist, so you can't be accused of holding up the surgical schedule.
~Get answers to as many of these questions as possible BEFORE you are on the gurney. Don't be afraid to make an extra appointment with the anesthesiologist or be intimidated not to take his/her time before going to surgery. At the first sign of denial or minimization of the problem from the anesthesia provider, send up a red flag by informing him/her in no uncertain terms that you are AWARE that a problem exists, and you intend to have ALL of your questions answered!
~If the attitude of the anesthesia provider does not immediately change, insist on speaking to your surgeon or the supervisor of anesthesia services!
~Wear stickers into surgery, stating of your problems, so the surgical team is immediately made aware of your situation, and so every precautionary measure will be taken, so you don't "unexpectedly come to" during surgery or are aware of what is going on with you or around you. *Make sure that additional anesthetic drugs will be administered DURING your surgery if it is needed!*
~Find out if the hospital has a written policy and procedures regarding ANY patient who has anesthesia awareness or reports it. Then ask what those policies are and if copies are available in the event of a problem.
~Find out what patient advocate services are available, and be prepared to take advantage of those services. *Get a copy of the hospital's "Patient's Bill of Rights" and see that those rights ARE honored!* Evasive answers should NOT be accepted by ANYONE!!
~If there was ANY problem during your surgery, get your surgical and hospital records as soon as possible after your surgery! *Pay whatever charges are assessed, but GET THE RECORDS! DON'T allow for stalling tactics! Get the needed records AS SOON AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN! This is of the utmost importance!!*
For more information regarding Anesthesia Awareness, you can contact them by snail mail (Anesthesia Awareness, P.O. Box 8592, Reston, VA 20195-2492), or on the Web at www.anesthesiaawareness.com.
Its unnerving to know of this reality. You wrote about this in a very intersting way of giving it from a patient's point of view and then giving back up facts of what to do about anesthesia awareness. Very informative piece!
what a nightmarish write--to be under anesthetic, yet feel the pain and pressure...it happens more than the medical community is willing to admit. powerful, powerful write of a sad situation that must be addressed. well done--you've educated many with this outstanding write.
Suspenseful and close to home, Rain of Deception 2 will leave you in Tears. Much like Part 1, this will shocking sequel will keep you on the edge of your fingertips.
A page-turning novel about a relationship between best friends that is interrupted because of betrayal , deceit, sexual promiscuity and pregnancy happens!
Most people, upon going in for surgery, are nervous anyway, but each time I have gone in for surgery in the past, it awakens new and painful (and even frightening) memories for me.
