Peaceful thoughts as you were just about to go under before surgery

[Heart Of The Sunrise]

I would love to hear of the many peaceful experiences that occurred as you were being prepped and put under for surgery.
I am sure this will help others like me who are on the roller coaster of good and bad thoughts in the pre-surgery phase.:angel:

 

[ski girl]

Peaceful thoughts? Nope. One minute I was looking around and talking, and then . . . I woke up in ICU. They *really* knock you out for OHS and you go under very quickly!

 

[Heart Of The Sunrise]

Peaceful thoughts? Nope. One minute I was looking around and talking, and then . . . I woke up in ICU. They *really* knock you out for OHS and you go under very quickly!

Maybe I should have said any and not many. I am glad that I will be knocked out quickly.Thanks for responding.

 

[Cooker]

When I got to the hospital they gave me "peaceful meds" ... if you need something to calm your spirit they will be more than glad to provide:cool2:

I was joking with the docs and nurses and others ... the next thing I knew was ICU and a new valve ... you will be fine:smile2:

 

[Guyswell]

Heart of the Sunrise,

When it was time for my second valve operation, I wanted to go back to the same surgeon but had to wait for an opening. In the weeks leading up to my surgery, my symptoms of angina and shortness of breath were worsening. One day, as I was sitting at my desk worrying, I heard a small, quiet voice inside me say "trust God". From that moment on, whenever I started to feel worried, I would hear that voice.

On the day of my surgery, as I was lying on the operating room table waiting for the anesthesia to begin, my surgeon came in the room and led a short team meeting next to the table. All of those present gathered around as my surgeon gave a brief synopsis of the game plan. He said "this is Mr. XXXX. Today we are going to replace his calcified bioprosthetic aortic valve with a mechanical valve. Depending on the geometry of what we find inside his heart, we are either going to implant a St. Jude's valve or an On-X valve". He then asked if anyone on the team had any questions and asked me if I had any questions or anything to add. I didn't. He then patted me on the shoulder and said "we're going to take good care of you". They did.

Remember that during your surgery, there will be a whole room full of people who are monitoring your vital signs and observing your every breath and every heartbeat. They are all highly-trained professionals who are very good at what they do. Most importantly, God, the one who gave you life, will be watching over you and all of your surgical team. Listen for the voice.

 

[Heart Of The Sunrise]

Guyswell

Thanks for the comforting words.

 

[yotphix]

Hi HOTS,

I did have somewhat peaceful thoughts prior to my surgery. I was quite nervous on the way to the hospital at 5 or so in the morning. The drive was quite surreal, and I wasn't able to have a normal conversation but I was extraordinarily patient with the poor driving habits of the few others on the road! By the time I got into the prep area for shaving, gowning up, and IV insertion I had a sort of wave of peaceful acceptance. I stopped cracking nervous jokes with all the staff and just lay back. I remember thinking that my work was done - the rest was up to someone else. I had done all of my homework, learned what I needed to, arranged everything I could to the best of my ability. I trusted my surgeon and figured my chances of a very successful surgery were about as good as they get.
In the penultimate waiting area I discovered that there was one more thing I could do. There were others in the room and they seemed to benefit from being distracted by cheerful, optimistic banter. When I finally reached the OR, I was really comforted by the professionalism and warmth of all the staff. (The anethesiologist made a big show out of picking up my binder upside down and pretending to be confused by what he was reading!) When I had been there for a few minutes without any happy drugs, I asked him whether there was anything he could offer. He said something like 'sure, let me just give you some of this first'. That was the very last thing I remember! Whatever he gave me was the stuff that kept me out for about 6 hours, 4.5 of actual, heart stopped surgery.
I swear to you that the following day, up on the recovery ward, when I met a gentleman who was there under observation prior to his own impending surgery and he asked me 'how bad was it?', I said 'No big deal at all. Worrying about it was way tougher than doing it!'
Best of luck with it.

 

[Noyolk]

The anesthesiologist was talking to me and my family in pre-op ward, where he injected my IV with what he said would be a relaxer similar to a glass of wine or a beer. He then walked to the head of the bed and I said my goodbye and he wheeled me towards the door. I do not remember going through the door! I woke in ICU and felt as if no time had passed. My morning of cocktails began with 2.5mg midazolam. Anesthesia started at 6:45am Stopped at 11:47am and I can not account for any of it.

As far as peaceful thoughts, I found it hard to dwell on the impending surgery and kept my mind busy with tasks. Like documenting all of our usernames and passwords for my wife. The cleaning regime prior to hospital admission helped as well.

I did ask the surgeon and anesthesiologist in the pre-op room if they were "On Top of their Game"? If they had a good night sleep, and did not leave the house that morning fighting with their spouse. Also if they had their morning coffee.

 

[triff]

I only had about 24hrs to prep my head for a mechanical mitral valve and was riddled with endocarditis, which in hindsight might have been a good thing for me mentally. From my experiences I'd say just try your very best to stay positive.

My condition very suddenly got a lot more serious than I'd thought and went from being on IV in one hospital in the morning (and having a surprise visit off my bro and two of my best mates) to being in a different one discussing the benefits of the different valve types within about three hours, so there wasn't in some ways very much time to think about it. Even with the infection, I distinctly remember having my mates around my bed, talking, working through it, all this stuff going through my head, reading stuff on here and other websites, panicking a bit, thinking what if, phoning my dad in the US... Then they all left at the end of visiting and I dozed off for a few hours. When I woke up I had a completely different outlook on the situation, I was calm and felt safe (unlike the previous hospital that almost killed me with their failure to act sooner...) and realised that my chances of beating this had increased dramatically since the night before.

When it actually came to going into surgery the first time (they didn't actually do the op for another two days because I was so weak from the infection they decided it was too dangerous), I was on the gurney all washed and with my bro/mates around, completely relaxed still and, I don't think I'd say complacent, but definitely accepting of the situation and very trusting in the medical team I'd met only a few hours earlier. I think my last words (full of tubes etc) before the anaesthetic kicked in were "Off to space, cya later..." and a big grin. Two days in ICU (and on a ventilator, grr...) later they decided to try again, did another transesophageal echo, went in and did the op. It was a long recovery because of the damage the infection had done but I was out within the month and recovering well now, apart from the Warfarin and having to be a bit more careful about life in general, I'm pretty much better than ever and I think the positivity at the time of my op really allowed me to focus on what mattered at the time and to be strong for myself and for my friends and family.

Stay positive and the best of luck!

 

[tom in MO]

For my first big surgery I said the rosary in my head a lot to occupy my mind. However, if you pray, don't say the Hail Mary right before surgery, because it ends with "pray for us, now and at the hour of our death." It was just a little to freaky to be wheeled into surgery with "at the hour of our death" on your lips.

 

[escargome]

In my case, I wasn't nervous at all. We arrived (husband and I) at the hospital at 6am for 7:30 start time. My husband and I joked that I was gonna join the zipper club (he had triple bypass 4 years earlier). Anyway at 6:45 we were taken to pre-op where we met this great guy and his wife (she was having gall bladder surgery) While sharing the room John (DH) and I tried not to stare at him. He finally laughed and said he was a stunt/photo double for Duane Chapman (Dog the Bounty Hunter). All the nurse's and people coming by would just stop and stare. Since that kept me fairly distracted, by the time the guy with the gurney came at 7:20 I was laughing and joking with everyone. Off we went to Operating Room, kissed my hubby outside the door, was wheeled in, moved to operating table, said hi to my surgeon, and my anestheologist. The gas guy, then stood by the table and said, are you ready for sleepy time? I said sure, he put something into my IV, I saw the operating room lights dance a little and then it was "good night moon" 4 hours later, I heard someone saying my name, I opened my eyes and focused on my husband, son, and daughter by the bed. My husband said I was fixed, I thanked God for letting me wake up, then promptly fell back to sleep. I was in and out, my ICU nurse stayed in my room with me the whole night. Next morning off to Cardiac Care Unit I went and 4 days later they turned me loose. Looking back on the entire experience now, I don't have any bad memories, everyone (nurse's, doctor's, my whole family) took such good care of me. So I think that just knowing that you will have a whole new lease on life will make you see everyday things in a whole new light. You will be fine.

 

[Heart Of The Sunrise]

In my case, I wasn't nervous at all. We arrived (husband and I) at the hospital at 6am for 7:30 start time. My husband and I joked that I was gonna join the zipper club (he had triple bypass 4 years earlier). Anyway at 6:45 we were taken to pre-op where we met this great guy and his wife (she was having gall bladder surgery) While sharing the room John (DH) and I tried not to stare at him. He finally laughed and said he was a stunt/photo double for Duane Chapman (Dog the Bounty Hunter). All the nurse's and people coming by would just stop and stare. Since that kept me fairly distracted, by the time the guy with the gurney came at 7:20 I was laughing and joking with everyone. Off we went to Operating Room, kissed my hubby outside the door, was wheeled in, moved to operating table, said hi to my surgeon, and my anestheologist. The gas guy, then stood by the table and said, are you ready for sleepy time? I said sure, he put something into my IV, I saw the operating room lights dance a little and then it was "good night moon" 4 hours later, I heard someone saying my name, I opened my eyes and focused on my husband, son, and daughter by the bed. My husband said I was fixed, I thanked God for letting me wake up, then promptly fell back to sleep. I was in and out, my ICU nurse stayed in my room with me the whole night. Next morning off to Cardiac Care Unit I went and 4 days later they turned me loose. Looking back on the entire experience now, I don't have any bad memories, everyone (nurse's, doctor's, my whole family) took such good care of me. So I think that just knowing that you will have a whole new lease on life will make you see everyday things in a whole new light. You will be fine.

Chris: Thanks so much for this response...add this to others and the sense of peace I am seeking to stay calm about has been sweeping over me. I am sure it has helped others in the pre-surgery phase. Heart of The Sunrise

 

[blackdodgepu]

The morning of the surgery is so fast paced that I didn't really have much time to be peaceful. I guess the most quiet time was when they rolled me to the operation room after my pastor lead my family and I in a quick prayer. When we got into the operating room I had enough time to look around, they asked me to scoot onto the table, I asked "where do I put my arms?" and then lights out. The next thing I remember is the nurse saying my name and my wife holding my hand.

 

[pellicle]

I thought of my wife and of the love we share

 

[auricula]

Garden of Hope and Love

Garden of Hope and Love

I would love to hear of the many peaceful experiences that occurred as you were being prepped and put under for surgery.
I am sure this will help others like me who are on the roller coaster of good and bad thoughts in the pre-surgery phase.:angel:

Heart Of The Sunrise, As I was being readied for surgery, I put myself into a peaceful scene that I had created and meditated on over a period of several weeks. My favorite garden on our farm is called Bug City and its most magical moment was one spring day when a pink wisteria was at peak bloom on the same day a cherry tree was quite beautiful with half the blossoms still on the tree and half, just fallen and still very pink, carpeting the ground. Shoots of hosta and fiddleheads in that bright chartreusey spring-green color were peeking through the petals. I froze that image in my mind and surrounded the garden with my favorite people, who were dressed in diaphanous cottons and carried flowers. The dearest lambs we ever had were twin ram-lambs born one Valentine's Day, Tristan and Valiant, and they were in the garden with little circlets of wild flowers on their heads. It was a warm and brilliantly sunny day and I felt beloved and radiantly confident. On the day of surgery (2 years ago next month), we had to drive through the beginning of a 12-inch snow falling darkly early in the morning, and the comforting scene I had created helped to warm me and give me hope. Pat

 

[Jkm7]

My second OHS, I had a dose of ativan which calmed me but when they brought me in the OR and started putting in lines, I looked at the anesthesiologist and asked why I needed to be awake while they did all that. He said I didn't and that is the last I remember until I awoke in CICU.

If I learned anything through two OHS it is to speak up. Sometimes we 'suffer' in silence when there is no need. If we don't ask or don't tell them, they don't know what we are thinking or feeling.

Why 'suffer' if we don't have to?

 

[VegasBAV]

Prior to going to sleep, I focused on nailing my opening joke for the nurses for when I woke up from surgery and had the breathing tube removed. For the record, the joke was "Am I in heaven or . . . Cleveland?"

OK, it wasn't a great joke and it didn't get huge laughs, but under the circumstances I thought it was pretty good.

 

[katm]

My surgery is scheduled for Jan 7th, I am incrediably nervous and feel encouraged to read these threads. I too, find myself trying to busy myself with preparing my home for my return and recovery. Sometimes my fear overcomes me and all I can do is cry which makes my poor husband so upset. I've been known to be a wimp when it comes to this kind of stuff,so I am trying so hard to present a brave face to my children so they dont worry so much. Thank you all so much for your words and thank you for being so honest. It helps to know the truth and not have it sugar coated. A Merry Christmas to you all!!

 

[Jkm7]

katm.....

When we say 'the wait is the worst part' as we often say here on this forum, we truly are not kidding. The wait really was the hardest part of my second surgery. It just about never is as bad as we imagine.

Keeping busy now is a good idea. Gives you less time to think.
Use the holidays and these weeks to do the things you enjoy with your family and friends. Be with those you care about the most. It helps.

 

[Rachel]

My surgery is scheduled for Jan 7th, I am incrediably nervous and feel encouraged to read these threads. I too, find myself trying to busy myself with preparing my home for my return and recovery. Sometimes my fear overcomes me and all I can do is cry which makes my poor husband so upset. I've been known to be a wimp when it comes to this kind of stuff,so I am trying so hard to present a brave face to my children so they dont worry so much. Thank you all so much for your words and thank you for being so honest. It helps to know the truth and not have it sugar coated. A Merry Christmas to you all!!

Katm, I completely agree with Jkm7 and all the others.... the wait is the very worst part. I know it's really hard to not think about it, but try to stay present with your family and the things that are important in your life right now and don't focus on the surgery -- remember you are in really good hands with your surgeon, you don't have to do anything!

In the time that I waited for my surgery, I was brought closer to my husband and life itself. It was a wake-up call to me to live my life, to trust, and give up some control. Those things made me a more peaceful person in the end.

I'll be thinking of you!!!

Rachel