benderpool

I woke up during surgery once, I remember everything.

I had my appendix out when I was ten years old. I remember counting down from 30 as the anesthesiologist had advised. I watched the heart rate monitor, trying to keep as calm as possible and lower my heart rate at will. I remember a cold crawl of fluid through my IV and into my veins and a tingling sensation that followed it closely. I thought "this is it, time to sleep" and trying to mouth the same, but only a mumble of syllables filled my oxygen mask. My eyes crossed and I was under. Well, at least I thought I was under. I feel like I'm in a dream. A dark room, and people are talking all around me. I can't move though. That's weird. The people I'm hearing sound just like the nurses and my doctor. There was a sudden blinding light suddenly. It hurt. and then I saw it, the gown and the mask. My pupils were being checked and I was looking at one of my operators. My eyes closed again. Darkness. At this point I realized I wasn't dreaming and I was on the table. They opened my mouth and shoved a tube into my throat. It was very uncomfortable, but didn't hurt. I remember hearing the ripping of tape and feeling them stick it onto my cheeks. Then came the scalpel. I was trying to scream, trying to open my eyes, trying to move, but nothing. I could hear everything and feel it too, but there wasn't any pain, just the pressing sensation of medical staff fingers. I could feel the tugging and pulling and all sorts of pressure in my lower abdomen until finally I could move. Not much at first, but I gained my strength quickly. I couldn't feel the touch of my fingers on my palm, but I knew they were touching. It felt like when you're outside in the cold for too long and lose the feeling in your fingers, and it's hard to grasp anything. I remember not being able to swallow and wanting that damn thing out of my throat. So I reached for it with ALL of my strength, but even then I knew that it was slow and weak. I couldn't grip it. Somebody then put my arm back by my side and strapped it down. At this point they realized that my heart rate had risen, and they checked my pupils again. The surgery was already over and they were stitching me back up. I must have been given more KO juice because the next thing I remember was waking up in recovery, and telling my mom that it hurt, and that I felt it. She didn't know what I was talking about until I had woken up again later and explained.
I have since had four surgeries. Each time I go in I tell the anesthesiologist about my experience, and ask them if it's possible to keep that from happening. I get the "Big boy" doses now. I'm 22 and have not woken up since.

ITT; everyone asks the same question and OP answers them all the same.

That's wonderful! Good for him.