A couple of years ago I had surgery on my abdomen to remove my gallbladder. It was the first surgery that I’ve had excluding my wisdom teeth removal. I was informed by the surgeon and my doctor of the entire process and what to expect. My mother also spoke with me about it as she also had to get the same type of surgery when she was younger.
I couldn’t describe what I was feeling when I walked into the hospital that day. Form after form to sign and date accosted me the moment I stepped foot inside, but it’s all part of the process. The anxiety I usually feel in new situations remained at a very low simmer. That was until my stomach started hosting a protest about the twelve hour fast I had to endure before surgery. With my irritability levels increasing, so did my anxiety.
Yet, it still wasn’t past a simmer. It was only when I was told to get undressed, remove all my piercings, and put on a cap and gown that the anxiety started to heat up. It wasn’t at boiling point just yet. I proceeded to walk down the white icy cold hallway of the hospital to my room. I got in bed and waited for a few minutes until the nurse came in.
My mother and one of my best friends were there. I really appreciated the support as my irritability level increased as the nurse put an IV in my hand. I really hate those things. After a while of chatting it up with them, the anesthesiologist came in to go over some things. She then administered the medicine to put me to sleep.
I was then taken on a little ride on the moveable hospital bed to the operating room. I should have been asleep before they put me on the freezing cold operating table. The last thing I saw before my eyes closed was a bright light above me, and people with masked faces looking down at me while putting on the blood pressure cuffs.
When I came to, my vision was a bit blurry. The only thing that I was able to feel was the frigid air in a room that was all white. The place was devoid of any color, and my anxiety began to rise. The linen, walls, curtains, appliances…everything was white. No one was around and when I did see someone they were dressed in all white. I had thought I’d died, and the people walking around in white were angels. That all changed when I saw the blood pressure cuffs on my legs, and the two male nurses immediately came to assist me once noticing I was awake.
I wanted to share this experience with you all because I still think about it and laugh till this very day. Have you all had any experiences similar, or your own where you thought you were dead?
Images: from Google
May 20, 2017 at 11:30 am
Excellent narrative! I did have an experience when, I too, had my gallbladder removed. Something went wrong and somehow that surgery led to me getting pancreatitis. They had to do emergency surgery for that about a week later. I did flat-line twice during that surgery. I don’t remember much but I do distinctly remember seeing myself sitting in a chair in what must have been a waiting area in the hospital. I was crying. Only was a few seconds and then I can remember waking up in recovery very afraid and my anxiety level was extremely high. The next 2 months I only have bits of memory. Very strange and scary ordeal.
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May 20, 2017 at 12:29 pm
Very strange and scary indeed!! I wonder if other people who’ve had surgery experienced this.
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May 20, 2017 at 12:31 pm
It would be very intriguing to read what others have experienced.
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