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I NEED a general anaesthetic, can I get one?

Posted , 5 users are following.

Naynays
Naynays

hi all, 

sorry so the paniced tone of this post but I am a little paniced. 

I am a 32 year old female.

I was diagnosed with Iron deficiency anaemia a while ago, and had to have an upper GI endoscopy to look for the cause as they suspected stomach ulcers from NSAID use. that came back basically clear (just a touch of gastritis) and so now they want to do a colonoscopy. initially they wanted to do both on the same day but I refused. 

I have never told them why but I feel like I am now going to have to. I am really not sure I can go through with a colonoscopy. at all. but my best chance of being able to do it is if they can give me a general anaesthetic not just the sedation. 

I know I will not go. or if I do go, I will run away at the last second. I know this all sound so stupid. but, god this is so hard to type, I dont know how I am going to say the words out loud to my doctor, I was raped many years ago, and I have not let anyone near me, there, since. I've never mentioned it to anyone in the medical proffession as I really dont want it on my records. Its enought that I have to live with the anal warts and other trauma that resulted. I have dealt with it and I am usually fine, I mean I am even married now, but this just seems like a step too far. I cant do it. 

if I manage to say all this to my GP, is he likely to understand? will he be able to organise a general anaesthetic? I am so worried I am being physically sick about this. I just dont know what to do. I may have to just refuse it all together. 

0 likes, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • marlene88784
    marlene88784 Naynays

    Posted

    Nay nays

    Please speak to your Dr about your fears. Doctors don't have much they haven't dealt with before. They have been in a profession where they've met numerous patients with different issues.

    Speak to your Dr.--, general anesthesia is often done for colonoscopies. I too get very anxious before procedures, so I often request general anesthesia just to be sure that I'm not aware of any of it. And yes, I still get way over anxious before a procedure.-- even panic a little about general anesthesia. Brave--I'm not!

    I know you have your anxieties and don't want to bring up what happened years ago, but i think your doctor/doctors take much of what patients have gone thru in stride.

    Much luck,blessings and good thoughts to you...

    • Naynays
      Naynays marlene88784

      Posted

      Thank you so much. I dont know how much I will be able to tell my doctor but Im sure once I start it will get easier to continue. As people often say, doctors have seen and heard everything before anyway so I am sure it cant be as hard as I am imagining. 

      It is a comfort to know that someone can understand, even if it is a faceless stranger on the internet, because that way I know theres an even greater chance that my doctor, who has known me a while now will at least try to understand too. so, thank you, you have helped a lot. 

      I will try my best to explain my issues and will ask for a general and see how it goes. I'm glad it can be done that way, I really hope they let me. 

      thank you so much xx

    • marlene88784
      marlene88784 Naynays

      Posted

      Your very welcome! I've unfortunately had extensive surgery and both endoscopies and colonoscopies this past year. I only say this becuz I've seen first hand, that there are many compassionate caring people in the medical field.

      You can do this. 😉

  • cjb106
    cjb106 Naynays

    Posted

    I think it would be a very good idea to speak to an endoscopy nurse before the day of the procedure to discuss your personal circumstances. They are very used to allaying patient anxiety. Your anxiety is triggered by past experience rather than the procedure itself and all I can say is that there will be a team of people in the room with you so you will be perfectly safe.

    I doubt very much whether they would give you a general anaesthetic as that would require an Anaesthetist in attendance and a much longer recovery period. Endoscopy units are not geared for this but my advice would be NOT to opt for ANY sedation so that you are alert and in control of the situation.

    I have had several colonoscopies now and although they can feel a little uncomfortable as the scope negotiates the bends in the colon they have not in my experience been at all painful. You will be offered Entonox (gas and air) to calm you while you watch the procedure on a screen, can ask questions about what is happening and see where any problem areas are.

    Another point. Try if you can to arrange your procedure to be the first in the day so that you are not having to wait around too much and no opportunity to let other patients increase your anxiety. If you talk to an endoscopy nurse I am sure she will understand and arrange for this to be as stress free as possible.

    • marlene88784
      marlene88784 cjb106

      Posted

      CJB

      I've had both colonoscopies and endoscopies, and in both cases general anesthesia was used. It's not that I requested them (although I would, being the 'not so brave soul' I am) they just routinely used general anesthesia.

      Colonoscopies were done at an outpatient facility, and endoscopy in a hospital.

    • Naynays
      Naynays cjb106

      Posted

      thank you for your advice, I am sure it would be of use to most people in a similar situation. for me however its not quite right. I know what you were getting at, but my problem is not with being worried about safety or control and such, it is that any person (even my husband) being too near to that area of my body causes me to have flash backs and starts off huge panic attacks that can be so horendous that I know I just wont cope. it'll be a downwards spiral that I dont want to start. I would simply rather not be aware that anyone was there (during, obviously I'll know its going to happen and i'll know afterwards). I dont want to get there and have a melt down, hit someone, throw up or run away (maybe all of the above!). 

    • jackie_52126
      jackie_52126 Naynays

      Posted

      Don't wait until you get to the hospital.The endoscopy dept. is very busy and they will try to reassure you but they will not be able to arrange a general. Tell your doctor so that arrangements can be made.You are perfectly entitled to a general, the procedure can be painful and on top of your stress you certainly deserve it. Please do not take no for an answer, just refuse treatment if they try to ignore your stress,this will show them how serious you are. PLEASE talk to your doctor about your experience, the more they know the more they will help you in many ways.

    • cjb106
      cjb106 marlene88784

      Posted

      We may or may not be talking at cross purposes. As far as I am aware endoscopies are done under sedation (not general anasthesia).

      For sedation, two or three drugs may be used in combination, a benzodiazepine (MIdazolam) which produces amnesia and an opioid (Fentanyl) for pain relief. If deeper sedation is required a third drug, a barbiturate (Propofol) may be added but the patient then needs more careful monitoring.

      The ideal situation for an endoscopy is for the patient to be lightly sedated (i.e. drowsy but still able to be woken), pain free and cooperative and unable to remember the procedure.

      Many people who have had sedation during a colonoscopy think they were deeply unconscious but weren’t. They just don’t remember which means the drugs did their job. It’s why hospitals insist the patient has someone with them for several hours after the procedure. As it was explained to me, you may still be suffering amnesia, may, for example, go home, put a pan on the stove, forget you have done so and cause a fire. It’s why I don’t have sedation as I live alone and can’t be bothered arranging to have someone stay with me.

      If you did have general anasthesia then, forgive me, but it would be unusual as it would require an anaesthetist to be in the theatre to administer the drugs and monitor your heart and lungs. In my experience, endoscopy drugs are administered by the endoscopist or nurse. Again, I say this as the first time I had a gastroscopy I wasn’t sure how I would cope with the apparatus going down my throat so they put a line in just in case I needed sedation and it was the nurse who was standing by to adminster them not an anaesthetist.

       

    • cjb106
      cjb106 Naynays

      Posted

      In that case, you need to ask for sedation. It is not the same as a general anasthetic but you will not be aware of what is going on.
  • bliz
    bliz Naynays

    Posted

    Hi Naynays

    I panicked about having to go through both these procedures (for iron deficiency anaemia) without the ordeal you've been through.

    There are two separate issues - the practical issues of the colonoscopy and whether you would like to seek help/support for the ordeal you went through.

    First of all, don't feel the rape is something you have to discuss with your GP. (unless you feel that you really want to talk to them and you have the feeling that they will understand/support you and advise you).

    When I get panicky, I find focusing on the practical is most useful. At the outset, you could simply focus on what the options actually are. You could say to your GP that for various reasons you're simply very uncomfortable about the idea of having this proceure (like many people) and don't think you're going to be able to go ahead - and ask if it's possible to have it done with a general anaethstic (I don't know but your GP should know) or if there are alternative non invasive procedures (I think there may be). You can then decide the best option for you. 

    I don't have the mental scars that you have for this, but if it's any help, I would like to say that I had resisted a colonoscopy for quite a few months over worry and stuff I'd read online but sedation made it so easy, no pain. I wished I had not worried for all that time. And there was no after effects from the sedation, I didn't feel awful or sleepy, after half an hour's rest. I took a very kind and practical acquaintance to the hospital with me which was a big comfort and help and made all the difference. But your circumstances aren't mine of course. 

    I wonder if speaking to one of the charity's such as http://rapecrisis.org.uk/ might be of help somewhere down the line. They should know things like whether it goes on your medical record if you share it with your GP.

    This is just my opinion. 

     

    • Naynays
      Naynays bliz

      Posted

      thank you. I was checked out and treated at a crisis centre at the time, but I refused to give my name. I was only 14 (I looked older so I assume they thought I was at least 18) and I was so scared of anything going in my records. My sister is a doctor. I have never since thought to ask them about it all. Now as an adult I think I will get back in touch with them and talk through a lot of things. Thank you. 
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