As a compliment to the thread about near death experiences I’d really like hearing people’s experiences of losing consciousness under general anesthesia and what’s it like coming back.
Also interested of things anesthetists may have noticed about this during their career.
I broke my top jaw and needed surgery to put my front teeth back into place. I woke up in the middle of that one. I could see them operating in the little round mirror on the doctor’s forehead he used to direct light.
I was definitely still mostly drugged because it didn’t concern me at all and I felt nothing. The nurse and doctor, however, seemed concerned. Their eyes got HUGE. They said something to each other and I was out again. I remember that very vividly.
My girlfriend did that… Woke up in the middle of her shoulder surgery, as the doc was grinding bone away. She asked them to turn the monitor so she could watch. Doc did a double take, moved the monitor, and let her watch for a little bit… While motioning to the anesthesiologist. They must’ve bumped up the meds and knocked her out again, because she went back under.
Better too little, than too much.