How quickly did you "wake up"?

[Battyp]

Oh funny Paul...I remember asking for food and them saying I needed a swallow test....

To which I grabbed some jello I had convinced my  mom to bring me, ate a bite in front of the doctor and said.."there did I pass"  I didn't know that wasn't exactly the type of swallow test they had in mind  LOL  worked for me though 
My eyes were moving so rapidly after I woke up and was trying to tell them because I couldn't see anyone but had that darn tube.  They took it out so I could tell them and because I kept throwing up from the tube    That's one way to make them take it out   

[Crazycat]

I had to wait until they administered a "gag reflex test" four days later. They brought this machine in my room with a fiber optic cable. The cable was fed in to my nostril and run down the back of my sinus cavity into my throat where they had me make some vocalizations. The response was seen on a monitor. I passed the test and was then given soft food.

 I had been given the same test the first time I visited the ENT surgeon before my operation.

      Paul

[Crazycat]

Wow Cakes!!!!

     That's incredible.......What you've been through.......

         Paul

[thecakes]

   Paul, I hated that feeding tube too.  It never hurt but it was a weird thing in the way all the time.  After I woke up I had it with me for 4 more weeks, and I was eating just fine.  I would beg to get this thing out!  One day 2 doctorss came in the room and a few nurses and said they were going to pull it out.   They had these shields over there faces and they we're all around my bed and said "I will pull up and it will pop.  You will feel alot of pain at first, then after 1 or 2 min. it will go num and you will feel nothing.  Thats exactly what happened, but it was more scary seeing all these people around me with these sheilds on.  That reminds me, in one of the other threads I talked about never having pain, I guess thats an exception.  The shields were for the "splatter" of blood when they pop the tube out. {sorry for being gross}

[Kathleen_Mc]

I didn't have an nasogastic feeding tube, I survived on IV for quiet a number of days and I didn't have any swallowing test either, I was given a drink and I drank it but I suspect the day they tried to extubate me and it didn't work when they re-intubated me they likely got an idea the gag reflex was there.
Kathleen

[Road Trip Dale]

I woke up briefly in post-op and I remember my wife and daughter said something.  As is typical I suppose I don't remember what my wife said, but my daughter told me they didn't shave too much of my head so I wouldn't look too bad when I got home:-)  That occurred about 7 hours after start of surgery...the next thing I remember was waking up in the ICU and the nurse asking me too smile, wrinkle my nose, and blink.  All of which I did happily because I still could.  A great relief off my mind.

[thecakes]

 I talked before about waking up 4 weeks later.  I am greatful in a small way.  The dr. said I was in a lot of pain.{I guess I would mone}I remember nothing, but I feel so sorry for my husband and kids, they had to look at me every day like that.  I am sure glad it was me, not them, because I don't think I could take that.

[Kathleen_Mc]

thecakes: I know what you mean about being glad it was you and not them, I have a picture of my father sitting next to my bed about 4 days post-op and he looks terrible...worried and afraid....and I think being the patient was the better end of the stick in some ways.
Kathleen

[thecakes]

Kathleen,  My poor Mother still cries at the drop of a hat if we ever talk about the tumor days.  Its sad.  Her eyes tear up in a matter of seconds, but then I think, if I had to go through that with one of my kids, I'd probably die of grief.  I have been through alot but my family has too.  I think i always have to apologize for this stupid tumor.

[RattieLady]

My surgery took 14 hours but they didn't wake my for another 18 hour so i was out cool for 32 hours. When i did finally start to wake i panicked because i was still on the breathing meachine thingy and i could feel the tube down my throut and i was trying to breath on my own but couldn't cos of the tube. I knew i was ok cos the mechine was doing my breathing for me but i still panicked. Once they took it out i was asleep again.When i woke again i was intensive care. i was there for another 24 hours. I remember my dad feeding me yoghurt. I hate yogurt!

[Nickie]

I had a 17 hour surgery and woke  up in the recovery room,  I asked for my mother, they said she had just left they did not expect me to awaken so soon. Asked another nurse a question and I remember not hearing him and replied with" hello micfly" I forgot I would not be able to hear. I stayed awake most of the night, I remember the nurse coming in and out of my room

[Patti UT]

my surgry was 7 hours, I had a very weird experience. I actually woke during surgery. I remember being aware of my surroundings and I could hear everyone in the operating room. I couldn't open my eyes or move any part of my body, but my mind was awake and I was in a panic thinking I have to let them know I am awake. It seemed like forever but was probably only a few seconds. I have no idea what stage of the surgery I was in but I know I did wake up. After surgery when I woke up in ICU, I woke in convulsions. My entire body was shaking and convulsing, I was throwing up and shaking violently. I was in so much pain. The nurses gave me something, but it didn;t calm me down. Then the anesthesiologist was tracked down, he came in and gave me a shot of something that helped the pain and calmed me down. the he proceeded to question me ( I vaugely remember this, my mom  told me) He was very concerned about the wake up during surgery. he wanted to know what I heard, smelled, saw, and felt. (by the way, i did not experience any pain when i woke during surger, just panic)  He kept coming in and cheking on me for hours. He seemed very concerned about my experience in surgery. Later I was told that they get sured for stuff like that.  I don't remember much about that night except that whenever I woke, I was in the worst pain I have ever experienced.
Thats my story, pretty weird, huh?
Patti UT ( yootee)

[tony]

I had many ops close together (4?) and was then put into a coma
for a few days. By the time I awoke I was experiancing an extreme
withdrawel reaction to the drugs - or if you prefer "cold turkey"
I was convinced, for about a week, that they were trying to kill me.
Paranoid delusions ? I think so.
even now I cannot easily determin
the real from the semi-dream state for 6-8 weeks
I plan, in the future, to stick with
wine, women, and song
if you get my drift
Best regards
Tony

[ratthebrat]

I woke up 7 hours after i was put under for my open head surgery. When i woke up my first thought was were is my mom and boyfriend and am i okay. I didn't have any pain but i vomited for 2 day straight.

rat
 

[jts]

I feel a need to post just to say that not everyone has "horrible" experiences.  Don't get me wrong though, I don't mean to imply that it was much fun!  My surgery lasted 8 hours, I woke up briefly one hour after surgery, napped a lot and peridically woke up for the next round of nurse stuff.  I spent 24 hours in IC, then 48 hours more in a private room. I was discharged 72 hours after arriving for surgery.  My worse experience has been total facial paralysis from bruising of the 7th (?) nerve.  It has been 16 weeks now and my face has improved a bunch.  Still drink with a straw, have problems chewing on the AN side, and wish I had a buck for every time I have bit my lower lip!   My hearing loss is measured at 20%, though periodically it is pretty close to 100% loss.  I returned to work five weeks after surgery.  At that time, the eye on the AN side was the limiting factor for determining how long I could stay at work.  I tired easily.  Now at 16 weeks, I would say that my balance is the limiting factor.

Take care bud - I don't envy you needing to repeat the process.  - John