Dear Anne
I am totally petrified of having a general anaesthetic. so much so that for 5 years I haved suffered the pain of a recurrent Bartholins cyst and now an impacted wisdom tooth. I can remember being put to sleep to have two teeth out when I was little and I woke up after, but now I'm older and have my own children. I am so scared that I won't wake up. I'm at my wits end. I don't know what to do. Please help me. Jodie
Dear Jodie
Thank you for your letter. I sympathise with your fear of general anaesthetics but I assure you it is possible to get past this.
Right now you're acting on the belief that not having a general anaesthetic will keep you alive. For this reason you've been unwilling to let go of your fear. Yet you've survived a general anaesthetic before, and you're aware that every day thousands of people in the UK have them and recover with no problems. It sounds like your fear has been renewed because you want to be around for your kids. But this leaves you in constant pain, and it sends a message to your kids to be afraid of hospital treatment which they might need one day to save their lives. So where do you go from here?
Why not try hypnosis? Medical hypnotists are trained to help people overcome phobias. Many hospitals have them so their effectiveness is recognised by doctors. You might feel more in control if you choose one yourself from Yellow Pages. D. Hyp and MNCH are recognised qualifications. You're entitled to talk to the hypnotist over the phone when you first enquire. It's a good idea to ask about their prices, their training and qualifications, and whether they feel they could help you. When you find one you feel comfortable talking with, you can make an appointment. Depending on what part of the country you live in you're looking at around �40-�60 a session, and sessions may last longer an hour or more. Contrary to what you might have seen on TV shows, you don't end up acting like a chicken or not knowing what's happened. You may find that you need a couple of appointments but pre-operative hypnosis has worked for me and for thousands of other people. It's also been shown that people who have hypnosis before surgery generally recover more quickly and experience less post-operative pain.
It's usual for the patient to have a talk with the anaesthetist before any procedure so when you go to the hospital for your pre-op checks (which may be a week or two before the operation) you could tell the anaesthetist how you're feeling and see what he recommends. As it's possible to give birth with an epidural so that you're pain-free but conscious, perhaps this could be a possibility for you? It's worth realising that the science of anaesthesia has come a long way in the last decade or two so they're safer and more effective than ever.
I do hope you're willing to start releasing your fear so that you can be more comfortable and confident. Good luck!Back to Ask Anne
