I am going to need general anesthesia for a surgery, and am unfortunately aware of the fact that a significant percentage of people experience pain and conscious paralysis under it. What do I do?
Forgive me if this is the wrong place to post; c/mutualaid feels like it would draw attention away from people with more urgent issues, and c/mentalhealth is very inactive and rarely anyone ever sees it.
Comrade, others have had good responses already so I won't try to give you facts/arguments, I don't know that much about the subject anyway. But I'll tell you about my experiences because they were all good, and hopefully positive thoughts will put your mind at ease.
I was in a very bad accident once where I was knocked unconscious in a brutal manner (think traumatic brain injury). And let me tell you, it is one of nature's great mercies that we are programmed such that I can't remember that accident at all. Not one bit. Not like going to sleep, just complete, utter blackness with nothing in the void. Perfect unconsciousness. I've also been anesthetized a few times and that's how I'd describe every one of those experiences: perfect unconsciousness with absolutely nothing registering at all. It isn't like sleep, it is something blessedly less active. I know it sounds weird to say but I'm very pro-anesthesia. We can't deny that things can go wrong, but this is one of those things like plane crashes - we fixate on what goes wrong (I say this as a nervous flier). Many more things go right. Hang in there!
Thanks! It's hard to reply to everyone who's nice given how many there are, but hopefully those who see this message know I appreciate it a lot!
I do think the rare incidences are a general failing of health care systems. Even if they were common I would be pro-anesthesia, just with the caveat that capitalism has utterly destroyed our health care infrastructure to the point that things like this happen.