# Waking up during surgery **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 26, 2000, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waking-up-during-surgery/14086 "2000-02-26T07:17:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Klaatu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Klaatu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Klaatu)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2000, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waking-up-during-surgery/14086/1 "2000-02-26T07:17:00Z")
I don’t know if this has been discussed before, but I read a horrible article on the Net about this. (sorry, forget the link) Several people they mentioned have filed lawsuits against hospitals. One woman in for gynecological surgery said she woke up and felt every scalpel cut, worst pain in her life, but she couldn’t move, scream, blink, or anything because of the anesthesia. Many other stories like that one. Damn, What a nightmare! Ever happened to you? And, no, this is not a UL, medical documentation exists. ---
**Author:** ![mega\_the\_roo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@mega\_the\_roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mega_the_roo)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2000, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waking-up-during-surgery/14086/2 "2000-02-26T07:36:00Z")
i had surgery done on a scar i have on my right eyelid, and beside the eye. i never woke up, but only because they never put me to sleep. i could feel every single time that scalpel cut my skin. i could feel the blood running down my face and into my eye. i couldn’t stop shaking, i was so terrified. just thought i’d share. * * * “If anybody wants a sheep, that is proof that he exists.” ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2000, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waking-up-during-surgery/14086/3 "2000-02-26T07:36:00Z")
Sure is, and Unka Cece’s seen it. [http://www.straightdope.com/columns/990226.html](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/990226.html) No personal experience with this, thank the gods… * * * _Eschew Obfuscation_ ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2000, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waking-up-during-surgery/14086/4 "2000-02-26T07:38:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by Tengu: > **Sure is, and Unka Cece’s seen it.** Refers, of course, to Klaatu’s statement that > [@](#): > > medical documentation exists. Damn simulposts… I think that’s my first! * * * _Eschew Obfuscation_ ---
**Author:** ![techchick68](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@techchick68](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/techchick68)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2000, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waking-up-during-surgery/14086/5 "2000-02-26T07:41:00Z")
Hoping Wally doesn’t read this thread…his surgery is coming up soon! \< eek \> ---
**Author:** ![Klaatu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Klaatu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Klaatu)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2000, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waking-up-during-surgery/14086/6 "2000-02-26T07:44:00Z")
Thank you for the thread link Tengu. Having been “under the knife” 3 times in my life, this freaks me out. Maybe I will read the thread after I anesthetize myself. ---
**Author:** ![Holly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/48db29/32.png) [@Holly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Holly)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2000, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waking-up-during-surgery/14086/7 "2000-02-26T12:52:00Z")
This happened to me once. I woke up during the surgery and at first I couldn’t move but I couldn’t feel anything, either, so it wasn’t too bad. Then I could feel everything but I still couldn’t move anything. I felt the surgeon cutting me. It was most horrible. Fortunately, this went on for only a few minutes before the paralytic began to wear off. I began to squirm and I said “Helllllp.” The doctor really freaked out and the nurses started racing around the room. Within seconds, they’d doped me back up and I survived the rest of the surgery without incident. ---
**Author:** ![Girlbysea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Girlbysea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girlbysea)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2000, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waking-up-during-surgery/14086/8 "2000-02-26T13:06:00Z")
I’m so glad that Totilhate didn’t read this. She had surgery yesterday. Doing very well, even had a smile on her face when I left last night. Must have been that shot they gave her. We all smile after that… * * * * * * Girlbysea (AKA: ChiefScott’s GBS) ---
**Author:** ![Nightingale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecae2f/32.png) [@Nightingale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightingale)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2000, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waking-up-during-surgery/14086/9 "2000-02-26T13:10:00Z")
Well, my story isn’t quite as bad as some of these others. I woke up during a wisdom teeth extraction – the surgery took longer than expected, and the Versed wore off. I couldn’t feel pain, just pressure where the surgeon was trying to yank one of my teeth. I moaned a couple of times, they realized I was waking up, and they put me back out in less than thirty seconds. Still, very scary. I can’t imagine waking up during a major surgery. Yikes! * * * “There are more things you don’t know than there are things that I do know. I despair of the imbalance.” – Dr. Morgenes, _The Dragonbone Chair_