[Richard Axtell]

"I have heard that 3% of surgical patients do not fully reach unconsciousness when they are put under. I can't imagine going in for major surgery and being aware."

I've had surgery twice where I was conscious enough to hear the doctors talking, and hear the hammer ring against the chisel as it chipped away at the bone in my leg. I couldn't feel anything because of the spinal anesthetic, but I was awake, sorta. Hearing was bad enough, feeling it would have been down right nasty.

[exhaustedmomma]

I have had several surgeries. Only once was I conscious enough to hear the doctors talking, joking and laughing. And... I could smell the burning... of my tubes. I started getting nauseous, the anesthetist noticed and said, "Oh my God, she's awake." It was awful.