I recently wrote a post about the wildest things anesthesiologists overheard patients say while under anesthesia. The comments were chock-full of patients sharing their own experiences and they're unexpected, hilarious, and eye-opening.
Here are the best ones:
1. "My dad has something in his knee fixed but I don't remind exactly what. As he was coming out of anesthesia, my mom was in the middle of talking to one of the doctors. My dad reached out, put a finger over my mom's lips, and said 'Shhh, my socks are sleeping.' It was years ago, but we still joke about it now."
2. "I started sobbing because the nurse, who I had just met, wouldn’t let me be a flower girl at her wedding. I was 18."
—jbb1
3. "My very first surgery was a minor foot surgery. I was in the operating room and counting down from 10 to 1, as per my instructions. The last thing I heard before going under was my orthopedist clapping his hands and saying, 'OK, I just watched a five-minute YouTube tutorial on this procedure, so let's get it done!' I chuckled then passed out."
4. "I was born with a heart condition so I’ve had a lot of surgeries. I always try to give the team a good laugh when I’m going under. My favorite one is the time I asked, 'Does anybody need anything while I’m out?' right before I passed out."
5. "My dad had been in ICU after major heart surgery and they had to take him back for another minor procedure. He was given some super strong pain meds and when he woke up, he couldn't stop giggling whenever someone talked to him. Later, he told us that we all had 'balloon heads' and whenever someone would speak, their head would blow up like a giant balloon and then deflate down to normal size when they stopped talking. He also mentioned that he shrunk down in size, went into the electrical outlet on the wall, and roamed around the inside of the hospital 🤣."
6. "When I got my wisdom teeth taken out, I was wheeled into a post-op room. When I woke up, there was another teen boy, around my age, screaming at the top of his lungs and I automatically freaked out and started screaming, too. I remember some staff, his mom, and my grandpa running into the room so fast, and they couldn’t calm us down for awhile. Very chaotic energy, lol."
7. "My mom came out of back surgery and swore she was given vampire blood because she felt amazing, and was super impressed she could suddenly use her middle fingers (???) She then proceeds to flip off all nurses who pass by 😂 She was 75 at the time."
8. "My sister had to have surgery to remove a benign cyst and my parents and I went with her. The anesthesia must’ve kicked in real good because she kept ripping massive farts and laughing hysterically. Then she grabbed her boobs and yelled 'Fruit Loops, Fruit Loops!' and then passed out cold."
9. "I had emergency gall bladder surgery and after they gave me the initial dose of anesthesia, I grabbed the anesthesiologist by the coat and said, 'whatever you take out of me, I want it back.' I made him promise. A few weeks after my surgery, I went to the surgeon’s office to make my first payment. I was then handed a hazmat bag with my giant gallstone that had been blocking my liver from functioning properly. My boyfriend was horrified. I proudly carried that sucker in my purse for six months and showed it to everyone. 🤣"
10. "When I was 14 or so I had knee surgery and they put me under. As I was waking up, I was struggling with some spasms in my leg that were causing my casted leg to fly off the bed which was pretty painful. The doc came to ask how I was doing and I mumbled 'I’m having orgasms.' She said 'Excuse me you’re having what?!' And I insistently and frustratedly repeated myself 'I. Am. Having. ORGASMS. Can you please help me?' She calmly said "No, I don’t think I can.' And she left the room."
11. "I had a tonsillectomy when I was 17. As I was coming out of anesthesia, I asked the 55-year-old surgeon if he would be my prom date. He politely declined."
12. "I had an organ transplant in February. My IVs were in and my lead surgeon was standing over me, showing me a picture of my new liver, and as the mask went on, I made him promise I wouldn't wake up with a liver attached to my butthole."
And finally...
13. "I was having an upper endoscopy (tube down my throat into my stomach). They were starting the anesthesia as they were putting the rubber mouth guard in. I may or may not have then announced to the whole room that my safe word is 'avocado.'"
Now, it's your turn! Tell us about your embarrassing, funny, or wild anesthesia experiences below!
Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.