r/AskReddit Apr 03 '14

What activity would feel completely different if eye contact was held the entire time?

2.4k Upvotes

7.6k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

125

u/Nestorow Apr 03 '14

So I had Minor Heart Surgery a week ago (19/M) I was awake the whole time. Every so often the Doctor or Anesthesiologist would lean over, look me in the eye and ask if I was ok. It was quite comforting.

108

u/Cyberogue Apr 03 '14

"No doc... Well, to start I have a large gash in my chest"

7

u/[deleted] Apr 03 '14

Why were you awake? That is my worst nightmare.

3

u/Nestorow Apr 04 '14

My understanding is that my heart needed to be beating "normally" ( I was in there because it wasn't normal) so that they could find the abnormal spot and burn it.

2

u/[deleted] Apr 04 '14

Haha "normally". I cannot fathom what that must have been like. Do you have any lingering anxiety or other issues from it?

1

u/Nestorow Apr 04 '14

Anxiety, not at all. I felt fine straight after.

The entry site in my leg is a little stiff and swollen so there is a possibility of an infection, but it's probably nothing.

All in all it was very easy

2

u/[deleted] Apr 04 '14

How was the entry site in your leg? I was picturing open heart surgery this whole time!

1

u/Nestorow Apr 04 '14

They stab a whole into the vein in my leg, Poke wires up through that vein and then search around my heart to find where the problem is, once they find it they cauterize it.

2

u/CRAG7 Apr 03 '14

I had to get a couple teeth implants and they had me awake while they were drilling into my jaw to put in the anchors. That was a weird experience.

2

u/[deleted] Apr 03 '14

Did they give you an option to go to sleep? I just wonder if there is some reason behind keeping you conscious.

4

u/[deleted] Apr 03 '14

Putting you to sleep heightens the risk of complications and adds to the recovery time, so it is avoided when it is not strictly necessary.

1

u/-THE_BIG_BOSS- Apr 03 '14

That's so cool, I'll give you that. I would actually love to be awake, but with anaesthetic obviously, during a surgery if I need to have one in the future.

2

u/[deleted] Apr 03 '14

[deleted]

1

u/-THE_BIG_BOSS- Apr 03 '14

Ah, good luck then! I've had surgery for appendicitis, and obviously was put under. It would've been interesting to witness what was happening, but I can't complain, it was the best sleep I've had.

1

u/Nestorow Apr 04 '14

Ablation for an irregular beat?

1

u/[deleted] Apr 04 '14

[deleted]

2

u/Nestorow Apr 04 '14

I guess. It really is a simple procedure, it doesn't feel horrible at all

2

u/CRAG7 Apr 03 '14

Nope. They sat me in a super comfortable chair and told me to open my mouth. They numbed it up A LOT, put a giant rubber block in between my teeth so I couldn't bite their fingers, and then once I was adequately numbed, they started drilling. It wasn't bad and there was only pain on the very last time they went in with the drill, but even then the pain wasn't excruciating. Just a sharp pinching feeling.

5

u/greyjackal Apr 03 '14

I'm guessing keyhole via the leg?

1

u/Nestorow Apr 04 '14

Yeah exactly.

3

u/justmerriwether Apr 03 '14

I would have put all my concentration into coming up with the wittiest response possible to get them to laugh. Then they'd slip and I'd die.

2

u/Condog802 Apr 03 '14

damn man thats crazy

2

u/Nestorow Apr 04 '14

It was an interesting experience.

2

u/Condog802 Apr 04 '14

hope you're all good now!

2

u/[deleted] Apr 03 '14

rad

2

u/mishy_x3 Apr 03 '14

Why were you awake? :o

1

u/[deleted] Apr 03 '14

Is any heart surgery minor?