Idle Thumbs 51: Burnin' Down the Wolfman [Now with Video!]

[Patters]

Ive had a few other dental procedures including two (weirdly extra) teeth pulled and a root canal and I do find it fascinating, but I'd never been put under before and wanted to try it out (fear of dying while chemically unconscious is for me a way greater than fear of a professional dude drilling holes in and splinterin up my teeth from within my mouth). Verdict: goddamn luxurious, and awesome to just not have to bother with that45 minutes of my life, but not nearly as interesting, so I probably won't do it again when given the option, at least on dental-level surgeries like that. Also I'm stillnot at all into the idea of a chemical turning my body off. Hopefully though I won't ever be back for any more of this stuff so its moot...

Glad you made it through OK. General anaesthetic is a weird one, I've been under it twice in my life, the first time (from breaking my arm really badly twisting the bone broken in two places) I woke up screaming. The second time (tonsils) went a lot smoother. It's bizarre somehow like sleep yet totally different to it.

[Roderick]

I'm actually a little curious what general aneasthesia would be like. So far in my life I've had only minor surgeries (moles removed, wisdom teeth, that sort of thing), but I'm sure something will come up eventually (though I've never broken anything). When I got my wisdom teeth I first wanted to do general out of sheer fear, but I never really pushed it through and I'm glad I didn't because the locall procedure was so quick and painless.

[Thompson]

I'm actually a little curious what general aneasthesia would be like. So far in my life I've had only minor surgeries (moles removed, wisdom teeth, that sort of thing), but I'm sure something will come up eventually (though I've never broken anything). When I got my wisdom teeth I first wanted to do general out of sheer fear, but I never really pushed it through and I'm glad I didn't because the locall procedure was so quick and painless.

I've been general'd before so i'm not too concerned about that aspect of the operation for me it's the fear of it being a horrible experience if i'm localized.

If you're wondering what it's like to be general'd let me tell you.

I had the gas so my experience might be slightly different to the IV but I doubt it. Anyway, you lie on a bed and they put the mask on your face, the gas smells like chemicals but isn't too acrid, the anesthetist asks you to count to 10. For me it was like this:

Anesth: "Count to 10"

Me: "1, 2, 3, 4..."

Anesth: "Taking longer than usual"

Me: "5, 6, 7, 8"

As I said 7 I felt perfectly fine but as the word 8 came out I felt suddenly really tired and before I could say 9 I woke up in a hospital bed and threw up. (This is a common side-effect of general)

Overall i'd say it's not too bad at all, the only lasting side effect I have is occasionally I can smell/taste the gas for no apparent reason.

[Lu]

Overall i'd say it's not too bad at all, the only lasting side effect I have is occasionally I can smell/taste the gas for no apparent reason.

You're still sleeping. Wake up.

[Thompson]

You're still sleeping. Wake up.

[Roderick]

Seeing as how I have a phobia for throwing up, that might be a problem for me. I mean, hypothetically when that day comes in a future that I hope at that time looks so much like Star Trek they can just perform surgery by scanning you with a Nintendo handheld.

[Thompson]

Seeing as how I have a phobia for throwing up, that might be a problem for me. I mean, hypothetically when that day comes in a future that I hope at that time looks so much like Star Trek they can just perform surgery by scanning you with a Nintendo handheld.

It's not too bad, they don't let you eat for the night before the operation so if you do throw up it's more like bile than full on puke and I only threw up once instead of several times like you do when your sick, if you had to have an emergency operation then maybe it would be bad.

[Jake]

I basically just woke up, got out of my chair, and left.

About 45 seconds after waking up, I did post a tweet which said "lol teeth murder success. Good day." so I clearly wasn't entirely awake for a little bit.

Idle Thumbs ep 51 was crazy, huh?

[pabosher]

I basically just woke up, got out of my chair, and left.

About 45 seconds after waking up, I did post a tweet which said "lol teeth murder success. Good day." so I clearly wasn't entirely awake for a little bit.

Idle Thumbs ep 51 was crazy, huh?

It was indeed man. It was indeed.

[miffy495]

I too just woke up and left. Never threw up once. Took the painkillers they gave me for the first dose, but didn't care enough after that. Still have a 3 year old bottle of painkillers sitting around somewhere with only two pills gone from it. They've probably gone off by now, I should throw them out.

Episode 51 was indeed crazy. After the discussion on the Friday night, I was hoping for more stories about Benjamin Franklin, but was damn happy with what I saw. Still haven't listened to the recording, but my buddy who works at a games store has ordered in a copy of Weinhandler for me.

[Gabbo]

I basically just woke up, got out of my chair, and left.

About 45 seconds after waking up, I did post a tweet which said "lol teeth murder success. Good day." so I clearly wasn't entirely awake for a little bit.

Idle Thumbs ep 51 was crazy, huh?

I trade many a thing to have had my wisdom teeth adventure go as smoothly.

Many a thing.

[Orv]

. . .(fear of dying while chemically unconscious is for me a way greater than fear of a professional dude drilling holes in and splinterin up my teeth from within my mouth).

Well fuck Jake, thanks. I've never actually considered that fact before. Godsdamnit.

That said, mmmm, free sleep.

[Thompson]

Well fuck Jake, thanks. I've never actually considered that fact before. Godsdamnit.

That said, mmmm, free sleep.

Wall of Wikipedia information.

The current mortality attributable to the management of general anesthesia is controversial. Most current estimates of perioperative mortality range from 1 death in 53 anesthetics to 1 in 5,417 anesthetics. The incidence of perioperative mortality that is directly attributable to anesthesia ranges from 1 in 6,795 to 1 in 200,200 anesthetics. There are some studies however that report a much lower mortality rate. For example, a 1997 Canadian retrospective review of 2,830,000 oral surgical procedures in Ontario between 1973–1995 reported only four deaths in cases in which either an oral and maxillofacial surgeon or a dentist with specialized training in anesthesia administered the general anesthetic or deep sedation. The authors calculated an overall mortality rate of 1.4 per 1,000,000. It is suggested that these wide ranges may be caused by differences in operational definitions and reporting sources.

[Jake]

Wall of terror. Even the huge odds are scary.

[Orv]

Wall of terror. Even the huge odds are scary.

Thiiiiiiis.

One in a million is not particularly long odds, even considering only America.

Thanks Thompson. Jerk.

[Roderick]

It's a weird thought to be sure, but then again it seems like the mildest death ever. You just go to sleep and never wake up again. And since you can't regret dying so young when you're already dead, it's maybe not something to be particularly terrified about. I worry far more about the method of my future death.

Anyway, that 51, eh? Vell händled.

[Thompson]

Thanks Thompson. Jerk.

Just doing my job of delivering cold, hard, terrifying statistics.

51... what a cast.

[Boris Stoke]

This thread is the best when you skip right to the last page. I can only imagine what dark things caused the discussion to turn to dentistry and anesthetics.

[Salacious Snake]

Getting half my wisdom teeth out was one of the most fun experiences of my life. They had me on gas and an intravenous drip of a benzodiazepine (like valium, xanax, etc.).

I wish I could go through every day of my life like that.

[H. Yawl]

I got thrown off of a large inner tube traveling 30 miles an hour across water yesterday and now have whip lash so all this talk of killing pain and being relaxed is making me very very jealous.

[Orv]

I got thrown off of a large inner tube traveling 30 miles an hour across water yesterday and now have whip lash so all this talk of killing pain and being relaxed is making me very very jealous.

I have to wonder why you would even attempt such a thing in the first place.

[jennoa]

I have to wonder why you would even attempt such a thing in the first place.

Why does Rice play Texas?

P.S. Some of the the best type of fun is the kind where you're being dragged by a boat.

[Orv]

Why does Rice play Texas?

P.S. Some of the the best type of fun is the kind where you're being dragged by a boat.

I'm all for waterskiing, or wakeboarding or what have you, but an innertube smacks of stupid. (As does this posts spelling, according to Chrome.)

[jennoa]

I'm all for waterskiing, or wakeboarding or what have you, but an innertube smacks of stupid. (As does this posts spelling, according to Chrome.)

Don't knock it till you've tried it.

Besides, it isn't like we're talking about the inner-tube out of your car tire. The ones pulled behind a boat have nice handles and all the comforts of a wakeboard.

Edited September 23, 2010 by jennoa

[Orv]

Don't knock it till you've tried it.

Besides, it isn't like we're talking about the inner-tub out of your car tire. The ones pulled behind a boat have nice handles and all the comforts of a wakeboard.

I bow to your superior knowledge of little rubber deathtraps.