What was the absolute most intense medical experience you ever had?

Like the topic name says, I am curious what are your most intense medical experiences. I will start telling myself..

I am blessed with 2 chronic issues, therefore I visit hospitals more then I would like. I think the 2 most intense experiences I had are a colonoscopy and an ERCP. Where I have to say I had maybe 10 colonoscopies yet, so they start being easier. I had 1 ERCP, that was experienced as super intense for me. The thing is I am facing a new ERCP in near future. So that already makes me a little nervous....

I hope to hear your experiences.

So far it has been my first colonoscopy. I had it done unsedated. I had no idea what to expect. I was able to feel everything as well as see what was happening to me. It was very intense, from the feelings of embarrassment from all the people in the room watching and seeing me like that, to the feelings of the severe cramping and not being able to control what was happening to me was very intense.

A bone marrow biopsy. I have now had three. The first two were done in a clinic with only lidocaine to deaden the pain. It wasn't enough. I was seconds from coming up cussing and swinging. The third one I knew about far enough in advance to schedule in the hospital with more & better pain control. I was awake but it didn't hurt and I didn't care. When I go to the doctor and get asked to rate any pain 1-10 my reference for 10 is a bone marrow biopsy in the clinic.

Following a prostate-reduction surgery (TURP), I went home with a catheter taped to my leg. A week later, I went back to the surgeon’s office to have it removed and by that afternoon, I had a temperature of 104.2 F (40.1 C).

The surgeon admitted me to the hospital with sepsis. Those three days in the hospital were very intense. I almost died. It was the worst three days of my life. It felt like every cell in my body was dying and later, when I gave that description to one of my doctors, he thought for a moment and said that that was a fairly accurate description of sepsis because every minute the heart was pumping the blood to every cell in the body and while exchanging the needed oxygen with the carbon dioxide, it was also dropping off the infection.

My wife was freaking out because her mom died of sepsis, her aunt died of sepsis, and her dad’s second wife nearly died of sepsis.

This was the third time in my life that my wife watched me nearly die in the hospital.

Overall, it was the most intense and the worst experience of my life, although I had a pretty amazing near-death experience.

……..I had maybe 10 colonoscopies yet, so they start being easier. I had 1 ERCP, that was experienced as super intense for me. The thing is I am facing a new ERCP in near future. So that already makes me a little nervous....

@dentist32 , After 6-8 colonoscopies, the only downside is the extensive and sometimes distasteful long bowel evacuation prep, using meds taken by mouth. Otherwise, they’re almost enjoyable. I’ve seen a couple of ERCP’s but never needed one. What was intense about your ERCP, and why nervous about the one upcoming? Were you under GA for the 1st one?

Thanks,

Eric🍑💦

3 years ago I had Hysterosalpingography - this is that "wonderful" procedure with which gynecologists check the patency of the fallopian tubes. It is not as scary and dangerous as the cases described above and although it only lasts a few minutes, it is really very unpleasant and painful. First, when the doctor opened the speculum more than during a standard examination, I literally held my breath and then the worst was the introduction of the contrast agent. Everything took no more than 10 minutes, including the adjustment of the equipment, but it was very intense for me and so far this is my most vivid such case.

I would say having a VCUG or voiding cystourethrogram. It’s a test to check your urinary systems if things aren’t right and they don’t know why. I was in my 30s and had some blood in my urine so I went to the ER. They were concerned and admitted me. The first test was the vcug the nect morning and once at radiology I had to remove my underwear and a woman nurse inserted a small catheter that filled my badder with nuclear liquid. Once I signaled I had to go she turned off the pump and left. The woman radiologist came in with her assistant and the table put me into a standing position. The assistant removed the catheter and said to begin urination while the radiologist took x rays. I had a bit of difficulty getting started with them watching so the assistant turned on the water and I was then able to pee and pee. She took the films and then it was over but it was quite intense the exposure and test itself.

I think that would probably depend on how you define "intense". For me it would be between 2 experiences:

1: After i was knocked off my bicycle and had suspected pelvic / spine injuries. While in A&E I started to lose sensation in my legs and developed a major erection (apparently can be a sign of nerve damage). Being examined very thoroughly by the whole team; and then taken for scans and finally transferred to a ward; having had pelvic splint applied; was scary and intense. Then on ward - still with a prominent erection - having a seemingly constant stream of doctors, nurses and students coming in to review / examine me was certainly an unrepeatable experience - i lost all sense of embarrassment at the exposure very rapidly.

2: After I had been drug-raped and was referred to a Sexual Assault centre for examination and collection of forensic samples; while the doctor (female) and nurse were both extremely supportive and caring, i was in such a state that it was also an unpleasant extreme experience. While the nurse was probably officially there to help the doctor; I'm sure she spent more time supporting and reassuring me than actually assisting the doctor.

Reconstructive rotator cuff surgery which eventually failed 4 years ago.

After a severe bout of vomiting one Christmas, I landed in hospital for tests and ended up having an emergency ERCP, where they put a biliary stent in to clear a blocked bile duct. The procedure itself wasn’t painful, as I was sedated, but one of the possible complications hit me like a freight train: post‑ERCP pancreatitis.

That was easily the most painful thing I’ve ever experienced. No amount of pain medication even touched it. It felt like a truck had parked across my chest and every so often decided to roll back and forth. I spent a week in hospital, nil by mouth, hooked up to a drip, just waiting for the pain to finally ease.

That sounds terrible @Alexa1

@Alexa1 ditto what @LordJim2 said.

A doctor friend told me “never fuck with the pancreas”. Anything to do with it can become critical fast!

My first knee replacement. While "under" I had an intensely realistic dream that I was being tortured.

Later, the next day, after the nerve block wore off it hurt like a bastard. It re-defined the 1-10 pain scale for me.

The other knee, a year later, was un-eventfull because I knew what I was in for.