Most feared medical procedure

Basic medical procedure? Shots of blood draws...anything involving needles deep in me. Ironic now that I am diabetic and stick myself at least once daily?...and have done that so often I hardly feel it. There's a funny story on learning how to deal with that too that I may share some time...

Otherwise surgery of any type. I fear being put to sleep...then anything else after it.

Basic medical procedure? Shots of blood draws...anything involving needles deep in me. Ironic now that I am diabetic and stick myself at least once daily?...and have done that so often I hardly feel it. There's a funny story on learning how to deal with that too that I may share some time...

Remind me to tell you the story of the first time I did the finger prick!

I used to be so scared of needles that it took two adults to drag me down the hall in grade 2 for vaccination. I went kicking and screaming all the way. What a twist of fate - or a cruel god - that I ended up diabetic and having to take 4-5 shots a day and prick my finger 4+ times a day!

As a child our family dentist never used novocaine to do fillings. The pain I experienced in his chair made it the most feared medical procedure for me.

CincyMetroEGiver, I also have had fillings without any Novocaine, sedation or anything at all. It was horrible! From what I’d heard, fillings weren’t painful, but i insisted otherwise. I hated seeing the dentist after that. I’m switching dentists anyway now!

Anyway, my most feared medical procedure? Definitely urinary catheterization.

When I was a kid I was dreaded by the prepuce retraction. I felt so dreaded I screamed and cryed every time I was brought to the pediatrician after the first of this kind of examinations.

They have to do the procedure forcibly because I was uncooperant.

Secondly I was also afraid of injections, they did them on my buttocks and it was painful and humiliating.

As an adult what I feared the most are all kind of surgery on testicles, penis and anus.

Hmm. No one has said autopsy.

Hmm. No one has said autopsy.

That's because if you are undergoing one you are past caring.

My most feared used to be getting an enema in a medical setting,maybe during a hospital stay and I did go to extreme lengths to avoid one after a bypass. I think I fear the bypass more though. That one really hurt and recovery took months.

That's because if you are undergoing one you are past caring.

My most feared used to be getting an enema in a medical setting,maybe during a hospital stay and I did go to extreme lengths to avoid one after a bypass. I think I fear the bypass more though. That one really hurt and recovery took months.

Not the autopsy procedure per se, more what you likely went through to where you required one.

Re: the enemas, yep - remember being terrified the first time I was in hospital for a surgery that they would want to give me one (kids talk and don't necessarily have the most current info). I was very relieved when I got out of there without anything being done to my butt.

Now I'm not so worried, but still not exactly rushing out to try and get one.

My most feared used to be getting an enema in a medical setting,maybe during a hospital stay .

d

Ironically, that was a lifelong sexual fantasy for me that I finally got fulfilled a few years ago.

I have always being afraid of any prospect of ECT , i truly believe it is a torture device, and should be outlawed, i would prefer death,

as regards more mainstream treatment i fear lumbar puncture, and chemo / radio therapy, i would refuse it if optioned

and i am terrified of any thing dental, hence i opted for all my wisdom teeth to be extracted under General Anaesthetic in hospital, rather than at my dentists surgery,

I have been burned by cast cutters. Those pizza shaped machines are deadly

Even with IV sedation I had the most painful and traumatic colonoscopy experiemce! Apparently this was because the use of gas to better visualise the colon causes irritation in people who have severe adhesions and intra abdominal pathology (likely my endometriosis). I don’t think I could have another one again unless it was under GA. I still shudder thinking about it. Turns out the prep is the easiest part! I’ve never been brave enough to try an enema for this reason....I wonder if I would find it really uncomfortable?

Ng tube there is no way I will ever have that done unless I am totally unconscious.

@Probed4pleasure Speak with your health care provider about a VIRTUAL COLONOSCOPY. Not nearly as traumatic to you emotionally or physically, and while the prep is the same, the actual procedure is pretty much nothing more than a "little pain in the arse". Not at all anything to have you climbing walls over, and NO anesthesia required whatsoever which for me is the biggest plus! The 4D Dopplers easily penetrate the walls which was a drawback in earlier models of the equipment.

You may get a hassle from your insurance provider or HMO. If so, get a hold of me, and I'll give you some pointers to get around those, too. Essentially, just have your provider write the order specifically for VIRTUAL COLONOSCOPY and note on the order, "Pt does not tolerate anesthesia well. Must avoid same". That should do it.

Play safe!

It was long time ago but i have a UTI and the doctor said he needed to take a culture. OK...

Then I saw the swab stick with cotton at the end and lonng length. I suddenly knew what he was going to do and it freaked me out. Nothing had ever been in my urethra but pee. and now this??

I was in fear central.

But he did it anyway.

It hurt.

It was, finally, over and some pills took care of it.

But the feel of a fuzzy cotton ball sliding down is way different from a catheter or sound and it's still not something I want to repeat.

I have had a zillion UTIs and never once have they taken a culture. They have just had me give a urine sample and they've tested that.

Several comments:

Colonoscopies are no big deal, even if not sedated. By far the worst part of it is the prep. You have to take a strong dose of Dulcolax followed by a gallon of bad tasting liquid. You will be on the toilet for hours and your anus gets really sore. Even if you enjoy this kinda play, the colonoscopy prep is no fun.

The exam itself is not a big deal. I've had several without anesthesia. I do have them put in an IV, just in case, but only have gotten saline. If you are fully awake, I think the docs are far more gently and careful. If you are out, they tend to just shove the 'scope up you. When awake, if it hurts, YELL. They inflate your colon with air, and you fart- a lot. It's really embarrassing, but natural and expected.

Another thing that terrifies me is the insertion of an IV or Central Line, especially if the nurse is not really skilled.

Being catheterized is not a big deal if the nurse uses plenty of lube and is gentle. If the catheter is too big for you, it will burn for days every time you pee. That hurts. Properly sized and inserted, it actually feels pretty good and after an hour or so, you don't even feel it. Nurses generally don't check on your pee hole size in advance and just start with a Fr 16.

If that hurts, YELL.

But, finally is inter-occular surgery or anything involving a knife or needle in my eye. Having this without full anesthesia is unimaginable. Just the thought makes me almost pee my pants.

Working in Endoscopy , colonoscopy can be painful for people with sever diverticular disease as these pocket become inflated with air as the colonoscopy navigates though the colon. Air is needs to distend the lumen so that the endoscopist can safely navigate without causing a perforation . We use Carbon Dioxide gas instead of air as it dissipates faster , also drinking peppermint tea is useful.

In addition women or men that have had abdominal surgery can have adhesions. Adhesions are fibrous bands that form between tissues and organs, often as a result of injury during surgery. They may be thought of as internal scar tissue that connects tissues not normally connected. This can also cause a colonoscopy to become very painful and sometimes almost impossible to navigate, in such cases a CT pneumocolon or CT Colonography is performed .

RN

Anything using a needle

It's no longer done as far as I know, but what I went through as a 9 1/2 y/o kid, no one should be subjected to. Abdominal rabies shots. During the first injection I was held down, and had a long needle put into my stomach and was given my first rabies shot. Not a good scene as I screamed, my parents saw my angst and pain. Little did I know then, but quickly realized, it wasn't the only one I'd be getting. I got 20 more in my stomach. I was terrified every day for the following 20 days as I was brought to the hospital where I was given the injections. It was a fight to get me there.

^^Yes, it's a lot fewer shots now and in the arm, not the abdomen.

Anyone with cats or dogs should have them vaccinated.

This is last night and will curl your eyelashes ,I was in ICU with Cascade MOF ,I couldn't breath ,the idiot nurse kept coming and tellent me to call down "your having anxiety. When a doctor came in he instantly rwcinised I was just n serious trouble ,my chest was filling with blood and collapsing my lungs ,he said we don't have time for anesthesia it's going to hurt on came the high intensity procedure lights he cut my chest jammed in a rib spreader in and started draining the blood ,I passed out .

When I regained consciousness I was paralyzed and on a ventilator starting into those f****** lights ,since I was unconcioue they forgot to dope me up or snow me out,I now have an irrational side who believes the sides of your head are were you thoughts commit suicide as you scream shut off the lights ,close my eyes build a dog house on my face ,just do something ,most people get ICU induced PTSD because the mind makes up a story of torture to go with your feeling and don't understand ,I am the opposite no drugs and know my torture intimately eve y know and then a doctor can provoke that irrationality,like the poor bastard that diagnosed me with ALS ,I went up one side of him and rown the other ,with the flash thought of doing that again.

Having a cotton swab slid into the urethra of my penis. Several years ago I had a lesion on my penis. Thinking it was an STD I went to a local clinic and asked if it could be diagnosed with a blood test. The nurse told me "no" and that she would have to examine my penis. "Remove your pants and underwear and get on the exam table on your back". I complied. She left the room and came back shortly with another lady (nurse ?). She went to the cabinet and got something. I now had a nurse standing on each side of the exam table examining and discussing my penis. The first nurse commented "You will note that our patient has not been circumcised". "You will need to retract his foreskin". Where upon the nurse forcefully push my foreskin back hard and proceeded to insert the swab into the urethra of my penis. It HURT!

Very interesting topic! First, things I'm not afraid of. I am surprised at how many people are scared to have a colonoscopy. I have Crohn's disease and have had 44 of 'em since the late 70's. Back then, they sucked. The pain meds, Demerol, Valium & Versed sucked. First & second generation colonoscopes sucked. Now, it's a piece of cake! What would really suck is dying from colon cancer. When found early on, it's VERY curable.

Have had seven lithotripsies, a little scary the first time, but there is lots of incentive to get rid of that calcium oxalate gem that causes Sooo much pain. Had one cystoscopy that I was out for, no biggie. Several urinary caths, about a 4.5 on the Suck-O-Meter. Had to have a prostate biopsy & after reading about it online, I was pretty apprehensive about this procedure. It turned out to not be as bad as I thought it would.

Not a fan of IM injections, but have had over 100 blood draws in my life......0.0 on the Suck-O-Meter. Had a central line in the subclavian vein for parenteral nutrition during a 16 day stay in the hospital for salmonella poisoning that almost killed me. That whole episode rated a 9.5 on the Suck-O-Meter. Had two major surgeries that turned out really well. All I can say is: Do research, find out who the BEST surgeon is & go to him / her, even if you have to travel. There is NO substitute for a top shelf Dr / surgeon.

Here's the stuff that really scares me: NG tube......Had 'em twice & really HATED them. Chest tube........Put me out or you're going to have to hold me down. Any kind of eye surgery. Rabies shots. Spinal anesthesia....funny story....when I had my GI surgery, my surgeon stressed that he wanted to do a spinal. Is said no way. For whatever reason, I had a tremendous fear of having that done. He finally convinced me. Comes the day of the surgery, I'm in pre-op, in a cubicle. In comes my surgeon, anesthesiologist and a beautiful RN with an hourglass figure. So, I'm sitting on the side of the gurney, the surgeon & anesthesiologist behind me. and the RN sits on a stool about a foot in front of me. The surgeon tells me he wants me to lean forward & put my forehead on Emily's right shoulder. I hesitated & she looked at me & patted her right shoulder. The first thing that came to mind was the scene in Goldfinger when Honor Blackman tells 007 her name is Pussy Galore and 007 replies "I must be dreaming". I'm in position, with a million dollar view, the anesthesiologist explains that he's going to prep the area, then give me give me a sub q injection of lidocaine, then I would feel pressure, then a "pop". Meanwhile, I'm 1,000 miles away, concentrating on boobs. I felt the pressure & the pop, then they dressed the site. RN Emily said "now that wasn't so bad, was it"? That was the most fun I ever had in a hospital!!

Best,

vapor

Oh, let's not forget arterial blood gas draws and major organ biopsies. Both rate high on my Suck-O-Meter!

vapor

Blood gas draws aren't too bad if they adequately freeze it first. Not fun, but not, as you would say, a 9.5 on the Suck-o-Meter either.

If it's not adequately frozen, yeah, it's pretty bad.

--add to the topic of 'feared' medical procedures:

As many of you here, I've had a lifetime of gut issues, laborious constipation to the point that it seems that everybody in the medical profession has fooled with my butt one time or another. It felt like Grand Central Station to the point that now I just giggle. WTFOver.

However, when I first had bladder and/or urinary issues, I had my first appointment with my female Urologist. Her Medical Assistant picked me up in the lobby, taking me down the hall to a restroom, where I was asked to go relieve myself as she waited outside for me to return. Then down to the examination room and she told me to drop my pants and drawers, and up on the table, lying down on my back. She then proceeded to grab ahold of Mr. Wiggly, lifting him aside as she scrubbed the area around my penis, creating a somewhat 'sterile' environment.

I had a problem with that.

Have MRIs been mentioned?

My first one, for neck issues, scared the bejeebus out of me. My head in a tunnel, incessant racket from the magnets and the instructions to remain still all combined to drive me over the edge. I toughed it out, just barely.

Oddly, being awake for arterial stents did nothing to me. I was amused by the medical banter. Though the IV drugs being pushed contributed to that.

Spinal Tap, apparently much worse for men due to the shape of the skull. My dad had one and had a splitting head ache for a day and night.

A lumbar puncture can cause a headache when CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) leaks out from the puncture in the tissue surrounding the spinal cord. The headache has nothing to do with the shape of the skull. It happens rarely. Lumbar punctures are not to be feared. The only pain is from the injection of local anesthetic. I’ve had six and I’ve had a post LP headache once. It was annoying but not horrible. And by the way, the needle comes nowhere near the spinal cord.