Most feared medical procedure

I said a bone marrow aspiration earlier in the thread, but I haven't actually had one. I did, however, endsure many finger pricks as a kid, and I hated those.

I haven't had one either, but they are very painful.

It is an NG tube.

Even if we shed tears on nausea and pain

The doctor stopped holding hands.

Now nothing special, when I was a child it was tonsillectomy, 2 years waiting, with the surgery always about to happen but never coming, every month doing blood test knowing that as soon as certain values get over a certain number I'd be dragged straight to OR, every month waiting for blood test result with a temporary relief when it was ok but knowing next month all would be again at stake, continuous ENT visists, penicilline, discussions about surgery inside the family, some relatives pushing for it other slowing down. I think should I had surgery immediately it would not have been a big deal, but 2 years of wait, with surgery always imminent but never coming turned a bit into an obsession. So when I was finally dragged to OR no amount of sedative was enough to calm me down

Had a catheter, big whoop there. Bit uncomfortable but not bad.

I have now faced that item on my fear list and it was worse than I'd feared. It was very painful for me, though it could have been from bladder trauma during surgery.

Will be facing another item on my list early next year - major surgery.

Another item to add for me is having a needle put into a wound - to the point I've refused stitches when I should have had them.

Autopsy

I don't think pain is what people are afraid of.

The fear is that don't want it done any time soon.

Giving birth this coming August! Our first child.

Here's my personal top 5 of what I do not want to have again :

5. Lumbal puncture

A month ago I was in hospital because I had high fever and a headache after a tick attacked me. It was a strange kind of pain when the needle was placed in my back. But at the end I guess I was more afraid than it was horrible at all...

4. Artery puncture

When I was about 10 I had a severe infection of the lungs. So one of the doctors in hospital decided to put a needle in my hand wrist which really hurt,quite more than before when a vain was pricked.

3. Ultrasound of prostate

When I was 13 I had an inflammation of the prostate and afterwards lasting problems with peeing. Therefore it was decided to find out the reason in hospital. One of the diagnostics was an ultrasound with a stick. For me as a teen it looked huge, and the first time it was painful when it was put in my bum and moved around. It was done several times so I got a bit used to it.

2. Colonoscopy

About 1,5 years ago I was in hospital because of suspicious appendicitis and than lasting abdominal complains. After finding blood on toilet paper they first had a look with proctoscope and staff sigmoidoscope, but found nothing. Next day they put in a flexibe sigmoidoscope which was painful when they passed the courves, but as well no findings. When they made a total coloscopy they mentioned at the beginning that I had no sedation while sigmoidoscopy and they want to try without any medication . But it got so painful when they entered 3/4 way far in that they gave me something to sleep. But this is something I will not forget.

1. Urodynamics

Something that was done when I had the prostate complaints and never want to have again in my life. Catheter in my bladder: very painful. Something thick and long in my butt for measuring pressure when I press the belly: very painful. Filling up my bladder several times : painful. OMG never again!!

When I was about 10 I had a severe infection of the lungs. So one of the doctors in hospital decided to put a needle in my hand wrist which really hurt,quite more than before when a vain was pricked.

Sounds like they were doing a blood gas draw. They didn't freeze it first? I've had it a few times and they have always put freezing in. It's not horrendous if they do that.

Wow!! Have to admire the bravery and fortitude of so many people who have undergone some extremely serious (in some cases potentially life - threatening ) medical procedures. Much love and respect to you all and thank you for sharing some traumatic memories. So many inspirational accounts.

Sounds like they were doing a blood gas draw. They didn't freeze it first? I've had it a few times and they have always put freezing in. It's not horrendous if they do that.

Back in 1981 I had to have several central lines placed in various parts of my arm or wrist, depending on how well they worked. Didn't care for them one bit, but trying to sleep with them in was the main part that sucked.

I've never heard of freezing though. How does that work?

Sounds like they were doing a blood gas draw. They didn't freeze it first? I've had it a few times and they have always put freezing in. It's not horrendous if they do that.

I think by "freezing" she means local anesthesia.

I think by "freezing" she means local anesthesia.

Really? Just to put a line into an artery? I think I would have been laughed out of the hospital if I had asked for that ... ha ha

People often call anesthetizing an area "freezing it."

Arteries are deeper than veins and the needle for local is much smaller than venipuncture.

Sometimes for venipuncture they may use some ethyl chloride which does feel cold, to lessen the pain of venipuncture.

Yes, that's what we call it here. I believe blood gasses are always done with a local. I wouldn't allow it without. The one time, he hit an area not frozen and it hurt like hell. I reflexively jerked my arm and the needle went flying.

Really? Just to put a line into an artery? I think I would have been laughed out of the hospital if I had asked for that ... ha ha

Arterial sticks can be pretty painful, especially with a new Resident. I would opt for ethyl chloride if it was being done on me.

I second rabies shots- when I was a kid I think they had just switched to the new treatment, where it’s just an injection to the arm. I recall being terrified of them as a youngin’ though. The concept of needing to GO BACK angsin and again, knowing what’s coming, is particularly scary (though not as scary as death by rabies I guess).

I’d be curious as to whether anyone knows of a first person account of the Pasteur Treatment, I’ve googled a bit but never found anything...

Indeed they used a kind of ice spray before singing in the wrist and it was not painful when the needle went through the skin. But the artery itself was sensitive.

I had a quad bypass over 10 years ago and the most painful thing was when they took the sample of arterial blood. The guy felt around my wrist then shoved a needle between the tendons and down to the artery. I about punched him with my other hand. Man that one hurt. Waking up with a split chest wasn't too much fun either but didn't set my teeth on edge like the arterial blood sample. I'd never allow that again without some kind of pan reduction.

Haven't had it done to me, but I heard cortisone shots for rotator cuff problems are painful - they use a very large needle. Worse yet is a dye injection to the shoulder for an MRI.

Cortisone shots do hurt (had one in my knee to try before they went ahead with surgery), but I wouldn't consider it most feared. It hurts a bit then it's over.

MRI or CT contrast also feels weird going in, but again not really something I fear.

I heard the cortisone and dye injections from a pretty tough Rugby player - who said he cried! I am sure there are worse things.

Moppys arterial blood draw sounds pretty bad - esp. if it was worse than waking up with a cracked chest!

Cortisone shots do hurt (had one in my knee to try before they went ahead with surgery)

If you have the option, get it done with u/s guidance and get them to put a local in with the local. I had it done that way last fall and I didn't feel anything. In fact, I was still waiting for him to start when he said he was done. Having another one on Wed. but am not scared like I was for the first one. I just hope it lasts longer than two weeks this time.

If you have the option, get it done with u/s guidance and get them to put a local in with the local. I had it done that way last fall and I didn't feel anything. In fact, I was still waiting for him to start when he said he was done. Having another one on Wed. but am not scared like I was for the first one. I just hope it lasts longer than two weeks this time.

They're not something that you should have done often.

I wasn't expecting it that first time, it was a bit of a surprise. I did wish that I had done a bit more background research, they put that needle in a long ways and it did hurt quite a bit more than I expected. I'm not jumping up and down at the prospect of getting another one, but if I did need one I don't think it would bother me too much.

Surgery on any joint. I had to have my elbow operated on in my late 20's. I had a loose bone chip in the joint that was causing all sorts of different problems.

When I woke up from that surgery, the pain that I was in was excruciating. I would cry for about a min or 2, fight back the crying for a few moments, and then start crying again.

They said they couldn't give me anything for the pain until I was completely off the anesthetic.

The nurses would use rolls of gauze under each finger, as props, to try and get the tension in my elbow as released as possible, to ease the pain.

Finally, after about 45 mins of crying and changing the way my hand and fingers were propped, I got "comfortable"

That's when the nurse came in with the pain killer shot and said OK, roll over.

I got real serious with the nurse and said "No!" It's taken 45 mins of moving props to get my elbow where I can stand it. I'm not moving. I don't care where you stick that needle. I've had lots of them and modesty has nothing to do with it.

She understood and gave it to me in my thigh

Oh and while I don't like needles, I definitely tolerate them better than most people. I had bad allergies and Asthma as a child that required needle injected drugs, twice a week, for my whole childhood.

With my elbow problem, I had Cortizone shots right in the joint with a large heavy needle. I wanted to watch but the nurse wouldn't let me

E

Steve

I was on Perocet for almost two weeks after my knee surgery. Yep, those hurt.

I watched the cortisone shot. I would have been very indignant if they had suggested that they wouldn't let me. If someone is messing with my body they should have the decency to do it in front of me. I'll deal with keeping control of myself and not panicking.

I'm not really afraid of needles. I've gotten plenty of lidocaine and other numbing injections from my dermatologist for biopsies and skin cancer excisions.

It's just that I dont find them even remotely sexual in nature, even the cortisone injections I've received in the buttocks.

They're not something that you should have done often.

I wasn't expecting it that first time, it was a bit of a surprise. I did wish that I had done a bit more background research, they put that needle in a long ways and it did hurt quite a bit more than I expected. I'm not jumping up and down at the prospect of getting another one, but if I did need one I don't think it would bother me too much.

They do help a lot with the pain. My ortho surgeon allows it every 3 months, but I waited until it was real bad again to get the second one, it will be 8 months. He says the concern is that the cortisone shots contribute to deterioration of the cartilege, but he said I have very little left anyway, so there's not much to deteriorate.

I guess my biggest fear would be a prostate biopsy with many stabs of the biopsy needle.

I had a quad bypass which wasn't any fun at all and I hope I never have to do again. I am with Bob though that a prostate biopsy would not be good at all. I had a friend do it and his description of the procedure with his asshole being stretched open wide enough to ride 4 monkeys on mopeds through while the guy took several samples runs shivers up my spine.

In adult life I don't have much fear, though I suppose I would be afraid to undergo heart surgery or similar.

When I was a kid at some point I was afraid that I would be circumcised, as my cousin had been.