11/2021
My gallbladder recently survived a second threat of eviction from my organ community. It was going to be yet another emergency operation. For better or worse it didn’t happen.
I’ve had an impressive number of surgeries. I’ve been put under using a number of different types of anesthesia. As I was pondering yet another “insult” to my body in the Emergency Room, I started to think about some of my experiences with anesthesia. It’s a mixed bag with some really problematic incidents and it led me to wonder why there doesn’t seem to be much, if any, patient information on long term effects of multiple trips “under.” We know the possible immediate chemical reactions and allergies but what about longer-term and cumulative?
When I say it out loud, it feels like I’m trying to make some sort of sci-fi connection but think about it…just because chemicals are used to cut off the pain sensors in your brain and body that doesn’t mean the subconscious mind is not active. The subconscious has a tendency to hold the information your conscious mind can’t deal with, is cut off from, or would rather forget (Sybil1). Why wouldn’t your subconscious be able to recall and retain the pain that was purposely short-circuited from your conscious mind?
Could those experiences build up over time? If your mental state can affect your health, why can’t your subconscious retain that knowledge for you and why couldn’t there be associated effects? I had a “twilight sleep” surgery after which I was told I flinched during a procedure and I could tell it unnerved the medical staff, it was mentioned to me more than once by different people present. Clearly my body likely knew something my conscious mind couldn’t recall.
I’m working on this hypothesis but I’d guess it was only going stay that way, just a guess, but a guess with experience.
1 A book written by Flora Rheta Schreiber about her experience dealing with multiple personality disorder.
Khatzkel Did It 