Have You Ever Wondered What Happens During Surgery?

Ronnie J. Guest Jr.

United States Army Veteran’s Perspective

“Just Getting Started”

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It is October 18th, 2023, surgery day for the 7th time and you would think that I was mentally and physically prepared for what my body was about to endure. ?As I sit in the hospital room waiting to hear “Ronnie Guest”, I have so many different emotions that I do not know what to think.? I am there, but I am not alone.? I called a few of my friends to let them know I am about to go through prep for surgery and to say that I love and appreciate all of their prayers and support.? This might sound like I was not planning on coming out of it and to be honest, I wasn’t.? I hear all the time of things happening during surgery and this was a major knee revision to a total knee replacement.

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So, what exactly happens as your body lay on the operating table, and you were in a death-like slumber? The moments before surgery, from my perspective, are a strange in-between space, part nervousness, part of preparing to let go and head to the unknow and more importantly unconsciousness.

I was still awake, hooked up to machines, with several medical professionals around me as they consulted and prepared to reconstruct my knee as this could possibly give me my quality of life back. As I lay there, I asked one of the surgical assistants/nurses if they had already put the anesthesia in my IV.? He stated not yet but would shortly.? At this time, I realized that in just a few moments, I’d drift and slip away into the unknown and within the next 2-3 hours I would not know I ever existed. I was nervous, but at the same time very relaxed if this makes sense.? I took several deep breaths and then the last thing I remembered was looking up and telling the person again, thank you for helping me get back in the game of a better quality of life.

Right before a recent surgery almost 3 years prior on the same knee, I remember looking at the big bright light right above me and seeing a few of the surgical team above me and again, I said thank you for saving my life.? Remember at this time it was my 6th surgery.

As a City Manager I am usually calm, cool, and collected and normally completely confident and in charge of moving things forward. But at this time. I am completely in a place what I should be a professional considering this was my 6th surgery before the recent one. ??However, during this surgery, the 7th and most challenging yet, I woke up with a memory from a time in my military service that I had suppressed and just did not want to think about.? There must have been a reason that during the time I went into my unconsciousness and until I started waking up which was seemingly a few moments in my time, I was waking up and telling the nurse that I needed to leave and needed to save one of my soldiers.? Secondly, I was trying to figure out what had actually happened to me during my gaps in the memory of time.

I slowly started to once again regain full consciousness. As I regained consciousness, I struggled to keep my eyes open. I do remember the nurse telling me that my surgery went well, but I was nervous as I saw the dreaded knee brace on my leg and from my previous experiences, this was not a good thing. ?The nurse stated that I would be moving into my room as soon as it was ready and then I could have visitors. ?

Again, what happens during surgery?? The outcome was communicated to my family, but this is where things tend to get lost in translation.? Have you ever played the “Share the Secret” game in elementary, middle, or high school?? This is where you start at one end with a secret that is told to the first person and the message is whispered down the line until you get to the end.? This is where communication is completely lost and misinterpreted. Unfortunately, this is not shared much with the patient, (i.e., me) since I was still feeling the effects of the anesthesia and honestly, did not even know who I was or where I was.

I had this same experience 6 times prior to this knee revision surgery, but again, I am still trying to figure out what happens during surgery.? I do not remember seeing my surgeon at all other than a brief handshake during the pre-op and him giving me his autograph on my surgical knee.? This was to be sure the operation took place on the correct leg.? ?I don’t remember seeing him at all as I was struggling to regain my thoughts and waking up.

As I reflect on “Have you ever wondered what happens during surgery” remains a mystery to me, even with all of the procedures I have been through.? Somehow, this surgery has been the toughest surgery I have ever endured, and I am struggling to recover and think that part of my never woke up from the surgery.? As a part of this is the part of me with so much confidence in all that I do.? If you recall, I remember saying something about having to save a soldier that we lost many years ago.? This part of the surgery opened up something that again, had been lost for years.?

So, we truly will never know what happens during surgery and where we consciously go during this time. ?So, no matter what happened and if I lost part of me, all I have is what I came home with, and I’m “Just Getting Started”.

?If you have ever had an experience like this, I would please share a comment below.?

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