1.A patient was counting backward from 100 as the anesthesia kicked in. He got to 97, started slurring his words, and closed his eyes. Suddenly, he snapped them open and shouted, “JUST KIDDING!”—scaring everyone in the operating room.
Then his eyes rolled back, and he was out cold. Easily the best anesthesia induction I’ve ever seen.2.Before my first surgery, the surgeon gave me a reassuring grin and said, “First time? Don’t worry, me too.” Right before they pushed the anesthetic. Honestly, that was the last thing I expected to hear!
My wife was getting anesthesia for a C-section, and they let me into the room just before surgery started. I walked in and said, “It’s okay, honey, I’m here now.” She looked at me and replied, “That’s nice. But do you know when my husband will be here?”
Talk about a timing fail! 4.When I had my wisdom teeth removed, I noticed a tiny air bubble traveling down the IV line. Remembering something about air bubbles causing fatal aneurysms, I blurted out, “Brain aneurysm!” right before I got knocked out. The oral surgeon told me later it was the funniest thing anyone’s ever said before going under. Turns out I mixed up my medical terms—I meant “embolism,” not “aneurysm.” Who knew?