Managing worries about having an anaesthetic

You may be feeling very worried about your test or operation, or about having an anaesthetic. We hope this resource will help you to feel more in control of your worries.

You can also access our video playlist on YouTube for more information about needles and cannula fears here.

What is anxiety for?

Anxiety is the body’s way of getting ready to fight or run away from a threat, or sometimes to go very quiet and still. We call this the fight, flight or freeze response. It can be very important when there is a real danger and you need to stay safe.

Do you notice any of these feelings when you feel worried or anxious:

• headache, brain fog, racing thoughts
• closed throat
• cannot relax
• diarrhoea or constipation and gas
• tense muscles or aches
• hyper energy or worn out
• dry mouth
• sweating
• feeling sick or decreased appetite
• shaking
• hot or cold

The problem is that our brains sometimes get mixed up between things that are a real danger and things that we think are scary (like having an operation), and our bodies react in the same way.

It does not help us if we want to run away from a test or treatment that we need to stay healthy, so we need to find ways to reduce our fight, flight or freeze response.

A lot of worry comes from our thoughts

Some worry thoughts that might be bouncing around:

• It is going to hurt
• I will have to talk to strangers
• I do not want to be here
• They will make me do things I do not want to
• I am scared of what will happen

It is very common to need to work on damping down some of those difficult feelings and worry thoughts and to build up confidence.

Some procedures might feel a little sore, but the doctors and nurses will use every way they have of making you feel comfortable.

We will always try to make sure you understand the treatment you need and will explain things one step at a time.

We will try to help you feel confident, rather than scared. Some things might feel harder than others, but we will tackle them as a team.

Try to take worry thoughts and make them lighter. Think about blowing them into a bubble and let them pop or float away.

Can we do anything about worry thoughts?

Instead of thinking “the blood test needle will hurt”, instead think “I can have some magic cream to numb my skin first”

Instead of thinking “I don’t know what will happen”, instead think “they will explain everything to me so I understand”

Write a worry thought here:

Then see if you can turn it into a positive thought:

Sometimes worry thoughts can be beaten by knowledge

There is some great information about anaesthetics in these booklets for children and young people. Choose the one you like best and have a read.

You might also like an app called Little Journey, that has a virtual tour of the hospital and more information.

But sometimes reading is not enough

How we can help

You can come for a visit to the Theatre Admissions Unit (TAU) for a chat with an anaesthetist or play specialist who can talk you through the whole process and tell you about your options and choices you can make. You can ask us as many questions as you like.

Take control if you feel the fight or flight response.

Try square breathing:

Focus on things around you or imagine you are in your favourite place. Listen to some music or play on your tablet or phone or try some of the activities on the Hospichill app.

These techniques can form your toolkit for managing worry. They need practice to work well, but can really help. They are called coping skills.

Medicine to help

If your worries are still bothering you and your toolkit of coping skills needs an extra boost, we can offer you some calming medicine on the day of your operation that will dampen down your fight or flight response. Lots of people need this and that is okay.

Sometimes it is a liquid medicine to drink from a syringe and sometimes a watery spray into your nose. Both help you to feel calm and sleepy before going for your operation.

When you are nervous, it can feel like butterflies in your tummy. The medicine helps to put the butterflies to sleep, so the fluttering feeling goes away.

Do you think you would prefer the drink or the wet nose spray?

Needle fear

One of those fears that can take over, but can be brought under control.

How do needles make you feel?

If your fear is in the red zone, it is important to try to fix it where possible, as there may be some occasions both in childhood and as you grow up where needles are needed for example, vaccinations, blood tests, local anaesthetic to numb a gum or skin, a cannula for intravenous medicine or anaesthetics.

The good news

We can use local anaesthetic cream or cold spray to stop the scratch or prick feeling of a needle. It makes it feel just like a pencil rubber pushing on you, rather than a sharp scratch.

You can use distractions and coping skills to help you feel more comfortable even if you do still feel a little bit of it.

If you have not been able to beat your needle fear before having an operation, we can start the anaesthetic with ‘sleepy air’ from a mask, rather than an injection through a cannula.

Staged approach to beat needle fear

Think of it as some steps you need to climb to feel confident about having a cannula for your anaesthetic.

Start at the bottom and practise each step until your worry is in the green zone before moving up a step. Never skip a step.

If you feel faint or you cannot get your worry to calm down at any stage, let us know. We may be able to help.

Watch our YouTube video about needle fears here.

Step 1

I can listen to all the ways having a cannula can be made easier. Watch our YouTube video about managing needle worries here.

Step 2

I can look at a picture of a cannula. Watch our YouTube video about looking at a picture of a cannula here.

Step 3

I can hold a cannula without the needle in it. I can hold a cannula with the needle in it.

I can pretend to put a cannula in my teddy. Watch our YouTube video about holding a cannula and pretending to put it into a teddy bear here.

When you feel ready to bring your teddy for a cannula, please make an appointment with our Preoperative Care Team by ringing 0114 305 8130.

Step 4

I can plan how I could manage to have a cannula. I can watch a video of someone having a cannula. Watch our YouTube video of Anna having a cannula put in.

Step 5

I can cope with a cannula (the goal).

How could all this work for me?

How do I feel about having an anaesthetic and an operation?

What about after I have found out more information?

How do I feel about having a cannula in my hand for the anaesthetic?

What about after I have tried climbing the worry ladder?

Write down the thing you think will be most scary:

What coping skills could I use from my toolkit to help?

My plan for my anaesthetic

I will read information and ask questions
Yes
No

I would like some local anaesthetic cream
Yes
No

I would like a pre-med to calm my worries
Yes
No

I would like
Medicine to drink
Nasal spray

I would prefer to start my anaesthetic with
An injection in a cannula
Sleepy air from a mask

I would like to use these things for distraction
Listening to music
Watching a video
Playing on an iPad
Looking at a picture book

If I feel very nervous, I will use things from my coping skills toolkit
Square breathing
Focus on senses
Pretending to be in my favourite place
Hold my grown-up’s hand

Afterwards

How did it go?

How can I do better if I need to do it again?