Chemical Experiment: Awake
RE:SURGENCE; poems about mental illness
PART II: ANESTHESIA AWARENESS
"Very rarely — in only one or two of every 1,000 medical procedures involving general anesthesia — a patient may become aware or conscious. The condition, called anesthesia awareness (waking up) during surgery, means the patient can recall their surroundings, or an event related to the surgery, while under general anesthesia. Although it can be upsetting, patients usually do not feel pain when experiencing anesthesia awareness."
- Anesthesia Awareness (Waking Up) During Surgery, American Society of Anesthesiologists
_________________
A dull ticking clock
Echoes in waves between
Blinding fluorescent fireflies
Buzzing over monitors and the
Drip dripping of fluids
Voices echo in the dead space
Whispers of how the patient was
Debriefed for the operation
And how her eyes simply emptied
Like blood from varicose veins
As she accepted the risks
A new batch of chemicals
Bubbles in poisonous vats
But the patient lies still
Eyes closed to the light
The voices quiet as she is
Put under, tension thick in the air
The surgeons know what
Must happen next
After 100 is counted down
Her skull will be cracked open
Her inner workings exposed
And she will be forced awake
-
This is the seventh poem in RE: SURGENCE, a poetry collection by Amanda Starks that shares what it's like to have and fight against mental illness in a free-form, lyrical prose.
Be aware that topics and themes may include suicide, self-harm, and isolation.
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About the Creator
Amanda Starks
Lover of the dark, fantastical, and heart-wrenching. Fantasy writer, poet, and hopefully soon-to-be novelist who wants to create safe spaces to talk about mental health. Subscribe to my free newsletter at www.amandastarks.com for updates!
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More stories from Amanda Starks and writers in Poets and other communities.
The Whiskered War
A domestic drama; rather, you're witnessing a millennium-old conflict over the fate of the entire planet (and possibly just a smA titanic struggle between wits and strength has been raging in the shadows for millennia: The Great Nibble vs. The Purrsecution. The cats, the furry fighters, the fascists of the feline world, occupy one corner. In the other, mice make up the squeaky squad, the small militia. The reward? Domination over the entire world (and possibly an especially tasty cheese wheel).
By Richard Webera day ago in Humor
Comments (8)
This happened to my wife. I can assure you, pain CAN be felt. Yikes!
Very creepy. I used to deal with sleep paralysis when I was younger but it doesn’t compare to being under and freaking out cause you can’t do anything about it. Great job with the descriptive poem.
Oh, so very well described! I'm happy to say that I haven't had the experience, although I've been under general anesthesia for open heart surgery and a both-end-oscopy. Brain surgery is a whole other thing! A quick note about your link: Vocal tends to prepend their domain in the URL, so you may want to do a quick edit. (I did my own correction and I'm on your site now.)
Great job and Congratulations on your Top Story 😉🎉
Very well written! You captured the essence of this moment very well. I had a lot of back surgeries as a teenager. During one of them they had to wake me up to make sure I was still able to move my limbs. While I don’t remember that part, I do remember that they didn’t put me back under all the way before they resumed the surgery. I remember the sensations and the noises, but you are right, I don’t remember actually being in physical pain. I won’t go into details, but I can say that it can be very traumatic mentally. I do have to say though, I do love the going to sleep part. I wish I had a canister of that next to my bed some nights lol.
Well that woke me up. I can not imagine that happening to me. Powerful writing, well done and congrats on the Top STORY.
Wow!!! Powerful!!! Loving it!!!
This is beautifully surreal and intimate, you capture that moment well!