[squirrellypoo]

I just had my Day 100 BMB yesterday, I think it's my 7th or 8th one now (not counting the couple I had as a kid). I'm one of those people who REALLY finds them painful. I get anxious, stressed, and really upset before them, and I consider them to be pretty much the pinnacle of pain.

But I don't get sedation. I had it once - they told me it would give me amnesia and I'd forget everything that happened and it would be less painful. But all it did was make me feel worse beforehand because I wasn't allowed to eat, so I was lightheaded and woozy on top of the usual stress and anxiety. And I had zero amnesia - the procedure was just as bad as it was without sedation, only I was forced to stay at the hospital for two hours afterwards instead of being able to go home right away and crawl under the duvet with a cup of tea like I wanted to.

But the absolute worst thing about sedation is that they wouldn't allow my fiance to be in the room with me, to hold my hand, pat my head, and - most importantly - talk to me continuously throughout the entire procedure to distract me. I cannot stress enough how much having him there helps me through it!

So for me, I just don't think sedation is worth the extra hassle, even though BMBs are absolutely the worst procedures ever IMHO.

(and Carolyn - Kings do not do the sort of anaesthetics Neil is talking about that require an anaesthesiologist. The only sedation they offer is the "amnesia" one that didn't work for me, though others seem to opt for it)