If the propofol the anesthesiologist gives you right before surgery is going to knock you out in a few seconds anyway, why do they always have you count backwards? Just wondering.
The patient (you) is lying half-naked with her legs spread in order to make the OB/GYN’s operating space ready for departure. And she (you) is stressing big time. The OR is cold (it always is), and beside the OB/GYN everyone in the OR is a total stranger to you.
But they are looking at your bum all the same.
The anesthesiologist knows this all too well, and he knows how uncomfortable you are. He also knows that like most of the OR patients, you are dead afraid of going into deep sleep before you will be cut in half (because that’s how you think about it in your worst nightmare, which was yesterday). You are also deeply worried about not waking up.
And so he performs a Kansas City Shuffle — he basically tells you to look right in front of you ASAP, while something will actually happen behind your back.
And so he lets you count backwards starting from 10 —