MY Kind of CRNA!

There are always exceptions to the rule. While I find that most of the CRNA's that I have had dialogue with along with most of them who have posted their "comments" here are disgustingly arrogant wannabe Doctors, there are some very refreshing posts ostensibly by CRNA's on the web and here is one of them...

16 Lauren September 20, 2009 at 1:22 pm

I’m a CRNA and a significant component of my salary comes from providing endoscopy sedation (propofol for colonoscopies, usually). If you want sedation, get an anesthesia person to administer it. Anesthesia providers use propofol for deeper sedation without the problems associated with midazolam (Versed) that is usually given by endo clinics. I have heard hundreds of sedation horror stories from patients who have undergone colonoscopy sedation with Versed; about 10% have a terrible experience during the procedure and many go home to develop PTSD as the wonderful Versed amnesia wears off. I hate to say it but the reason that colonoscopy sedaionis so common is: money. They want to do the procedure quickly, giving the patient a large dose of an amnesic like Versedmakes this easy..it also makes colooscopy WAY more dangerous for the patient. Find a decent endo who will do your exam unsedated…..you probably don’t need it anyway. And nobody needs Versed………. (Italics mine)

Thanks Lauren, for proving my point about anesthesia providers being closet dictators or worse, by being the exception. You also corroborate my thinking that these drugs are used for MONEY as one of the reasons, not "patient care or comfort." (I have several older posts about exactly this!) Your candor is very much appreciated. While Propofol was part of the cocktail I got when I said "NO incapacitating drugs and NO general anesthetic" and I will never allow it's use, I'm so glad that you recognise the Versed/Midazolam problem. Thanks hon. Here's where the post was gleaned from; Would you undergo a colonoscopy without sedation? KevinMD.com

PS The reason I will never allow propofol is because of the EXTREME mental anguish I suffered for years after my hospital debacle. Since nearly all of the CRNA's I've had dealings with claim that it just couldn't be the Versed and that I must be crazy or sub standard in some way, then I must consider other reasons for my long term problems associated with being tricked, abused and attacked in the medical center. It WAS the Versed, but perhaps the Propofol had a synergistic effect on the original problem with Versed? You anesthesia people are the ones who claim this, I'm just taking it a step further. Since *I* know myself pretty well, certainly better than any anesthesia nurse, I KNOW my problem is with Versed/Midazolam. I am open to thinking that Propofol could have exacerbated this severe drug reaction however.

Also all of you anesthesia types who claim that Versed merely reveals underlying mental disorders, THANKS A LOT! I was a totally functional person before the "incident" with no clue that I was actually a complete "nut case" "stupid bitch" "crazy person" as you people have so lovingly enlightened me about! I wanted to keep it that way. I liked myself just fine the way I was. This alone should convince you people who adore shootin' up unsuspecting, trusting patients with this gotcha drug that maybe this isn't the best thing to be doing... Just a thought.

Seriously, if this is what you think and this is your excuse for what happened to me and many others, then this drug should not be used except in severe cases of medical paranoia or medical phobia. Then, if you think about that statement, wouldn't there be a possibility that Versed could exacerbate THOSE problems? If it CREATED paranoia about medical care in my case, after being sanguine about any procedure for my entire life, what could it do to a patient who ALREADY HAS A CLEARLY IDENTIFIABLE PROBLEM? Hmmm?

In my case this would mean that you created anxiety (look in my medical records for descriptions of me before and after) in me by using Versed and then, because now I have a medical phobia, you would like to "treat" that with more of the drug that caused the problem in the first place. This defies logic, so who is the "unscientific, illogical person" now? Is it me or is it YOU anesthesia people?

At least LAUREN gets it. Thanks again Lauren, it's CRNA's like you, however few of you there are that almost restores my faith. I probably would let you do my anesthesia....