The first time I ever had surgery, I was anxious in advance. My mom told me “don’t worry, usually what happens if that they ask you to count down from ten and by the time you get to nine you’re asleep.” She was right.

I’m approaching my ninth or possibly tenth surgery and I’m pretty sure I haven’t been asked to count down since. The most recent time I had surgery, when I woke up, I asked when we were going to start.