Carol Weihrer
Encyclopedia
Carol Weihrer is an activist for victims of anesthesia awareness
. Beginning in 1989, Weiher suffered chronic pain
from recurrent corneal erosion
syndrome. After 14 unsuccessful surgeries to relieve the increasing severity of the pain
, in 1998 she underwent an eye removal surgery and reportedly woke-up from anesthesia
during the procedure. Although she didn't feel any pain during the surgery, she remembered the entire experience afterwards. Weihrer received an out of court settlement and maintains that she suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder
as result of her experience.
Weihrer's website reports that the information contained within it represents only her experiences, views, research, and knowledge. It maintains that she is the President and Founder of The Anesthesia Awareness Campaign, Inc. whose costs "are being borne totally by [her] own personal commitment of time, money, energy, and outreach and research; along with a few monetary gifts."
Anesthesia awareness
Anesthesia awareness, or unintended intra-operative awareness occurs during general anesthesia, on the operating table, when the patient has not been given enough of the general anesthetic or analgesic to render the patient unconscious during general anesthesia...
. Beginning in 1989, Weiher suffered chronic pain
Chronic pain
Chronic pain has several different meanings in medicine. Traditionally, the distinction between acute and chronic pain has relied upon an arbitrary interval of time from onset; the two most commonly used markers being 3 months and 6 months since the initiation of pain, though some theorists and...
from recurrent corneal erosion
Recurrent corneal erosion
Recurrent corneal erosion is a disorder of the eyes characterized by the failure of the cornea's outermost layer of epithelial cells to attach to the underlying basement membrane...
syndrome. After 14 unsuccessful surgeries to relieve the increasing severity of the pain
Pain
Pain is an unpleasant sensation often caused by intense or damaging stimuli such as stubbing a toe, burning a finger, putting iodine on a cut, and bumping the "funny bone."...
, in 1998 she underwent an eye removal surgery and reportedly woke-up from anesthesia
Anesthesia
Anesthesia, or anaesthesia , traditionally meant the condition of having sensation blocked or temporarily taken away...
during the procedure. Although she didn't feel any pain during the surgery, she remembered the entire experience afterwards. Weihrer received an out of court settlement and maintains that she suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Posttraumaticstress disorder is a severe anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to any event that results in psychological trauma. This event may involve the threat of death to oneself or to someone else, or to one's own or someone else's physical, sexual, or psychological integrity,...
as result of her experience.
Weihrer's website reports that the information contained within it represents only her experiences, views, research, and knowledge. It maintains that she is the President and Founder of The Anesthesia Awareness Campaign, Inc. whose costs "are being borne totally by [her] own personal commitment of time, money, energy, and outreach and research; along with a few monetary gifts."
External links
- interactive site for those with an interest in awareness includes short videos telling one woman's story
- Anesthesiology Newsletter - West Virginia University - Dr. Robert E. Johnstone's review of a speaking engagement by Weiher
- CBSNews.com. Waking Up During Surgery. Nov. 24, 2003.
- Columbia News Service. Waking up during surgery: a living nightmare. March 1, 2004.