Going under general anesthesia

Hey,
I am having arthroscopic knee surgery in two days for a torn meniscus. I will be going under general anesthesia. This is my first time being put to sleep and I'm kind of nervous, kind of excited. Ha I have some questions:
1) How will I be put to sleep? The mask or IV?
2) Will I be intubated?
3) Do you notice when you're being put to sleep?
4) What does being put to sleep feel like? What do you experience?
5) How long will I be asleep afterwards?

If someone has a story of experience or lots of details that would be so great.
Thanks so much! I appreciate it!

've had several surgeries. You will probably get some sort of shot before you go into surgery (pre-op) to dry up respiratory secretions (usually atropine) which means you wake up with a really dry mouth, and another drug to calm you down (what I call the dumb-dumb shot). You'll have an IV started and the meds to put you to sleep go in the IV. If they put a mask on you while awake, it's just oxygen, they'll give you the other meds to keep you asleep later. The med that goes in the IV is quick. They might tell you to count back from 10, you might remember 8! Or they just tell you night night and you go out. You will have a tube down your throat and this is done after you are asleep. You will wake up groggy, dry mouth and maybe a bit of a sore throat. The tube down your throat will alreadybe taken out. If you have any pain after the surgery, let the nurses know as pain meds are usually prescribed as when the patient asks for them. If you don't ask, the nurses will assume you are okay. Don't feel as if you are 'bothering' them when you call for help or meds, that's their job and you are paying for their service. Hope that helps.

I had a hernia operation here in the UK this January. I was apprehensive about anaesthesia, but I need not have been.

I was given an injection: I didn't have time to feel woozy or worried. The next thing I knew I was waking up back in my room.

Yes, I believe that tubes were put down my throat. But I must stress that I knew nothing about it. (They could have cut my head off and sewed it back on for all I knew about it.)

I hope that your experience of anaesthesia will be as trouble-free as mine.

Edit: Sisyphus is right. Ask questions of your doctor- and the anaesthetist.

Ready??? ASK YOUR DOCTOR. Someone who actually *knows*...who'll be DOING the job.