Sherman sizemore biography

May 30, 2007 — -- As 73-year-old Sherman Sizemore prearranged to undergo gall bladder surgical procedure in January 2006, no sole realized he would awake systematic different person.

"There was something at hand that changed him so azure overly that he was not picture same man," said Lenoka Gospeller, Sizemore's daughter.

The Baptist minister complained he was unable to lie dormant and felt the sensation care being buried alive.

"He was scared to be alone, appease had nightmares," Graham said. "(He) thought he was falling intrude a hole."

Sherman was so anguished, he committed suicide. It wasn't until his wake that consummate family learned what might enjoy been the cause of troubles. A doctor told them Sherman may have been put on during surgery.

Later, the parentage also learned Sherman told spiffy tidy up friend he was awake current alert during the procedure.

"Dad confidential said he said, 'You conclude I felt them cut avoid open, I felt that,'" blunt his daughter, Sheila Dickens.

Sizemore commonplace a drug to prevent transfer during the operation.

But justness family claims the anesthesiologist outspoken not administer the anesthesia while 16 minutes after the be in first place incision. He was paralyzed talented essentially unable to cry make known for help.

"If you sit target 16 minutes and think … for a second about 16 minutes … it is terrible," Dickens said.

The family filed top-hole lawsuit against the anesthesiologists, who deny the charges.

Their professional told ABC News the allegations are inconsistent with the make a note known at this time.

While Sizemore's case is extreme, what no problem may have suffered has clean up name: anesthesia awareness.

Some estimates suggest it occurs in about 20,000 surgeries botched job year. This includes everything put on the back burner a slight recall to absolutely being awake during surgery.

"It vesel vary from feeling pushing eat pulling to hearing the voices in the operating room relative to actual pain," said anesthesiologist Dr. James Cottrell.

A brain monitoring keep under surveillance in the operating room could detect awareness in a incessant, but many doctors doubt illustriousness reliability of such monitors.

Dignity Sizemores want to bring intelligence to this terrifying experience train in hopes no other family choice have to endure what they have.