Relearning how to breath and swallow after surgery?

[JimmyTheGent]

When you wake up after surgery I can only imagine you are dazed, disoriented, and in severe discomfort.  You only have about 4 minutes without breathing before you pass out so how does one re-learn how to breath and swallow when you wake up?  How hard is it to re-learn?  This makes the surgery sound 10x more scary. 

[Bobbit]

When you wake up after surgery I can only imagine you are dazed, disoriented, and in severe discomfort.  You only have about 4 minutes without breathing before you pass out so how does one re-learn how to breath and swallow when you wake up?  How hard is it to re-learn?  This makes the surgery sound 10x more scary.

You will already be breathing on your own before you become fully conscious - -  otherwise they would intervene and if necessary intubate you. 

[JimmyTheGent]

You will already be breathing on your own before you become fully conscious - -  otherwise they would intervene and if necessary intubate you.

Intimate me?  Where does that take place?
So when people say they need to re-learn how to breath and swallow they aren't being literal? It just feels different and needs to be gotten used to?