[life] Those Teeth Are GONE! #22

22. Get my wisdom teeth out (umm TOTALLY DO NOT WANT TO DO THIS but I know I have to... at least according to my dentist, psh) ICK ICK ICK.
Completed January 17th, 2013

I did it, I did it! Oh yeah, yeah, yeah! (picture Marlin from "Finding Nemo" singing)

I was so anxious and terrified about having my wisdom teeth removed: not so much about the procedure, but about the anesthesia (like I told you about here). But the anesthesia wasn't bad at all!

I went back into the room, they reviewed everything with me, and then stuck the IV needle in my hand without the medicine. I told them I was anxious, so they reassured me that it would be very natural and I would feel my eyes get heavy, as if I had just taken a Tylenol PM or something. As soon as they did put the meds in the IV, they laid me back and started putting gauze in my mouth and the breathing thing in my nose. About 5 seconds after they put the meds in the IV, I felt my left shoulder go numb. WEIRD FEELING. It was strange because the IV was in my right hand, but I felt it first in my left shoulder. Hmm. Anyways, my eyes starting blinking very slowly, and THE NEXT THING I REMEMBER is being sat down in a chair in the recovery room (an hour and a half later). Whaaatt!!!

I was of sound mind when I "woke up", although they said I walked down the hall from the operating room to the recovery room- don't remember that! My mouth was full of gauze, but I asked them if I was rude when I woke up and they said no (before I went to sleep, I apologized in advance in case I did something crazy because I've never had anesthesia before... but I was a good girl, I guess)! They laid me back in the recovery chair and brought in Nate to sit with me and they explained everything to him. I remember all of that, but still was kind of fuzzy. I told him to take a picture of me:

Mouth full of gauze. And apparently I got cold during the procedure, so they covered me with a blanket. I have a heart monitor on my finger and a blood pressure cuff on my arm, and the taped part of my hand is where the IV was. I was able to leave about 20 minutes later to go home, and my mom had come in town to stay with us as well! So nice of her.

I stayed in bed all day Thursday and Friday. Thursday, as my numbing-ness (?) started wearing off, my mouth/ears started to hurt, so they brought me ice. I'm also on three types of meds (pain killer, one for infections, and one for swelling) plus a mouth wash, so my stomach has been queasy at times as well. And I can't really eat anything yet... I've had Jell-O, ice cream, milk shakes, mashed potatoes, and tiny bites of french toast, roast w/toast, and macaroni and cheese (all little bites and covered with syrup or gravy to make them soggy). I'm ready to be able to open my mouth fully again!

By Saturday, my mom had left because I hadn't really felt bad, wasn't in a lot of pain, and had no swelling. We are all very surprised at how well I'm doing! After she left, Nate and I decided to get out of the house to go shopping and walk around (an hour away: big mistake). I felt so nauseous from the car ride and then walking around, I was pretty dizzy. So on the car ride home, I laid my seat down all the way and tried to sleep. I didn't get sick, but I hate when my stomach feels like that!

 

So I am home from church today getting another day of rest. We don't have school tomorrow, but we have a retreat and a work day, so not sure if I'll make it to that either. All in all, after hearing everyone else's horror stories (some positive though) about their wisdom teeth extractions, I am so glad that mine is done and it wasn't that bad! I go back Thursday for a follow up, and hopefully my stitches will be gone by then. But thank you to everyone who prayed for me: I am proof that if you are terrified about anesthesia, it will be FINE! Thank you Lord for carrying me through!

Happy Sunday!

"Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever." Psalm 106:1