Icing with frozen peas
This picture was taken a few hours after the surgery. I have swollen much more since this picture, but am not in the mood to take the picture nor do I really want to have the picture out there for the public :)How to have your wisdom teeth removed.
When you are a teenager, go in for a routine checkup with your orthodontist. He will say, "You have a beautiful smile. We did a great job with those braces, but you need to have your wisdom teeth removed or they will begin to push them all back."
Smile, gratefully, and say, "No thanks." Run like heck to your car and cancel all future appointments.
Later in high school begin to wonder if you should maybe have it looked into again. Take your friend Brandon to have his out, see how he reacts to the gas and see him spitting blood the entire drive home and again say, "No, thanks."
Live a happy college life with your two wisdom teeth every once in awhile making an appearance and then returning below the surface again.
Get married. Notice in a few of your pictures that your teeth are getting a bit more crooked, but again think, "No, thanks."
Live another great year of your life with two wisdom teeth.
One day wake up and notice a pain in the back of your mouth. Take Tylenol. Take ibuprofen. Ignore it.
Wake up the next day and still have pain. Call for a dentist appointment. Get scheduled that day.
Take xray, talk to dentist, hear the inevitable: "It's your wisdom teeth. Let's schedule a day that you can have those removed."
Weigh your options. Permanent pain and headaches? Surgery? Surgery.
Local anesthesia or the more expensive completely knocked out? Remember that you're tough. Local. Schedule appointment for the Thursday before your fall break.
..........
Time will pass and you will try not to think about the surgery. You will hear many wisdom tooth tales. The day will come all too soon.
A coworker will drive you to your dentist appointment so your husband can pick you up afterward. Coworker will realize you are unusually quiet. Coworker will say a quick prayer for you before you go in.
They will call your name and will be started in no time. After the shots of local anesthesia you will think he is just "prepping" the area. You will then see the blood on the tool he pulls from your mouth and make a vow with yourself not to look at anything else going in or coming out. Before you know it, he will begin pulling. You will be okay until you hear him say to his assistant, "This thing does NOT want to come out! She has really strong teeth."
You will make Geneva proud and begin reciting a verse from bible drill you memorized in 4th grade, "What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee," Psalm 56:3. You will clinch the chair handles even more with your fists.
Eventually tooth one will be out. They will then begin stitches, a part of the process you had not even thought about until this very moment. Side one will be done.
They will begin side two. All will go according to plan except that you will start to feel a little more pressure as the anesthesia begins to wear off. Before you know it, they will begin the struggle of pulling again. The bloodied tooth with them emerge, and you will raise your fist in victory and muffle out a "masdfji" which means, "Yeah! It's over!"
You will then realize the slow, painful road to recovery.
You will emerge from the chair, take a glance down and see your chin and cheeks! Yikes. You will pay the receptionist, wonder why you have to PAY to endure something like that, and glance at your husband who will give you a sympathetic, loving look in return.
You will then go to the store, stock up on soup, yogurt, applesauce, ice cream, and snapple. You will pick up your pain meds and muffle out your date of birth to the lady at the window: "appprreel fortheenth..."
Return home, kick up your feet, begin to actually feel the pain, place frozen peas on your cheeks because this was some of the advice you had heard from many others, and pray that you don't get the dreaded "dry socket."
You will unfortunately get used to the taste of blood in your mouth, only break down in tears once, and learn to sleep slightly propped up. The next day you will want to laugh and cry when you see yourself in the mirror, and will sleep the entire day away. The next day you will wake up and wonder when the face will return to normal.
You will then get on the computer and write a blog entitled, "a two wisdom tooth tale..."
4 comments:
I hear ya, Kels. I had mine out when Nathan was a baby--not fun. I recall watching the entire Pride and Prejudice (the long one of course!) while recovering. That helped. =)
gargle warm salt water twice a day. that takes care of the dry socket blues.
Way to go Kelsey! I had all 4 of mine cut out when I was in high school. Bob and Lois opted for the cheaper local option as well. They had to break 2 of mine in half to get them out. Not a fun experience. At least with labor you get a baby out of the deal! :)
i had all 4 out over a christmas break in college. Those in my family that have had theirs out, have determined that unfortunately day 3 is the worst. Just giving you a warning since it held true for all of us. I know, it's no fun. Praying for you.
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