This last Thursday, January the 15, I fianlly got the chance to get my wisdon teeth taken out. I was unusually excited for this because they had been through the gums and hurting me for two months now. Little did I know how fun things would really get.
The morning of, I awoke to Mom kindly (more like franticly ;] ) letting me know that we had fifteen minutes till we needed to leave. Not wanting to do a whole lot with myself since I was half asleep and was going into surgery so I'd look wierd after no matter what I did, I went to the bathroom to change, brush my teeth, and put on a little bit of makeup. Leaving ontime we head out to Salt Lake City for the building Wisdom Teeth Only.
Upon arriving we then are told that we're actually forty minutes late (miss communication issues) so we hurried through the paper work, I got an x-ray of my teeth with a really nifty mechine that rotated around my head! (I felt like a robot :P) Then I showed into the extraction room. dun Dun DUN!!!
I'm told to sit in the chair and get real comfy. Then my Doctor/Dentist/Man Who's Taking Out My Teeth explains whats going to happen to me while he tie's a rubber band around my arm. A little confused at why he's bothering with my arm when it's my teeth that are getting pulled I decided it doesn't matter, the Doc knows best. He then tells me to start skweezing my hand into a fist. I then realize that I am to recieve an IV for the anasthesia.
My heart jumps twice and does a backflip as I start to slowly skeez my hand, trying not to think of the needle that's about to puncture my oh so fragile skin, causing the tiniest bit of pain, but extreamly scarrie none the less. As I try to fade out the needle thats now only inches away from my buldging vain, I hear a voice somewhere in the background, "Now once the anasthesia's in your blood stream you'll start to loose concisnous in a few minutes. This might prick just a little bit..." Oh the horror! Feeling the cold needle pierce my skin! Sinking down into the wet blood! I start to cry out, then realize why I still tolerate shots. Geez that wasn't so bad. Hum, well thats an interesting wall... wow starting to get tired. Man I should have gone to bed earlier last night. Gosh I just can't seem to keep my eye's open... ok... it the... anas... thes...
...
"No no, they weren't a problem at all. Just the regualr garden type variety."
...
"I'll help you get her out to the car."
...
Ooo... where'd the lower half of my face go? Oh a text message, must answer...! K Lindsey just try to keep your eyes open for a little bit... hey, when'd I get in the car? Oh ya, phone. What's in my mouth? Ok, blood everywhere... not so fun. Just text Linds. Wait where's my Mom? Hum, parking lot looks familar. At least I kinda know where I am. K need to stop sticking fingers in mouth. Yes, David I'm out... but I see a dog that's so cute!! There's blood on my thumb... Ok Mom's back, she'll fix it! "Mhmmhdmmhmhd..."
"What?!"
"Hummammdmmm!!!"
"Lindey I don't understand what your saying. Just wait ok we'll be home soon. Here hold your meds."
I now am holding some sort of bag in my hands...? Oh kohlers, right, the store. Well that would explain where Mom was, but how'd we get here so fast I just got a shot. Well maybe David will fix it then. [blood on my thumb. its gross]
{I'm sorry. you did just get your teeth out though. That could be why there's blood on your fingers...}
Hum, well that didn't help me at all. All well keep texting! Must text. Or sleep... thats good too...
Huh...? Hey don't leave me Mom! I wanna come. Ok Lindsey open door. Oh home... ya hi Mom why can't I walk?
"K Lindsey let's go inside and take some pills. Come on stand up, your too big for me to carry."
"Mmmhdaamuum."
"Lindsey I can't understand you just wait ok."
Wow, how did I get in the chair so fast...? Oh water! Yes my mouth is so dry, I can't wait... ok sippy cup's a little wierd but who gives. I just want that liquid down my throat... or all over my shirt and pants and table, that works too. Oh look... more blood. "MMMDHMDMUUM!!!"
"What is it? Ooh, well we'll just wash that up. Now try to close your mouth this time. Ya tip it up like that. There we go now, yes Lindsey I realize there's blood. Well stick out your tounge let me wash it off."
"Muuhmmdhum."
"Ok let get you in bed. Come on."
Geez this walking thing is harder than I remember'd. And why does the room keep spinning and jolting. YES! A bed. Oh sweet moses a TV. My prayers have been answered, I'm in heaven!!
As the days went on I progresivly got better. They day came (Jan 17) when it was time to go home. I had my list of when I needed to take my pills and what not and I was confident that I would be just fine. Arriving at my apartment I had a little bit of pain but I was happy to see my roommates again and finally feel independent once again. Taking my pills when I was supposed wasn't so bad that night. So trying falling asleep after a long long talk with my roommates wasn't a problem at all.
The next moning I awoke remembering all the times I sat up in bed that night. Suddenly feeling a stab of pain I realized why. Looking at the clock that read 6:30 before I left my room, trying not to wake my roommate, I stumbled to my drug stash. Ok I need to take this pill now with food, hum that could be a problem. What am I supposed to eat if I can't even open my mouth wide enough to shove a soft banna in it?
I look up to a noise and find Bella coming out, looking very tired, announcing that she needs to work on her lesson for Relif Society. Now on the couch with the computer on my lap trying to decypher what's written infront of me I grunt "good luck" to her and continue decoding my puzzle. Everything is spinning for some reason I really can't figure out but I just need to concentrate on something besides the aggonizing pain of my tooth. By my side is a bowl that once held a little strawberrie oatmeal, my make-shift ice pack, and the massive amounts of pills that are supposed to take this pain away. Deciding that this is much more than the avrage pain that accompanies wisdom teeth extraction, I look up that dreaded word... Dry Socket.
Dry socket is something that is more common among women and in the lower jaw. No one knows exactly why it occurs but the pain can very unpleasent for the patient. It can commence within 2-5 days of the extraction and will generally last from 24-72 hours. Some things however that could pertain to the cause are smoking, sucking through straws, of the proceedurd it's self.
Rembering the three time's I sucked through straws I decided that was my problem. I read more:
Sucking through a straw will creat negative preasure and can cause the blood clot to remove its self. Spitting will also cause a negative preasure. Avoid both after extraction untill the pain ceases.
Oh well thats jut great. It's not my fault I always had the urge to spit I mean come on there was blood in my mouth...
Some symptoms are extream pain in the area of extraction, a fould smell or taste, and pain that will run from the head down the neck. Often times the ear will start to ake also.
Ok well this taste deffinantly isn't something that I enjoy, and now I understand why my ear hurts. At least I don't have that pain running down the neck thing going on. Well I'm not going to go to church today... wow feeling tired. I think the pills have finally kicked in.
"Oh ya I'm not feeling good at all. I think that I have dry socket. It happens to sometimes after teeth are pulled and it hurts really bad. So ya I'm going to stay home today and hopefully catch up on the sleep I missed out on last night."
As my roommates left, heading to church, I got up off the couch and took more pills. Going to my room each step was torcher. It was like my mouth was punishing me for taking out my teeth that were hurting me.
"We were having fun with those guys. They were so wise and gave us all so much advice but you had to go and take them all away! You couldn't even leave one..."
Wow ok these pills are so effecting me... time to sleep, or try to at least.
The day went on and I continued to be in massive amounts of pain. It got so bad that one morning I had to run to the bathroom and hang my head over the toilet while I sat and dry-heaved for ten minutes. I decided that I needed a priesthood blessing. Dad was sick though and we kept having problems when I asked them to come down. I hadn't talked to my home teachers for about two months and wasn't sure if I had been reassigned or not so I called my favorite brother.
"Ya sure I'll come during lunch."
Oh joy! I was going to get better finally! I took a shower and waited to the time my life saver would come. He arrived and asked what was going on. I explained as best I could and then told him he was my last hope. After the blessing I thanked him and he invited me to lunch. I accepted, I'd been cooped up in houses for way too long. I was able to eat my lunch without much trouble and enjoyed spending time with my brother. He took me home afterwards and I spent the rest of the day happy and excited to be free of pills and pain.
It's now the following day, Monday Jan 20, and I'm proud to admit that even though there is still some pain, I'm no longer on pain killers and I'm feeling much better!
All in all I just wanted to post something and though this was just about the best thing to share :)
Hope you guys enjoyed the story and I promise that I'm going to be posting much more now.
Love linds
