Yesterday I had half my wisdom teeth out and I'm still alive. I was supposed to get all four out, but the dentist used up the maximum amount of local anestesia that can be used in one sitting. The bottom left tooth wanted to come out less than I wanted it to come out, and it caused some problems for the dentist and some discomfort for me during the surgery. I was given laughing gas to ease my anxiety, but I certainly wasn't laughing. In fact, I felt no effect and I was still quite tense. After he put in my freezing I felt my heart rate go way up and I was shaking. At the end of the appointment I finally let go of my arm and my hands were sore from gripping.
I wasn't in much pain for most of the ordeal. Every once in a while he would reach a point in his "digging" where the freezing hadn't quite done it's job and I would tell him it hurt. It was mostly gross. Throughout the cracking, grinding and dripping down my throat, (and the horrible bitter taste when he would drill my tooth to break it) I was trying not to picture what was going on. I tried desperately to watch the bronze medal hockey game going on on the TV behind the hygenist's head and I took some deep breath's of nitrous oxcide in hopes that I wouldn't pay as much attention to the terrible sensations.
Scott came to pick me up, but I was fine. I could walk and I took the bus home instead of a cab. Anyone who knows me knows that I hate taking drugs of any sort so it wouldn't be a surprise that I decided to try things out without pain killers. When I got home I sat with some gauze in mouth waiting for the bleeding to stop. I thought it was time to gargle some salt water to stay on top of infections. I did this, spit out some bloody water and sat down. Searing pain suddenly shot through my jaw as the salt made it's way down through the wound. Sunddenly the whole left side of my face was throbbing. I asked Scott to pause the movie we were watching (Cinderella Man - good movie) and go get my prescription filled at the pharmacy across the street. When he brought it back I read the enclosed papers and thought about how much I didn't want to take anything. My hands were shaking and I felt nauseated with the pain so I gave in and took a Tylenol 3. Within half an hour I started to feel a little better and I could tolerate the pain the the Tylenol 3 couldn't quite mask. When I went to bed at 8:00 I took a couple regular strength Ibuprofen and I slept considerably well. I awoke easily, but I wasn't in too much pain. Upon waking up this morning I still had some pain and I feel more swollen, but I've decided not to take any drugs. I was going to take my anti-biotics, but since I'm allergic to Penicillen they gave me something else. It says it should be taken only with serious infections because in rare cases people develop intestinal problems that can be fatal. I decided to wait it out and maybe just gargle with salt water more often.
So I survived. I've always thought I had a high threshold of pain, but I do let people know that I'm feeling bad...I don't consider it whining :). On a scale of 1- 10 I'd consider the short-lived pain an 8...I'd put strep throat at a 9 or 10. I've felt worse.
I get to go through it again in a month for the other side, though. I think I'll do better then knowing that it doesn't last too long.
3 comments:
Oh, dear that sounds horrible Marlene. And worse that they couldn't get it all done at once. But hopefully soon it will all be behind you.
I feel the same way about taking drugs. If I can survive without taking them I don't.
When I had James they pumped me so full of drugs that my body was literally shaking and I was fozen from the neck down while it was doing this, so really quite odd.
Praying for a speedy recovery for you.
What an ordeal! I had all four of my wisdom teeth out a bit less than a year ago, but I won't go into the details, because my experience was quite the opposite of yours.
Hope you're completely out of pain soon and that the next 2 to come out go more like mine did than your first 2 did.
Thanks, Rachel. I have a feeling your experience was much like most people's I've heard. I'm feeling much better already, though. I'll be happiest when I can eat solid foods since soup doesn't quite hit the spot. Now I know why babies have to be fed so much!
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