I got my wisdom teeth removed yesterday morning. Apparently it was a difficult operation and not just because the pain meds wore off before it was over causing me to wake up and halucinate. Part of the difficulty was that I'm 27, and my teeth were fully formed. Another problem was their placement. The bottom two were both snugly lodged between other teeth and sensitive nerves. When the operation was finished and I'd recovered enough to think in words, I noticed that my bottom lip and anterior (front) chin was numb. In fact, the right side of this area was completely insensate. I still had motor control, but no feeling. Nothing. I expected some loss of sensation, but that was scary. My dentist called yesterday to check on me. She told me that when the bottom right tooth was removed, she could actually see the nerve completely exposed below it. While the nerve wasn't damaged, it was still "annoyed" (for lack of a better term). Well, the feeling completely returned to the bottom of my face today which brought some relief. However, the pain hasn't let up at all. In fact, my face is now more swollen than yesterday. This, too, was expected, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.
So, for any of you who may be going under the knife anytime soon, allow me to offer some of my newfound wisdom.
1. Fentanyl will grab your mind and fuck it like a coked-up whore. No matter what you think you remember, get someone to tell you what actually happened.
2. Before the operation, keep the conversation with the staff light. I know a little something about human physiology. While hooked up to the vital signs machine, I noticed something that caught my eye. I know that sometimes these machines aren't very accurate, so I wasn't really worried. I should have kept my mouth shut. Instead, I turn to the nurse and ask, "Should my blood pressure be that low?" This did nothing other than make the poor nurse very uncomforatable.
3. If you are going to have friends or family take care of you afterward, start thanking them and apologizing ahead of time. You will likely be a demanding, confused mess after the operation.
Tomorrow, I'm visiting my parents for a day then returning to Columbus. I won't have much internet access come Sunday, but I'll try to stay in touch.
So, for any of you who may be going under the knife anytime soon, allow me to offer some of my newfound wisdom.
1. Fentanyl will grab your mind and fuck it like a coked-up whore. No matter what you think you remember, get someone to tell you what actually happened.
2. Before the operation, keep the conversation with the staff light. I know a little something about human physiology. While hooked up to the vital signs machine, I noticed something that caught my eye. I know that sometimes these machines aren't very accurate, so I wasn't really worried. I should have kept my mouth shut. Instead, I turn to the nurse and ask, "Should my blood pressure be that low?" This did nothing other than make the poor nurse very uncomforatable.
3. If you are going to have friends or family take care of you afterward, start thanking them and apologizing ahead of time. You will likely be a demanding, confused mess after the operation.
Tomorrow, I'm visiting my parents for a day then returning to Columbus. I won't have much internet access come Sunday, but I'll try to stay in touch.
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having seen what fentanyl does to laboring mothers, i wasn't sure that it would fully anesthetize me. so i grilled the dentist on his anesthesia, asking him what-all he could/would use on me. evidently it's a phenergan/fentanyl/versed cocktail. i felt somewhat relieved.
i just hope i have someone good to take care of me.
hope you're feeling better soon,
no smoking!
xoxoxo