Wisdom Teeth Extraction: Days 1-4

I got all 4 wisdom teeth taken out a few days ago. This is a summary of my experience.

I had to go to the day surgery about half an hour before the scheduled time of my surgery. Some admin stuff had to be done, plus I had to pay for the excess of the fee to use the theatre ward ($100, the rest was covered by my health fund).

The pre-op nurse then called me in to the pre-op room, where I had to get changed out of my clothes (except my undies) and into the hospital gown and surgical "shoes" and cap. I was nervous as, and she said that I should tell the anaesthetist, probably so he can set the dosage to allow for my nerves.

I then went into this waiting area, and laid in bed watching tv and waiting to be wheeled into the theatre. Not that I had any idea what was on tv, as I was getting more & more terrified by the minute.

The anaesthetist eventually came around to introduce himself, and to ask me some medical questions. And then a few minutes later my oral surgeon came around to brief me as well. Soon after that, I was wheeled into the theatre. I remember the theatre looking very much like any other surgical theatre that you see on tv - which of course did not help my nerves!

They wheeled my bed right next to the operating table (OMG), and asked me to move over on to the latter. (OMG x2) All the nurses introduced themselves to me while they prepared me for what's to come. The anaesthetist said that he was going to give me some introductory drugs to see how I would react, which was fine. About 30 seconds later, he said that he'll now give me the real thing, and that's all I remember.

And the next thing I remember is waking up in the post-op recovery area. They gave me a local anaesthetic as well, so I didn't feel any pain in my mouth. After a few minutes, a nurse helped me up to walk over to the waiting/pick-up area. I felt quite drunk! I couldn't walk straight, and I didn't feel like I had full control of all my senses. It was a rather strange sensation.

After waiting here for a while, B came by to pick me up. Both the anaesthetist & the oral surgeon came around to give me post-op instructions, and then I got changed back into my clothes & I was discharged not long after that. We went & picked up my painkillers (Digesic) & anitibiotics (Amoxyl) at the pharmacy downstairs, and then went home.

My mouth was numb for the rest of the day, which kept me amused and in good spirits. But I could barely open my mouth, and had to pretty much drink everything through a straw. I was starving...

The next day the local anaesthetic wore off and left me with a rather sore mouth. I could open my mouth a little, but I still couldn't really chew. The soreness was bearable, so I decided not to take any of the painkillers. My hunger continued on into Day 2. I started rinsing my mouth with salt & warm water, pretty much after every "meal", as per the post-op instructions. There was a bit of bleeding after the first 2 rinses, but it was just uncomfortable all the other times. I also started brushing my teeth with my little baby toothbrush, bought especially for this! :-)

Day 3 was pretty much the same. Soreness was the same, and I could open my mouth that little bit more. Still can't eat anything, so I'm still STARVING. My cheeks look a little more puffed up today, especially on the left side.

It's now Day 4, and it's pretty much the same still. My face looks even more swollen - & now it's looking a little bruised! I still can't eat much. I weighed myself today - I have lost 1kg. That's one good thing that's come out of all this inconvenience! LOL

Still no painkillers to date, so the pain obviously has not been as bad as I thought it would be.

Regrets of the Dying

I think we all need to stop and smell the roses every once in a while:

http://www.inspirationandchai.com/Regrets-of-the-Dying.html

Difficulty in changing one's name

I have one administrative question to all the medical people out there: how hard is it to change your personal details on the medical register?

I have a (supposed, LOL) friend who claims that she did not want to change her name from her maiden name to her husband's name when they got married because it would take too much effort. I want to know what other people in the medical field (especially women, who are almost always the ones who take their partner's name in marriage) think about this claim.

I also note that she got married around 2 years after graduating from university, so it was not as if she had already built up a substantial reputation in her career over a 20-year period.

Global Financial Crisis Hitting Home

My brother just lost his job. :-( I hope he is ok and can get through this. He can get very down, feeling extremely sorry for himself. I really hope he gets a new job soon, for his sake both emotionally and financially.

Gun Shot Victim

I saw this article on the news today, and felt so much sadness for her. To have her own partner do this to her is unimaginable. It is so sad. This is one of those times when I truly believe in an-eye-for-an-eye.

Boyz n the Hood

I just watched Boyz n the Hood. 17 years since its release, but hey, better late than never. I wish I watched it 17 years ago though. It is an excellent movie, and probably was the first to tell the world the real story about what is happening in the United States in some of the black communities in that country.

It is tragic. Black kids wanting to escape but can't. This one scene where a teenage girl is trying to study, but is distracted by the constant gunfire and sirens outside. And I won't ruin the ending, but suffice to say, the effort to get out is almost always insurmountable.

I don't know what it's like in that country, but from what I've heard from people who have been there, the race segregation is still clearly visible in most states. That is very sad to see, and I really feel for those people who are portrayed in the movie. There are thousands, if not millions, of people that the movie represents, and my heart goes out to all of them. I really wish the Government could do more to help these communities. No one ever wants to be in that sort of situation, but it is all the more difficult to escape such a life if you have little to no resources (financial or otherwise) to assist you to do so.

Motherhood

Is it wrong if I have no inkling whatsoever to become a mother? Christmas time always makes me question my lack of maternal instincts. We always meet up with our family & friends at this time of year, most of whom have little kids attached to their hip (figuratively speaking, but you know what I mean). But I don't ooh & ahh over them like some women I know. Does that make me less of a woman in some way?

Then there's the guilt I feel that my parents will not be grandparents. (Not from me, anyway. My brother could be a different story.) I see their friends becoming grandparents, and I feel sad that I can't (or rather, won't) give them the same opportunity. It brings tears to my eyes. I would LOVE my parents to become grandparents, I just don't want to be the mother of the kids. LOL

And why don't I have any desire to become a mother anyway? Shouldn't it be something innate in all women? I feel like I'm wired incorrectly or something. I know I'm not (wired incorrectly), but sometimes I wonder why I feel the way that I do...