Wisdom Teeth

Yesterday, I went to the dentist to get my wisdom teeth pulled. I knew that the operation would leave me in pain, but I was mentally prepared and unafraid...until I stepped into the operating room. As soon as I sat down on my chair, the doctor started hooking me up to a monitor while explaining the entire procedure to me. I was going to be put under via a needle and pass out for the next hour or so. When I wake up, my mouth will be numb and I will only begin to feel the pain a few hours later, once the numbing went away. I was going to be prescribed three different drugs to help with the pain and the swelling. Although I knew all of this and had spoken to various friends about their experiences so that I could better prepare myself, I totally lost it and began to cry. I’ve never been hooked up to a machine, which was intimidating, I have a huge fear of needle, they make me feel nauseous, and the idea of being put under scared me. I was about to miss an hour of my life without noticing that any time had past and no recollection of what happened within the hour.

The nurse tried to soothe me. She first explained that how I feel when the drugs are administered is how I will feel when I wake up. So, I should try to keep positive and calm. Then, she tried to assure me of her career experiences (she worked at the emergency room at some hospital, I wasn’t totally paying attention). But, her mini resume reminded me of the first day of class and how Professor Schwartz lied to us and asked, “How can you trust that I am the professor and that I have any credit?” Now, I didn’t think that someone had kidnapped the real doctor and the person talking to me was an actor, but I realized that she could have completely lied to me in order to ease me. At the time, I tried to forget about that possibility seeing as my surgery was in her hands.

The last thing my doctor said to calm me was, “This is a big experience for you, but we do this operation almost everyday,” which brought me back to perspective. It is funny how most professionals perform the same procedures everyday and routinize themselves with significant events for their clients. What was one of the most memorable days of my life thus far, or I guess non-memorable since I was passed out, for my doctor was just another day with another surgery with another patient.