Four Teeth none the Wiser

I had all four of my wisdom teeth extracted last Friday. I was all prepped and psyched myself up that it really wouldn't be all that bad and I would be at the gym by Tuesday. That didn't happen. Here is what happened instead...

I recall the doctor telling me that the medicine worked really fast, that I would start to feel dizzy and then tired. Well, I remember the dizzy and the next thing I know I am semi-awake with someone holding down my head and someone else pulling and drilling and tapping on my bottom right tooth. I willed my eyes open so that everyone in the room would be fully aware that I was awake. They were very kind, talking to me and telling me that I would feel pressure but they were almost done. Yep, a couple of my teeth were so impacted and it took so long to get them out that the anesthesia wore off before they were finished. Thanks to the drugs, I don't fully remember the experience, however I remember enough of it to know that it wasn't pleasant.

Once husband got me home and I began the recovery process, I thought all would be okay, and I was still holding on to the "I'll be in the gym by Tuesday" goal. But, over the weekend, it seemed that every time I stood up, I would almost fall over because I was quite weak and dizzy. The drugs they gave me were good though, so I wasn't in too much pain even though I looked like a chipmunk stockpiling nuts for a blizzard.

My Best Mother-in-Law in the Whole Wide World came down to help "baby-sit" me since husband had to work all weekend. I finally got around to watching Gone With the Wind along with Little Miss Sunshine and The Lake House, so it was a great "girly movie" weekend, although I wasn't overly impressed by any of the films and really wished that I had rented The Notebook, which I still haven't seen. It hurt to talk too much, but Mother-in-Law was a Godsend in helping me eat and it was nice just having someone around.

As for my Tuesday at the gym goal, that did not happen. Right now, I am thinking a more realistic goal is a week from this coming Tuesday. I received some workout essentials in the mail last week that I had ordered pre-surgery, and on Thursday night, I played dress-up by trying everything on. Well, there were some never-tried-before sports bras in the mix and my test for any sports bra is the "bounce" factor, so I was hopping up and down in front of the mirror, and though the lack of bounce was commendable, my face hurt quite a bit as it was jiggled, so I know there are a few more recovery days left before I run again.

I did make it to work every day, although I was too heavily medicated to drive myself. Husband and co-workers have shuttled me to and from the office and meetings in Raleigh. I have to admit that not being able to drive, even after just one week, is frustrating. My sympathy goes out to Dad who wasn't able to drive himself for six months last year. Not fun! But, after a full day's work, I was exhausted and the night that I actually had to lead a meeting, my jaw throbbed and hurt so badly I wanted to cry. But, in true Army Wife spirit I pushed on through the pain.

Yesterday at my one week post-op appointment, the doctor said that everything was healing fine. He also told me a bit more about the surgery since the left half of my bottom lip and chin are still numb. The roots of the lower left tooth were actually straddling the nerve that runs under it and that they probably touched the nerve a little bit. He said that the feeling should come back eventually but it could take months. He said that the lower teeth were very impacted and that it will probably take at least a month to fully recover. That too is the reason I have so much along my jaw line and in my bottom teeth, lot's of digging.

The swelling is almost all gone, so my face is close to normal size. I am also looking quite lovely with a nice new shade of yellow-green bruise around my mouth and jaw line. (Nope, no pictures, this is one experience that I am not sure that I want to remember in that great of detail.) It is still uncomfortable to talk for long periods of time and I can't open my mouth wide enough to get a normal-size bite of food into it or a normal spoon into it for that matter. Thank goodness, a great friend of mine bought me a set of espresso spoons (picture a baby spoon) for my birthday last year. They are the perfect size to fit in my mouth. Because it hurts to bit down on my left side, I am still eating soft foods, so the staples in my current diet are hot oat bran cereal, yogurt, pudding laced with protein powder, cottage cheese, baby food carrots, baby food green beans, baby food peas, Kraft Easy Mac, and ice cream. The nights that I just can't take it any longer, I have eaten instant Hamburger Helper and then had a very tired jaw from the increased chewing on the right side. However, all is not bad, the mouth trouble was a great excuse to order cheesecake (after I ate my soup) during a business lunch at The Cheesecake Factory last week!

This weekend is all about rest and recovery. I am still drugging myself at night to sleep (don't worry, it's just Percocet) and don't want to risk over taxing myself so that I am in a lot of pain or get into an accident. However, we are in dire need of some groceries...maybe I will venture out with my Motrin tomorrow afternoon to get some necessities (we have no back-up TP in the house). None of my normal phone calls to gab with friends and family will happen again until at least next week, so don't think that I have forgotten about you. I have simply had my teeth ripped out of my head and can't talk right now! (You've got to love my drama!)