Well, I am known for my high-tolerance of pain (physical not emotional) but...... My wisdom teeth extraction and bone-grafting is kicking my ass!

My biggest fear was them putting me under. I can handle the pain, but I don't like being put under.... turns out they didn't put me under, and I was fine with it till between the second and third wisdom tooth.

Went into the oral surgeon's office at 11:00a.m.

Took awhile to get things started.

The numerous needles going into my mouth for the numbing wasn't fun..but tolerable.

The first wisdom tooth (upper left) was removed without too much problem. - should be easy right. Someone asks they helper how much longer it'll be he says probably about a half an hour (found out later it was about 1:00 at this time.) After the tooth is pulled, they put in a piece of bone and stitch it up - the bone-grafting is to promote better healing, keep the integrity of the jaw better - and prevent dry socket.

Second wisdom tooth (bottom right) doesn't want to come out. The inside of my mouth is number but my lips are not. I don't have a big mouth, I can't open it very wide. As she is twisting at my tooth to try to get it out, it feels like she is ripping my lips apart. They keep telling me to open wider, but I can't.
Finally the tooth comes free, but the roots stayed in. Three roots that she then had to drill and dig each one out. Then again does the bone-grafting

Third wisdom tooth (bottom left)(last one - since I had top right removed some time ago due to it shattering) My mouth is done for, I'm starting to feel some of the cutting and drilling, it hurts to hold my mouth open any longer but I have to because again as she's twisting around on the tooth it pulls at my lips and that continually feels like it's ripping them apart. And again, the tooth doesn't want to come out - so much in fact that this time.....her drill dies. I hear the helper say "what'd you do, hit a rock?" and then he had to go get her a new drill. Finally the tooth comes, but oh no, again it leaves three roots behind, and the last root was especially persistant. Cut-drill-twist, it move but nooooo it won't come out...over and over - and it won't come out...... Finally after it feels like she's drilled through my whole jaw she gets that last piece of root out. -- then it's the grafting and the stitching.

So it's done now I touch my face and OMG I thought something major happened to my jaw - it was like twice the size of the rest of my face - so swollen I was drooling cuz I couldn't close my lips, I felt like a freak.

They give me a prescription for pain pills and antibiotics, give me the after operation instructions and tell me to take the pain pill immediately because I don't want the numbing stuff to wear off before I've taken the pain pill.....

.....but guess what, it had already started to wear off, and I still need to get the prescription filled. It is going on 4:00 now.

Get to the pharmacy and sure enough - the shots they had given to numb my mouth - wore off before I got a chance to take my first pill......I wanted to die.

It has now been 1 week. I am still having issues. The joint on the left side of my jaw still has some swelling and pain. The stitches irritate the hell out of me and I can't eat solid food. Only things I've been able to eat are mashed potatoes and gravy, yoghurt, pudding, ice cream, liquids and the occasional scrambled eggs.

And sleep.......forget it - I have never been able to sleep on my back - that gives me headaches but guess what I can't rest my head on the side of my face....that hurts. What a blessing my recliner/couch is right now - I'd be screwed without it. Even with it I am getting very little sleep - so I'm very crabby.

Every day is better, but not better enough. *sigh*

So much for my high-tolerance for pain