Getting my wisdom teeth out

So I got my wisdom teeth out. I can't believe I'm posting pictures but hopefully they will provide amusement and maybe a little sympathy :) And for those who have asked why I didn't get them out in high school like everyone else... ask my dentist I had growing up who had the brilliant idea that I should wait and let them grow in to see if I could use them. I've come to find out that he's the only dentist in the world who had that brilliant idea which was actually a bad idea because the longer you wait, the worse it is. I'll have to thank him one day :)

This is right before I went into surgery Thursday morning. Yes I'm smiling... but I was really nervous. I had never been put under before and I didn't know what to expect. I had to wait in the office for an hour before they finally took me back, which didn't help my anxiety, but the procedure went well. The first day was spent sleeping, replacing gauze, and forcing down a few bites of a Frosty every few hours so I could keep taking meds.

The second day I woke up a little swollen :) It wasn't fun. The pain was slightly worse and it was hard to open my mouth. I used my ice packs a lot more.

The rest of the weekend I continued my routine of eating soft foods just so I could take my meds, resting, and using my ice packs. Sunday night I started having horrible pain on my left side that wouldn't go away and couldn't be relieved. I panicked that I had developed dry sockets but Brandon kept assuring me that I probably didn't because the pain was localized right where my top and bottom teeth were removed. I cried for hours and finally fell asleep.

The next day the pain was still there so I went to the oral surgeon's office and he said I looked fine but if I was feeling pain, he could put something in there for it. If I'd known that that "something" tasted disgusting and would make me sick for days, I might have said "Thanks but no thanks, I'll take the pain." But I said "Sure!" So he put the clover oil glob in the holes on my left side and yes the pain went away but the taste was unbearable! So I really felt sick to my stomach because of the taste and just slept to try not to think about it. Then I tried eating to help with the taste but everything tasted like the gross clover. It was so horrible. The next day I couldn't stay at work because I felt so sick. I was really starting to lose hope that things would ever get better.

Then Wednesday I made it through a whole day at work! The taste wasn't bad and the pain and swelling was going away. I didn't have to take my narcotic pain medicine anymore. I felt like I could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel! Today is my 1-week mark. The clover oil glob fell out this morning like it was supposed to and the pain is continuing to improve.

I would say the experience has been way worse than I anticipated. I have been in more pain and discomfort than I ever have and it's only been a week but I'm already really really sick of all these soft foods I've been eating like mashed potatoes, pudding, yogurt, applesauce, etc. I just want to eat crunchy things! I want to use my teeth and chew something! Don't worry- I'm resisting any urge to do anything crazy! I'm still being careful so I don't get dry sockets or any infection.

Brandon has been so amazing through all of this. He ran to the store when I needed something. prepared my food for me, got my medicine for me, let me watch whatever I wanted on tv, and kept me sane when I was in the depths of despair. I wouldn't have survived without him. This experience has helped me really appreciate good health and good food :) I'll be really glad when I'm fully recovered :)
-Amy