Wisdom Teeth...

Disclaimer: I hate taking pictures of myself...I always look mad. And my glasses are crooked. What's up with that? Maybe that's why I'm mad? Oh wait...no, I just got some wisdom teeth out, and I got to take pain pills. I can't believe my glasses are THAT crooked. Maybe my ears are lopsided.

Why do we even HAVE wisdom teeth? I'm pretty sure that back in the olden days, they didn't get their wisdom teeth pulled. Maybe all their other teeth, especially the front ones, or so it seems in pictures.

So, I googled it. Of course, I google everything.

Anthropologist believe wisdom teeth, or the third set of molars, were the evolutionary answer to our ancestors early diet of coarse, rough food - like leaves, roots, nuts and meats - which required more chewing power and resulted in excessive wear of teeth. The modern diet with its softer foods, along with the marvels of modern technologies such as forks, spoons and knives, has made the need for wisdom teeth nonexistent. As a result, evolutionary biologists now classify wisdom teeth as vestigial organs, or body parts that have become functionless due to evolution.
(Makes me want to look up what other organs can be classified as vestigial...maybe another day)

And in other words...our jaws are now too small to accomodate 3rd molars...which I am grateful for...I already have double chins, I don't need a caveman jaw, too.

But nonetheless...I was still TERRIFIED to get these teeth out. Even at my consultation with the oral surgeon, my hands were shaking!
4 days before the surgery, I get a call from their office saying because of the baby and only being able to have local anesthesia, the doctor only wanted to take one tooth out, the impacted one that was causing problems with the tooth in front of it. I kinda blanched at that because of my terror....I couldn't imagine going back twice for this procedure. So, I called my OB, gained her permission to have all four out and let the surgeon dude know. But then after the next few days, I just couldn't be at ease with the decision to remove 4. So, I talked to my momma, who is always good for advice...and then decided to go back to just one out. I felt like a wimp, but better a wimp than causing more stress, which I could tell was already doing some damage.
So, Friday comes and James drives me down to my appointment. My mom was able to watch the girls, and I'm SO grateful she came to help us out! I wasn't able to take the Vistaril the dr gave me to relax....had to google that one too. This pretty little drug is an antihistamine, but also used to relieve short-term anxiety and tension. How cool is that? lol.
I was nervous as they started the procedure. The doc says he's going to put this little bite thingy in my mouth to keep it open....but it make me feel like I was going to gag, and with the local anesthesia making my cheek and part of my throat numb, I had to have a moment to freak out.

Now here is where I start to love this doctor....he takes my hand and says, 'just breathe, take a moment'. Then tells me he's just gonna take a peak in my mouth....starts poking around saying "does this hurt" and then "does that hurt" and finishes with an "Ok, that one's done, want to do another?" I couldn't help but LAUGH...seriously. And laughing is not easy with numbness and guaze. I still laugh thinking about how horribly nervous I was...and it was THAT EASY. Now, I know it's not like that for everyone, unfortunately, so thank goodness there is the gas method, too.
So, he went ahead and took the other top one out. We stopped there, even with being easy. I didn't want to push it Ü.

The recovery was nice and easy...I was able to sleep and read the day away...the girls loved spending time with Gramma without mom around. The picture up there is taken after my day of sleeping...I was a bit puffy, but I'm already pretty puffy, hehe. The pain was tolerable...but what wasn't...was not being able to EAT and James thinking it would be a good idea to order PIZZA. Oh my gosh, I could have smacked him. So, we sat and watched a movie...they ate pizza...I drank cold beef broth. The list of "Do and Do Nots" the doctor gave me said only cold stuffs for the first 24 hours. Which kinda stinks...cause cold food seemed to only be sweets! And with this pregnancy, I haven't had much of a sweet tooth. Can you believe it? Pass the steak and potatoes, please.

So, I survived...lol <---see, still laughing. And I'm not so afraid to go back and get the bottom ones out....well, I'll put it off for awhile ;). I haven't had to take any tylenol or pain meds since Sunday morning...and I keep forgetting I can't have chips or popcorn for another week...eek!