Out with her teeth!
Today I had my first opportunity to sign my own medical consent forms. My wisdom teeth have started pressing hard against their neighbors and will have to be removed. The deed is scheduled for one week from today, which means you, the internet, will be treated to some narcotized blogging late next week.
They talked less about the surgery than the sedation. This is mostly because my anesthesiologist grandmother has warned the entire family about everything that can possibly go wrong, so we ask a lot of questions.
The plan is to use an intravenous drip to put me into a twilight sleep, then numb the relevant areas with novocaine. The doctor did tell me I would be “comfortable,” but his speech was really focussed not on the numbness or the comfort but on the fact that I’m guaranteed not to remember anything. I found this a little disturbing, of course. How can they be sure it works if no one ever remembers? And when it comes to painful experiences, which is better: the peace of total forgetting, or the power of clear recollection?
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Our Descent Into Madness 
Desipis said,
February 14, 2008 at 11:03 pm
How can they be sure it works if no one ever remembers? And when it comes to painful experiences, which is better: the peace of total forgetting, or the power of clear recollection?
It’s interesting comparing the stories my mother tells of the different experiences my sister and I had when we had our wisdom teeth out. Hopefully it doesn’t put you off too much.
I think it was about 8 years ago when I got mine taken out, and it was done in the normal dentists surgery with an anesthesiologist I think. All I remember is counting down from 10, getting to about 7 and then waking up in bed, apparently over 24 hours later. Apparently I was pretty sedate and needed support to walk to the car and up the stairs etc, and pretty much slept straight through till I woke up. Not too much pain, just some aching that lasted a few days.
My sister had her wisdom teeth removed a few years later, however things went a little different. Her recollection is similar to mine, not remembering anything other than waking up in bed. However, apparently in between getting home and waking up properly she went through some periods of delirious pain, screaming and such without being quite with it. Quite scary for my mother, but my sister doesn’t remember anything like that at all.
I hope everything goes OK with your operation.
Daisy said,
February 15, 2008 at 11:16 am
Thanks, Desipis. It’s interesting what a range of responses they are. I hope mine is closer to yours.