I got my wisdom teeth pulled. I was awake for the whole time, and thusly, able to relive for you the goings-on.

I only made 3 wisdom teeth in the first place, and had the one of the right side pulled 1 year and 7 months ago for $5 in Taiwan. A taxi took me to the dentist, and back home again; and I was teaching junior highers the next day. So I decided that I would stay awake for this one too, after hearing recounts of the groggy after effects of anestaeshia (sp), not to mention the ensuing nausea. Besides, I have homework I need to get done, and was not about to waste a whole day tired and groggy and feeling all in all like crap. So I opted for the local.

My appointment was at 9, and at 9:30, when my parents joined me in the waiting room, I found myself grateful for my last minute decision to run back upstairs and grab my book: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I got through 2 chapters at least before they called me back.

They took me back to a wide open room, and based on the complete lack of extra chairs, and the way my chair raised 2 stories in height after they sat me in it, I assessed that it would be a mute point to ask if my family could join me.

I tried to fall asleep, while I was waiting for nearly an hour. Dreaming was interrupted by flourescent lights (I swore that I would have soft lighting when I give birth), the strange sounds of drilling, conversations requesting a puke bucket, and other such oral surgeon office noises. And I kept waiting. Though I hadn't drank anything that morning, I still had the pressing feeling of needing to urinate. But it looked like a dangerous fall from my height, so I shifted and waited, trying to sleep, and wishing I was still reading.

Finally I got my shots. The doctor seemed surprised that I was opting for the local.

"We don't do many of those here... are you tough?"

"Do I need to be?" was my thought. I said yes.

He gave me my shots, and I got nervous again, and then I waited some more. Blinking back the little grid that shadowed the bright bar bulbs.

So, he and the assistant eventually came back. There was no small talk this time. A large rubbery bite bit was promptly shoved into my mouth. Instruments began being shoved into my mouth.

As I realized he was cutting, I started to feel like I was going to not be OK, and did actually indeed need to be put to sleep.

I winced.

"You're doing fine."

Even though I had only been lying there with this hands and tools in my mouth for less than a minute, and he could not possibly have yet assessed my status, I believed him. And began humming to myself.

So there I was, with hands in my mouth, and knives in my mouth...humming. There was no melody, but it did marvels. He drilled and jerked my head around. I just kept humming, feeling slightly like Dory in Finding Nemo. "Just keep swimming...just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming..."

"GOD DANG IT!"

There had been a loud crack of tooth. I was still humming dreamily, trying to transfer my attention elsewhere.

Apparently my dentist is not used to his patients being awake.

"That was a bad break." He was clearly flustered.

"d ya wanna uh me ew swee?" (Do you want to put me to sleep?)

He remembered I was awake. "No, you're doing fine." I wasn't so sure about him.

I had to turn and they jerked. He kept mumbling how they needed to be lucky. And we needed some luck.

I started humming worship songs after that.

A few minutes later, after some rather dramatic looks and jerks and cuts, (by the way, I could feel much of this, and it wasn't pleasant), the room relaxed. Apparently he had found what they were looking for.

They took all the junk out of my mouth, including a large piece of what felt like tissue.

The doctor explained. "That's what I was afraid of. Your tooth was turned completely sideways, with the root growing into your palette. You can't see it on xrays, because they're only 2-dimensional. When that piece broke off, if we hadn't been able to get it, we would have cut your palette open and drill. I couldn't see it, but only feel."

I had a drop flush though my stomach.

"Did you get it all?" My eyes were wide.

"Yeah, we got it all."

The nurse cleaned up my mouth some more, and then I started to cry. I had been so fine the whole time, until AFTER they were done.

I abruptly got up, and went to the bathroom. My cheek was already twice its normal size, and there was some sort of slice from the corner of my lip, onto my cheek.

I just wanted to leave. I think the receptionist sensed my slightly agitated state and let me leave.

I'm home now.

My face hurts. The peas help though.

-Trace