It’s something many college students and young’uns alike have faced at some point in their lives, and most have lived to tell the tale.
While I could be speaking of many appropriate topics – final exams, landlords, a certain professor – I’m choosing to tell this tale about my wisdom teeth.
Or, now, lack thereof.
Because so many people have experienced this common procedure, almost everyone has a story to tell when you mention that your time may be coming near. The thing that amazes me is that every story can be so different, and yet the same.
Some people told me they were fine the same day as the removal, and others said they lay in agony for weeks afterward.
The common ground: everyone wholeheartedly believed that my experience was going to be exactly the same as their own. It was kind of touching, in an annoying sort of way, how they were all so sure of my outcome.
But because of the vast difference in responses, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect going into the surgery.
I showed up at St. Vincent Surgery Center at the crack of dawn Wednesday, mostly expecting to be better by Friday.
Clearly, the people with quick recoveries had put up the better argument.
Still, I had lots of people on the other side – the one with “agony” in it – telling me I should err on the side of caution and take some time off from life.
So I sent my professors an email from good old Justin Case explaining that I was having a minor procedure, and I may not be in my Thursday classes. I said I should be around on Friday, as long as there weren’t any complications.
I had taken off work on Friday, too, just to be safe. I didn’t really think I would need it – but who doesn’t enjoy an extra day off once in a while?
Good thing I at least said something, because I definitely needed time off – more than I expected.
I had been so sure there was no way I’d be out of commission longer than a couple days.
I was wrong.
Not only did I not make class Friday, but I had to call off work Saturday, too, and I just barely made it through my busy Sunday. I didn’t truly start feeling like I could get some work done until Monday afternoon.
So much for planning ahead.
I realize, in retrospect, that scheduling the non-emergency surgery at the beginning of the semester was my biggest mistake. I am further behind than I would like to be at the start of any given semester.
But I also have to say that the assurances of so many people telling me I’d be fine in a day or two have left a slight edge on my mood.
Of course I’m going to believe people when they say it’s not a big deal – especially compared to the assertions that I’d be miserable for weeks on end.
That last part may be a bit of an exaggeration, but there was no way I could have left my cozy nest on the couch for busy weekend workloads. My mouth was sore, I couldn’t eat anything worth a chew and the high profile drugs were too much for my stomach to handle.
I wouldn’t recommend the experience, especially at the start of a new semester.
