J
Jessa
Member
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2010
- Messages
- 21
A couple of weeks ago, I posted on this forum because I'm 16 and had to have all four of my wisdom teeth pulled 3 weeks ago. I was absolutely terrified at the thought of getting surgery because it was the first time I was to have surgery in my life!
Even though I was nervous about being put under, my procedure took an hour, and I wouldn't have wanted to have to keep my mouth open for that long anyway. And since my teeth were impacted and still in the gums, I'm sure it would've been difficult to hear all that drilling they would have to do to get them out.
Here's what happened when I went in to the hospital..
When I first arrived, we waited in a small waiting room for just a few minutes (5 or so). Then a nurse called me in to a small room. First, she weighed me and confirmed what kind of surgery I was there to have. She asked me if I had any allergies, and then put an I.D. bracelet around my hand with my name and date of birth.
Next, we were sent to another room and I was handed a bag to put all my clothes in and given a gown to change in to. They also gave me a cap to put on my head and "booties" for my feet. I took off my wrist watch as well and put it in the bag with the rest of my clothes. Next, another nurse came in and took my temperature and my blood pressure. Then someone from the O.R. came through to take me in to the surgical ward. He was very pleasant but I had to say goodbye to my parents at that point. It was hard to say goodbye, I was very scared and I started to cry... but everyone there was so nice! They told me I'd be okay and promised that they'll take good care of me.
Then I was wheeled in a bed to what they said was the "induction room". There I met with the anesthesiologist who asked me when was the last time I had food/drink, if I had any allergies/diseases, and then he listened to my heart and felt for my pulse. I was still crying at this point, but he was VERY good in answering all my questions and made me feel safe. While in the "induction room", I also talked with the surgeon again and she answered any more questions that I had and promised she'd do a good job. I felt much better at this point and was pretty calm. Once I was calm, they wheeled me into the O.R. which was right next to the "induction room".
There are quite a few people (6 or 7) in there but they were all pleasant and introduced themselves. One nurse did most of the work on me and chatted with me the whole time to keep me happy. She put a blood pressure cuff on my hand, then put sticky pads on my chest for the heart monitor. When she was finished with that, the anesthesiologist put the I.V. in. This was my very first time getting an I.V. But he did a good job and got it done quickly. He tied a little rubber thing around my hand so he could see the vein better. That didn't hurt. Then he asked me to make a fist a few times to help the vein get a little bigger so he can get it done right the first time. Then the nurse distracted me by chatting about my weekend while he actually put the needle in. It only hurt for 2 or 3 secs at the most, and then it was fine. It's not much to be afraid about really!
Then once the I.V. was in he gave me something he said would make me feel "happy". The nurse put a mask over my face that had oxygen in it for me to breathe. That felt good! Then he told me he's going to put in the the stuff to make me go sleep. I watched him put it all in to the I.V. line and then I don't remember anything else. I don't remember "falling" asleep. I was awake one second, and sleeping the next. The very next thing I remember is waking up in the recovery room.
A nurse called my name many times to make sure I was conscious and then let me sleep off the anesthesia for an hour or so. Next they removed all the sticky pads and the I.V. line. Then I was wheeled back to where I started. My parents was waiting there for me. I slept there for another hour or so before I got dressed again. The nurse got a wheelchair and took me down to the parking lot.
Looking back, it wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. But recovery is definitely harder than the surgery itself.
I'm so glad the whole thing is behind me! I'll never have to get my wisdom teeth pulled again. Woohoo!!! And even though I'm still scared of oral surgeons, and surgery in general...I'm happy I was able to go through with it without cancelling the appointment! I have to go back to the oral surgeon to get a simple in-office procedure done but I think it'll be much easier than going to the hospital!
I hope that sharing my story has helped everyone out there feel better about all of this...If you have to get the same thing done, don't worry...it'll be over before you know it! I wish you the very best!
Even though I was nervous about being put under, my procedure took an hour, and I wouldn't have wanted to have to keep my mouth open for that long anyway. And since my teeth were impacted and still in the gums, I'm sure it would've been difficult to hear all that drilling they would have to do to get them out.
Here's what happened when I went in to the hospital..
When I first arrived, we waited in a small waiting room for just a few minutes (5 or so). Then a nurse called me in to a small room. First, she weighed me and confirmed what kind of surgery I was there to have. She asked me if I had any allergies, and then put an I.D. bracelet around my hand with my name and date of birth.
Next, we were sent to another room and I was handed a bag to put all my clothes in and given a gown to change in to. They also gave me a cap to put on my head and "booties" for my feet. I took off my wrist watch as well and put it in the bag with the rest of my clothes. Next, another nurse came in and took my temperature and my blood pressure. Then someone from the O.R. came through to take me in to the surgical ward. He was very pleasant but I had to say goodbye to my parents at that point. It was hard to say goodbye, I was very scared and I started to cry... but everyone there was so nice! They told me I'd be okay and promised that they'll take good care of me.
Then I was wheeled in a bed to what they said was the "induction room". There I met with the anesthesiologist who asked me when was the last time I had food/drink, if I had any allergies/diseases, and then he listened to my heart and felt for my pulse. I was still crying at this point, but he was VERY good in answering all my questions and made me feel safe. While in the "induction room", I also talked with the surgeon again and she answered any more questions that I had and promised she'd do a good job. I felt much better at this point and was pretty calm. Once I was calm, they wheeled me into the O.R. which was right next to the "induction room".
There are quite a few people (6 or 7) in there but they were all pleasant and introduced themselves. One nurse did most of the work on me and chatted with me the whole time to keep me happy. She put a blood pressure cuff on my hand, then put sticky pads on my chest for the heart monitor. When she was finished with that, the anesthesiologist put the I.V. in. This was my very first time getting an I.V. But he did a good job and got it done quickly. He tied a little rubber thing around my hand so he could see the vein better. That didn't hurt. Then he asked me to make a fist a few times to help the vein get a little bigger so he can get it done right the first time. Then the nurse distracted me by chatting about my weekend while he actually put the needle in. It only hurt for 2 or 3 secs at the most, and then it was fine. It's not much to be afraid about really!
Then once the I.V. was in he gave me something he said would make me feel "happy". The nurse put a mask over my face that had oxygen in it for me to breathe. That felt good! Then he told me he's going to put in the the stuff to make me go sleep. I watched him put it all in to the I.V. line and then I don't remember anything else. I don't remember "falling" asleep. I was awake one second, and sleeping the next. The very next thing I remember is waking up in the recovery room.
A nurse called my name many times to make sure I was conscious and then let me sleep off the anesthesia for an hour or so. Next they removed all the sticky pads and the I.V. line. Then I was wheeled back to where I started. My parents was waiting there for me. I slept there for another hour or so before I got dressed again. The nurse got a wheelchair and took me down to the parking lot.
Looking back, it wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. But recovery is definitely harder than the surgery itself.
I'm so glad the whole thing is behind me! I'll never have to get my wisdom teeth pulled again. Woohoo!!! And even though I'm still scared of oral surgeons, and surgery in general...I'm happy I was able to go through with it without cancelling the appointment! I have to go back to the oral surgeon to get a simple in-office procedure done but I think it'll be much easier than going to the hospital!
I hope that sharing my story has helped everyone out there feel better about all of this...If you have to get the same thing done, don't worry...it'll be over before you know it! I wish you the very best!