no more wisdom (teeth, that is)

i'm having my wisdom teeth removed tomorrow - yup, all four. i'm feeling a taaaad uneasy. ok, i'm dancing on the line of terrified. i'm not really worried about the teeth pulling part. i mean, no i've never had anyone digging into my gums and ripping teeth from the depths of my mouth. but hey, pain is pain and i've been in pain before. so i'm sure with rest, relaxation (i'm taking two days off of work for this - woo hoo!!!), and gumming some warm mashed potatoes or soy ice cream for the next couple of days, i'll be fine. a little sore, perhaps, but fine.

what scares me the most is being under general anesthesia. i've never been "put under" before, and i don't know what to expect. that's scary as heck. being that unaware and vulnerable to a room full of strangers makes me nervous enough (thank the Lord my oral surgeon is a woman or i'd really be scared and wearing tamper-proof steel underwear - hey, i've heard stories, ok?). but the thought of them slapping an IV in my arm and pumping me with drugs that will knock me unconscious makes me feel like calling the whole thing off. i mean, it's not like the teeth are bothering anyone. they've been minding their business beneath the gum surface, never even made their debut. heck, i didn't even know i had them until i started coming to my current dentist. my last dentist never showed me the x-rays or mentioned them. the only reason i'm having them removed is because my dentist has all but coerced me into doing so.

apparently, according to the x-rays, which i've seen, the wisdom teeth are impacting (meaning smashing up against) the roots of my back teeth. doesn't hurt now, but she convinced me (with scary tales) that eventually, they'd hurt like all get-out, plus i'd probably get some under-the-surface infection. that pretty much scared me straight. after a year of putting it off and acting like it was no big deal (even though she reminded - and scolded - me about it each time i came for my 6 month check up), i finally gave in.

now the day is here. at 8:30 tomorrow morning, i'll be in The Chair. sucks too, cuz i can't eat or drink anything for 8 hours prior to the appointment. eating won't be a problem because i don't typically eat after midnight (which is the start of the 8-hour period). but i wake up dry mouthed and thirsty EVERY morning (sometimes even in the middle of the night, which is why i sleep with a glass of water on my nightstand every night). so i'll somehow have to make it through the night and morning with no fluids. hopefully the water from brushing my teeth will help a little. plus, i'm not allowed to wear my contacts during the surgery either (why, i have no idea). and seeing as how i don't have any back-up glasses (something else i've been putting off - see, this is why you shouldn't procrastinate), i guess i won't be seeing at all. i may have to enlist someone to sign in for me when i arrive to the dentist's office. seriously, i'm blind without my contacts. so, not only will i be groggy and delirious when i come out of the procedure, but i'll blind as a bat too. that should make for some interesting walking.

so i'm really nervous. i've had a headache and have been feeling nauseas for the last few days - from the nervousness. i just can't wait until it's all over - i loathe nervous anticipation. my mom is driving me there and taking me home afterwards. so she'll be my temporary caregiver. but she's abandoning me afterwards to go back to work. times like this when i wish i had a beau.

pretty please pray for me, people. knowing that Jesus walks with me everywhere i go is the only thing keeping me from full-fledged panic.