I got my wisdom teeth out...in Ebeye.

Not much has happened since my last blog other than my wisdom teeth extraction. Not much has happened, because, I am unable to do many things since my procedure. When I realized my wisdom teeth were coming in, while I’m here in a third world country, I didn’t know what to do. I was facing pain each time I chewed and they were beginning to surface, so I was able to feel them coming through and that was no fun at all. I prayed a lot about what to do, and I believe God answered my prayer. That very Sabbath, 2 American dentists showed up at the SDA school for church that Sabbath. The principle encouraged me to talk to them about getting my wisdom teeth removed. So, I introduced myself and told them my dilemma and asked for advice. They told me they could get those teeth out of there in no time. Now, I was very very scared. I have never had anything done with my teeth, besides braces in the past, but no cavities, or fillings, or any means of surgery. Especially while being in a different country. They told me to come that Thursday to the Hospital and they would take them right out for me. So after encouragement from many of the other sm’s I went to the hospital with another sm boy named Lance and another missionary named Jem.

Lance, Jem and I all had wisdom teeth pain.  Eventually they called us in, but the dentist who was supposed to do my procedure was not there. Lance went first since he would have the simplest procedure, he just needed one removed. I waited nervously as Lance moved about. Let’s just say that Lance gave Jem quite a scare that he got up and went home. The difference of getting your wisdom teeth out here is that we do not have the proper tools to pull and twist, they use what resources they have. There’s also no anesthesia and the numbing is not enough that you won’t be able to feel what’s going on. After getting “x-rayed” it was my turn to get my 3 teeth removed. I made sure to ask the dentists if I would get pain reliever after the surgery, or else I wouldn’t get them removed here, and I would wait to be back in the states. They assured me they would get some for me, so off I went to the chair. The dentist was very very nice so it made me pretty calm. People were crowding around my chair amazed that a foreigner would agree to this. I honestly had no idea that it was something to be amazed at, I found out later why. The dentist told me that if I was his daughter there was no way he would let her get her wisdom teeth taken out in Ebeye, unless he was doing the procedure. He said I was in luck since he was doing it. It went by pretty fast. I tried to think of all the positive things that would come out of this surgery, and that helped a lot. I prayed a lot through it.

Sometimes I resort to laughter when I’m in pain or smiling, and that’s just what happened. They were shocked how well I seemed to be taking all of this, haha. It put them at ease too.  I remember looking over and there was little kids were standing near my head, just watching me. There’s no privacy in Ebeye, whatsoever haha. After all my teeth were pulled they were looking for something to use to stitch it up. Luckily they found fishing line and used that. A little ghetto, but it worked...although, one came out that very day. After I was all sewed up, they regretted to tell me that they did not have any pain relievers or medication to fight the pain to give me, and that they were sorry. My face was already getting swollen and numb and I was super nauseated that I didn’t have much time to talk it out with them, so I left.

Usually after someone gets their wisdom teeth out they get into their parent’s car or their friends car and they drive home and sleep. We didn’t have that luxury. I was so nauseated that I couldn’t walk home. So Lance and I waited outside the Hospital for 45 minutes for a taxi. Finally one came. The taxis here are pickup trucks and everyone sits in the back. So here I am, an American, with a giant face that looks like I ate a balloon, drooling all over myself and everyone near me, nauseated but trying to have enough composure not to freak everyone around me out…probably didn’t work. The taxis here do not take you straight to your destination. They make pit stops all around the island. So my hope that I could just go home and no one would see me, did not happen. I saw thousands and thousands of people , the entire island, and as we passed by kids would scream “Ms. Em!” “Ms. Emily!!” With a paper towel over my mouth I turned to them like a bandit who just robbed a bank, and waved.

That night was probably one of the worst nights I have ever had. All that my roommates had was Tylenol, so I took what I could swallow of those, but it was just not enough. I did not sleep that entire night. I got up and did laps around our kitchen while squeezing a pillow. I knew that crying would just make it more painful and I didn’t want to wake anyone up. I was in so much pain and my 3 holes where my teeth used to be were just bleeding like crazy. I decided like any normal person, that all there was left to do was sit down on the couch and watch “The Blind side” so that I did. Great movie by the way.

The next day did not seem much better, in fact I was having hot and cold sweats, because an infection was starting. The pain was pretty unbearable, but I tried to think positive each time it hurt. It will only get better from here. Since then it has. I got my surgery last Thursday and today is Tuesday. Between those days, my face swelled up as if I gained 40 lbs, but only in my face, and only on the left side of my face. Karissa and I had a photo shoot where I tried to look really “attractive”, and we found the angles that complimented my new look the best. They’re pretty funny, and will be a great memory. Since then I have received antibiotics, not for pain, but for the infection. I am no longer having any fevers, the swelling has gone down quite a bit, and I can open my mouth a few centimeters. Life is good. I am anxious to go back to teaching tomorrow. I still have to take it easy because there’s still quite a bit of pain as you can assume, and I tend to slur my words, but I am excited. I miss my students a lot. I also miss food a lot. I am able to eat soft soft bread now, but still cannot chew it. I’m sticking to my soup, water, and yogurt and a few spoons of peanut butter every night to gain back the calories I’ve been losing since Thursday.

God is good, and so is ibuprofen…J