Wisdom Teeth Surgery : How I Survive

Hello my beautiful readers. I’m very sorry that it has been so long for not active in writing again. These 2 years, I really fought with my life and hardships. However, all things I’ve been through had made a stronger and better person. They made me experience a lot of new things I’ve never had or expected in life. I will share in my next writing.

So, in this writing, I’m gonna share with you about my wisdom teeth surgery. Honestly, I’m a kind of person who cannot help the pain. I’m not afraid with surgery, slice cut, drill sound, etc. but the pain! :(

Last March, I experienced a great pain in my lower second molar tooth. It had a hole (a big hole!) because I accidentally ate hard peanut the day before. It created a big crack. The following morning I brushed my teeth, the crack was broken and it created a big hole. Oh my God! 

I took some anti-inflammation and painkiller to survive the day and after work, I went to see a dentist. The dentist said that actually I had the crack before I got the ‘hard peanut incident’. It happened because my neighbor molar tooth, the wisdom tooth, grew up horizontally. As this lazy tooth grew, it pushed the neighbor tooth, the poor molar, and created a crack beneath. What the dentist said was logical. Sometimes I felt pain on the gums around these two teeth, but it went away afterward.

The dentist then examined the other part of my teeth. She said, “You have all of your wisdom teeth grew up horizontally. They need surgery.”

Wait, what? Surgery? Honestly, I’m so scared with anything relating to surgery because I never had any before. However the dentist said, “It’s not a big surgery. Just like common teeth procedure. Don’t worry.” The dentist then advised me to have a panoramic photo scan to display the position of my teeth.

After I arranged the date to have my surgery, I went early to the hospital and had my panoramic photo scan. Then, there came my time to go inside the surgery room. I came alone and I saw all things in green cloth and I smell the typical aroma of dentist room. I’m started to be scared.

The dentist looked at the panoramic photo and she told me what she would do that day. 

“Okay, Shirley. You have two wisdom teeth that grew horizontally. This lower left side and right side. If I see your upper part, I think you had pulled them out, didn’t you?” she asked.

I replied, “Yes, doc. I had them pulled out 10 years ago.”

“Good. Today, I will do the right side. I will pull out 2 teeth : the crack one and the wisdom tooth. I cannot do the both side because I’m afraid that you will not be able to eat.”

I nodded my head. Then the dentist turned on the surgery light. The nurse prepared the tools. I closed my eyes and opened my mouth. The dentist injected my gums with anesthesia in some parts and she let it for about 5 minutes. Then she took a knife and any other scary dental tools. She did the wisdom teeth first. It has no pain at all. Then she moved to the crack tooth. When she tried to pull it, I still could feel the pain on the root that I shouted, “Ahhhh!!!!!” Maybe people who were waiting outside could hear me screaming. Uh, what a shame.

The dentist was a bit panicked that I told her in unclear word “It’s still painful” but then she said “It’s too late, it just needs one more pull”. Then the tooth was finally pulled out. A small piece of crack landed on the cover of my chest. She said, “It’s done.”

I think I’m gonna die. I was shaking after that. The dentist then sewed the surgery site. Then she asked me to bite a big cotton ball until the bleeding stop. She then wrote a prescription and explained the personal treatment after surgery.

Here are some treatments:

1.    You must bite the cotton ball for about 1 hour. Change with the new one if it’s still bleeding. If the bleeding has been less, you don’t need the cotton ball.

2.    Drinking cold water and putting the water on the surgery site can help to stop the bleeding.

3.    Do not brush your teeth after the surgery

4.    Do not chew the food on the surgery site

5.    Take the medicine regularly

6.    Brush the surgery site very gently the next day

7.    Do not consume hot drink or food

8.    Do not suck the blood on the surgery site

9.    Do not drink with straw

10. Gargling with saline water (1 glass of warm water mixed with 1 teaspoon of salt) can help to clean the mouth

The dentist asked me to come again next week for follow up examination. I was really thankful that had finished. I drove home and went to drugstore. I also bought painkiller.

At home, I threw up the cotton ball that had been full of blood and changed with a new one. I found that I was still bleeding so much that every time I spitted, there was blood. I started feeling the pain too. I immediately took the medicine and painkiller. In a few minutes, the pain was reduced. Then I had my shower and small dinner. I found the blood was less, so I didn’t use any cotton ball anymore.

Well, I may sound so coward for this small surgery. But I’m proud that I made it. :D

One week after, I went back to the dentist. The surgery side was in a very nice condition. It just needed a few more weeks for full recovery. Yay!

But then the dentist asked me when I will be ready for the next surgery.

(Dang!)

Why Dogs are Somehow Better than Human

When I was a kid, I didn’t have any pet at home. I mean, pet that I could take care by myself, pet that I could hug. My dad didn’t really like the noise of barking dog or meowing cat. So he preferred to have fishes and turtles which were soundless (by human's ear) for me and my little brother. It was unfair that my dad bought himself a lot of birds that sang all morning and afternoon. Anyway, I forgave him because the birds sang beautifully.
 

When I was in my early teenagers, my dad came back to the U.S. for his job. So my little brother and I got my mom to have a pet that can run, jump, be hugged, wag its tail, wait for us after school, and bark. 

I don't wanna miss any wonderful part of it!

My mom spent her childhood in a country and my grandparents had some dogs to guard my great-grandma’s grocery shop and grandpa’s workshop. So, my brother and I thought it wouldn’t be so hard to convince her. As our plan worked as it’s guessed, my brother and I kept our pocket money and gathered it to buy a puppy. Our first dog was a female golden retriever. Her name was Baby. We always wished to have a golden retriever because at that time we loved watching “Air Bud” starred by my teenage-crush, Kevin Zerger. 

My Baby was mated and she had 6 puppies. We took 1 of them and we named her Ellen. Ellen grew up and we mated her too. She had only 2 puppies, but unfortunately one of them was dead. So, we took care Ellen’s puppy and named him Dexter. 

Priceless family photograph ;)

In other words, we had 3 generations of golden retrievers at home. They all grew old and left us to a better place. 

My brother, my mom, and I were so sad. It was like we had lost our family members forever. 

When I was in my early 20’s, I fell in love with beagles. They are very cute, even though they are stubborn and love to eat so much. One day, unexpectedly, my mom and brother brought home a corgi baby. We named him Darren. He is active and smart. He likes to play and shake his butt. So, I wanted to give Darren a friend to play. One day, my brother told me that his friend was going to sell his 6-month-old beagle. That’s how I gave Darren a beagle friend named Abelle.

I have had dogs as my pet for almost fifteen years. Thus, I understand the dogs’ characters and behavior in general. Everyday, I also spend my time dealing with any kind of people. I meet bad and kind people. I meet selfish, racist, mean, rude, amoral, and those kinds of bad people. I don’t judge all people that way, but I’m thankful for there are still a lot of kind people out of there.

What makes me write this is I want to compare people to dogs; their characters and behavior. I’m a dog lover and in some ways, I admit that I love dogs more than human. I love dogs because when I see and compare them to human, they have some better things that human should learn from them.

1.      Dogs aren’t racist

Dogs don’t judge. Don’t care whether you are white, black, Asian, Hispanic, or any races you come from, dogs will see and love you fully as a human being. Maybe we still determine dogs’ breed when we are going to adopt them, but that doesn’t happen when a dog has someone who adopts them. The dog will truly love the owner. 

It’s a public secret that racial issues still exist and there are always blocks that border people based on their races. What makes people different? All people are created uniquely and it’s a great blessing for being different. 

Even our beloved solar system has 8 different planets and they can orbit very well until today. Of course you know there are the Sun and the Earth we are living on. Yup, one is a star and one is a planet. Imagine, how would it be if both are all stars or planets? There would be no living things! So, if our beloved Earth doesn’t complain the Sun for being a star, why we as the most intellectual creature living on it have to be racist to our fellow human? We should learn from dogs and yup, our Earth.

2.      Dogs don’t see whether you are rich or poor

Dogs never complain about the life you give to them. They never complain about how small your house, where they will sleep on, what they will eat that day, and how much money you have. Of course they will be happy if you have a car to take them somewhere, but if not, they would be so excited for walking with you. Dogs won’t leave their owner only for being bankrupt or homeless. Dogs won’t be shy to stay with you even when you have to carry your home in a bag. 

3.      Dogs don’t care about your religion

Whatever your religion or belief, dogs won’t care about it. They only see the love you give to them. Of course all religions teach good things to human, but above all those good things, love is the most important thing. Why? Because without love, the world won’t be a safe place to live. People will fight and kill others so there would be nothing left. We can learn it from dogs. If we can love dogs as animals whatever our religion is, of course we can love other people having different religions too.

4.      Dogs aren’t sexist

Really wanna know? I named you my "Crazy Daddy"

Whether you are male or female, dogs won’t think about it. If you are a man, they will have you as daddy and if you are a woman, they will love you as their mommy. Dogs won’t be sexist that consider women are less able than men. They will love you the way you are. It’s so funny that today, there are still some people underestimating women based on gender. Both men and women are equal. They have different abilities but the same responsibilities and rights. It’s so funny how a man could underestimate or the worst, harass a woman while his mom is also a woman? While he is also married to a woman and has a daughter? Men need women and women need men. So there is no benefit for being sexist.

5.      Dogs don’t laugh even when you do stupid things

Okay, you may keep your tough classy image like a boss in public, but when you are at home with your dog, you may start do something stupid. You ruin the song you sing, you make those awkward voices, you dance but fail, you "make up" your dogs and look! Your dogs won’t laugh at your stupidity. They may wonder with what you do and why their owner can be that stupid, but still love you so much.

"I must have looked like Tom Cruise in Top Gun"

They even willingly take part in your stupidity

6.      Dogs don’t plan evil things

Have you ever heard that dogs made war? No dogs made war, but people did! People kill people, people kill dogs, people kill trees, and people finally kill themselves. If only people have hearts like dogs. 

7.      Dogs love you unconditionally 

Like I have stated in number 1 to 4 above, dogs don’t see what most people see. They don’t see your race, wealth, religion, or gender. They love you unconditionally. Even if their owner is a handicapped person, they will always be there and never leave him/her. Do you know why there are some dogs that are trained to treat sick or handicapped people? It’s simply because dog is an intelligent animal that can give people a pure love. 

My mom told me a story about my grandpa and his beloved dog. My grandpa’s dog was so weak and didn’t want to eat anything since my grandpa was hospitalized. My grandpa passed away and only several days afterwards, the dog was gone too. He was dead while sleeping under my grandpa’s bed.

8.      Dogs are faithful

who always faithfully waits for you

Every woman wants to have a faithful friend of life, so someone says she should have a dog. The joke is somehow true. For the reasons in number 1 to 5 above, dogs are faithful. When you treat and train your dogs well, they will obey you. They will love you as their only owner even when there is another person trying to bribe them with food. They will always come back to you (after getting the food from that person).

9.      Dogs will help, protect, and sacrifice their lives for you

Do you know why dogs are used by security guards, military, and police to help them? Yup, it’s because dogs have sharp sense of smelling and hearing. Their intelligence also makes them easily trained compared to the other animals. Dogs can also be trained as super bodyguards 24/7. With their sharp instinct, they protect their owner from danger and bad people. They guard the house and anything inside of it. 

I remember how my grandparents always had some dogs at their house in the country to guard my great-grandma’s grocery shop and grandpa’s workshop. Even though dogs aren’t as big and strong as man, but never doubt their loyalty. They even willingly sacrifice their lives just to keep you safe and sound. 

Besides, dogs can be trained to understand many orders. A well-trained dog can help people do things. Have you ever seen a dog helping a blind man? Or the simple one like bring you something? Some dogs are trained in purpose to assist people with disability.

10.  Dogs know your feeling

Once, I came home with tears in my eyes. I was having a bad tough day. I came home and sat down on the floor. All of my dogs ran and they welcomed me happily. They licked my tears. I hugged them and for a moment I forgot that I had a hard day. 

Dogs know how to cheer you up in their ways. They can’t sing or talk, but they know your feeling. They are the best living cure a man can have. I do agree that dogs are called “Man’s Best-friends”.

11.  Dogs can keep your secret

Do you want your secret to be safe? Tell it to your dog! Dogs can’t speak, but they understand. They can be good listeners and keep your secret. It’s someway better than telling your human-friend who can probably share your secret publicly. Never think that dogs don’t know anything you say. They know and understand.

12.  Dogs know you love them

Dogs know whether their owner really loves them or not. Dogs also have feelings. When you treat them well and love them, you are their world! When you hurt them, they will forgive you, but never forget.

In 2014, I have had a female golden retriever. Her name is Lala. She was a rescued dog. My family adopted her because my aunt’s friend said that there was a dog whose owner tortured and would kill her with euthanasia. The dog had so many injuries all over her body and her owner didn’t want to take care but killed her. My mom agreed to take Lala for being adopted. She didn’t want Lala to be killed. The first time Lala came to our house, she was very skinny and had so many injuries. Her fur was only in some parts of her body. So my mom called a vet to our house and had Lala medicated and vaccinated regularly until she fully recovered. She was so happy that she had some friends: Abelle the Beagle, Darren the Corgi, and Grandma Betsy the Golden Retriever. Now, she is fat and I think we should apply a diet program for her.

Lala, the rescued dog, about two or three months since her first coming

Her fur grew and covered the bald area

Lala: "Hey, let's play!"    Abelle: "Nah, I'm napping"

Photobomb level: Beagle

So, this is Grandma Betsy and Darren

She and Lala are the ones who always peep on the hole and wait for me to come home

What I want to tell in this point is dogs know that you love them. I can see it from Lala who always protects and helps me and my family. She always welcomes us when we come home. All my dogs do that too. If it’s not love, then what?

Human is the most perfect living thing that God created. However, because of bad characteristics and attitudes, some people have to be humanized. These people, somehow, need to learn from dogs. Dogs are animal, but they can love human more than themselves.

and