This past Thursday, I had my wisdom teeth removed. I was pretty excited about getting them out because they'd been bothering me for a little over a year now. As soon as the procedure started, however, I quickly regretted insisting on having the surgery done. This is my experience before, during, and after my wisdom teeth extractions.

1. Anesthesia

I absolutely HATE needles. I dislike them so much that I often get queasy simply by the thought of them. The dentist opted to only use local anesthesia on me, nothing else. The needle used to put the anesthesia in was used about 15 times. I winced every single time she stuck that thing in my gums. It was actually awful. I couldn't stop shaking throughout the whole procedure. I was like a scared Chihuahua, and I couldn't control my body.

2. Difficulty Eating

Eating after the surgery is probably the worst. My jaw was pushed against so much that I can't even open my mouth halfway. My tongue doesn't have very much room to move because everything is swollen, eating is very difficult.

3. Dealing with Pain

I have a pretty low tolerance for pain, and I was pretty lucky to be prescribed medication for the post-surgery pain. While I really liked not being in pain, the medication made me very drowsy and extremely unproductive.

4. Trying to Sleep

Sleeping is probably the most difficult aspect of recovering from wisdom teeth extractions. During my first night post-surgery, I didn't sleep...at all. It was so frustrating not being able to get any rest. I struggled to find a comfortable spot on my bed without putting too much pressure on my face. By the time I heard birds chirping at 5:30 a.m., I gave up on getting any sleep.

5. Attempting to Communicate

Not being able to speak properly was pretty funny. It doesn't bother me too much because I am naturally quiet anyway. I simply texted the people I needed to communicate with or pointed at things while making incoherent sounds.

6. New Appreciation

Because of my swollen face, I wasn't able to smile or laugh every few minutes like I normally do. After this experience, I now have a new-found appreciation for being able to brush my teeth, chew foods, smile, and laugh. I'm looking forward to never having to go through this again.