Wisdom Teeth and the caregiver update

Happy Saturday.  As I mentioned, Philip got his wisdom teeth out yesterday.  We went to Dr. Egbert in St Marks.  He was a recommendation from my friend Kimberlee.  He is a really nice guy that has oral surgery down to a science.  Bonus is he is on our insurance so that helps too.

They let me come back into the room as Philip was given his IV and given his happy juice.  It was a slick process.  All 4 teeth were impacted but only the top were bony impacted.  Dr. E said it would be fairly easy and thought they would be done in 45 minutes.  Must have gone real smooth because they came to get me after about 30 minutes.  Philip was all done, laying with gauze in his mouth and trying to follow along the conversation.  They told me to go get the car and they wheeled him out and we headed home.  Philip said he was groggy but not sick which was nice.  After all those YouTube videos of ridiculousness from teens getting their wisdom teeth out, I wasn't sure what to expect.  They said Philip slept through the entire surgery.  Although he was pretty grumpy for a few hours, he was coherent and alert.  No foolishness here.

We spent most of Friday trying to get him some food and getting the bleeding to stop.  We focused on liquid foods which he was okay with.  One genius thing I tried is deli ham chopped up really fine so he could taste it on his tongue but didn't have to chew.  He really liked that.  Lots of pudding, yogurt, and protein drinks too.  I guess my month of soft/liquid diet after my gum graft came in handy because I could figure out what he might like.

Super chopped ham and grated cheese

He slept like a baby last night.  I did give him another pain pill at 5:30 am and he slept until 10:00.  Today his jaw is sore.  The numbness has worn off and he is feeling pretty good otherwise.  He is starting to eat food...still soft but his favorite friend so far today has been chicken noodle soup.  We didn't even have to blend it!

One thing we are struggling with is how to keep his face iced.  I've learned frozen peas and corn are better than ice.  Also, you can't put it against his skin so I wrap the frozen veggies in wash cloths and then decided to wrap it around his head with a dishtowel.  It looks ridiculous but it works perfect.  He even let me take a photo!  This was yesterday afternoon.

One thing I've realized is I've never had to be a caregiver.  Yesterday when he got called back and I was left sitting in the waiting area, I realized I've never been on that side of the door. Sitting in the waiting room for an hour imagining what torture he was having to endure was tough. And then having to be the responsible one making sure he gets nourishment and his medications on time is new to me. I can't help but think about Mom. She has almost always been the one on the "other side of the door" for me on countless times. I have been able to understand a little about her experience and how hard it is to know your child is going through a procedure. It really has little to do with the physical process of being a caregiver but the emotional and mental process of having a child not feel well. 

It is a good experience for me to go through. Being a patient has helped me help Philip but being a caregiver, has helped me appreciate everyone who is has helped me.  Thank you.