Operation - worried about increased anxiety

[Bungle]

Hi everyone,
I'm having all four wisdom teeth out on Wednesday and am going to under a general for it. I'm very nervous (naturally) and have been working hard to keep my anxiety under control in the lead up to it. However, I'm worried about how I will feel after the operation....as part of my anxiety I experience a lump in my thraot, dry mouth and breathing issues. Obviously I'm going to be uncomfortable in my mouth, but I'm worried that my panic will be exacerbated by this, especially as i'm already quite tense.

I have completed the pre-admission form and explained my concerns and problems with anxiety, and when I saw the surgeon, I talked to him about it. He was lovely. I will mention this again to see if there is anything more they can do for me.

Has anyone gone through the same? And can you make any suggestions about how I get through the few days after the op as I'm bricking it! I'm very nervous and would appreciate some support. :|

[kaialian]

Hi Bungle!

Fistly, good luck with the operation! I had my teeth out about 7 years ago. I was experiencing anxiety before it.

My first suggestion would be to buy a baby tooth brush, as your jaw will be a bit sore for a couple of days. With the smaller tooth brush, it is easier to brush your teeth.

Secondly, prepare some food before you have the operation. It will make things alot easier so I don't have to cook much. I made a big pot of soup and ran it through the blender. After the first 2 days, I was able to eat more solid food like pasta, mashed potatoes, and perogies.

It does feel uncomfortable the first couple of days, but once that is past, you're homefree. Waking up right after the procedure was rather strange feeling, I felt a little out of it, but that wore off shortly.

I assume you have a ride there and back? As well, do you have someone who can stay with you on the first day? I found it helped me alot, kept me calmer.

Take care and let us know how you are doing!!

[punkgod94]

Hi Bungle. I had my wisdom teeth taken out last march (luckily I only had two of them), but because of a heart condition they didn't put me under. They just gave me nitrous oxide mixed with oxygen, and local anaesthetic for the gums. To be honest the nitrous did nothing because it was counteracted by the adrenaline from my anxiety. I asked them 3 times to turn it up higher and they said I was at the maximum legal limit. Bring an iPod if you have one and listen to music. If you have a good doctor it should go smoothly and take no more than 30 minutes for 4 teeth. I only had 2 teeth and I was done in 10-15 minutes...it took more time to anesthetize me. The local anaesthetic they use is GREAT and you don't feel ANY pain, just some slight discomfort, but if you're under you'll be fine. They'll give you a prescription for pain after the operation because the anaesthesia wears off after about 4-6 hours. Don't be afraid to take one, but don't overdo it. Everybody experiences SOME pain, but it's not too awful. Just talk with your doctor if it continues for several days and he may either want to see you again or he'll get you another pain prescription. I've hated dentists since I was like 10 years old because my dentist was a con who tried to say I had a cavity even though I rarely ate candy, brushed my teeth daily, and had regular checkups. I got a second opinion and the 2nd dentist said my teeth were flawless. Needless to say, now I hate going to the dentist even though my new dentist is a GREAT guy. I even have dreams about adult teeth just fallin out...really creepy shit.

Basically I'm trying to say that you'll be OK and make it through it. Eat lightly and take kaialian's suggestions as well!! Good luck :)

[Bungle]

Hi guys,
Thanks so much for your posts. Knowing that other anxiety sufferers have got through it really helps me.

In the last 24 hours, I have got myself in a right mess about going in to hospital. I literally spent the whole evening yesterday trying to keep myself calm, and the tears at bay....not fun and I had so much rescue remedy!

I know it's such a routine operation, but I'm so scared of how I'll feel after it....do you experience a dry mouth and lump in your throat after having the procedure, as that's what's worrying me most...I experience those symptoms as part of panic, and now I'm understanding anxiety I realise that I have a conditioned response when I feel those sensations; I naturally panic. If I have those sensations, am I going to be forcing back panic after the op? I am keeping myself from panic attacks at the moment by self-talk, which I know I still can do, but I'm scared.... I'm babbling...hopefully you follow me!

anyway.... phew, i'm sure i can cope.... :?

[punkgod94]

My case was a little different as I was only born with 2 wisdom teeth which were on the same side. It made chewing food a little easier cause I'd just chew on the other side. Maybe you want to discuss having 2 teeth on one side removed first, and then at a later date having the other two removed. The operation is different for everybody, but the only problems I had were when the local anaesthetic wore off. I came home numb in the mouth and took a nap (as usual) and was awoken by pain. I took one of the pain killers they gave me and laid back down to try to sleep, waiting for the medicine to kick in. It kicked in, I slept, and I had no more effects whatsoever. The dry mouth shouldn't be bad because your mouth is only open for so long - typically no longer than getting a cavity pulled. I had no lump in my throat either. Like I said, the doctor will HAVE to give you pain medication...don't be afraid to take it when in pain, its relatively fast acting, but they give you a limited supply so that you don't abuse it or sell it. And lastly, don't be afraid to take a week off of work or school for medical reasons...they'll write you a note. You're also not supossed to do heavy lifting or anything too strenuous as you can pop a stitch, so look at it as a minor vacation!!! Eat soft foods, popsicles, etc. I guarantee you that you'll be just fine!

[Bungle]

Punkgod, thank you! I have Thurs/Fri off and then the weekend, and I've said I'll work from home the following week (I travel alot with my job so have avoided that, in case I look like hamster and I'm uncomfortable!). Never had anything done like this, which is why I've been so upset about it. Might need words of encouragement over the next few days to stop me cancelling it...but that's the beauty of the forum, you get to write down and consolidate your thoughts and then people reply with kind posts, which pick you up! Thanks so much :D

[Bungle]

Sorry, I know I keep posting about this one event, but it's all-consuming. I worked late and have just been swimming to keep my mind off my op, although I had to keep stopping because my breathing was all over the place.

I'm trying to be calm but I feel like crying.......

My fiance thinks I'm making a big deal of it so I'm not getting any support there. Feel like I'm quietly panicking on my own here......

[Jay12345]

I guess you've heard it all before 'stop worrying, it's not going to change anything' 'Stop being stupid' and all that, and you will because there not in your head and they are not aware of how you feel....

Whether little or small, it's obivously something which is very serious to you and all i can suggest is to simply keep doing what your doing...keep your mind occupied so the stress levels don't increase...

Try not to worry about all the 'what if's' about afterwards.... these are distinctly normal thoughts as people will think of the worse possible outcome of a situation, if your subconscious can then resolve the worst possible outcome, you feel better.The reason why you don't is because you simply don't know whats going to happen afterwards...! anyway, i'm sure you'll be absolutely fine, and i hope it all goes well, let us know how it goes! :)

[Bungle]

You're right Jay. I just need to keep busy. I'm in London with work tomorrow and am taking three full on meetings so there won't be time to worry...until I get on the 3 hr train journey home...The worst is when I'm on my own....sorry i'm rambling- i'm just having a rubbish day and am working so hard to keep my anxiety from bubbling over...I wish it was Thursday so it was all over!! :cry:

[punkgod94]

Punkgod, thank you! I have Thurs/Fri off and then the weekend, and I've said I'll work from home the following week (I travel alot with my job so have avoided that, in case I look like hamster and I'm uncomfortable!). Never had anything done like this, which is why I've been so upset about it. Might need words of encouragement over the next few days to stop me cancelling it...but that's the beauty of the forum, you get to write down and consolidate your thoughts and then people reply with kind posts, which pick you up! Thanks so much :D

No problem Bungle. I ASSURE you that you'll be fine. I'm in my mid-20s and I have a slight dentist phobia to this day from a bad past experience as a child. I was VERY nervous to have my wisdom teeth removed, but in all honesty it went very quickly and was a LOT easier than I thought it would be. To this day I still have dreams about my teeth just falling out...the fear is THAT bad. The operation is cake though, trust me. You seem very prepared too with taking Thursday and Friday off as well as working from home the next week. Do yourself a favor and do something you enjoy to take your mind off of it - buy a new book or rent a few movies! Don't abuse the pain medication but I guarantee you that you won't be in ANY pain whatsoever if you take it properly lol. You'll be feeling very nice haha. You may not feel as though you need the medication when you come out of the operation, but I'd say take one anyway about an hour or two after the operation just to prevent any possible pain. You'll be fine ;)

[Bungle]

Hi everyone,
Well I have managed to get today without cancelling the operation, so that's something! feeling bloody nervous and am leaving in a bit. Just wanted to say thanks for the posts - will let u know how I get on. Phew, I'm anxious today! .......... :?

[punkgod94]

And how are you feeling now? How'd you manage to hold up on the trip there and everything leading up to the operation? If you were anything like me, it was HELL sitting in the office and waiting for the anaesthesia to kick in. After that it was cake!!

[Bungle]

Hiya,
Well I got through the operation. Was sooo nervous before I went down to the theatre, and had a bit of an odd reaction to the general anaesthetic where I was a bit shaky. Stayed in overnight and came home yesterday. Am somewhat drugged up but thankfully the anxiety has kept at bay, other than the odd unsettled feeling.

Thanks so much for your support. And the suggestion of the baby toothbrush - that has helped enormously!

[punkgod94]

Glad to hear you're doing better. I can't take suggestion for the baby toothbrush suggestion, but that is a good suggestion!! It is now your duty to pass that helpful information on to anybody you come across who's worried about getting their wisdom teeth out as well haha. To be honest, ANY operation is enough to cause anxiety in people. It just so happens that almost everyone in life goes in a late adolescent/early adulthood operation to have their wisdom teeth removed. I've never had general anaesthetic so I can't tell you if that was normal or not, but it didn't seem to alert your dentist/doctor/surgeon, so I'm sure it was normal. Plus you're too "high" and messed up to even worry about it like you might've with normal anxiety lol. I was only given local anaesthetic and some post-op painkilllers. Being drugged up is better than feeling pain, but be careful as to how you take them!!! They're pain killers. They also help reduce your anxiety. Take it from me though, you don't want to get addicted to those things because in the longrun they make your anxiety worse, they make you incredibly depressed, and then you can be an addict which will ruin your life...any relationships you have with family, friends, or spouse, it could mess up your job, your finances, etc. It's just not worth it. Take it when you're in physical pain, but if you can get by with just normal tylenol, I suggest that.

Anyway, glad to hear you made it through and doing better.