A thing or two about Wisdom Tooth Surgery

Approximately 3 hours after my ‘phase one’ surgery on my wisdom tooth. I turned on the flashlight app in my phone and stared at myself in the mirror, mouth wide opened. And there I see the hole in my gum. And the few stitches surrounding it. The hole is still left opened to ease my next operation at this time next week. I grabbed another tampon and shoved it in, hoping the bleeding would stop, or my saliva wont get through.  And all the while I thought – man today was serious business.

It seems that I had an infection prior to my surgery on my nerve areas. It was not detected when the doctor taps my wisdom tooth crown, nor the neighbouring molar crown. The injection of local anasthetic was not in fact as painful as I was told. I dont know what is more or less painful, having inserted the jumbo blood donation needle, or the serum stuck down your gum. Neither did hurt as much as I initially thought. Reflex though, I cant help but had my shoulders tensed, squint my eyes, and probably released frightful expression on my face that the doctor had to reassure me not be as tense. After a moment, he told my husband to fetch me my phone so I can play games once the anasthetic kicks in. He reassured us it wont be difficult and that I should relax. I have to say he’s quite good at this. The humming. The playing game instructing. The talking to companions. The stories and the want-to-know-you part. Just what I need to have my mind focused elsewhere rather than on the pain and the major operation I am under. My doctor calmly waited back in his seat while talking to my husband, frequently checking on my mouth condition while I’m getting the hang of playing Monsters Ate My Condo.

Slow but sure, my face starts to numb. It was getting harder to do mouthwash. After making sure the anasthetic worked and that I did not feel a thing, he said we shall then start and recited basmallah. Most times I was closing my eyes, thinking of happy thoughts, my family back home, my hubby there watching over me, my favorite nephew, me in an interview phase of my scholarship endeavour sitting in a room full of panelists. All I can remember seeing once in a while is the metal hook that pulls apart my cheek, the assistant consistenly using the suction to suck up my mouth water excesses, the doctor and his cutting knife, an screwdriver liked shaped metal and the noisy drill. Little did I knew what the drill sounds like on  your teeth. But the sensation it caused me by hearing it. Even it being stuck on my house wall wouldnt sound as screeching. Some times the sound toned down to a more low key but still sounded as harsh. Making me ‘think’ this is a whole other level of my organ that the drill is now on to.

That thought leads back to how the memory of that ache being tapped by my dentists and the sudden stung it caused. The first time I felt a tooth ache it was oh so painful. So painful that you intend to damage it yourself. Since being examined by doctors caused them to tap on hyper sensitive areas, the memory of such feeling stung on me. And the whole supressing drilling and constant applying of pressure in my tooth feeds me unnecessary anxieties. Very stupid over hyperventilating thinkery indeed.

The gum was cut, the tooth was drilled in parts, the tooth is already wobbly but each time my doctor tried to tip it off of me, I feel an intense stinging ache from the root of the tooth until what it feels like all the way along my right cheekbone. I cant help but to ouch, reflex raise my palm to my cheek, and shed down embarassing tears. Again and again my gum is being injected by additional anasthetic, and though I was not afraid of it anymore now with the numbness state I’m already in, right at the moment he tried to tip the tooth out, the miraculous pain is still indefinitely unbearable.

I am thankful my doctor believes in conducting on what he called as painless procedure, and is very quick in being decisive. He paused after a few failed attempt to congkel the tooth and wasnt keen on forcing it out although I offered him to do it once and for all using full strength in one swift move. Thus decided to pend my operation since I had fully used the maximum anasthetic dose with a total of six injections when normal people had two, and yet I still felt pain. The sting lasted for about a few minutes but I easily sat up after an hour of (exaggerated) torture. Off my seat walking towards my husband unrealizing I spilled blood covered saliva on my way since my mouth is partially self opened.

We sat down together and had the doctor briefed us through. The what, the how the why. All complete. Very friendly guy who loves to travel around the world apart from doing his job. I was sorry that he had to do me the second time again next week. Since I was an anomaly and my wisdom tooth was very stubborn. But- all in all. It was a very interesting experience. First time my permanent tooth (should have) gotten pulled out, and it had to be with surgery. Something ain’t it ? 

Treating. And Where to Eat in Banjarmasin

Sometimes theres always that one person who wont allow us to  pay him/her back when we ordered lunch with. Thats exactly why i insisted to pay up the office boy who delivered our breakfast first. But again told us that the meal was on her, probably since another co-worker has already bought in these tasty warm banana bread-okay that sounds wrong- ‘roti pisang’ a traditional food, or wadai (literally translated to cake, but not the modern one you’re thinking of) for morning munchies earlier.

 And so the drama goes off.

Theres this custom where one deliberately rejects to be paid back. Mostly this happens when a certain sum of money is considered to be insignificant for the lender. Hence they will try in any way possible to have you stop waving the supposedly worthy paper note to them, whether it is forcefully putting the note back into your palm, putting it on your desk, putting it in your front pocket, all the while shaking their heads and saying ‘jangan’ or don’t.

It will also happen if and when, one makes an accumulative payment of the things individually bought together but at the same time. Where one steps up and decide to pay it all in advance. Not that the lender dont want it paid back, but still, if its odds money or ‘ganjilan’ they have a hard time accepting it too. The reason might be the hassle of finding the change is too insignificant, or you simply want the trnsaction to have an end to it. Hm.

So I was left unable to pay back 18K worth of nasi kebuli. Then I found myself contemplating. I had the equivalent to that in ringgit when i received an angpao from a married friend for chinese new year. It has a red flashy design to the envelope and in it was three two ringgit notes. Looking back, now i know the nominal here is considered not as significant.

Or can that be the effect of a consumptive local thingy ? I spent 50 bucks in Malaysia to buy groceries for a week. Here i can’t spend less than 50 bucks each day to feed myself and jajan ? Overseas, the tradition of treating a friend is rather rather. Unless you go out to eat on somebody’s birthday. If though your friend paid up when both of you sat down had lunch and walk to the cashier together, that only means you pay back later to them. Here the case isnt so. Spending 50K a day doesnt arrive to any guilt. That is a triumph. 50K can get you 10K for breakfast, 30K for lunch, oh wait- thats not even enough. .

Due to the custom mentioned above, and the usual spending of us people, thankfully – and thank you God – we have an all week dine out when my co-workers took turns treating one another. By this rate, Im feeling great for the economy. J

Heres is a list of where our team usually heads off to when we’re having lunch together (limited to Banjarmasin area) :

 1 ) Depot Rudy Banjarmasin, A. Yani Pal 3 – High Value, Banjarese Smoked Food, Classic Venue, The usual visit for Businessmen. Try out Urap, Udang Galah, Haruan Penyet

 2 ) Pondok Permata, Gatot Pal 4 – Medium to High Value, Banjarese ‘Smoked’ Food, Stall Style Venue, Mostly Chinese. Try out Patin Bakar, and order iced syrup as a drink.

 3 ) Neng Yasmin, Sungai Jingah – Medium to High Value, Banjarese Food, Classic Venue, The usual visit for Civil Workers as it seems. Best deep fried fish, try out Nila Goreng, Lais Goreng, Sayur Asem and ‘Mandai’.

 4 ) Soto Bang Amat, Banua Anyar – Medium Value, Banjarese chicken soup (the best in town), Varied Visitors from young and old, couple and families. Dont forget the chicken satay to top off.

 5 ) Warung Yuni, Sultan Adam – Medium Value, Banjarese Oxtail Soup. Be early! The dish is limited. Most likely to be sold out by 1pm.

 6 ) Meratus Pedas, Meratus – Medium Value, Best deep fried fish. Try Patin, Peda, or Nila goreng they have here served with Timun Serut or Cucumber veggies mixed with fresh coconut milk. Ice tea jumbo size is also available.

..more to add later !

junk

Assalamualaikum.

gee. so much has happened. to cut things short recently ive bought a new laptop. so yey, me gonna write more often, hopefully. ive started saving, investing, living with the best two housemates i could ever ask. work with the best colleagues ever. got a new, cool lady as my new boss this year. had trips to bali, singapore, and bangkok within a year. and i bought a new car. wait that's not all. im married too. a whole new chapter about that some other time.

so how are we in our resolution this year ? =)

keep writing so you can gather scattered thoughts. stay motivated, and keep that dream alive beyb.