This was it. I had finally decided to do it. I could see the cars flashing past and pedestrians walking from the large window in front of me. I felt so disconnected from the world. Such is life, that it goes on whether you like it or not. I tried to concentrate on the non-fiction I had in my hands but the words seemed a little strange that day. My usual pace was off and there were instances when I had to reread an earlier sentence. Kindy school style. Word for word. Sentence by sentence.
The sofa was eerily vacant that day save for my knapsack and self. The plants were artificially cheery and the only soundtracks were the rhythmic interlude of the clock chimes and the mechanical hum of a drill. I knew what it was because it was a familiar sound. One could have mistaken it for the sound of a blender churning out some sweet nectar or perhaps someone scorching the tracks in NFS 3. But not me. I knew better.
I tried finishing the chapter but I was too fidgety. Despite my erratic attention on the paperback, I jumped when she finally called my name. If only she was Gisele or Natalie summoning me to her bedroom. Fantasies aside, I got up meekly and followed her. Like a pig going to slaughter.
The room felt so cold and surreal. She sat me down and I had a bib tucked over my chest. The syrupy ballads of yesteryear tried to drown my doubts but failed miserably. I would normally enjoy Lite n Easy anytime, but not today.
The room felt cold and surreal. I always cover up, especially on my dates with her. Not because I’m self-conscious about my body. Rather, it was no matter what the temperature reads out in Celsius, it was always colder despite the reading in a pit like this.
When Dr Rachel finally made her way in, I felt I was stuck in a scene from Hostel. Not the make out scene on the bed, but the blood and gore in the dilapidated warehouse turn torture chambers. Her cheery greetings did nothing to soothe my already terribly frayed nerves. I never liked dentists. In a dental clinic, of course. Then there was X but that would be another story.
She jabbed my twice with painkillers. I could feel my mouth and cheek on the left side slowly going numb. She left the room and I tried reading my book again but the numbness and fear were paramount on my mind.
When she returned, I could sense that she was relishing the thought of carving out my mouth. No, it must be my imagination, I thought. Then she asked me to open my mouth wider. I could feel the drill sculpting , no wrecking, my still-perfect and cavity-free wisdom tooth. When I could open my mouth no more bigger, she had a calliper to stretch my mouth.
Just when I thought the drill had stopped and she could finally pick out the tooth, the ordeal began again. This went on for a while. For about 15 minutes, rather. Or was it 20? Then she tried to prise the tooth out. I could feel the thrusting sensation with the base of my gum as the fulcrum and after a few attempts a lifting out the tooth, I felt the drill again. I could literally feel the pressure as she tried to keep push out the tooth. Perhaps she didn’t have enough strength. But then again, I don’t want Schwarzenegger to handle anything near me, or in me, either.
All the while the assisting nurse moved the tube about my mouth to suck out the saliva. It was plain bad luck that the machine had to fail in the middle of the operation. I could feel and taste blood in my mouth. And my saliva was just accumulating more than ever. When the new machine was brought in, it gave me a temporary relief but I felt the nurse could have done a better job. I felt that she was just going through the motions without really doing what a proper nurse would have done.
After the tooth was finally removed, I thought that was the end of it all. No! Dr Rachel had to stitch the wound. Funnily enough, I felt no pain at all. I guess that was because she gave me another jab of painkillers. I could feel a strange void at the end of my mouth. And it was real bloody. She showed me my mutilated tooth and I felt sorry for it. Such a perfect tooth had to be “killed” just because it was different. It was coming out horizontally. Since when do we persecute a person just because he was a little abnormal?
After the shock that was the operation, the reception area nearly induced another heart attack when I had to pay RM 350 for the
torture operation. My earlier wisdom tooth only cost me RM 30. I guess the kinkier the
torture operation, the higher the cost. Basic economics.
I lost my love for food for 2 weeks. Everything tasted different. Even now, and after removing the stitches, anything cold still gives the area of my mouth pain. If I exert too much physical pressure such jumping rope, it hurts as well. But hey, the ordeal is finally over isn’t it?
I dread the 2 more wisdom teeth that I’m supposed to remove. But that will be another story for another day.