Care and Feeding of a Kid having his Wisdom Teeth Out

Evening before:

Tell kid not to sleep over at a friend’s because he’ll be getting up so early. 

Don’t wait up for him as he arrives after 2am “to get a good night’s sleep.”

Tell him not to eat after midnight and believe him if he tells you he didn’t, otherwise you’ll have to make time to worry about him vomiting during the procedure.

Accept suggestions from the blog that your Becky-friend sent on making ice packs.  http://www.notmartha.org/archives/2012/05/09/how-that-whole-wisdom-teeth-thing-went/

Night before:

While making Jello, pudding and mashed potatoes, find a pair of new tube socks. At my house that means find the cleanest pair of long ski socks not presently in use. I found a pair in the bin of “things we haven’t used in 3 years/things we don’t want any more.”  How odd that when Kelcy saw them, he claimed they were his favorite ski socks.

  

Sew the socks together at the toes with a little overlap while you freeze Dawn dish-washing liquid in a couple baggies (it really does stay cold longer and doesn't get wet)…… 


Admire your handiwork:  rather  than rice socks, you've got Ice Socks!  These cleverly cushion your chin and tie on top of your head icing both cheeks/jaws. The notmartha blog makes it look like an Audrey Hepburn style but Kelcy, actually wearing it right now as he can be hands’ free and play his computer game, looks like a big puppy dog. (But no photos allowed.)

Morning of:

Don’t get kid up too early since he’ll remember to be grumpy that he can’t eat breakfast.

Do allow toothbrushing, personal grooming and chapstick (in case the dental assistants are young and cute.)

At the office:

Don't embarrass the kid by knowing too many people. Kelcy looked disconcerted but was super polite that so many people knew me. The receptionist remembered Kelcy as a 4year old in Daddy and Me swim lessons. The joke was, when Judd ran into Gretchen, the instructor, in a grocery store, he would say, “I’ve never seen you with clothes on.” I also knew one of the health techs (with whom I used to work at Workplace Health in my occupational medicine days) AND, one of the other assistants knew me because she recalled that Judd and I went to her 6^th grade class in China Middle School to show and tell about Kenya –about 8 years ago.

Don't plan to get a lot done, leisurely drinking coffee and watching the pre-Olympics on TV in the waiting room. I was barely able to play 4 moves of Zynga in the waiting room, when the assistant came out and said, “Kelcy’s all done. “ It literally could not have been 15 minutes……the PAPERWORK took longer than that! My 19 year old kid is now old enough to sign his own informed consent but I still got to be his responsible adult designated driver (and his check-writer.)

Post-procedure:

Don't take a picture of anyone, even your own kid, the recovery area. Kelcy was reclining in a big easy chair, mouth stuffed with gauze, bleary eyed, startled.  He kept touching my chin then his chin and said they felt the same.  He said it was as if he had someone else’s face on. He was stunned that it was over already. He was surprised “how easy it was” (the miracle of a  IV Versed/Fentanyl and Brevital cocktail.) He said he got some gas on his nose and offered to count to 10 but says he didn’t even get to 1. The surgeon said it was really only oxygen-- all the magic was in the IV meds. Kelcy opened his eyes and the first thing he saw were 4 teeth on the tray.

Sit with your child for about 20 minutes while he recovers from anesthesia.


When kid is deemed stable, escort kid as he staggers to the car, perhaps holding his hand if he lets you. 


Once home, feed him  half a smoothie so he can take his pain meds without a tummy ache.  Kelcy was feeling pretty chipper and thought he might study, but when he sat in the recliner for about 5 min, he fell into a long tranquil nap.

Day after:
He'll feel worse.

Be ready with the ibuprofen, ice socks, Magic Mouthwash, Vicodin and pudding. 


And remember Ganesha, the remover of obstacles.