Had two wisdom teeth taken out the day I got my driver's license. Couldn't even drive home.
Those who grew up with me might remember that I had an underbite as a child. Later in my sixteenth summer, I had my lower jaw sawed in two places, repositioned, and wired shut. As if that wasn't going to be bad enough, most young folks that have that done still have braces that can be used to hold the wires. Not me. The day before, they had to drive these things that looked like U-nails into my gums. All the way around, top and bottom.
They gave me a shot in the arm and an IV for that. I was awake, and I remember it. I think that was pentethol (sp?). Novocain everywhere. Yeah, it hurt, but I didn't care. I simply didn't care. They could have cut my nose off and I wouldn't have cared.
Post surgery, post healing, wires came off, and it was time to pull those little babies out of my gums, which by that time had become attached to them. I was so looking forward to not caring again. Sheet. Not only did I not get the shot again, I didn't even get Novocain. All I got was Anbesol on a Q-tip.
And then to add insult to injury, I went to BK to eat a whopper (hadn't had solids in six weeks). They warned me not to do that, but I had to try. I had the burger perfectly positioned, anticipating flame-broiled...and then discovered I couldn't open my effin' mouth.
It was all worth it in the end.
