Dreams Start With Patience #29

Reading time: 4 minutes.

Earlier this week, my 4 wisdom teeth left the nest.

In my 23 years of life this is the first time I’ve ever been put to sleep under general anesthesia.

There I am, staring up at the bright white lights in the surgical room.

It’s 11:19 A.M. on a beautiful Tuesday morning in Northern Utah.

A slight prick in my arm and being hooked up to oxygen.

The blonde-girl who is preparing me for surgery says, “Any questions?”

I ask this 20 year old dental surgery assistant a single question before I get put under.

“What are you obsessed with currently?”

This question has been my bread and butter when I meet people in small chance encounters.

The girl looks at me stunned, not sure how to answer the question.

She smiles and says, “Dr. Pepper.”

Out of every little thing in this world, why is a soft-drink her obsession?

The next thing I remember the oral surgeon strutting in counting down from 100.

Here we go I guess, let’s hope this doesn’t hurt.

I wake up from surgery in a completely different spot.

Gauze pad in my mouth and an icepack wrapped around my face.

The girl from before is sitting in front of us.
She’s giving my dad and I the instructions on how to heal from this surgery.

I couldn’t make sense of what she was saying.

All I could think of is how young people are taught to play it safe.

This girl has to have a different obsession other than Dr. Pepper.

It disheartened me to hear such a mundane answer.

I thought to myself, there is a reason why I do what I do.

To help others find their passion and purpose in life is as noble a pursuit as any.

Next thing I know, I’m outside in the car.

Passenger seat, a numb face, and extreme pain on the left side of my mouth.

This sucks.

I can taste the blood in my mouth now.

We get on the road, I grab my pillow and fall asleep instantaneously.

I wake up again right outside of the canyon drive.

My dad is making an effort to get me some soft food.

I usually never eat tomato soup but I was shocked.

This soup tasted like nectar of the gods - the surgery made me fast, so being hungry made it 100x better.

I have never battled with my tongue and mouth before in my life.

When you get your bottom wisdom teeth taken out.

It hits a nerve in your jaw, completely numbs your jaw.

The pain was more psychological than physical at this point.

I couldn’t eat this sweet soup and there’s a ton of blood flowing inside my mouth.

I surrendered eventually - went back to sleep.

Another 3 and ½ hours go by in the car.

I end up getting back home.

My mouth still numb, sick to my stomach, and disillusioned by pain.

I laugh so hard I just keep saying that the oral surgeon had a mean left-hook.

The lesson learned here:

Your health is fundamental to high-performance and living the good life.

Rest is a crucial piece of the puzzle.

But in truth, even when life punches you in the face.

You have to be grateful for the luxury of living.

Thanks for reading!
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