The gory details...

The time most feared was here. It had to come out. No other choice. It was causing me trouble, so it had to go.
X-rays showed that the nerve was very close to the tooth. On the X-ray the nerve was just besides the tooth, very close. The surgeon did warn me that there might be nerve damage because of the proximity of the nerve. Oh no... that would mean I wouldn't be able to feel in my lips and chin on the right side... (KISSING WILL BE WEIRD...)

Horizontally impacted lower wisdom tooth, which means my wisdom tooth was facing the tooth in front of it. Yup, not coming out straight upwards but forwards.

As I sat there in the chair, I was praying, God, please, no nerve damage! God please lead the surgeon's hand away from the nerve!

Started with some painful injections into parts of my mouth to numb it out. Ouch! More painful than it looked! Winced with pain. Came back to test it, not numb enough... another round of injections!

When I was ready, the surgeon started to cut through my gums and open it so could get to the tooth. Long cut at the back of lower jaw. Then after opening the gums up, he had to take away bone with his drill. After removing some bone, he could then start to work on the tooth. He had to remove more bone than usual as I'm a bit older so the bone is harder and less flexible. If not, he could have spread the bone a bit more.

All this time while lying there I'm imagining that blood must be all over the place. The nurse has her suction thing in my mouth sucking up whatever. The drill is going at it... with no mercy. But there's nothing I can do. No place to run, no place to hide. Think happy thoughts... think happy thoughts... not with a drill and a suction in your mouth and this bright blinking lights in your eyes. What's going to become of me? (This was not my first wisdom tooth operation, I had the other side removed I think 7 years ago)

All the while the surgeon is reassuring me... "good", "open wider", "turn a little towards me", "painful?"

Is this the end? What will happen of my mouth? Can I kiss normally after this? Why me?