My first semester of college did not go as planned. I had had my wisdom teeth removed that summer, but a few weeks into the semester my gums missed my wisdom teeth so much they decided to become infected. The university health center told me my gums were just fine, so I put them on the phone with the surgeon back home. Yes, that's right health center: swollen, pus filled, achy, sore, and red gums mean there is an infection.
Several weeks of different dosages of antibiotics later, they were still infected. So I jogged over to the local dental clinic at 8AM when it opens in order to get in and out before class at 11AM. At about 11:30AM I finally saw someone and had x-rays taken. Then finally the doctor and her assistant came in. Both were short, dark haired, and spoke with a heavy Eastern European accent. A few moments later she said something about a piece of my jaw bone causing the infection (while pointing to a speck on the x-ray) and proceeded to pull out a syringe and knife.
There is nothing like being nine hours from home, in a new state, missing all your morning classes, being a college freshman, and having an Eastern European woman perform surprise oral surgery to remove part of your jaw bone. Thankfully, after a few visits I was as good as new.
