By Michael Glenn
If you haven’t noticed my byline much this week, it’s because I’ve been doing my best to recover from having my wisdom teeth removed Tuesday and the complications from that.
Having wisdom teeth pulled is, unfortunately, something a lot of us get to experience. I was lucky in the fact that I only had two, but both were on the bottom and impacted. Yikes!
I’ve had the ability to prepare some content and take a few days off to recover, which has been very beneficial. Tooth pain is probably the worst type of pain you can experience, at least in my opinion, because there’s so little you can do about it. The added swelling has also not been fun, but at least I haven’t had to be out in public.
Wisdom teeth are some of those old “monkey parts” we humans have held on to through the millions and millions of years of evolution. Whether it’s those third sets of molars, appendixes or tailbones, sometimes we carry on things that have no functional or beneficial purpose.
Thankfully, we have science and technology to help us correct some of Mother Nature’s errors. I’d like to give a special thanks to Dr. Dye and his team at Southwind Oral Surgery, who took care of my surgery in a good manner.
I will say, though, after five days of mac and cheese, mashed potatoes and all-you-can-eat puddings and applesauce, I am ready to return to eating like an adult. Just a few more days of healing, and I will be back to my old talkative self, much to my parents’ dismay.
In other news, I will be moving to Lawrence in exactly two weeks from when this is published to begin my college career at the University of Kansas. We had orientation a week prior on July 16, where I got to explore the campus and see where my classes will be. Currently, I am majoring in journalism and minoring in political science, but I’m considering changing my minor to something more… theatrical.
So has begun the slow but necessary chore of packing most of everything I’ve ever owned into plastic boxes to be hurled three hours northeast to what I’d argue is the best city in Kansas (excluding Hutchinson, of course). If you don’t agree with that, at least agree that the best city isn’t the little apple with that farm school.
All teasing aside, college is a great opportunity I’m glad to have the ability to take. With the work we’ve done here in Hutch, I’m excited to build upon the writing and interviewing skills I’ve developed here and learn more at KU. I’ll be able to meet new friends, connections and opportunities at the college I’ve cheered for since I was a little kid.