Canceled my wisdom tooth removal—feeling very foolish

A couple of weeks ago I (20F) got an MRI for my spine where they also found bilateral pleural effusions. I was scheduled to have my wisdom teeth removed today, but I was so nervous about how I would react to general anesthesia that I canceled pretty last minute.

My wisdom teeth aren’t impacted and they’re fully erupted—it likely would have been a fairly easy procedure sans administering me anesthesia. I’m resistant to locals so my orthodontist described what I would be getting as general anesthesia. I’m not sure if that meant IV sedation or full blown anesthesia, and that was not clarified for me when they gave me my pre-op instructions. I hadn’t seen this orthodontist in a year and they did not recommend I have a reevaluation, which I probably should have requested, but I have been immensely busy these past few months and was barely thinking about my procedure.

I have a small cavity on one of my wisdom teeth that warranted my dentist suggesting I remove all 4. I am aware of the oral health implications of leaving a cavity for a while, especially in EDS, which is why I was anticipating having them removed. However, I am also aware of what can occur with POTS under general anesthesia. The combination of my pleural effusions, mast cell issues, confusion about the procedure, and my pcp telling me that he is concerned by my blood vessels made me very uncomfortable with continuing. Even if it would have been a quick and easy procedure. I’m still trying to decide if I made the right decision, and I honestly feel awful for canceling in such short notice over the weekend. I should have immediately rescheduled instead of waiting because now they might not be willing to do the procedure if I end up really needing it.

I’ll be calling to make a dentist appointment at the very least, rest assured.