My experience actually wasn't too bad, considering I am a total pain wuss and I can think of few experiences more unpleasant than anything involving dentists/oral surgeons.
Your doctor's advice is very important, of course, but for me, these were the highlights:
I wish someone had told me this when I got mine taken out, but when you come out after the surgery, the stuff they use to knock you out may make you extremely emotional initially. I cried like a baby for no reason, and a lot of other people I know did too. Don't worry about it; it just happens!
You should make sure that you have someone to look after you for at least the first two days. The first day is more of a necessity, and the second is really for comfort. You won't be an invalid the second day, but it really helps to have someone else do the dirty work for you!
After taking off the first round of gauze on the wounds, if the bleeding hasn't slowed down significantly, tea bags soaked in room temperaturish water to bite down on are great. You may not be able to bring yourself to drink tea for a while after this experience, but the tea really helps and is very soothing.
Be very careful with anything you eat or drink. Rinse your mouth out well regularly, but do it by rolling your head around and NOT swishing like you normally do with mouthwash. Too much pressure on the wounds will break the clots that are forming.
You will probably be very hungry once you recover from the initial drugs they give you, actually, since you have to fast before the surgery. You'll want soft foods (mashed potatoes, tomato soup, apple sauce, etc.), but nothing too warm for the first couple of days, as that will also break the clots. Don't drink anything out of a straw for the first couple days.
If you're a regular coffee drinker, be sure to have some caffeinated soda around for the first couple days when you can't drink anything warm. I found that I underestimated how addicted I was to coffee on the second day when I had a pounding withdrawl headache. You don't want to add to your discomfort, so if this is a problem for you, definitely drink something cool with caffeine.
Keep some ice packs covered in a towel over your mouth to reduce the swelling. This helps not only with the swelling, but also with any bruising you might get on your face.
I had Vicodin, and it didn't make me sick, but sometimes pain killers do make people nausated, so keep a trash can or a bucket handy in case you toss your proverbial cookies. Incidentally, if you are on birth control and you start getting sick from the pain killers, you may have to take your BCP pills in the "alternate method" (I think you can figure that out without me going into detail) so that you don't get thrown off by not digesting the pill.
Above all, just try to relax and take it easy. Your body will be able to help you heal much better if you are relaxed and someone else is taking care of your worries for you. Good luck! It isn't really as bad as it seems!
