Absolute wash out

It would seem that my visit to the dentist on Christmas Eve *did not* solve the problem. By midnight on Christmas Day I was beside myself. Unable to sleep, my whole jaw was throbbing. There was no way that I could manage all the way through to the morning of 27 Dec. Consequently I called NHS24, which was not busy at that time of the night, was given some advice on painkillers (don't have any more...) and suitable positions for sleeping (sitting up works better than lying down) and, most importantly, an appointment at the Chalmers Street dental hospital on Boxing Day morning.

By this stage I was completely wiped out, and barely able to stay awake for more than half an hour at a time. But I dragged myself out to the appointment - cancelling one of our few social engagements over the festive period at the same time. This dentist *immediately* diagnosed an infection, leaving me thinking (and yes, I am "shouting") "WELL IF IT'S THAT OBVIOUS TO YOU, WHY ON EARTH DIDN'T THE ONE ON CHRISTMAS EVE REALISE THIS WAS MORE THAN LIKELY A POSSIBILITY AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT." Instead she adjusted my bite (which needed doing anyway), but did F all about the emerging infection, sending me away to get iller and iller during the course of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. So now finally antiobiotics have been dispensed and are being taken, and let's hope they eradicate the infection rather than just holding it at bay as if they don't eradicate it I will, in due course, be in grave danger of losing that tooth.

We came home for me to sleep, sleep, and sleep some more. By the evening, there were periods when it was not quite so painful with the pain localising rather than making my entire jaw and face throb. I set myself up on my chair at about 8.30pm ready to sleep for the night, and duly fell promptly properly asleep. At 10.30pm I woke up and moved into bed for a few hours and then finished the night back in my chair. Altogether up to about 9 hours sleep. On top of spending most of Boxing Day asleep. As I'm backblipping this on 27 December, I can record that I think that was the worst of it. I am now on the mend, with the simple ruse of antibiotics. An utter bloody waste of a day (and I felt by no means jolly for a few days before either). To say I'm resentful and annoyed, as I keep emphasising that this was strictly unnecessary dentistry which has caused this, is an understatement. I will be phoning the dentist soon, and I hope to try and stay calm.

Anyway, Mr A spotted what must be one of Edinburgh's "hacked" roadsigns when we were parking up for the dental hospital.