The Dental Saga Continues.

I had a lovely time with my friends last night. I hadn't been in this bar/restaurant before but it was a good choice. I liked the way you could see into the kitchen through the opening in the far wall, no quick heating up of microwave food which is what happens in a lot of pubs. I chose the Thai style fish cakes with aromatic rice as a lighter option than the the Beouf Bourguignon which also tempted me. They were very good but I discovered that with my reduced teeth I can't chew rice. Most of us had a dessert and I indulged in the chocolate and coffee cheesecake. As usual there was much laughing and generally being silly, a good time to let our hair down.

The Maitre d' offered to take some photos so here we all are. (I'm 2nd in on the right.) I drove my friend Linda (1st on right) back to her car which she had parked at my place. I was glad of her company on the way home because it was wild and stormy and the clouds blowing across the road made for very limited visibility. I was in bed before midnight but I stayed awake for a couple of hours stressing about my dental appointment.

And what an appointment it was. After talking with my friends I was determined to talk to the practice manager to complain that it has been 6 years since I had a second lower tooth taken out and though I've been back for regular check-ups, treatment and another tooth removed, not until my last visit to the hygienist was it mentioned that it would be possible to have a denture to replace the lower 2 teeth. I was told, when I had the first one out many years ago, that I couldn't have a bridge because the neighbouring teeth had crowns so I assumed that was the case on the other side of my mouth. I am pretty annoyed that for all this time I've had those unsightly gaps and less chewing ability. I did talk to the practice manager but unfortunately the business changed hands 2 years ago and they are not responsible for what happened before. I was hoping that I could get them to give me free tooth whitening (they charge £500) but no luck. I really hate anything confrontational so I had all that stress for nothing. Then I was seen by my new dentist. I was expecting her to do something to the tooth that was halfway through being re-root canal filled but that didn't happen. I'm still getting pain there so after showing me the x-rays she advised having the tooth out. I had been expecting that outcome but she couldn't do it today. The first appointment they offered me was in June but after I grumbled they found a slot at the end of May. As to the twinging tooth on the other side that's another one that needs re-root canal filling. Due to the difficulty she has referred me to the dental hospital in Bristol but apparently they are quicker at seeing people than the last time I had to go there when waiting and several appointments took nearly a year. Oh my, what a saga! 

By the time I got home I was feeling rather sorry for myself thinking that after 2 painful and traumatic appointments plus a 6 month wait to see if it worked the tooth is coming out anyway and  I was ready to curl up in a sad heap. But the weather was almost my favourite kind of weather, wild and windy with the sun shinning brightly. I forced myself to do a little admin before wrapping up for some outdoor work.  I did the usual pressure washing both of the slabs and the conservatory itself and hooray! all the paving around the house is now done. 

In between I made a good start on the bog garden. Most of the weeds are gone and the gravel path cleared of leaves and silt deposited by the many winter floods. Some of the ornamental grass on the bank has been overrun by the 'wrong' grass and I need to spend more time sorting that out. By the end of the afternoon I was feeling a lot more cheerful. After all none of today's problems were the end of the world, as my mother would say.