You should inject more humour into your blogs, said my friend. That chap Matt writes nonsense most of the time - about his batchelor life, his flowers, his new tractors, his adventures on the internet. And he gets a lot more response than you.
Well, I'm a serious sort of chap. I don't know too many jokes. And I only feel really driven to blog when I am angry about something. I'm fairly angry at the moment. But because its a hard luck story maybe users will find what follows amusing. If not I will just hope for sympathy.
I went to Ireland last week to recce a study tour I'm planning to lead there next year. Before I went I visited the dentist because I'd had a niggling ache in a wisdom tooth. I'll prescribe anti-biotics to take on your trip, he said, but if it doesn't get better it will have to come out.
Suffice to say it didn't get better and I spent most of my time in Ireland taking pain killers beteen bouts of agony. (I hope you're finding this amusing).
Fortunately I was accompanied by Jill Lewis of the Agricultural Travel Bureau who makes all my travel arrangements. Given my discomfort I asked her to drive. We travelled along beautiful coast roads, amazing countryside and through pretty villages.
In one of these there were a series of speed bumps. Jill failed to notice the first one and hit it at speed. The car bounced and I bounced with it. As I fell back into my seat I felt my back go. I now had two areas of my body in considerable discomfort and the pills hardly touched them. (This is hilarious, isn't it?)
Anyway, I survived the trip (just) and flew back to Stansted on Ryanair (cheap but uncomfortable) only to find that my pre-paid, discounted car parking fee had not registered for some reason and I had to pay again to get out of the park. I am seeking a refund as I write.
The following day I phoned my dentist and made another appointment, this time to have the wisdom tooth extracted. When I arrived in his chair he said "I should really refer you to the hospital". I replied that I needed him to take it out so please get on with it.
It was not the best decision of my life. He injected my gum with eight doses of aneasthetic and the tooth still didn't go numb. So he decided to pull it out anyway. I felt every root and sinew come away from my jawbone and it felt like he was pulling my head off.
Finally it came out, complete with twisted roots, and the dentist commented that it was not the most difficult wisdom tooth he had removed. He gave me a cotton wool plug to stop the bleeding and charged me £45.
I am now, four days later, beginning to recover. The swelling on the side of my face is gradually getting back to normal and the headaches are receding. Oh yes, my back is beginning to recover too
And I hope and trust that you are laughing your head off!
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Comments (3)
Ouch! Sounds painful. It doesn't seem fair that you have to pay £45 to have such pain inflicted upon you does it?
(Was that enough sympathy? I hope you couldn't hear my chuckles all the way from FW Towers...)
Posted by Caroline | July 29, 2008 11:38 AM
Posted on July 29, 2008 11:38
The irony is that my friends tell me to steer away from the toilet humour and to try to be more serious. Everyone's a critic.
There is more skill and value contained in your writing than mine.
Get well soon
Posted by matthew naylor | July 29, 2008 12:16 PM
Posted on July 29, 2008 12:16
The truth is David, we value both you and Matt.
I've had the same experience with a wisdom tooth which the dentist tackled only with reluctance, so I wouldn't laugh at your suffering. But I had to smile at the thoughts of your experience on the speed bump. Sorry!
Posted by Mike P. | August 5, 2008 8:09 PM
Posted on August 5, 2008 20:09