All Right Here?

Having recently moved from the UK to South East Asia, a lot of people have asked me: "So, what's it like, then?" This is my attempt to answer that question.

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Fools Die For Want Of Wisdom

Almost a year ago to the day, I was in hospital having a knee ligament reconstruction. Look back at my June 2006 archives: it’s all there. I’ve just read it back and can’t believe what high spirits I was in.

On Tuesday, I was back in hospital again for another operation. This time: wisdom teeth extraction. All four of them.

I quite liked the whole anaesthetic thing last time, but this time I woke up thinking that there was a chance I was going to be sick. That’s probably because I had two gauze swabs soaking up the blood and dangling from my mouth like tendrils. Straight after I was woken up, I reached for my mouth to take out the gauze swabs, thinking that they were pieces of chewing gum I’d left in my mouth. The nurse told me to leave them where they were. After a couple more attempts to remove the chewing gum, I gradually became aware that my jaw was feeling a bit tender and that I should probably do what she told me to do.

It was only day surgery this time, so I was home about 3 hours after waking up. No fun hospital stories this time, I’m afraid.

Nothing much exciting has happened since. I’ve had the last 3 days off work because my gums are still bleeding and my face looks strange. No doubt you can guess what I look like. Take your pick:
I look like a chipmunk
I look moonfaced
I look like the Fat Controller
I look like Sophie Ellis Bextor
I look like Jay Leno.



Ella’s made me lots of really great soup and I’ve been eating ice cream too.

During the first day and a half I read A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. It’s not as good as The Kite Runner, but it’s still very good.

I’m now reading Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer. I am loving every second of this book. It’s made me laugh out loud a few times, which books hardly ever do for me. It’s also one of the most moving books I’ve ever read. I keep putting it down to do something else, either because I’m moved, or because I don’t want to finish it. I’ve never done that before with a book. What’s wrong with me?

Anyway, read the book. It’s dazzling, heartbreaking and beautiful.

They’re showing one Star Wars film per night on one of the movie channels here. The first night it was the unwatchable Episode 2, which I was sure I’d seen before, but only bits of it seemed familiar. I watched it until I realised that it was unwatchable, then went to bed. Which is probably what happened last time. Last night it was Episode 3, which I love, even though it’s a bit silly in places. It surely contains the most exciting and eagerly anticipated moment in cinematic history: Darth Vader’s mask descending and attaching to his face for the first time, then that first breath being taken. Spine-tingling stuff.

Then there’s the funniest moment in Star Wars history: Darth Vader’s first few steps, crying “Noooooooooooo!” in a very un-Darth Vader-ish way. Cringeworthy.

Tonight it’s Episode 4. Classic.

Despite the joys of soup, reading books and watching Star Wars, it’s no fun having all four wisdom teeth out at once. Even though it doesn’t really hurt, it’s uncomfortable. I can feel the stitches in my mouth – they seem to thread from my gums to the sides of my mouth, for some reason. There’s a tangle of cotton or whatever it is in my mouth. Either that or it’s some bread. I’m not brave enough to get my finger in there and find out in case I pull stitches out. It’s also no fun having to go and spit blood down the toilet every twenty minutes or so.

Still, it could be a lot worse. That’s enough moaning.

But it is really annoying that wisdom teeth are completely unnecessary.

At least, I hope so.

16 Comments:

  • At 4:54 pm, Blogger Jonny said…

    Cracking blog mate. But strangely no mention of the $77. Are you saving that one?

    Having four wisdom tooth out sounds awful. You know what I'm like with my teeth! Luckily all four of mine came through (I think!). It was excrutiating at the time. How did you know yours needed to come out at the ripe old age of 32? Were you chewing on figs for ages before deciding to get the job done?

    I have to say that I am very excited by your book review (check my comment on Book Twenty Six in response to yours - I commented on your reading speed before reading this blog and finding out you had time to read Splendid Suns - and a day and a half is still machine-like). I will definitely be adding Loud and Close to the list.

    Hope the pain subsides old bean. Hoe about some close-up facial photos?

    Home made soup eh! Quality.

     
  • At 8:24 pm, Blogger Me said…

    Thanks Jonny. My dentist told me they needed to come out, so I believed him. I saw the x-ray - one of them was growing sideways into my next molar, so it was 'only a matter of time' before that would 'cause problems'. My insurers agreed to pay for it, so I thought I might as well get all four done in one fell swoop.

    Just to let you know, I read three books in four days after my op. Even I am surprised by that machine-like statistic.

     
  • At 6:05 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Aaaahhh one of mine has grown sideways into the next molar. I'm pretending it hasn't happened... Did your dentist say exactly how much time before it causes problems?
    Hope you feel better soon
    Xxxx

     
  • At 9:07 pm, Blogger Me said…

    Hi Em. No, it varies for each person. I was first told about mine about a year before I had it done and it hasn't seemed to cause any permanent problems. Other than the fact that they had to be removed, which is pretty permanent, I suppose. You just have to be brave.

    I'm being a complete wuss about it, by the way.

     
  • At 9:46 pm, Blogger Andy said…

    Episode two is a good'un - it deserves another chance. Christopher Lee will make any bad film good, in my opinion.

    Maybe not.

    Did you actually read three books in four days, or just flip the pages over and look at the pictures?

     
  • At 9:51 pm, Blogger Me said…

    I don't think I got to the bit with Christopher Lee in it. There was far too much of Anakin and Natalie Portman frolicing in the meadows and saying very embarrassing things to each other for my liking.

    Not that I mind Natalie Portman being on the screen usually, of course, but those hairstyles are as ridiculous as the dialogue.

    Finally, I'm not sure what you're implying, but the books I read were all novels, thank you.

     
  • At 3:07 am, Blogger swisslet said…

    Hello mate. I had mine out under local years ago. They did them two at a time, and I wasn't quite ready for how medieval the whole thing was: foot on chest, twist, twist, twist, CRACK. One of them had to be drilled out of my jawbone, but the rest were just yanked out. One took so long that the local wore off.

    No.

    Not good.

    I feel your pain.

    I also feel your pain over Episode II. III isn't much better if you ask me. You're onto the good shit now though, my friend.

    Take it easy (and I'm going to look up those books too. I love reading me. Jonny, you taking notes?

    ST

     
  • At 7:35 pm, Blogger Me said…

    Hi ST

    I was very very glad not to have a local. That sounds hideous. I admire your bravery - I would probably have leapt out of the chair mid-extraction and said: 'I want to keep them after all.'

    As for those books... Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is, I think, a well-written book, although some people might find it a bit far-fetched whilst others might find it a touch sentimental. I quite like those qualities in a book from time to time. You just might find it a bit saccharine, possibly. But I hope you don't. So there you go.

     
  • At 3:14 am, Blogger swisslet said…

    I think I was 19 years old. I don't remember having much say in the matter, as it happens. The day after the last two came out (and the last two were the worst because I knew what was coming this time) I started work as a waiter. I looked like a hamster and it bloody hurt. Horrible.

    I had a lot of orthodontic work done as a kid, and lots of teeth extracted... but this was just something else.

    I'm going to look those books up. Just as soon as I finish "The Master" by Colm Toibin. It's about Henry James, and it's really quite unlike anything else I've read. Very slow, but beautifully paced and beautifully judged. I've not even read any Henry James, but I have already gone out and bought "The Wings of the Dove".

    Hmm.

    Perhaps we should start a book club.

    ST

     
  • At 12:47 pm, Blogger Me said…

    Never read any Colm Toibin, but sounds very interesting. Never read any Henry James either. I always think his sentences might be a bit too long for my tastes. Let me know how you get on.

    Good idea on the book club front, though. I keep starting to write book reviews and then stop because I start reading the next book, by which time I've forgotten what I was going to say about the last book.

    I assume you mean a virtual book club?!

     
  • At 10:30 pm, Blogger Jonny said…

    Yes, I am taking notes in so much as I just need to keeping looking back to these blogs to find out what I should read next.

    A Book Club sounds worrying. I'm only a novice and fear I read far too slowly. It would also remind me of doing English homework.

     
  • At 2:34 am, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    A book club would be great. I think it would work because us commenters etc are such a mixed bunch and would give an interesting 'balance'. I don't think I'd get on with some book clubs because there can be a lot of know it alls around, and reading's for pleasure, after all. The space between books could be quite long I reckon, all we'd need to do is make a note of our thoughts when we've read it and place our comments at the agreed time. Mike's Ma

     
  • At 3:04 am, Blogger Unknown said…

    Penny's in a book club and she nearly always fails to complete the books but she does love ordering them online and then falling asleep underneath them.. but when someone picks a good book she loves it and that makes the dry weeks all worth while! Wouldn't suit me - I haven't read a book in years... I'm more into the mags!

     
  • At 7:52 am, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I'm not even there anymore.. what's your excuse for not writing huh? Get writing Mikey! x

     
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