... toothache, in other words - according to Scotland's National Bard, Rabbie Burns. And he was spot-on THERE!

MINE began on Friday ... with a few twinges. By the next day, it had escalated ... despite doping myself up on painkillers at intervals throughout the ensuing 24 hours [odd that an onslaught of this magnitude invariably happens at weekends - when there never seem to be any dentists on call! ].

Yesterday was an absolute nightmare - with me stumbling along like some kind of zombie most of the time, having barely slept at all for two nights. Plus I'd developed a large abscess to reinforce this impression. I resembled the one-eyed gunner, in fact and, with my right cheek swollen and all puffed-up I was, as they say in these parts, "No' boannie!".

But thankfully, I managed to be seen as a dental emergency first thing this morning, and was provided with high-strength antibiotics (Amoxicillin 3 g sachets) to be taken in two doses and shall return again early tomorrow for assessment and further treatment.

It would be fair to say, I've never before experienced such a prolonged period of pain without relief. It's something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy - if I had one (which, hopefully, I don't!). "The hell o' a' diseases", right enough!.