Root canal failure

Jo came with me yesterday morning when I was getting my root canal treatment. It was a specialist root canal dentist and she worked on me for an hour and 45 minutes - all to no avail, it seems. The deep clean treatment seemed to be going well initially - the first two canals were cleaned out OK, but the 3rd one seemed to be causing a bit of a problem - it was pretty deep and she kept taking measurements. Then an X-ray was taken, after which she consulted one of the other dentists in the practice - and then another one after that. The problem was that they weren't sure whether the 3rd canal was perforated or not. If it was perforated, then it would be impossible to get a good seal and all the work - and cost - would have been wasted, and, in all likelihood I would have to have an extraction.

A second X-ray wasn't conclusive either and, in the end, I've been given a week to think about it. Next Friday I have to tell them whether to go ahead and complete the root canal treatment and hope for the best, or just have it out. I have no idea what's best.

Not surprisingly, the tooth was a little tender after that marathon session, so it's now paracetamol for me. Anyway, we went back home and Jo headed off for her usual Friday afternoon swim, so I decided to do a bit more work on the back garden wall. I knew my first mix had been too dry, so this time, I added a bit more water. Mixing away, it still seemed too dry so I added a little splash more and all of a sudden, it's too wet! After that, you can't undo it - all the mortar mix had now been used up - so just get on with it, Ian. Time will tell whether it will be OK. It's frustrating - Jo says it's just like baking or cooking - you go from undercooked to overcooked in seconds. Anyway, here's how it looks this slightly damp Saturday morning:

If the bricks are intact, I'll put the coping stones on top next week - but first I'll need to buy more mortar mix.

Last night, we went to dinner at Dan Corbett's. Archie and Eileen Cook gave us a lift down. It was a real throwback evening. Dan had prepared - without the offered help from his friend/partner Mary - 3 different types of steak meat and we were then to cook them in a fondue. How very 1970's. Good fun actually.

This morning, Jo's preparing food for the pensioners' lunch at the church. I've got nothing planned until this evening when 4 of our Headbang group are heading off to the Lemon Tree.

Tomorrow morning, weather permitting, I'm going on a short hill-walk instead of playing golf. It's my first walk with the guys this year and is coming less than 3 weeks before a weekend of pretty serious walking on the West Coast islands. I wonder how I'll cope?