At the risk of whinging, it’s now around four in the morning, it’s just getting light out and I’ve been up for an hour or so with tooth/ear/lower jaw-ache so bad it woke me up.

Since my last whinge, there’s been a trip to a walk-in hospital clinic, some antibiotic eardrops, hefty painkillers which do nothing but make me stupid, icepacks gallore and several desperate calls to my dentist. Nothing cuts through the pain; nothing resolves it.

I’m miserable with pain since Thursday - even left live8 earlyish on Saturday because it felt like someone was shoving a red hot knitting needle in my ear. I want it to end. I’m sick of thinking about it.

Got an appointment with a different dentist tomorrow afternoon (made when I got sick of calling my regular one and pleading into the answerphone, and went to their office instead only to discover a big CLOSED sign on the door - perhaps on holiday? Grrr…), and will try and see the doctor soon, too.

I’m sick of treating individual symptoms, though. Lower jaw plus bottom right teeth plus right cheek plus both ears in succession means one problem. One big, hurty, miserable problem. Yet I only seem to be able to treat individual symptoms. Eardrops for one bit. Painkillers for another. Clove oil for something else. It’s so bitty, and it doesn’t actually address the root cause (whatever that may be).

Meanwhile, as it creeps closer to half four, and the dawn, a sleepy cat snores gently on my knee. Does she know how much I need a cuddle, or is she being entirely selfish, because I’ve got a warm lap? I like to think it’s the former.

Meh meh meh. Less whinging soon, I hope - for all our sakes.