We can learn to meet whatever arises with curiosity and not make it such a big deal. 

Pema Chödrön

There is a particularly insistent spot of inflamed gum that could drive me up the wall - if I would only let it. I am doing all the right things but I imagine my gum tissue is shot to pieces from the immune suppression by now. One of the medical wiz kids told me recently that science can now pinpoint the specific time period when pain is experienced as most intense and why am I not surprised that this is in the early hours at night?

I am down to sage tea. Gruesome sage tea gargles. Wouldn't be surprised if my sweat smells of sage tea by now. But I cannot stand the other stuff I have worked my way through, all these gargles and rinses and ointments, herbal and bleach things, whatever. My lovely dentist just shrugs his shoulders and tells me that I should not try to reach the ceiling all the time - whatever that's supposed to mean.