My mind was moribund much of the day, which pleased me. At last I realized it had to do with my inflamed jaw, and so I called my dentist. My mind to the rescue.

Addendum I (September 16, 2015)

Well, I am on antibiotics once again. My dentist could not tell me much about the inflammation, though. He only mentioned that the root of the tooth he had pulled out a day before was quite deep. Apparently, it was a cushy abode for bacteria of all sorts, which was why the tooth had to go in the first place. At any rate, I am much better the next day. The swelling on my face is ebbing away, as well. I hate antibiotics, but they do make things easier for the time being. But no-one can tell how much longer will they be of any help…

Addendum II (September 17, 2015)

I bumped into my dentist in the pedestrian area in the center of Zagreb not far from his practice. “Better?” he asked after we shook hands. “It still hurts,” I patted my jaw, “but it’s definitely better.” And then I started talking about the bacteria teeming in my mouth. “They must have built a big nest at the root of that tooth,” I chuckled. “It was really deep,” he chuckled in turn. “Clever creatures…,” I added. “Yup,” he sighed, “now there is evidence that they can communicate among themselves.” Patting my jaw one more time, I turned toward my own story again: “The only question is how long antibiotics will be of any use in my case.” My dentist just raised his shoulders and puckered his mouth. “Luckily,” I grinned, “I’m long in the tooth.” We waved each other goodbye on this happy note.