We have what I think is a wonderful expression in Souf Efrica, which is "paining". As you can assume, it describes the effect of being hurt, albeit physically or psychologically. In my case, after a fortnight now, my mouth, throat & gums are still paining. I got frustrated a few days back & pulled out the stitches that the dentist had inflicted in my gums. Their removal made things a little more comfortable, but not much. Maybe I'm being impatient? Maybe it's going to take another few weeks for my gums to settle down & adjust to new dentures.............I don't know. What I do know is that it took me almost one & a half hours to eat a tuna mayo roll last night! My stomach thinks my throat has been cut eeeeeek! I'm tired of mashed banana in yogourt/yogurt/however it's spelt, of soup, scrambled eggs & soggy bread! I've tried eating other foods - been incredibly brave & told myself I have to 'toughen up' - but by the end of the day, I suffer like hell. I can't bite anything because the pain is unbearable & trying to chew on the back 'teeth' is also bloody painful. I've lost some weight, which is always welcome naturally, but bugger, I can't wait to be able to sink my fangs - even if they are all plastic now - into a shawarma or Thai green curry again.

*sigh*