Road to Recovery: The Final Stretch

Last time I was here in Hungary I never wrote about my experiences, because it was all too traumatic, and anyway, I was far too worn out to put pen to paper (or rather fingers to keyboard). I came in April of this year for the first stage of dental implants, and various other repairs to my teeth, following a nasty bicycle accident the previous August. Like many other Brits, I was forced to take the 'dental tourism' route because the NHS would only provide dentures, and I would have had to re-mortgage my flat in order to pay for implants privately in the UK. So here I am, back in the little provincial town of Hódmezõvásárhely (pronounced Hod-mez-oh-varsha-hey), a couple of hours south of Budapest, on Hungary's Great Plain. It's not somewhere you would choose to come for a holiday, lacking as it does any real attractions or activities, but is a pleasant enough spot in which to convalesce. We're staying in a comfy little apartment right near the main town square, close to all the amenities, and only a short walk from the dentists' surgery.

As I write this, Ant is off swimming (or more likely laying around in a jacuzzi) at the thermal baths around the corner. I would have joined him, but am not allowed to submerge my head under water at this stage of treatment, which makes swimming far less enjoyable for me. Thankfully, the most invasive part of the implant process is now over, and tomorrow I will have the prosthetic teeth attached, followed by a few days of check-ups and tweaks, before (hopefully) the whole ordeal is behind me. Unlike the last visit, which involved several days of sleeping off sedation and coping with uncomfortable stitches in my mouth, I have been able to get out and about a bit more this time. The weather has been extremely mild, and even though the trees are in full autumnal swing, it feels more like summer by British standards. Next week we are due to travel by train to the north Croatian coast for a little celebratory holiday, during which I plan to eat my bodyweight in pizza, and do very little else. I think I deserve it.