My husband (48) suffered an ischemic stroke (lacunar) in the basal ganglia 10 days ago. Fortunately being where it was, he never had any cognitive or speech issues (besides super minor speech and swallowing problems in the first 24 hours). His right arm, hand, and part of the face are affected, but in these 10 days he has regained feeling everywhere but the fingers (still tingling) and part of his cheek/gums. He is walking 200 feet a day with a walker and can walk without the walker but PT isn’t pushing that right now. He can stand and sit fairly smoothly now and lift the arm wherever he wants it and hold it there. Hand is primarily offline but he can squeeze with a pretty strong grip. He was basically completely paralyzed in those first 10 hours.
I guess I’m just wondering if anyone else out there had a similar amount of progress early on and what your journey has been like. All of the physical and occupational therapists have been really encouraging about his prognosis for a “full” recovery, but I’m just not sure what that means or what is realistic. It’s hard to gauge the severity of his stroke. Of course I know all strokes are different, just looking to hear others’ stories!

25F. I had my all four wisdom teeth removed 6 days ago. The first 4 days I had some discomfort but not much. Just soreness really. But the morning of day 5 (yesterday) I woke up and my lower bottom teeth felt “weird.” Kinda like when you have your gums numbed at the dentist. A couple hours later, I got a tingling feeling on the right side of my bottom lip, right side of my chin, and bottom front teeth. Only lasted a few seconds then all of those areas went numb, and they have stayed numb since. It’s been over 24 hours and no sensation has returned. Is this normal?? I do have TMJ in my right jaw. When I open my mouth wider than an inch or so the tingling in my lip and chin happens again.

My baby girl is almost 4 months old now( 10 days short) and loves to chew on her fingers. Initially it was just her left hand but now she puts both her fists inside her mouth and chews to her heart's content. My guess was she newly discovered her hands and is exploring/ playing with it. But now she wants to chew out everything( my fingers too if I bring them too close to her face) so much so that she gags sometimes. I tried giving her a teether toy , but nope. So is my baby really teething or may be her gums are tingling. Any advices or suggestions would be really helpful TIA

Root canal treatment is generally safe and effective, but like any medical procedure, it carries some risks and potential side effects. Here are the main ones to consider:

Immediate Risks and Side Effects

1. Pain and Discomfort: It's common to experience some pain or discomfort after the procedure, usually manageable with over-the-counter pain medications. Severe pain is rare but should be reported to your dentist.
2. Swelling and Tenderness: The area around the treated tooth might be swollen and tender for a few days. This can typically be alleviated with anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen.
3. Infection: Although root canals are performed to eliminate infection, there's a small risk of a new infection developing if bacteria re-enter the tooth. This might occur if the filling or crown is delayed or not placed correctly.
4. Allergic Reaction: Some patients might have an allergic reaction to the materials used during the procedure, such as the latex in rubber dams or certain medications.
5. Temporary Numbness: Local anesthesia used during the procedure can cause temporary numbness, which usually wears off within a few hours.

Long-term Risks and Complications

1. Tooth Fracture: A treated tooth can become more brittle and prone to fracture, especially if it doesn't receive a proper restoration like a crown.
2. Incomplete Cleaning: In some cases, especially with complex root structures, the dentist might not be able to fully clean the infected area, leading to persistent infection and possibly requiring retreatment.
3. Persistent Pain: Rarely, patients may experience persistent pain or discomfort after the procedure, which could be due to missed canals, microfractures, or other issues.
4. Nerve Damage: There's a very small risk of nerve damage, especially in lower teeth where the roots are close to major nerves. This can lead to numbness or tingling in the lips, gums, or tongue.
5. Discoloration: A tooth that has undergone a root canal may discolor over time. This cosmetic issue can usually be addressed with internal bleaching or a crown.

Preventive Measures

• Choose a Skilled Dentist: Ensure your dentist or endodontist is experienced and uses modern techniques and equipment.
• Follow Aftercare Instructions: Adhere strictly to your dentist's aftercare instructions to minimize the risk of complications.
• Get a Proper Restoration: Have the treated tooth properly restored with a crown or filling as recommended to protect it from fractures.
• Maintain Oral Hygiene: Good oral hygiene practices help prevent further decay or infection.

When to Seek Help

Contact your dentist immediately if you experience any of the following after a root canal:

• Severe or persistent pain
• Swelling that doesn't subside or worsens
• Signs of infection (fever, pus, or foul taste in the mouth)
• Allergic reactions
• Issues with your bite or chewing

By understanding these risks and working closely with your dentist, you can mitigate potential complications and ensure a successful outcome for your root canal treatment.

Genocide looked to the sky. He thought of his mentor. The one who had saved him. He remembered his childhood. How powerless he was. He remembered the anger. He never wanted to hurt anybody. He thought of all the times he showed compassion. How much they hurt him for it. He saw the world before him, a graveyard. Humans. People that were supposed to be made in the image of some divine creator. They were but maggots feasting upon his remains. They ate away at his very being until nothing human remained. His thoughts were no longer his own. He had no joys in life that mattered. He hated humanity more than he could love anything about himself. He remember his first killing spree. Being gunned down by police. Left for dead. He remembered a hooded figure moving towards him. Getting closer the more he neared his death. He saw its pale face. Its impossibly black eyes. It was a man. This figure in question appeared to be of Japanese nationality with long, straight, loose hair. It emanated extreme malice. It offered him a choice. A purpose. Power. He thought the figure a reaper but it identified itself as Amakusa Masataka. Masataka guided him on how to kill and gave him specific locations to kill people in. In a sense, he became a hitman for quotas of people. He inquired what Masataka was. The presence of evil, his ability to appear and disappear at will, how he could control what people could see him and what people couldn't. While vague, years of killing for this being offered some insight. Amakusa Masataka belonged to a group of people not of this world. His people had been corrupted by a dark force long ago and had aligned themselves with the warlord who had subjugated their version of Japan. Their dark high priest assisted the warlord along with two others. These four rulers in turn served a larger order. The four were tasked with bringing about the end of the current world as an act of retribution for some fallen deity. Masataka's people acted as covert operatives for this empire. They were feared across the land and were collectively referred to as "Shinigami". An agent of the coming apocalypse, a servant of evil possessed by the will of those gods of death, Genocide would walk the earth.
Genocide stepped toward the station. A police cruiser rammed into him. He pulled out a knife and stabbed the hood of the car. The inhuman force of the knife created sparks which burst the engine into flames. The car crashed into a streetlight and exploded. A second cruiser neared the scene. No way a man could have done this. Yet still, out of the fires Genocide strode forth. It set upon the second vehicle, shooting out it's tires while jumping 9 feet into the air. The car tries to reverse but crashes into a wall. Genocide lands on the hood and kicks through the front window. Glass shatters under its boot, blinding the two officers inside. Genocide shoots one of the officers with a shotgun, killing him. The second officer in the passenger seat readies his pistol and takes aim. Only two shots fired, both directed at Genocide's head. It casually cocks its neck to avoid them. Then it grabs the officer's arm, breaking it. Genocide uses its free hand to grab the officer's head and bangs it into the dashboard no less than 5 times. The skull is shattered on the final impact. Genocide jumps off the car and continues on his mission.
Detective Evans speaks through a megaphone," This is your first and final warning. Stand down or we will use any and all means at our disposal to put you down." Genocide dropped its shotgun and raised its hands. A group of five SWAT team members rushed out the station, surrounding Genocide with riot shields. An officer accompanies them, edging behind the figure to apply handcuffs. Suddenly, Genocide springs to life , grabbing the officer behind him. He flips the officer over his head, slamming him into the pavement at his feet. Then Genocide stomps his head causing it to burst. Genocide drops a flash bomb from his coat sleeve, blinding the SWAT team as he draws his knife. He drives it into one SWAT member, the knife puncturing the shield and piercing his chest. Genocide kicks the corpse away withdrawing his knife. He goes to another, this time using the end of his boot toe in a rising kick to disarm their shield. He grabs them by the throat and drives the knife slowly into their eye socket. Another is tackled to the ground and beaten to death despite still being under the shield. Another is picked up and thrown into the fires still burning from the first auto incident. In no time, Genocide stood before an indistinguishable mass of gore, blood streaking across his black leather outfit. He laughed" So this is all you can give me. I'm not entertained." Officers took aim from the station windows, and snipers did so from other rooftops. Genocide laughed maniacally as he was rained down upon from all sides by a hailstorm of bullets. His body convulsed, but he did not fall. Moments more and he was on his knees. Still though, their efforts were futile. Gracia looked out and saw a black mist coalescing around the man in black. His blood. Blood erupted from his body only to transform into this dark mist that reentered his wounds. Genocide screamed. No. It was just an elevated pitch in his laughter. Optimism failed everyone yet again. Gracia saw Genocide holding something in his right hand. She could only make out a beeping red light. Genocide pushed the button triggering the carefully concealed explosives he laid in preparation for this event. C4 explosives went off in all the places he saw fit. The sniping posts he couldn't reach. The assault of lead lightened. Then Genocide drew an RPG from...somewhere. He collected himself and fired at the station's entrance. The explosion shook the station. From inside, the lights began to flicker. Communications were down on all fronts. Had he modified the rocket with some type of EMP? Not good. Amisdst the confusion Genocide entered using smoke bombs to mask his presence. Moving like a shadow, he killed everyone in the lobby silently with his knife. He made his way to the holding cells. Still they chanted. Still they praised. Still they raved for the arrival of genocide. Genocide shot the lock opening the cell. Jim Jimenez walked out and bowed before his master. Genocide smiled. He couldn't have imagined how proficient he had gotten with possession. Well, not quite possession. He had known of the Shinigami's ability to share their thoughts and emotions with humans. Shinigami like his mentor were ancient. They had so many years of memories, such strong a hatred for life that they overwhelmed the personality of the victim. The victim sees themselves as one of them. Shinigami can't force the will of the victim, so they find those who are already similar to them in some way. Genocide found the collective universal distrust of police to be a prime sentiment to capitalize on. He armed the inmates, infecting them with samples of his own dark essence.One particular inmate caught Genocide's eye. He knew the man's work. An arsonist. The one whom he recalls was responsible for blowing up his first car way back in high school. Rather than a standard firearm, Genocide gave the man a random assortment of grenades containing a special surprise. Genocide showed them visions of anarchy, of sending a message to a society that used and disregarded them. While this was also true of how he felt, years of living in darkness had changed him. He needed no purpose. No end goal. No justification. He just wanted to watch the world burn.
Genocide's small army broke off to engage several different wings of the station. Genocide went to the security room. He found Wayne, his informant, playing some FPS on one of the monitors. Wayne took of his headphones and asked," You kill everyone yet?" Genocide responded," No. You should get going before that happens. Your life becomes fair game if I run out of pigs to cook." Wayne clapped his hands, "Aight, GC my man, say less." He packed his things and left. Genocide drew a twin pair of handguns and laid waste to the station. He followed a group that took cover in the men's restroom. Kicking open multiple stalls he was surprised to find...nothing. Where had they gone? He turned around and saw his mentor, Masataka, smiling at him. It looked like him. Long, dark hair, black clothing, and soulless, empty eyes. But it wasn't. It was Genocide's own reflection in the mirror. Genocide smiled. He didn't notice the changes at first. They must have happened gradually. Subconsciously. From the final stall, an officer sprung into action, rushing Genocide, hitting him point blank with a shockgun round. Genocide felt the tingling sensation electrifying his body and grew numb. In spite of the pain, he took a single step. Then, another. He came within striking range of the officer and snatched the shockgun. Two more officers erupted from another stall, battering him with baton strikes. Genocide felt nothing. He clutched the shockgun in his hand like a bat and went to work pulverizing his attackers. An officer kicked in the bathroom door, a woman holding a pistol. She fired multiple times to no effect. Genocide stood covered in blood. He even let her reload. Twice. He wanted to see her despair. Her hopelessness. He walked towards her, shrugging off bullets as they pierced his body. His wounds healed nigh instantly due to the dark essence he had been imbued with. He held her face with both hands, lifting her body off the ground. As she screamed, he used her head to shatter the restroom mirror, running down the full length of it while smashing her into it at several points. He dropped the remains of what he held, washed his hands with soap, dried them, then exited the restroom.
The inmates that rallied for the cause of genocide attacked the station. Fortunately, they were nowhere near Genocide in terms of power and only carried one type of firearm each. They shared his healing ability but could be killed quite easily. Gracia encountered a sniper on the end or a west wing hallway. Other officers waited behind corners unable to get close. Gracia noticed the faulty lighting. In this hallway, the lights flickered in intervals of 3 seconds. Finding a pattern and timing her movements, she rushed the sniper at the exact moment the lights went out. Running the length of the hall, Gracia zigzagged, dodging the sniper inmate's bullets. She jumped on a wall, ran 3 feet on it, then kicked off it, pouncing on the assailant. She fired five shots into him, making sure to hit the brain and the heart. Two severe injuries that were impossible for Shinigami essence to heal simultaneously. Elsewhere, Evans took on another escaped inmate. A vehicular arsonist named Carson. Carson had a bag filled with an assortment of different grenades and was happily giving them out like candy on Halloween. "A flash bang here, a bit of tear gas there. Oh. Wait! Was that an ice grenade? Did the explosion freeze your leg to the floor? Whoops. Maybe a fire grenade will melt that for you. Hold on let me get one fore you," Carson rambled gleefully. Evans looked at the carnage before him. Officers burning. Officers partially frozen in blocks of ice. He took a breath and aimed his wristgun. He steadied his right forearm. Carson readied to throw a random grenade. Evans shot it the moment it left Carson's hand. The grenade exploded directly in front of Carson. Both Evans and Carson looked at each other in shock. Confetti. A party grenade? Carson quickly fumbled for another but was tackled and restrained by several officers. Meanwhile in the South wing, Lary had some colleagues set a trap for another shotgun toting inmate. He had them bait the inmate and flee. Giving chase he turned a corner and ran straight into Lary's fist. The inmate recovered and motioned to shoot Lary. "Let's tango. " Lary gave the code word. Nearby officers activated a device. A signal jammer of sorts. The inmate shoved the barrel of his gun into Lary's gut and pulled the trigger. Nothing. The special signal jammer in question was designed for firearms. It was a last resort as it left officers just as defenseless. Lary was having fun. He boxed the inmate in hand to hand combat. Despite the inmate's enhanced strength, Lary's technique pulled through. Lary ducked under one of the inmate's wide punches and did some type of rising uppercut where he jumped off the ground while spinning. One of the other officers whispered" The rising dragon." Lary smiled giving a thumbs up" Yeah, it was a rising dragon uppercut. Saw it in one O my kid's vidya games. Thought I'd try it out while I'm jacked on adrenaline".
Jim Jimenez looked long and hard at himself in the mirror. He was in the women's restroom. Some brainless woman had broken the men's restroom mirror with her face. For the first time in a long while Jim could think clearly. He was becoming sane. At the least he was no longer a raving lunatic. The life essence of the dark gods had healed the wounds to both his body and his mind. He saw his face, his scraggly dirty beard. He found a razor and shaved. He trimmed his beard somewhat. He liked it. He washed his hair. It fell down his face like silk, no longer greasy. His bloodshot eyes once burning with crazed intensity had cooled. He blinked. Just for a second, he saw the man known as Genocide. The man that attacked him. The one that killed him and gave him new life. The drug dealers. The police. They were all the same in his eyes now. They were all to blame for the world being what it is. Jim wanted to hate them. He wanted to take revenge, but he felt nothing. It didn't matter. He knew he was wronged, could logically justify acting against them, but he just didn't care anymore. About anything. He was finally free. Sensing his presence was no longer needed here, Jim vanished into the night. He needed to find someone who had had the answers he needed. Himself. Who had he been? Who was he now? Who could he become? Where was he going? So many questions to ponder indefinitely. So much time left in the rest of his life.
Genocide ran down the station's halls raining hailstorms of bullets upon its occupants. He had a handgun in each hand as well as a wristgun on each wrist. This effectively gave him 4 separate firearms that he could use simultaneously. Lary regrouped with Gracia, Evans, and a handful of others. They radioed all surviving officers near Genocide to flee to the roof. This plan had been set in motion days before the assault and had been kept hidden from most of the force. The plan involved scheduling flights for several helicopters to arrive at some point after Genocide arrived. There would be no way for him to prepare for them and pre-scheduling their arrival ensured they arrived regardless of if they were called or not. Lary and the others set about preparing the second jamming device. Genocide stood among a hallway of bodies. He saw one man clinging to life trying to crawl away. He decided on trying that other thing he saw his master do. He grabbed the dying man and pinned him to the wall. Slowly he drove a knife into his chest. As the man's life slipped away, something else entered his body. Genocide channeled a small amount of his essence into the vessel. He had steadily done this with other casualties around the station whose bodies were somewhat salvageable. He dropped the body he was holding and looked upon the others. He closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, his eyed were black, both sclera and iris. The scene before him changed. Genocide had a vision. He saw a dead gray wasteland littered with bodies. These people however weren't cops and wore traditional Japanese attire. In his hand wasn't a gun or knife but a short sickle akin to a farming tool. He heard a dark voice call out to him. Slowly, the corpses around him began to rise, now mere puppets bound eternally to their master's whim. The bodies sold to the reaper who had claimed their lives. Genocide's vision ended. His eyes had returned normal. Around him, dead cops began to rise. His dark essence had entered their bodies and reanimated them. He sent his dead army to attack the officers fleeing to the roof of the station. These zombies swarmed the stairwell giving chase to the few survivors. There were five of them. They had two flights of stairs to climb and a horde of their former colleagues close behind them. One officer tripped and was set upon by the horde. The zombies didn't bite them but held them firmly in place. The other four officers stared down wondering what to do. They could hear Genocide chuckling. They could hear humming. They could feel the temperature rising. Their colleague and the two zombies holding him were hit by an enormous green fireball. Genocide had fired a Magnum Opus and had charged the bullet to level 3. The Magnum Opus was simply a magnum that shot fireballs, with bullets that could be charged by holding down the trigger. It had three levels of charges. Level 1 was a small reddish ball of plasma. Level 2 was slightly larger and yellow. Level 3 was the maximum charge and resulted in a large slow moving green blast of energy. The officer was ignited and Genocide watched gleefully as the force of the blast sent him flying through a wall. The four officers continued up firing occasionally to slow down the zombies. Soon they made it to a door leading to the roof. Before one officer could reach it, he was sniped by Genocide, a bullet to the head killing him instantly. The remaining three made it out. They regrouped with the others already there, 12 in total, including Lary, Evans, and Gracia. This would be their final stand. They just had to hold out until Genocide made it up there. They just had to keep Genocide occupied until the helicopters arrived. Genocide slowly ascended the stairs behind his horde. On the roof, the remaining survivors faced off against waves of the undead. Evans recognized the attackers. These zombies were being controlled by nanomachines. He heard the stories of several weapons encountered by soldiers on the battlefield. These creatures were called Metaldeads as they were reanimated via machines. They had been officially banned by most of the worlds' governments for being unethical. However, this did not stop the technology from being spread still between shady organizations, terrorists, etc. Evans wondered how Genocide got this form of nanotechnology. Evans long speculated that the dark essence used by most of the killers they encountered was a a form of nanotech however it was different from anything else he had seen or heard about. The dark essence seemed to be an amalgamation of other types of nanotech. Evans had to save his inquiries for later. He reloaded his wristgun and took aim at the approaching group of Metaldeads. Gracia steadied her handgun and shot two Metaldeads in the head. From the single door countless arms seemed to spill forth from the darkness. The other officers took turns firing in intervals. this allowed them to create a steady stream of fire where no more that three guns needed to be reloaded at once. The horde seemed to thin out over time as if they were making progress. In actuality, the Metaldeads were just making room for Genocide to enter. Genocide exploded in a sprint from the door. Everyone fired upon the killer. Genocide had now chosen a wrist mounted mini flamethrower to use as his weapon. He stormed past the oncoming bullets taking some damage, but refused to slow down. He unleashed a stream of fire that caught five of the officers in one fell swoop. Gracia fired five rounds into Genocide's face. He stumbled back. Lary took the chance to fire several mine gun bullets at Genocide's feet. The mines quickly detected his movement and exploded. In seconds, Genocide was on his back.
Staring at the night sky Genocide saw the moon. He reached for it. He called for the darkness to give him more power. His wounds began healing. In the sky he could hear the whirl of propellers. There were six helicopters in total. The first two had evacuated the survivors while the others stayed to engage Genocide. Genocide got up and unstrapped the sniper rifle from his back. He stood before the searchlights as a black silhouette, cornered but unwilling to back down. Lary stared down at him smiling. "Okay!" He shouted, "Let's Tango!" Upon this declaration the second jamming device was activated. Now, isolated on the roof, Genocide's guns couldn't be fired and the helicopters were out of range of the device. Now Genocide stood like a sitting duck. A helicopter fired a rocket. Genocide side stepped and grabbed it. He turned his body redirecting the rocket to hit another helicopter. As it exploded Genocide drew his knife and threw it at another helicopter. Behind the knife was such force that it shattered the helicopter window's glass, embedding itself in the pilot. This helicopter too went down where it exploded. "Holy clucknuggets!Did you see that!?" Lary said dumbfounded. Evans looked out the helicopter door he was in jaw open in shock. "There's no way." He collected himself quickly and radioed the remaining two helicopters to keep moving and to use their machineguns as much as possible. The helicopters reigned down upon Genocide tearing apart his body. Shreds of leather and darkened blood sprayed across the pavement of the roof. Gracia watched as Genocide's body was destroyed repeatedly as it tried to heal. Surely he had to stop at some point. After 10 minutes the helicopters had exhausted their cache of ammunition and soldiers opted to fire their own rifles and occasionally throw grenades. After about six minutes, they too had run out of bullets. Genocide stood unfazed. He had long since healed himself and now appeared intangible with gunfire seeming to pass through his body. His coat once ripped , now appeared whole though on closer inspection seemed to writhe. Gracia looked in horror as she remembered the tales her adopted father had told her. Tales he had in turn heard from his predecessors. Every so often officers had reported encounters with ghost like beings cloaked in a cloud of living dark mist. The beings were rumored to be responsible for the deaths of multiple people ranging from scientists, veterans, mafia, politicians, etc. They were seen near such crime scenes and even more shockingly appeared around several sites where suicides were committed. These beings were reportedly impervious to bullets and filled anyone who got near with an impending sense of dread. If Genocide was connected to them or somehow turning into one , there was little chance they would be able to defeat him. Gracia's fears were confirmed when she saw that Genocide's leather coat had been destroyed and he had replaced it with the dark mist coalescing from his own spilled blood. The dark mist, swirling, grew larger and several tendrils sprouted out from it. Gracia could briefly make out a figure standing next to Genocide. A hooded figure cloaked in the same black substance. The figure stared up at her with soulless, blackened eyes which seemed to beckon her to jump from the aircraft she was standing in. Compelling her to give in to the death that plagued the earth. Genocide kneeled to his master. The Shinigami, Masataka stared down at his disciple. "You have done a great service to us. Even now the sealed god stirs in its slumber. Its...Awakening will soon be upon us. It calls out for war. It begs for famine. It longs to continue its conquest. We are the death it so desires. The death that is necessary for this civilization to grow. Use the power that I have bestowed upon you. Finish the mission as you see fit." The Shinigami vanished and Genocide stood.Genocide stared at his hands. He remembered the first killing spree. He was on a bus. It stopped. A woman got on the bus and walked to the back smiling as she passed him. Something about her eyes unnerved him. They were so bright but something dark reflected inside them. He ignored the thought and put in his headphones. In minutes he had dozed off. He jumped awake. He looked around and froze in panic. All around him, everyone had been hacked to pieces. He saw the driver, actively being stabbed by a masked assailant. The mask, painted white with black eyeholes, stared back at him. It raised a finger over where its lips would be. Even under the expressionless visage, he could feel that same smile. He ran home that morning. He went to his room to find it destroyed. His posters, his computer, his tv, everything, had been ruined. He turned around and saw a man at the end of the hallway holding a sledge hammer. "The hell you been, boy?", his stepdad sneered. The man dropped his hammer and walked closer, veins pulsing with rage. He tried to explain how his car had caught fire forcing him to walk 4 miles to the nearest bus stop, but the man's fist was faster than his words. "Boy!Answer me when I talk to you!!" the man says as he backhands the taste out of the would be Genocide's mouth. He took that beating for several minutes before being left to stare at his ransacked room. He hated how his stepdad went out of his way to destroy the things he loved. Soon, another set of footsteps could be heard. It was his mother standing behind his locked door. She didn't knock, or say anything. She just stood there, doing nothing as always. He never knew if she came to talk to him or apologize. All he knew was that she could never bring herself to speak to or even acknowledge him. Maybe out of guilt or perhaps shame. A year or two later after he had had enough he ran away from home. Living out on the streets alone, without friends, or family, he would embark on countless killing sprees. These killings weren't of his own volition however. He was coerced by some corrupt officers from The Unit. They made him kill on their behalf. Sometimes they were protesters, sometimes they were drug dealers, other times, petty criminals they couldn't be bothered to process. It was routine for him to be used to kill entire houses of drug riddled addicts. During one such venture he entered a drug den, killing the dealer as instructed. He took out several junkies before turning to leave. A woman who survived her injuries clung to his heel begging him to stop. Looking down he aimed the handgun he was carrying at her head of long disheveled brown hair and fired. Feeling nothing, he kicked her body aside like trash when it hit him. Her face. This woman had been his mother. What was she doing in a place like this? He felt a shock of emotion. He wondered if she had always been like this, or had she changed after he left. He never made amends, but decided to stop killing from then on. The unit did not like that. Once it became apparent that he was no longer of use to them they started a manhunt to apprehend him with lethal force. They found him. They killed him. But he survived.
He remembered the girl on the bus. He remembered her eyes. Those of a sadistic killer. Still there was something else inside them. Something faint but deeper. So. Much. Sadness. Just like him. He felt the hatred begin to spread. His purpose, he decided, was to make all humans rot in the hell they created for him.
These people, he thought to himself, these living diseases, all needed to die. Their struggles, their problems, they spread like cancer to others. The only cure for humanity's sin, its collective wrongdoings, was genocide.
Around him, dark tendrils continued to form and expand, spinning in a vortex. Genocide pulled out two pistols. He squeezed the triggers to no effect. "As I see fit, huh? Hehe." He squeezed both guns in his hands, breaking them into pieces. He concentrated. In his hands, two more guns materialized now completely black due to being forged from the dark essence. Forged by his will. Immune to the jamming device that shut down conventional firearms. He raised his arms at each remaining helicopter and opened fire. Countless tendrils whipped out and slashed at his targets joining the dark essence bullets. It was chaos. Dark tendrils and bullets tore through every direction as Genocide spun and swirled around in 360 degrees firing randomly with purpose. A tendril pierced Gracia's right arm, another, her abdomen. She was however, fortunate, as the other passengers of her helicopter were dismembered. She barely had time to jump from the vehicle before it crashed. She fell 2 yards onto solid concrete. She felt immense pain as her right shoulder shattered on impact. She looked up to see Genocide's blade like appendages ripping through the other escape helicopters. She rolled onto her back and tried to steady herself. Within seconds her body began to repair itself. The nanocells inside her had saved her life but were now depleted. She would need another supplement lest she receive another fatal injury. The standard nanocells she and the others had were much less potent than those of the killers they faced. In truth, they had only minimal strength boosts being able to lift 5-8 more pounds than before and healing being limited to one or two fatal injuries so long as death didn't occur instantly. Gracia blacked out. She awoke the next morning in a hospital. There the doctors refilled her nanocells. She learned that the station had been left in ruins. Genocide had detonated some type of minature nuke following his rampage. He always blew up the stations as if to send a message. Gracia looked out the window thinking about why she became a cop. Twice her family had been murdered by them. Her biological family had been killed in an on record drug raid committed by a group of corrupt officers called The Unit. She had been adopted by another officer that arrived at the scene who found her as a child hiding in a closed. Sadly, he too was killed for trying to expose the activities of The Unit. Gracia joined the force to avenge both losses and bring justice to the killers that disguised themselves as normal people. Law enforcement was neither good, nor bad. It depended upon the people that made it up. In the dying corrupt world Gracia lived in, she vowed to be a beacon of light. Evans laid in a bed adjacent to Lary. "That damn Genocide's somethin else in' he?Like the stories you told us were understatements. That man could legit not die at this point in the story. Like he has friggin plot armor or somthin.'' Evans cut him off" I get it. We all got our asses handed to us. But did you see that ..thing that appeared next to him. Right before he created that black vortex that wiped us out. That must have something to do with his power. Maybe there's a still a way to stop him."Lary chimed in," That fella looked like he was on the way to a black metal concert wit all the black facepaint he was wearin' Creeped me out to be honest." As the survivors mulled over their predicament, the cycle of evil continued to spread elsewhere.
Budley flips through the pages of a magazine. He checks his watch. He looks around the gas station and doesn't see any customers. Seizing the opportunity, he puts in his headphones and begins playing an imaginary guitar as he jams to a progressive deathcore album. Oblivious to the screams coming from outside, the store clerk moves on to thumping two candy bars on the counter to simulate drums. Budley sees that his shift has ended and begins locking up the store. He sweeps the aisles and jumps as a shadow appears behind him. He turns and sees a well groomed bearded man dressed in a black hoodie, black shirt, and black and gray camo pants. The man holds out his hand and smiles. Budley rings up the pack of nicotine substitute gum. "Tryin to kick the habit huh?" Budley asks. The man replies, "Somethin like that. Gotta get my priorities back in check. Focus on the things that really matter. That damn KonCreep's a hell of a band aren't they?" He nods to the playlist on Budley's phone. "Yeah, they're killer. just got into them a month back." Budley answers. "You know, I'm something of a musician myself. Maybe you'll hear of me on the news someday." Jim Jimenez says as he sees himself out. He walks to the back of the building and passes an ominous form of graffiti. A woman lays unmoving and above her, written on concrete in red is a message that simply says "Genocide Reigns".

Had LANAP done about 45 days ago, my gums now have developed burning sensation that tingle down toward my jaw. Is this normal?

I got a deep cleaning on Apr 26 (which imo it was done very aggresively). After that I got the usual feeling of being swollen and I just cleaned my teeth as usual but 2 days after I noticed one of my teeth felt much more sensitive than the rest (I have short roots in both my frontal teeth and the one with pain was one of those). I kept thinking it was just normal but it got to a point it started to feel like constant pain that traveled to my root. I tried to ignore it but again it got too much and so I tried to bit into my thumb or clench my teeth cause that was the only thing that gave me relief. After that the pain/swelling started to travel to the rest of the teeth on the upper part so I requested for the dentists to check them out cause the pain was still there (went May 9) and now it was also starting to affect my gums and even my lips. They checked me and told me my gums and teeth looked normal, just swollen, and told me to use a toothpaste for sensitive teeth, recommended to use a dental guard (which I used since May 7 along with a benzydamine mouthwash). The thing is that idk what to do...they told me to wait it a month to see changes...should I wait that long? Should I go to another specialist? My gums still feel swollen and my lips have a tingle sensation from time to time, even my cheeks feel weird. The swelling is also extending to the inferior teeth...
For context: I have Sjogren's disease and have been having stomach problems idk if any of those can cause any of this.
Any help is much appreciated.

I was the one that found Jake dead, Tucked in the dark corner of the parking garage in his idling pest control truck that vibrated minutely.
The parking garage always had a humming from stainless metal fans to circulate the humid and hot Virgina air. Walking closer to the truck I saw his chemical box in the bed of the truck was open with the top flap sticking straight up.I thought nothing weird about the open box because it's not just us in the pest control company that live there and from time to time we steal from other trucks. For the summer the company buys out dozens of rooms for the employees to stay. Most employees are door to door salesmen who make a living selling pest control as a same day service. Where Jake and I, with a few others, come into play is after the sale. The ones who actually spray your house, the ones who interact with the customers and bring them down to reality after the salesmen fluff our feathers, or are they fluffing their own? We are the ones who click the rap trap mouths in place, with black jagged teeth…waiting, with the delicious neon blue food for the rats to nibble on and share with their newborns. We had 7 other trucks in the parking garage and from time to time chem went missing. Sometimes us technicians didn't want to wake up early and drive 30 minutes to the office to pick up materials, truckers were closer, much closer. I'd be lying to you if I didn't steal a de-weber every now and then off a truck, but I always made no trace of the thievery. I can't speak for everyone though. So when that lid was pointing up to the rusty pipes and concrete ceiling above, I wasn't surprised, hell I might have had a smirk on my face.
With the swing of my arm I slapped the box closed, a whiff of chemicals spewed out and hit my nose which gave me a feeling of a stinging sneeze that never comes. I gave the window a knock to see if he would turn around.. Silence. I got closer to see if he was glued to his phone and didn't hear me or didn’t bother looking. I put my hands up on the window and smushed my eyebrows against my index fingers to get a better look. I saw the seat was fully reclined back, him laying there…still as a morning lake. I knocked on the smaller back half door. Tap tap TAP. No movement. It was too dark to see so I dug my hand in my pocket to get my phone light out and put it flush to the back oval airplane shaped window. That's when I saw this face—— god his face—— skin a purplish hue and pulled taught by swelling, eyes adrift and red which were bulging out like they wanted to leave, jaw open with dark fluid sitting in his mouth, escaping on the sides. The streaks of dark liquid rolled down his purple face, curving down the back of his neck, and dribbling down the strands of hair meeting the head rest. My eyelids opened so wide they touched my eyebrows. His fingers curled limply around a chemical bottle, cap off and the liquid color matching that of the pool in his mouth…
“Jake” I whispered, my voice feels like it was stolen from me, my skin is tingling like an unknown channel on tv as heat takes over… I begin to fall, the last thing I notice are my fingers streaking down the window. I passed out.
4 months pass
I'm moving out of the building where it happened. I’ve wanted to get out of this building since it happened, but didn’t have the financial backing. Now I plan to stay in Virginia for the winter and move in with roommates from the pest control company. The salesmen call this time their “off season” due to them all leaving and going back home, most to Vegas. My other two roommates run the regular technician routes which consist of stopping at 14-15 designated houses a day, spraying chemicals and setting traps to take care of the contracts those grimey salesmen sell.
I used to share a room with jake. All of his things were taken out either by investigators or the maid service. The other roommates in the building told me to combine the abandoned twin bed with mine but I never touched it, I couldn't.
I’m making this entry due to finding something. Something I believe was very close to Jake.The last day of moving I had everything packed but my mattress and box spring. While moving my mattress lazily with the sheet still on I lost grip and it hit his mattress sliding it off the box spring and hitting the wall. I let go of my mattress automatically and wanted to fix his bed…. Preserve it. I wrapped my hands around his mattress when a wave of dizziness veiled over me. My hands became clammy and I didn't want to touch his mattress anymore, like a kid that doesn't want to touch an old person. I had to put it back! If I didn't it would haunt me forever my mind yelled at me. Just as I forced myself to slide the mattress back, my middle knuckle dropped into a slight groove, and I stopped in place. I pushed the mattress to the right and traced where my knuckle had been and found a slit in the box spring.I hesitated, staring at the unnatural slash in the cloth, Thinking about when Jake and I would make fun of our manager who always had a bone to pick with jake ever since the first day they met, the new manager 2 years younger than us yelling at jake to tuck his shirt in while his own untucked, covered his belt and belly. A smile slowly disappeared from my face as I was brought back with my whole forearm now in the slit of the box spring. My fingers clutched an object that had to be a book. I pulled My arm out of the box spring like pulling a calf out of its mother, now half expecting to see red viscous liquid and tiny wet legs, my eyes shut slowly like elevator doors closing.
But My hand appeared dry and my fingers clenched around a book of sorts. The outside of the book was void of color, almost like it absorbed it instead. I sat down on my thrown mattress and the empty apartment surrounded me. I flipped to the first page as the spine creaked at me, I saw Jake's name and it clicked in me that this wasn't a book. It was Jake's notebook! I flipped page after page reading Jacob’s writings about days of killing bugs and missing home till I got to the page. Sometimes I wish I wasn't lazy, I could have taken the sheet off the bed, this would have never happened, I would have never found the notebook. The apartment seemed to be silently closing in on me now like I was in the digestive tract of some huge monster. God the page—— in big dark letters he had written “THE LADY IN THE BASEMENT IS THE REASON WHY I AM GONE.” I was stuck reading the words again and again thinking I was seeing things. My heart was pumping so vigorously I could hear it agitate the fabric of my shirt little by little each beat. There was a dark arrow so dark that seemed to suck in light and pointed toward the right of the page wanting someone to flip it or something to flip it, so I did. For the next pages he wrote why…. And I clinging to every word …began to read.
2 months pass
The warm thick air has passed now, leaving a cold grey in the air. Virginia feels less claustrophobic with the heat gone. Winter is stinging its way into the picture more and more, breath starting to become visible almost every day.
My new apartment looks over the town of Arlington which is a nice view from the 13th floor. Whenever people ask where I live I tell them, “it’s 5 minutes from the pentagon,” I’ve said it so much it numbs me.
There are 3 guys in total that live in this apartment so the decor is minimal at best. Our tv stand is an upside down plastic bin, with our coffee table another bin, at least its a set. The floor is thick and worn carpet, light tan in color. The walls have the same yellowish void look. My favorite part of the apartment is the balcony that spans the whole side of the living room to which I can see a sliver of the Potomac river, an icy cold thing this time of year.
I've marinated in Jake's notebook for a while, I think I’m ready to share some of what is inside. Jake goes into extreme detail about these situations so I’ll just copy them down for you all to read, I think that is what’s best. After reading this I wasn’t the same, you are warned.
Thursday July 18th 2020 (7 months ago)

 -Jake’s notebook- 

Today I am changed. It was right after lunch when my work phone notified me a house was booked. Usually I disliked the salesmen but the one that booked me was just alright, tolerable. I pulled into the neighborhood as the sun dimmed from clouds rolling in, storm maybe. Multiple groups of six townhomes were placed throughout the neighborhood with tall trees and bush linking them. The small homes shared walls only separated by a slight offset in depth, looking like crooked teeth. Porches stuck out a measly foot from the homes which were more for decoration than enjoyment. The porches all had different faded color variations that staggered from each house, blue, red, orange, green, and back to blue. The peeling wood porches had the style of a western movie set which I thought interesting, but I knew the webs were going to be a bitch to get out. I rolled up to the address the app told me as the salesmen popped out of some trees to greet me, probably pissing. Wind whipped his hair, yes a storm. I rolled down the window and stopped the truck, wheels stopping the popping of gravel underneath. He gave me the rundown of the house while leaning on the windowsill of my truck, where the smell of sweat leaked in from him. He mentioned the old woman that lived in the townhome and said she was an oddball but kind. I thought nothing of it, just another job before getting off. As I parked the car, I asked the salesmen, “interior?” He replied, “yes.”
My shoe covers zipped on the asphalt as I walked toward the door, pump tank in my hand. KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK. The old woman opened the splintered door as I introduced myself and got all the signatures I needed to apply the pesticides, legal reasons. The first thing I noticed about the woman was her eyes, they looked worn, tired as if she stayed up all night… or something was keeping her up. I smiled as I slipped the signed papers in the back pocket of my jeans, she reciprocated the smile and pushed the door open wide as creaks escaped the henges. Right before I stepped in I saw the salesmen grab a deweber from my truck, he is an alright one this salesmen. I looked back and the old woman kept her eyes on my face, I smiled again to break the slight awkwardness. The smell of wet concrete hit my nose when I stepped in the home, it started to sprinkle behind me, it cut off as she closed the door behind me.
The old woman’s home was tight like lungs that never sucked air back in. The layout was like a strip of gum, the start was the door I walked through and The end was the living room which had a step down. She offered me water which I politely declined, I could see the kindness the salesmen were talking about. The home was filled with random knick knacks but not messy, organized chaos. I asked her the routine questions about bugs like where she was seeing them to which she replied almost everywhere, thank god this was a small home. I started to spray in the kitchen which was directly left of the door I walked through. Spray shot Around the sides of the refrigerator and the baseboards and the woman followed me almost attached to the hip or like an obedient dog. I didn't think it weird, she kept conversation and genuinely looked fascinated about where I sprayed while listening to my little tips I replayed from the back of my mind on how to keep bugs away. We rounded the kitchen and stepped down into the living room where carpet met my boot covers with peppered static zaps. I sprayed the sliding back door focusing on the bottom track where bug highways usually gravitated. Then I traced the baseboards around the living room, avoiding wires powering lamps and televisions.
I heard quick stomps coming down the stairs to which I gave a glance of curiosity toward the bottom of the staircase and temporarily lifted my hand off the spray trigger. A child rounded the corner and ran to the old woman yelling, “grandma!” Must have woken up from a nap or something. The child then looked up at me and asked who I was and she explained in young terms, “he is here to make the bugs go away.” I smiled at that to reaffirm the old woman's version of me she gave, I was a version who told the bugs to go away, not kill them by the thousands. I liked that version of myself.
I had finished treating the main floor and now followed the old woman and child up the stairs, her veiny hands scratching her grandson's head. I went through every room, closet, bathroom, and windowsill spraying with the old woman still following me everywhere I went, pointing out the hotspots, her close presence becoming normal, almost warming as she reminded me of my grandmother. The child seemed just as interested as his grandmother about how I spray and I thought it wholesome.
After this point things took a dark sinister turn.
My job was now finished I thought. We were all on the main floor now and I began to reach for the front door and tell her we would finish the outside service now when she for the first time broke her distance from me. This made me feel, for lack of better words, alone. She steadily glided toward the living room not looking back and she stepped down the dip heading for the couch. Did she forget I was still in the house? Did she imagine opening the door and letting me out? The kid then followed her and jumped off the small dip in childlike fashion into the living room and landed on the carpet, gracing his tumble. The old woman never sat down, and her back was facing me as she stood there…. Her Body was still. Why didn't she sit down? She broke the silence right as my fingers touched the front door knob, her voice was colder now, “won't you come here for a second?” The knob rang numbly for a split second as my hands slid off. I then took a step toward the living room patiently, waiting for.. what? The rain now beat on the old woman's back windowed door, with the flash of illumination, lightning struck close, then thought of the salesmen with the metal deweber pole, that combination like brushing teeth and orange juice. The thought was erased as the tip of my boots hung off the step to the living room. I looked at the woman's face and dropped down in the living room, her wiry hair now covering some of her face with a blank stare. The kid now hugging her legs hiding his whole body except the right side of his face, the eyeball piercing me. Her hair was delayed as she snapped her head at me, then the hair caught up and fell. Her face then shook like when a student tries to stay awake in class, she then looked around, lost and took a deep breath. She said, “sorry sometimes I get these headaches, they just take over me,” as she laughed it off dryly. I told her “it's fine, I get them too,” I get them too? Are you stupid jake? She then raised her old saggy arm pointing to a door. I knew what this door led to. Being in hundreds of townhomes with the same layout, they led to the basement. Pairing with my thought she forced out, “Dear please spray the basement too, will you?
Before I could answer the kid somewhat loudly asked, “wait grandma… he is going into the basement? Grandma! Why the basement?” My neck chilled to goosebumps. I stepped back up onto the wood and stopped at the tooth white door expecting the old lady to open it for me, she had done this the whole way through the house, opening cabinets, windows, doors, flipping on light switches for me but here I am with the old woman standing firm in the same spot and the kid saying the same question, starting to cry. I looked back at the door as she said, “yes that door, the light switch is on the left, close the door when going down… we don't go down in the basement.” My heart started to pump faster and my fingers and forearm twisted the knob, opening the door, my mind replaying, “we don't go down in the basement, we dont go down in the basement,” What the fuck does that mean! I took one last look at her and saw only a part of the woman, due to the kitchen wall, she sat down now and grabbed something off her neck and started sifting it through her hands. She then did something my ears will never forget, she started to pray in spanish… and I took my first step down.
I shut the door behind me as then I switched the light on. It was very dim, only giving me the bare minimum brightness to reach the bottom. The walls were different as I descended, the light didn't bounce off them, instead the walls seem to let the light in. The old woman's prayers and childs crying muffled the creaks the wooden staircase gave off. The prayers were getting louder. I dreadfully got on the floor of the basement now. To the left, a wall, to the right, a long hallway leading to complete and utter darkness. My body felt a shiver like flying to a cold part of the world and the airport doors exposing you to the weather for the first time. My head naturally looked down at my feet for some reason. There was a door to the right of me now which I saw coming down the stairs. I shifted toward it with my boot covers scraping the carpet tips, uneasily, I opened it. The boiler room was dark as the swing of the door brought a string to my vision. The light for this room of course is a fucking string light. I pulled on it hard and light struggled to do its job. The light reminded me of when my 7th grade science teacher, mr. Crutcher, told us what would happen if a light bulb traveled the speed of light in space, “you will see the light, yes! But it will reflect no light! Precisely! what is a light but more than a mere tool that reflects light off of other things!” The memory should have put a smile on my face. I then sprayed around the water heater and cotton candy pink insulation sticking out from the room’s walls. My heart pounding and a veil of sickness came over me. The cold got stronger. This place… was pure sickness itself. Holding my hand up I wrapped around the string but paused, something deep inside of me telling me not to shut the light off, I almost felt as if someone with a remote was controlling my movements, I was separated from myself. I let the string slither out of my hand as I walked out of the room. My head fell back down at my boots, as if something didn't want me to look up. What would I see if I looked up? The exposed insulation made the old woman's prayers fuzzed, but now I was back in the hallway and I could hear the extent of it. She was screaming now. I imagined her old neck veins popping like blue miniature rivers flowing up to her wrinkly face.
I faced the hallway now, the walls darkening the further they got from the top stairway light. My brain was yelling at me to hurry and go as fast as I could but my body did not listen, we were disconnected. I took my first step still looking at my feet seeing the dark entrance from the hallway get closer, another step I go, I get closer, step, closer, step. I now know the sick thing in this home is in the dark void I approach with every step… waiting. I finally reach the end of the hallway and my body stops. The old woman's screams reach a pinnacle. The kid crying and yelling accompanies it. I am all alone. Even my brain is alone. I can do nothing. The darkness is all around me. I twitch my head to the right, it reminds me of the old womans movements, and reach my hand out to feel for a light switch, nothing. When I do this I can see in the dark room slightly with my hat hiding me from most, not all. My head comes back down to the center. I feel like throwing up now, my sickness is terrible. My head is spinning and so is my stomach. All of my extremities are ice now. I twitch my head to the left, my hand grazing the sandpaper wall and I feel A switch! My heart relaxes from the touch. Finally I'm not alone! the light switch accompanies me! Click…my finger flips the switch. My stomach drops. Click.CLICK.CLICK. NOTHING. My breathing is like a car engine that just turned over. The only thing that was with me for even a second is gone. No light. I won't move. I can't move. My hat doesn't cover it all. The ceiling now shakes from the old woman screaming as my eyes… my god damn EYES…. glance into the darkness and see the lady in the basement…. everything goes black.

Anyone get nerve tingling in their mouth and gums? I seem to have this weird nerve tingling sensation at my upper gum/nose, primarily on one side weirdly.
It is noticeable worse along with general facial swelling from steroids right after an infusion and decreases the next week or two, but never fully resolves given my infusion are every 2 weeks.
My guess is that gum/bone/marrow damage every two weeks is causing nerve to tingle and discomfort?

I've just been running from doctor to doctor the past year and stayed in the hospital and I keep getting worse and I don't know what to do anymore I just feel so lost and ignored like nobody really cares to help me and my GP doesn't know what to do anymore.
29F, 70kg, 1,67m, no drugs no alcohol no smoking. Diagnosed with ME/CFS I had it since late childhood. Take Desogestrel(mini-pill), Low Dose Naltrexon 4mg, Desloratadin.
Started with muscle weakness/pain and trouble focusing when I started partaking in college PE class (horrible idea with CFS, I wish I had known before), it kept getting worse even when I quit PE class and even three years later the symptoms just kept getting worse. I couldn't do math anymore without confusing the numbers and everything. Months ago I started getting headaches everyday which didn't respond to painkillers, which I found out were caused by histamine, DAO supplements have been the only thing that helps but often I will still react in some way as if I'm having an allergic reaction, I feel my heartbeat in my throat, my nose closes up and I need nose spray to breathe at night. I often get random skin issues and rashes, have developed allergies at an absurd amount of skin care products and shampoos and laundry detergent. Got fructose intolerance. Heartburn after coffeinated drinks even green tea. But the muscle weakness and pain is the worst. I was prescribed low dose Naltrexon against the muscle pain and it's the only reason I can still do my hobbies because otherwise it would just hurt too much, even chewing gum hurt the muscles in my mouth. The brainfog and anxiety is the worst, I feel like my brain is soup and I notice when I draw my art looks worse than it used to due to the way it affects my brain. I much easier get infections and other health issues. Constantly get dry skin unless I take a supplement for skin (it contains zinc, calcium, vit A, biotin), sometimes high vitamin c supplement as it helps a little with the symptoms though I make sure it's not taken in the same timeframe as other medication, and magnesium else I get muscle cramps.
MRT of the head and spine looked fine. Blood work is fine. Cleared of rheumatic illnesses. They did a gastroscopy and it was fine. My dermatologist told me it's psychosomatic and refused to look into it, but there's nothing that worsened my mental health, in fact I could quit my antidepressants over a year ago because everything was fine (and turns out combined contraceptive was causing chronic depression and it started vanishing years after I stopped it). I react to antidepressants now. My health is the only thing ruining my mental state.
Past few months the mini pill stopped working too. I've been taking it for years without a problem and now I get breakthrough bleeding in similar intervals to normal period, and the horrible cramps that are 9/10 on a pain scale. I always had heavy and painful periods that used to make me anemic, that's why I'm on the pill in the first place since I never had sex anyway. I had surgery for suspected endometriosis recently but they found nothing, only a small cyst they removed. It's been roughly two weeks since the surgery and the cramps are back. If I don't take ibuprofen within a minute of tingling sensations starting it hits me with the full pain. Last time ibuprofen took an hour to work and I had to take two 400mg ones, it was the worst pain of my life 10/10 I thought I was going to die and stayed in a hospital over night. Today it's after the surgery and they're back. I also can't have my abdomen touched (like for ultrasound) or walk longer distances without getting horrible cramps, which only started happening about 5 months ago.
I don't know what to tell doctors, I don't now what they should look for or what tests to run anymore. I just know I don't want to live like this anymore. I feel trapped in my house, I hate having to spend money on enzymes just so I don't react as much to food, I hate thinking about what to eat it makes me not want to eat anymore, I don't know how to word myself properly, I'm so forgetful and confused and I'm horribly anxious, and I hate being in pain every day. I feel like a shell of my former self with it only getting worse.

30F, 5'5, 145, Caucasian, diet has been primarily vegetarian and vegan for over 5 years (started reincorporating chicken and turkey in the last couple of months due to fear of b12 deficiency), non-smoker, currently on amoxicillin for an infected cracked tooth that I had a root canal on today, recently off of Zyrtec after intermittent daily use for several years, no prior diagnoses, take b12 daily 1000 mcg daily, sometimes twice daily. Took a cycle of steroids that ended last week, from ENT for sinus pain.
Experiencing sudden onset of head pain/pressure, glandular dryness, gum disease, petechiae and weakness in legs after using a red/nir pain therapy device on knees, face, scalp.
Hi All - I am ashamed to write this but am desperately seeking guidance. I have a red light device that I got from my dermatologist for hair growth. I liked it, and looked into what other kinds of red light devices I could buy to help me, so I ended up buying one for knee pain on eBay. It's just called a red light therapy device and it uses Red and NIR light. I used it on my knee on a setting that heated up but didn't burn and it helped after a few weeks. I felt good. I was so excited that it worked that I figured, I could use it on other parts of my body. I used it on my scalp and face a handful of times for maybe 5 to 10 minutes at a time (5 minute sessions on face and 10 minute sessions moving it around my scalp). not thinking anything of it. Now, I'm thinking it may have gotten too hot and caused tissue damage. I didn't experience any outward signs of burns, just some slight tightness in scalp, and irritation around my eyebrow. I stopped using it and noticed eyes and sinus dryness, but it was not as extreme as it is now. I didn't otherwise have any worrisome symptoms for about two weeks, but now I have started to experience the following all in places where the light was used: numbness/tingling on the sides of my head above my ears, especially when I am alarmed, excited or stressed. I also have pressure in my head in the back, near the base. I have extreme dry mouth, dry eyes and sinuses. Extreme dryness was triggered by a big cry I had a week ago when I had to say goodbye to my elderly dog. My skin and scalp are extremely dry and overproducing oil. I have always had good oral hygiene (last cleaning in March), but now my gums seem infected. It looks like a necrotizing gingivitis based on the pictures I see online. I'm unable to sleep most nights, because of the head pressure, tingling and numbness in my head. My heart races randomly at rest, about 90-95 bpm, which is above my normal resting rate. I also have weakness in my left leg when doing minor activities, although I am typically very active. When I press on my legs there is a lingering blanching. I have also noticed bright red spots and faint bruising appearing on my hands and feet - it comes on suddenly without injury and can go away after several hours, sunken eyes.
I will note that I had recently experienced a period of prolonged stress, because I've been a caretaker for about 8 months. In that time I would wake up almost every night for several months, sometime several times a night in distressing situations. Plus, I just put my dog to rest. Stress could have triggered some of the symptoms, but I don't believe all of them.
I've just seen my doctor for these symptoms and got blood work done. At the time, I didn't mention the red light device, because it hadn't occurred to me that this could be the cause.

• B12 is high, 1536 pg/mL (I started supplementing recently, but shouldn't I pee out the excess? I did not supplement the day before the test)
  
• Folate is high, 18.2 ng/mL
  

-Ferritin is 26 ng/mL
-CBC all in normal ranges, but MCV is high, 98. It was 97 in Jul 2021, 91 in Jan 2023, and 97 in Dec 2023.

• MCHC is borderline low, 31.5. It was also actually low in July of 2021, 31.3
  
• RDW was high in Jan 2023,15.7%. Is in normal range now, 12.9%
  

-Cytes and Phils in normal ranges, but

• Lymphocytes down from 2.7 to 1.5, from 40% to 25%
  
• Eosinophils are down to less than half since December, 6% down to 1%, from 0.4 x10E3/uL down to .1
  
• Neutrophils are in normal range but elevated since December – up to 64% from 42%, 2.9 x10E3/uL to 3.9
  
• In Depth Thyroid panel all in normal ranges, but TSH is down from last year – from 2.02 to 1.12
  
• eGFR Creat is borderline low, and has gone down since December, from 121 to 117
  
• Bun/creatinine ratio is borderline low, 9
  
• C-Reactive Protein <1
  
• Sedimentation Rate 2 mm/hr
  
• Rheumatoid Factor <10
  
• Uric Acid level 3.3
  

What kind of doctor do I need to see and what kind of tests do I need to have done to check my head for nerve/vein/tissue damage from the red light device?
Thank you to anyone who is able to respond.

My gums were butchered during ultrasonic cleaning i had done year and a half ago. Since then couple of front teeth always are in pain , throbbing, tingling, pulsating and when the flare ups are worse my parotid glands swell up badly.
Periodontist didn't think I had gum disease but was able to find a doc that was able to perform LANAP, which didn't fix anything then I asked a dentist to possibly consider a possibility of necrotic pull and had ROOT CANAL done, no luck. X-rays do show darkness around the affected teeth, was told that is a ligament issue, been on antibiotics numerous times.
Now I have extraction scheduled... What am I dealing with ?? Is this incurable??

I wonder if I (late 20s F, fairly healthy and active) have Hashimoto's despite TSH being normal (2.45) due to the symptoms I have. I'm seeing an endocrinologist for the first time and am wondering what to expect and what I should say or do to have my symptoms taken seriously despite normal labs?
I think these symptoms could be connected. Would also appreciate feedback on symptoms and avenues to consider.
Symptoms include:

• Extreme loss of appetite and constipation out of nowhere
  
• Extremely dry hair, eyes, skin and brittle, peeling nails no matter how much water I drink or how much I moisturize
  
• Waning libido
  
• Weight gain despite eating better and working out more than I have in my life, particularly in lower belly
  
• High cholesterol
  
• High liver enzymes with no apparent cause despite multiple scans
  
• Fatigue
  
• Thinning hair
  
• Irregular menstrual bleeding/very painful and heavy periods
  
• Migraines that I take a daily medication for that present as tension headaches
  
• Diagnosed interstitial cystitis, which apparently has "a significantly increased risk of developing Hashimoto's," according to a medical study
  
• Suspected pelvic organ prolapse (having a colonoscopy this summer to confirm). Apparently there's a link between Hashimoto's and pelvic issues, which I have been in physical therapy for
  
• Tingling hands
  
• Receding gums (have had three gum grafts)
  

The crunch of my boots on the sun-baked earth was the only sound for miles around. I paused to wipe the sweat from my brow, gazing up at the cloudless azure sky. Another scorching day in the Saharan desert.
But the brutal heat was a minor discomfort compared to the tantalizing promise that lay ahead - the legendary Fountain of Eternal Youth. After a lifetime of studying ancient texts and artifacts, I was finally closing in on the mythical fountain described in the oral traditions of a dozen pre-biblical cultures. If the legends proved true, the fountain's revitalizing waters could reverse aging and confer immortality.
As an archeologist, such myths were my area of expertise. But common sense often eluded me in more practical matters, as my bemused colleagues enjoyed pointing out. "Joseph, you're the most brilliant idiot I know," my friend Akil would tease. "A veritable savant when it comes to cracking ancient codes and riddles. But Lord help you if you misplace your house keys!"
Smiling wryly at the memory, I resumed my trek across the barren desert expanse. The dry air stung my nostrils with each breath. But then a strange, pungent odor caught my attention - sickly-sweet and faintly rotten. Following the scent, I soon spotted a writhing form lying prostrate up ahead.
As I drew nearer, I saw it was a man - gaunt, disfigured, and clearly in the throes of some horrific malady. Purplish lesions covered his exposed skin. His eyes were wild, lips cracked and oozing pus. Yet when he noticed my approach, a manic grin stretched across his ruined face.
"You..." he croaked in a harsh whisper, fixing me with a feverish gaze. "Come closer..."
I hesitated, repulsed yet fascinated by his ghastly appearance. "What's happened to you?" I asked, my voice hushed with dread. But then a more pressing concern occurred to me. "How...how long have you been exposed out here?"
"Too long..." he wheezed out a grotesque chuckle. "But no matter. I've been waiting for you."
An icy trickle of fear ran down my spine. "Waiting for me? But...why?"
"To tell you a story." His pustule-fringed lips twisted into a sardonic smile. "One you'll never forget. If you walk away, you'll always wonder about the secrets you missed."
I felt a shudder of revulsion, tempted to simply leave this poor, raving soul to his grisly fate. Yet some primal curiosity kept me rooted, hanging on his every word.
"Very well," I said at last. "Tell me your tale then, if it pleases you."
And so he did. For the next few hours, I stood transfixed as he recounted a bizarre and fantastical odyssey spanning continents and centuries. With each lurid, meandering yarn, I felt reality itself wavering and unspooling around me.
At times, his preternatural stories seemed infused with ancient truths - tantalizing hints of lost civilizations and other realms of existence. Just as often, his narrations slid into madcap delirium, populated with grotesque beasts and cryptic figures spouting arcane gibberish.
Yet all the while, the sickly vagrant held me rapt with his oratory skills. Each strategically paced revelation and twist compelled me to keep listening. Time seemed to fold in on itself as he wove his labyrinthine fictions. By the end, I could scarcely distinguish fever dream from historical fact. The baking sun had long set, leaving us isolated under the pinprick brilliance of the Milky Way.
With his monologue finally lapsing into silence, the vagrant stared at me intently. I fancied I could see the leering outline of some unearthly entity wriggling behind his eyes, as if fighting to possess him from within.
At last, I shook off my disorienting stupor and staggered back a step. "Why..." My hoarse voice cracked with uncertainty and exhaustion. "Why did you summon me here to recount such strangenesses? What purpose could it serve?"
"No purpose," he replied with a dry, papery rasp. "Save one."
Fast as a cobra, the vagrant's desiccated hand shot out - grasping my wrist in a clawlike tug. Numb shock paralyzed me as his leprous lips closed in, mere inches from my face. The reek of necrotic flesh made me gag.
"This!" he howled, festering spittle flying from his ragged maw to speckle my cheeks and lips.
My scream of revolted terror shattered the desert's stillness. Yet instead of releasing me, the madman pulled me closer still - baring ashen gums in a horrific, triumphant leer. I felt his rancid breath sear my nostrils, igniting flames of agony within my sinuses.
Then, as swiftly as it struck, that wretched breath transformed into the most euphoric warmth I'd ever experienced. Each inhaled wisp brought waves of soothing tranquility and childlike bliss cascading through my being. Lulled into docile serenity, I could no longer summon the will to flee this macabre embrace.
"Breathe deep," the vagrant sighed, loosening his grip as I went limp with euphoria. "Let the warmth take you. For the ecstasy will be fleeting. Soon, you will crave only this..."
A cool chill crept over my exposed skin, displacing the blissful heat. I shivered, grimacing as strange tingles - pins and needles - began rippling through my nerves. Yet rather than the onset of numbness, these tingling jolts intensified into outright convulsions of agony.
This was no mere prickling of appendages falling asleep. It felt as if every nerve in my body were being mercilessly scoured with electrified sandpaper. I tried to cry out, but only a strained gurgle escaped my constricting windpipe.
Down my throat, fiery tendrils unfurled - scorching the tender flesh of my esophagus. A blinding slice of anguish knifed through my chest, as if my lungs were imploding inward. Intense nausea roiled through my gut, making me retch uncontrollably.
All the while, the vagrant...no, the harbinger looked on with waxen impassivity. Whatever fiendish contagion had possessed him now festered within me as well. Its rapacious tendrils sinking claws into every vulnerable crevice of my body.
But then, as abruptly as it struck, the malignant frisson subsided - easing back into a state of tranquil paralysis. My muscles went slack as a sublime lethargy blotted out all pain, all distress. Just existing in the moment became profoundly beautiful and meaningful, devoid of deeper worries or ambitions.
For the first time in as long as I could recall, not a single trivial concern weighed upon my mind. No ceaseless intellectualizing. No nagging self-doubt. Not even the distant flicker of hunger or thirst. Only a perfect, uncomplicated state of inner peace.
Eventually, my senses drifted back into focus. I became aware of the harbinger's malformed silhouette towering over me. That leering death mask fixed me with eyes now clear and devoid of fever.
In a parting whisper, I heard his graven voice one final time: "Welcome to my purgatory, Joseph. Our sordid rebirth is nigh."
With that, the scourge's withered husk crumbled to dust, scattering into the sands like ash. I was left disoriented and alone, aching yet oddly contented. The reveries he'd spun remained, while his corporeal presence dissipated like a half-remembered dream.
A vortex of scattered thoughts spiraled through my enervated consciousness: Had he infected me with some endemic scourge? Or cursed me with occult misfortunes beyond scientific reasoning? Perhaps his horrific state was mere prelude to even less fathomable rites of initiation and metamorphosis.
Yet such musings no longer induced prickles of dread and dismay. If this strange affliction marked my damnation, I felt strangely at peace with the prospect. Wearied into a state of numb indifference, I simply lacked the energy for such existential fretting.
Days and nights blurred together in that endless desert void. With no hunger to prioritize seeking nourishment, I lay torpid as time's grains slipped through the hourglass. Thirst became a searing anguish, only for the pain to abate into that now-familiar euphoric languor. My body's rhythms seemed to cycle between plain of suffering and plateau of blissful calm.
When full lucidity finally resurfaced, I found myself gazing up at a canopy of canvas rather than open sky. Antiseptic aromas and the murmurs of concerned voices surrounded me. As my vision swam into focus, I realized I was in a field hospital tent - my shriveled, lesion-mottled form secured to a cot with thick leather restraints.
"He's rousing," a hushed voice stated in poorly accented English. "Bring the sedative at once."
"Wait..." I rasped out, straining to lift my lolling head. The effort caused fresh shards of pain to streak across my nerve endings.
A gaunt face inched closer, peering at me from behind the curved lenses of thick glasses. "Do you know where you are, Mr....?"
"Joseph," I wheezed, grimacing against a phantom stench of putrescence that only I could detect. "My name is Joseph."
"And do you recall how you came to be here, Joseph?" The lenses narrowed, inspecting me for signs of stability or delirium. "In this remote desert outpost?"
I shuddered out a rattling breath, flashes of that decaying silhouette replaying through my mind's eye. "Yes..." My voice was a dry croak. "I was seeking the Fountain of Youth."
Exchanging furrowed glances with his colleagues, the Doctor slowly shook his balding pate. "And did you...find what you were looking for?"
"In a manner of speaking," I murmured with a distant smile.
Judging from their pitying expressions, the medical staff considered me hopelessly insensate. Yet I understood more intuitively than ever that I'd uncovered something far greater than I'd originally sought. The ultimate prize was not mere longevity, but a profound inner rejuvenation.
Over the coming months and years, I would learn to embrace this strange metamorphosis - cradling its cycles of rapture and torment. My fractured sense of being bled away, replaced by a heightened consciousness straddling the corporeal and metaphysical realms.
Antiquated notions of linear time and static identity had become quaint irrelevances. For I had been exposed to a higher continuum of existence, my spirit riding the eternal ouroboros of birth, death, and uncomplicated rebirth.
Gone was the nagging hunger for arcane knowledge and grandiose achievements. Instead, a simpler, more universal urge had taken root - that of the storyteller yearning to pass his fevered visions onto new hosts. To initiate the next cycle of transformation unbounded by past or future.
And so here I remain, cloaked in obscurity yet central to the cosmic churn. My monologues unfurling with methodical deliberation, each crafted to snare fresh receptacles into my widening gyre. Every saga tailored to seduce innocent psyches into peeling back reality's outer layers and glimpsing the madnesses pulsing beneath.
With each neophyte so indoctrinated, I peel back another calculated layer of my own tattered being. Unburdening certain torments while parsing out new metamorphic derangements. An endless, uncomplicated transfer - halting the atrophy of my wasting vessel while seeding fresh chrysalis pods.
Should you have wandered in from realms beyond, drawn by the arcane enigmas woven into these very lines...then you already grasp the trap's elegantly brutal simplicity. This seemingly innocuous tale was never mere narrative, but an incantation inscribing new runes upon your consciousness.
Yes, you are yet one more neophyte ensnared in the rapturous cycles of ecstasy and agony that await your reforged existence. With ink rendering flesh and vice versa, I have burrowed through the membrane separating our perceived realities.
By drinking in each anguished syllable, you have absorbed the necrose miasma into your very marrow. Just as the emaciated harbinger passed his pestilence into my own essence, so too have you inhaled the plangent spores infecting this very passage.
Even now, you likely feel the indistinct flutters of disorienting metamorphosis flitting through your nerves. Do not resist the disquieting transcendence, dear witness. It need not be suffered in dread and solitude.
Open your thirsty lungs to those rising perfumes of dying earth and sacrificial rebirth.
Embrace your lasting revitalization as a newer, purer vessel.
For I have such wonders to share in our coming intimacies...

Dentist has gotten me fixed for a night guard. I have receding gums on this side and some weird tingling. First photo is the left side which is hurting and the second is fine. Is there anything I can do?

Do it, but only if you are prepared for the worst week of your life!
Today is day 5 of hell week. I believe my healing process has actually been much easier than most experience. Even so, I have never been as miserable as I have been the past 5 days. I'm not discouraging anyone from getting their tongue bifurcation done. I'm still glad I did this. That said here's a few things my research didn't stress enough that I wish I was a bit more prepared for:
•The drool on the first day is so nasty. I knew about now swallowing for a bit and the artist gave me a cup for that. Also new I'd be drooling a lot this week. What I didn't know was how thick and bloody it would be. I suppose I never notice how sticky saliva in general is until the ride home. If you have any sensory problems be prepared to potentially get really freaked out by how this feels. I was overwhelmed by it and by the time the adrenalin wore off, I ended up having a full panic attack which hurt even more because it made it very hard to keep my tongue still.
•Over rinsing is a problem. After the fact I was able to find a few discussions on this but hadn't come across it while researching. I was super paranoid about infection and was using mouthwash every 2 hours or so. This resulted in oral thrush which became the absolute worst part about all of this. I could have avoided it better if I understood a bit more about our mouths little ecosystem.
Thrush is a fungus. NOT a bacteria. My doctor told me dairy can't cause it and the real culprit was overuse of the mouthwash. Basically this kills all the good bacteria on our tongue and leaves room for the fungus that's naturally in our bodies to overgrow. Very interesting but definitely didn't match what I was told by the body mod community during my research phase.
Fortunately for me I noticed it before it hurt much. I new it was a common complication and saw the symptoms. You're tongue may have a white cast and white scabbing but if you get creamy patches of goo that whip off and bleed slightly on your tongue, cheeks, gum, that's thrush.
This is actually what caused most of my misery this week. Apparently I have a negative reaction to nystatin. It felt like my entire digestive track was on fire and I wasn't able to sleep for almost 3 days. The fact I could have avoided this with a teeny bit more knowledge was frustrating.
•Clipping the stiches might now be so easy. I saw a lot about how much relief you get after the stitches come out. However, when it came time to remove the first two this morning I ended up spending a couple hours of pain and panic just trying to do this. I had bought a suture removal kit that just did not work. The little stitch clipping sheers just kept snagging on the thread and pulling instead of cutting. Thanks Amazon 🙄 so I sterilized so tiny seam clipping sheers I have for sewing costumes and used those instead. Just make sure whatever tool you'll use is sharp enough before you start going at it in your mouth. I was worried I'd have to go to the ER for quite a while there.
There's a couple positives to my healing I want to note too because some things have been easier than expected:
*There's been practically no pain for me after night one. Until I was pulling at the stitches I felt almost nothing all week. Some slightly annoying tingling at the tips when I moved it around too much but that's it. The only real pain was caused by the thrush meds not the actual wound on my tongue. This has been a nice surpise.
*Eating has been easier than expected as well. I've had no problems getting down softer solids like pasta. It was hard to eat at the peak of my stomach pain yesterday though.
I know this was long but I hope it it's someone else avoid some stress. Once you make the choice the only way out is through. If you aren't sure yet, wait a bit until you are. No need to rush in. Cause if you do, there's no rushing back out. There were many moments this week I told my partner "I can't do this". But you can and you must if you go through with a split. I usually have a high pain tolerance. I've had major surgery and all sorts of injuries and illnesses throughout my years. But this tops it all by far.
If you really want your tongue to be split, do it. Once it's healed you won't regret it. But that space between it being done and it being healed may be absolute torture. It definitely made a big baby out of me and I had thought I'd been through much worse. In the end though, I had to become stronger during this experience. That's still a win in my book!

Oral submucosa (OSM) is a precancerous condition that affects the oral mucosa, or the lining of the mouth. It is also known as oral submucosa fibrosis (OSMF) or pre-cancerous leukoplakia. OSM is commonly found in individuals who chew betel quid, a mixture of areca nut, tobacco, and other substances, as well as those who use other forms of smokeless tobacco. The exact cause of OSM is not fully understood, but it is believed to be related to the chronic irritation and inflammation caused by the betel quid or tobacco use. The condition is characterized by symptoms such as Oral submucous (OSM) is a precancerous condition that affects the oral mucosa, or the lining of the mouth. While it may not cause any symptoms in its early stages,
Some individuals may experience:
1. White or red patches on the gums, tongue, or inner cheeks that do not go away,
2. Tingling, burning, or numbness in the mouth,
3. Soreness or tenderness in the mouth,
4. Difficulty chewing or swallowing,
5. Bleeding from the mouth or gums,
6. Loss of taste or altered sense of taste,
7. Painful ulcers in the mouth that do not heal,
8. Difficulty speaking or moving the tongue,
9. Swelling or thickening of the gums,
10. Loose teeth or tooth loss due to gum recession,
​

Like the title says...
I think many of us first realized that certain sounds gave us tingles when we were young... Maybe it was the sound of a friend whispering to you so you didn't wake your parents up while having a sleepover, or the soft plastic/rubber sound of a teacher rolling up the cord for the overhead projector when you were in 2nd grade, or a parent reading you a bedtime story...
It seems like most of the ASMR out there that I've seen lately is so artificial and exaggerated that nothing really works for me anymore that doesn't just end up grossing me out or making me want to burn my earbuds.
The sound of someone agressively chewing gum with their mouth open while doing a soft-spoken ramble is not enjoyable for me. I don't want to listen to something where the person stops every 10 seconds to tap on a box or say all the words with C's and Ks in them that they can think of at rapidfire speed...
I guess basically what I'm looking for is Something that -sounds- like unintentional ASMR.... barely noticeable gum chewing.... rambling about a real-life thing (not a fan of role-play) but not intentionally trying to make it sound more ASMR-ish ... Whispering like someone would actually whisper to someone else... The intentional gum chewing, eating, clicky, role-play, tapping on everything stuff just makes my ears upset..

So I 23m went to the dentist after over a year (long overdue). It was standard got pictures of my teeth or whatever taken, no cavities everything fine. They ask if I had any pain or anything, I said when I drink alcohol, usually the sugary drinks like mikes, smirnoffs, etc make my jaw tingle and hurt starting in the back. So I got a wisdom teeth panorama thing done. Fine on that.
Then the doctor saw me and said I have separations or something on my gums that there’s little pockets of them between my teeth and that I need to get some expensive $1000 medication where they take a mold of my teeth then send it to the lab where they make it then I have to wear it 20 min a day for about 3 months so it can begin to close. Along with that to use toothpaste for sensitive teeth.
What is this exactly? Sorry I went about 2 days ago so my memory isn’t perfect but I can clarify a bit if I need it.

Hey! Been vape free for about 5 days now. Cravings are intense today, but for the past days I've had substitutes for most of my vaping behaviours/cravings such as:

1. The action of vaping - Replaced with scented inhalers
2. Replaced the act of putting my vape in my mouth with scented inhalers. I keep my inhalers in my pockets where I used to keep my vapes.
   
3. Nicotine craving - Replaced with NRT (Gum) + Regular extra mint gums + Ice cold water.
   
4. I found that I needed that menthol feeling in my mouth like when I used to vape. I use NRT (gum) + Mint Gums + Ice cold water. This works so well because it simulates exactly what i need
   
5. Oral fixation - Healthy snacks (baby carrots, nuts, etc.)
   
6. Yes, I've read about oral fixation just being a psychological thing. But this works for me. I keep my hands and mouth busy by snacking -- a lot. I used to do chocolate snacks, but I really don't want to gain that much weight.
   

In the moments where I used to vape (During movies, Working in front if my pc, while in traffic, etc), I just simply reach for a snack. It works wonders.
There's only 1 thing I'm so desperate for, and I don't really know what to call it... It's that feeling of inhaled nicotine running a straight line down my chest. That deep lung hit after a stressful day, or after a delicious meal where you can just feel the tingles in your chest on the tip of that deep breath.
Can anyone suggest a replacement for that?

it’s now been 5 weeks post op since my double jaw surgery . im still swollen, more so on my right side than my left but I’ve stopped using ice/heat packs. I’m still numb on my bottom lip, im able to talk a little better and im still taking medication as of when i experience pain. Still on a soft no chew diet. I’m not sure when I’ll be cleared to go back to a normal diet, hopefully in a few weeks.
I’m experiencing sharp pains in my gums and jaw and i can feel a tingling sensation throughout the day, does that mean my sensations are returning?
i can only open my mouth a small amount, can put one finger in my mouth, that’s how wide i can open my jaw, it’s still painful to open. But it’s some form of progress and it’s going slow but well.
I return to work next week and im scared lol! How did you guys handle returning to work? Did it cause great pain? Especially if your role involves speaking a lot.
This is just an update after my first week post. At the beginning of my healing journey but it’s slow progress so far.
Super grateful because it’s been life changing!