The liver is one of the most vital organs in your body, playing a crucial role in maintaining your overall health. Located in the upper right quadrant of your abdomen, the liver is responsible for various essential functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion. Understanding the importance of liver health and knowing how to care for it can significantly enhance your well-being.
Functions of the Liver
Detoxification: The liver detoxifies various metabolites, synthesizes proteins, and produces biochemicals necessary for digestion. It filters out toxins from the blood, ensuring that harmful substances are eliminated from the body.
Metabolism: The liver plays a crucial role in metabolism, including the regulation of glycogen storage, decomposition of red blood cells, and hormone production. It helps convert nutrients from your diet into essential blood components.
Production of Bile: Bile produced by the liver is essential for the digestion and absorption of fats and fat-soluble vitamins in the small intestine.
Storage: The liver stores vital nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals (iron and copper), and releases them when needed.
Keeping Your Liver Healthy
Maintaining liver health is crucial for your overall well-being. Here are some tips to keep your liver functioning optimally:
Healthy Diet: Eating a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins can support liver health. Avoid excessive intake of fatty foods, sugar, and alcohol.
Regular Exercise: Physical activity helps maintain a healthy weight, reducing the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
Hydration: Drinking plenty of water helps the liver function efficiently, aiding in detoxification processes.
Avoid Alcohol and Drugs: Excessive alcohol consumption and drug abuse can lead to liver damage. It’s crucial to limit alcohol intake and avoid illicit substances.
Regular Check-Ups: Regular medical check-ups can help detect liver issues early. The Best Multispeciality Hospital in Ghaziabad, like Sanjeevani Clinic, offers comprehensive healthcare services to monitor and maintain your liver health.
Liver Health and Overall Well-being
A healthy liver contributes significantly to your overall health. When your liver functions properly, you’re more likely to experience better energy levels, improved digestion, and a stronger immune system. Moreover, liver health is closely linked to other health aspects, such as ENT problems. For instance, issues like ear infections, sinusitis, and throat problems can sometimes be related to broader systemic health issues, including liver function.
If you're experiencing ENT problems, it's advisable to consult the Best ENT Specialist near me at Sanjeevani Clinic in Ghaziabad. The clinic offers top-notch medical treatment and healthcare services, ensuring comprehensive care for conditions like ear infections and sinusitis.
Sanjeevani Clinic: Your Health Partner
At Sanjeevani Clinic, we prioritize your health and well-being. As the Best Hospital in Ghaziabad, we provide a wide range of medical services, including the Best Pathology Lab in Ghaziabad for accurate diagnostic tests. Our healthcare professionals are dedicated to delivering high-quality medical care and promoting health awareness in the community.
In conclusion, taking care of your liver is essential for maintaining overall health. By adopting healthy lifestyle habits and seeking regular medical care from trusted healthcare providers like Sanjeevani Clinic, you can ensure your liver remains in optimal condition. Remember, your liver is key to keeping you healthy, so take proactive steps today to support its function and stay healthy. For all your healthcare needs, including ENTCare, trust the expertise of Sanjeevani Clinic in Ghaziabad.
Sanjeevani Multispeciality Clinic
Address: SE-2 Basement Floor, Hapur Rd, near Indian Oil Petrol Pump, E Block, Shastri Nagar, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh 201002
Phone: 088822 40830

Five days ago, I had two dental implants placed in my upper jaw. By the third day, the swelling had subsided as expected, and there is no longer any pain. but, I noticed a foul smell coming from my mouth today. I brush my teeth and use the antiseptic solution 3 times as prescribed but i still have this terrible smell and soubitter taste. could this be an infection? I went to the dentist and he said it s not an infection but didnt take any x-rays just looked at it briefly. the smell is exactly the same as when i had infections before and this is worrying me

Swollen tongue with cold symptoms
28F, 5’8”, 145lbs. Never smoked, no drinking or drugs.
UCTD (treated as lupus) Selective IGM deficiency. daily medications: plaquenil, Keflex, and adderall.
Hi! I’m having a bit of a panic because my frequent common cold has come with a fun new symptom: swollen, sore tongue.
I catch a cold once a month, maybe every 2 months. And it’s always pretty standard. Sore throat, cough, insanely runny nose, high fever, malaise, headache. Dayquill and 2 days off takes care of me.
I started getting my normal symptoms yesterday morning, and by last night it was full blown. This morning however, I noticed my tongue doesn’t fit in my teeth anymore. Ive trained myself to rest my tongue in my lower jaw because I have an overbite and I don’t want to make it worse. But today my tongue doesn’t fit in either my upper or lower jaw. Also, the sides are very sore, like when you eat too much sour candy. It isn’t causing any difficulty breathing but i literally can’t close my teeth and it’s exacerbated my sore, dry throat.
I’ve been taking dayquill and added in naproxen when the fever stopped declining (highest has been 103.1 and won’t go lower than 101) I took a Zyrtec when it was suggested by the minute clinic that the tongue thing could be an unrelated allergy; but it hasn’t gotten any better.
I tested negative for strep, flu, and Covid.
I had an uncomplicated wisdom tooth removal 4 days ago; and have had no pain, swelling, bleeding, or sign of infection since. But I wanted to add in case that’s relevant.

Situation 1: Michelle, an international student, will be studying in Hualien County to obtain her degree and hopes to gain a better understanding of the National Health Insurance.
Q1: How and when can I obtain the NHI (National Health Insurance) card? A1: NHI stands for National Health Insurance, which is necessary for all individuals living in Taiwan. Of course, the process of obtaining NHI depends on your residency status as a foreigner living in Taiwan. Let's break down how and when you can get NHI!
Foreign Students If you've come to Taiwan to study at a university, getting NHI is quite straightforward. It's important to remember that foreigners can obtain NHI only after living continuously in Taiwan for six months on an ARC (Alien Resident Certificate), but you are allowed to leave the country once for up to 30 days during this 6-month period. After these six months, your university will collect insurance fees for each semester upon registration. As a student, you'll only need to pay the insurance fee, which is 826 NTD as of 2024, and then wait for notification from the university that your card is ready for collection. Insurance fees are collected from September to February in the first semester and from March to August in the second semester.
International students can be employed part-time in Taiwan. In this case, students with a steady part-time job should be registered in the program as employees through their employers. Don't forget to inform your university about this. The university will reimburse you a portion of the insurance fee you've already paid.
If you are seasonally employed, meaning you are a full-time student who only works during summer and winter vacations for fewer than 3 months and returns to school when classes resume, you do not need to change your enrollment status during the period of employment.
Foreign Workers A foreign worker must be registered in the National Health Insurance Program from the first day of employment. Therefore, those working in Taiwan are not subject to the six-month waiting period. Your employer should register you and be responsible for paying your insurance (formerly known as the "insurance registration organization").
If you're a company chairperson or owner, you need to set up your own insurance registration unit. If you have another primary job, you can be insured through that company or agency without enrolling as a responsible person.
If you're employed but don't have a fixed employer, like being a member of an occupational union, a farmers' or fishermen's association, or are actively involved in farming or fishing, you should enroll in the National Health Insurance through your respective union or association.
If you are working two jobs at the same time, then you should be registered in the NHI program through your main employer. Your main employer is the one where you work more hours; if the hours are similar, then income can be the deciding factor.
Unemployed foreigners If you are unemployed and qualify as a dependent, you should be registered in the NHI program through your employed spouse or direct blood relatives.
If you cannot be enrolled through your spouse or direct blood relatives, you are required to enroll in the program at the local administrative office where your household is registered, under the identity of a "regional citizen."
If you are an unemployed veteran or a dependent of a deceased veteran, then you can enroll in the program through the administrative office where your household is registered under the identity of "veteran."
For more information, please feel free to ask or refer to the NHI handbook (click the specific link below).
Q2: What medical services are covered by the NHI? A2: The National Health Insurance (NHI) in Taiwan covers a wide range of medical services, such as: Outpatient services Inpatient services Emergency care Surgery Laboratory tests Prescription drugs Dental care Mental health services Traditional Chinese Medicine Rehabilitation services The medical payments include diagnosis, assessment, laboratory tests, consultations, surgical procedures, anesthesia, prescriptions, supplies, therapies, nursing care, and covered hospital accommodations. Essentially, all essential healthcare services are included in the system.
Q3: How can I understand the cost of services under NHI in advance? A3: Under Taiwan's National Health Insurance (NHI), patients are required to make co-payments for medical services, including hospital visits, outpatient care, prescription drugs, and various medical procedures.
Let's see a breakdown of typical co-payments for various medical services under NHI! Visiting a hospital or clinic with a referral: Co-payment for Medical Center with referral is fixed at 170 NTD. For Regional Hospital it is 100 NTD. For District Hospital it is 50 NTD. And for Clinic it is 50 NTD. Visiting a hospital directly without a referral costs more: Co-payment for Medical Center without referral is fixed at 420 NTD. For Regional Hospital it is 240 NTD. For District Hospital it is 80 NTD. And for Clinic co-payment remains fixed at 50 NTD. For visiting dentist and traditional Chinese clinics, the co-payment is fixed at 50 NTD regardless of the level of medical institution.
Important to know For patients with a disability identification, the basic co-payment is charged at the Clinic rate (NT$50) regardless of the level of medical institution visited by the patient.
The following situations are regarded as visits with referral: Follow-up visits within one month of a medical visit with a referral sheet, limited to a maximum of four times. The first follow-up visit after outpatient surgery, emergency surgery, or discharge from the hospital. The first follow-up visit within six weeks after childbirth. Therefore, the co-payment for such visits is charged according to the standards of medical visits with referral, and hospitals may issue relevant certificates for patients. During a course of treatment, patients only need to pay the co-payment for their initial visit (excluding rehabilitative physical therapy and Traditional Chinese Medicine traumatology).
Emergency Care Co-payment Standard: Medical Center: 740 NTD Regional Hospital: 400 NTD District Hospital: 150 NTD Clinic: 150 NTD Near-poor Households/Individuals with Disabilities: Medical Center: 550 NTD Regional Hospital: 300 NTD District Hospital: 150 NTD Clinic: 150 NTD
Co-payment cost for outpatient prescribed drugs
Regular prescriptions: If the cost of the medication is equal to or less than 100 NTD: In Clinics and District Hospitals: Patients are exempt from co-payment (no co-payment). In Regional Hospitals and Medical Centers: The co-payment is 10 NTD. If the cost of the medication is equal to or greater than 101 NTD:
In all levels of medical institutions, an additional 20% will be charged for every 100 NTD. For example, if the price of medication is in the 101-200 NTD range, then the co-payment is 20 NTD; if in the 201-300 NTD range, then the co-payment is 40 NTD. In Clinics and District Hospitals: If the medication cost starts from 1001 NTD, the upper limit for co-payment is reached, and the co-payment is fixed at 200 NTD. In Regional Hospitals and Medical Centers: If the medication cost is in the range from 1001-1500 NTD, the co-payment is fixed at 200 NTD.If the medication cost starts from 1501 NTD, the upper limit of co-payment is reached at 300 NTD.
Refillable prescriptions: In Clinics: Patients are exempted from the co-payment. In District Hospitals, Regional Hospitals, and Medical Centers: The first time filling a refillable prescription follows the same rules as outlined above for regular prescriptions. From the second refill onwards, patients are exempted from the co-payment.
Important to know For Traditional Chinese medication co-payment, the same system as that of Clinics is used. Costs under 100 NTD are exempt; for costs equal to or greater than 101 NTD, an additional 20% will be charged for every 100 NTD. At Dental Clinics, outpatient prescription drug expenses are exempted from co-payment. Emergency Care Prescription: For Clinics and District Hospitals: 150 NTD For Regional Hospitals: 400 NTD. For Medical Centers: 750 NTD. I hope now you have a better understanding of how to calculate the cost of medical services under NHI. Feel free to ask more questions or refer to this webpage (click the specific link below).
Q4: What services are completely free under NHI? A4: With NHI, you can access a wide range of medical services at very affordable prices, and some services are fully covered! However, it's always a good idea to ask your doctor or a consultant at the hospital/clinic about which services will be covered.
Let's break down what kind of services can be fully covered under NHI: Basic Medical Examinations: These are routine tests to check your health, like measuring blood pressure, checking cholesterol levels, and assessing kidney function through urine tests. Preventive Services like Vaccinations and Screenings: This includes vaccines to protect against diseases like measles, mumps, and rubella, as well as screenings for diseases like cancer or diabetes. These screenings aim to catch health problems early for easier treatment. Essential Surgeries: These surgeries are necessary to treat a medical condition and improve health or save lives. For example, removing an appendix, fixing a broken bone, or treating a serious infection. Hospital Stays in General Rooms: This means staying in a hospital room shared with other patients (one room with 3 beds or more) and having basic facilities. General rooms provide standard care for conditions that don't require intensive monitoring or specialized equipment. Some Prescription Medications: Certain medicines prescribed by doctors are fully covered by NHI, so patients can get them from the pharmacy without paying anything. These often include essential medications for common conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and infections. Medications with a cost below 100 NTD will be fully covered or will require a 10 NTD co-payment. Dental care: Most medications prescribed by dentists are fully covered by the National Health Insurance (NHI). However, it's important to note that full-mouth anesthesia is not covered. Also, you have the right to receive two dental cleanings per year fully covered, allowing the general public to get dental calculus removal. People with tooth decay may be eligible, depending on a dentist's evaluation, for fluoride varnish treatment. As long as the cavity does not reach the pulp (where the tooth's nerves and blood vessels are located), it can be fully covered by the National Health Insurance (NHI). Generally, the National Health Insurance (NHI) will cover the extraction of wisdom teeth, supernumerary teeth, and impacted teeth. However, extractions for corrective purposes (teeth that are intact and without decay problems) will not be covered by NHI.
Medical expenses in Taiwan are relatively inexpensive, so don't worry about spending a lot of money when seeing a doctor. Therefore, don't be afraid to go to the hospital.
Q5: In which hospitals can I utilize NHI services, specifically at Hualien hospitals? A5: Here is the list of hospitals in Hualien in Chinese (the English version will be posted and updated later). But if we talk about the most popular hospitals in Hualien where you can definitely get assistance in English, then we can list these hospitals: Mennonite Christian Hospital Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital Hualien Hospital Smiles-Dental
Q6: Is it possible to receive NHI consultation in English? A6: Yes! It is possible to receive NHI consultation in English! The back of the NHI card has a hotline number for inquiries: 0800-030-598, or by mobile phone call 02-412-8678. Calling the number is free of charge.

"We're your mates." Mates? Six mates? How could it be?! "Wait a minute... you said all of you. That's not how mates work. Fated mates are two people, not an entire harem." I hissed as I shook my head. "This conversation is ridiculous because it's not real." Silence filled the space between us for several long seconds. "You really want us to leave?" My stomach twisted at his words. We just met, and yet he sounded devastated as he asked the question. I silently cursed myself for causing the change I heard. If I was a better person, I would say something else. "Yes." "Fine, we'll leave, but only on one condition. Buss each one of us. Then, if you feel nothing, we'll walk out of here without protest." ———————— I would die in this very spot, and no one would have a clue. Six hours... I'd been trapped under this pile of random things for six hours. My hips and back ached from how long I'd been stuck in this exact position. I'd tried everything I could think of, but the massive pile of unknown stuff never moved. Something heavy had landed on my back, keeping me pinned face down on scattered newspapers and the occasional book. How did I know there were books when I couldn't see them? Because of the sharp corners stabbing into me. If that level of depressing suckage wasn't enough, I had to pee. My bladder hurt... felt like it was about to burst. Because of course, the first time I decided to drink spirits, I'd end up faced and trapped under a pile of a hoarder's treasure. To relieve some of the pressure off my cheek, I dug my shoulder into the newspaper floor and tilted my head until my forehead pressed against the mess underneath me. The small amount of relief I felt from the change of position was enough to stop me from going insane. For now. Ding dong. "You've got to be shitting me." I grumbled into the ancient newspapers. Someone at the door wouldn't matter. I couldn't get off the floor... erm, pile of stuff that acted as a floor, to answer the door. Whoever was on the other side would eventually think someone wasn't home and leave. And so would my only chance at being rescued. "Ha." I couldn't stop the sarcastic laugh from escaping. Even if they did come in, whoever they were wouldn't want to sign up for this insanity. I didn't even want to deal with this nightmare my life had become. Thanks mom. Ding dong. Ding dong. Who rang the doorbell multiple times? Seriously, just go away and let me die. Sure, I would be in the hall of shame for dumb ways to go, but I'd already accepted my fate. Not only would I die in one of the most embarrassing ways in history, I'd go with the dullest life experiences. Why? Because I'd always done what I was supposed to do... every single expectation my parents had, I jumped at the chance to please them. I was an idiot. A boring, lame, not once destined to save the world, sheltered little girl that grew in an inexperienced woman. My life was pathetic. "Parker, are you okay?" The deep voice sent shivers through me. I imagined this unknown man growling in my ear. Then my senses came back to me. While I was on the verge of being crushed to death, someone had broken into my house. Great, just what I needed. Good luck mister robber. If you can find anything valuable, then you deserved it. The logical side of my brain caught up to current events. First thing, a robber wouldn't call out my name as he broke into my house. Second, I didn't know anyone with a voice so delicious... uh, I meant distinct. Yeah. Should I respond or hope they gave up and left? My mother would have insisted I remain silent. Her voice slid through my memory. "Men were a distraction to a woman's career." I rolled my eyes at the phrase she'd said throughout my childhood and even after I'd moved out on my own. If I was going to leave this world, it would be after doing something ridiculous. I'd call the man with the delicious voice over, then I could die from embarrassment. "I'm over here!" What I'd intended to be a shout came out more as a breathy moan. I barely had room to breathe. It seemed shouting was impossible. A burning hot pain shot through my neck as I tried to turn my head to see the footsteps that approached. Nope, that wasn't going to happen. My mysterious, silver tongued hero or burglar's looks would have to remain a mystery just a bit longer. "Over here!" Just like last time, his voice made me shudder. With a voice like that, the man had to be hot. I hoped he had a beard... and tattoos. Not only would it make my mother roll in her grave, I'd always loved looking at burly, tatted up, bearded guys. Add in hair that was long enough to pull and I couldn't think of a good reason to ever leave the house. The crushing weight finally lifted off me. I sucked in a deep breath, then immediately regretted it as I choked on the oxygen. My lungs seized as the rush of air shocked them. Hands grabbed my arms and shoulders, then the world tilted as they lifted me to my feet. I bent over and grabbed my knees as my equilibrium spun. Hands patted my back, helping me calm. Actually, there were more than two hands. I counted enough to equal three people. When I got my breathing under control, I dared follow the black boots that stood at the top of my vision. My gaze slid up, taking in black cargo pants that rode low on a pair of hips. Further up, a black tactical vest contained... bottles of cleaning solution. What the heck? The moment I went full vertical, my balance tilted again. I stepped back to catch myself. In front of me stood a massive man, the kind I had to look up to just to catch a view of his chin... his bearded chin. My fingers itched with the need to touch it. I didn't. It would be weird to stroke a hot stranger's beard. Wouldn't it? I shook my head. Of course it would be weird. I turned, taking in the four men and one woman standing all around me. The sound of newspapers sliding preceding my right foot slid out from underneath me. The giant of a man caught me before I fell on my hips in front of everyone. They all wore similar black tactical gear with cleaning supplies. Colorful bottles of solution, a duster, a roll of trash bags, and... was that a broom and a mop with shoulder straps? Who were these people? "Parker, are you okay?" The deliciously deep voice asked from behind me. After a few tries, I accepted the fact that I was speechless. My brain nudged at me, telling me I'd missed a crucial detail. Every brain cell misfired as I looked them over again. Correction, five of them wore black tactical gear. Every single one of them was drop dead gorgeous, and it made me feel out of place. One of the guys stood off to the side with his arms crossed over his chest. I blinked. No, that couldn't be right. I blinked again, but the sight stayed the same. A man stood taller than those closest to him. Peeking over his crossed arms was a ruffled white fabric with black lace woven through it and tied in a bow. There was even a small scattering of chest hair sticking over the edge. The hem of the skirt ended well above his knee, revealing a tattoo that covered his entire right thigh. My gaze traveled up to his face. A plush black beard contrasted with the skimpy maid's outfit he wore. "I..." Words failed me again. I gestured to the man whose outfit didn't fit the others. He rolled his eyes as he tightened his grip on his arms. "They thought it would be funny to prank me. Did you know, not only did they buy this ridiculous outfit, they stole the rest of my clothes, so I'd have to wear this?" "Uh, no. I don't even know who all of you are." For whatever reason, it hadn't dawned on me that all these incredibly attractive people were standing in my house. Like inside, where they could take in the horror of what my mother left me to inherit. Mortification slammed into me. They'd seen the awful mess. "You all need to leave." "Parker?" The burly man's voice from behind me caught my attention. He waited until I turned around to continue. "You don't remember asking us to come here, do you?" Ice slid down my spine. I'd been pretty drunk last night, but since I'd never had spirits before and I'd decided to take shots of everything in my mother's 'social hour' cabinet, I wasn't even surprised I'd woken up with a hangover. "How much did you have to drink last night?" "Seeing how I'm awake now, apparently not enough. Who are you, and how do you know me?" The man bared his teeth at me, making a sound that I could only describe as a hiss. "Never again. From now on, if you need something, you ask us." I dismissed him with a wave of my hand. "Why would I ask you anything?" "Because we're your mates." Hard stop. Mates? A giddy feeling in my belly told me he didn't mean a friend. I held a finger up for him to give me a minute. A sharp pain slid through my abdomen, reminding me I had yet to relieve myself after my drunken night of mistakes. One of the other men spoke up. "I know it's a lot to take in, and you're probably really confused, but we are all your fated mates." I'd read enough werewolf romance novels to know what they meant, and they were dead wrong. Shifters weren't real. "Yeah mate, tell us what you need, and we'll get it for you." "I need to pee." And with that, I stomped out to the nearest bathroom and locked myself inside. Why wouldn't the ground open and swallow me whole? I sat on the bathroom floor with my back propped against the wall and hugged my legs to my chest as I rested my forehead on my knees. Not only had people witnessed the horror I lived in, but they had to be the hottest people in the world. Even the woman had made me look twice and left me shoving a deeper desire I refuse to even consider right now. Knock, knock. "Parker?" It was the giant of a man's voice. Why couldn't they leave so I could be alone? "Go away." I heard sounds on the other side of the door that sounded like he'd sat on the floor. "Come out and talk to us." I pressed my forehead against my knee harder, trying to ignore the giant bearded intercourse god. "Or, just talk to me. We're worried about you." My chest seized as I forced myself to take a deep breath. Irrational anger surged inside of me. Why didn't they understand I didn't want them here? "You don't even know me." The sound of his deep chuckle sent a warm wave of desire through me. Stupid hormones. "Twenty-four hours ago, I would have agreed with you. After last night, I feel like I know you on a level most others never will." What did I do last night? I still couldn't remember what I'd done. I swore to myself I'd never drink again. "It was all lies." "Why are you trying to push us away? What would be so wrong with letting someone in to help for once?" Memories of my parents’ fighting came back to me. It was my tenth birthday. When my dad found out my mom bought a cake for my birthday, he'd attacked her. Everything was a blur until he'd pinned her against the wall. She held a knife to his crotch and threatened him. He'd left and never returned that day. My mind shut down, preventing me from thinking about it any longer. "Because I can't afford to pay you and no one does anything out of the kindness of their heart." I couldn't keep the sarcastic tone out of my voice as I said it. "Parker, you're missing a vital part of this dynamic." Silently, I chanted over and over for him to not use the word mates again. It couldn't be real. Paranormal romance novels weren't real... neither were shifters nor the perfect person walking into my life and devoting themselves to me. That was a fairytale, not reality. "Mates. Just to see a smile cross your lips, I'd clean this entire property. Throw in the others, and we'd do anything to see you happy." He tapped something on the door. "I can scent your annoyance through the door." "Wait a minute... you said all of you. That's not how mates work. Fated mates are two people, not an entire harem." I hissed as I shook my head. "This conversation is ridiculous because it's not real." Silence filled the space between us for several long seconds. "You really want us to leave?" My stomach twisted at his words. We just met, and yet he sounded devastated as he asked the question. I silently cursed myself for causing the change I heard. If I was a better person, I would say something else. "Yes." "Fine, we'll leave, but only on one condition. Buss each one of us. Then, if you feel nothing, we'll walk out of here without protest." I banged my head on my knee. That wouldn't work. They weren't even in the room with me and I already felt things. No way could I buss even one of them without having a reaction. "No." "Is that because you already know what I'm saying is true, or are you just being stubborn?" Before I could think about why he had said it, I jumped up and threw the door open to glare at him. "Are you always a jerk?" The confidence disappeared as I looked up into his eyes. He grabbed the doorknob and pulled it closed behind me, pushing me against him in the process. His gaze locked on mine as he lowered his head until we were almost bussing. "Never, but I'm not above riling you up to help give you the boost you need to confront a situation with confidence." Now that he was so close, I couldn't remember why I'd locked myself in the bathroom. Everything around us disappeared except the door his hard body pressed me against. His free hand caressed my cheek. "Can you genuinely tell me you don't feel the bond trying to form between us?" I clamped my jaw closed. If I didn't admit it out loud, then it wasn't real, but he was right. I could feel a... connection to him and the others. It didn't make sense, and I might not want it, but was most definitely there. His lips brushed against mine ever so slightly, sending a wave of fire through me. I gripped the straps of his black tactical vest to pull him closer, but he didn't budge. He chuckled as he moved from my lips to my ear. "Mate, if I buss you, I won't stop until you're mine. It might not be today or tomorrow, but I will claim you and make you mine." "And if I say we're not mates?" "Your mouth might lie, but your body and soul can't." I heard him inhale deep at my neck. "I can smell your need to claim me. It fills my senses until it's all I can think about. I've just found you and already you've consumed my entire world." It was bizarre, but I completely understood what he meant. Somewhere deep down inside of me, the idea of kicking out even one of them left me feeling raw. Six mates... and one of them was a woman. I'd known I was attracted to both genders from a young age, but I'd always locked that part of me away. My mom flipped at the idea of me dating a single man. I couldn't even fathom how hard she was rolling over in her grave at having six lovers. It was so much to process. "Come on, let's go back to the others." His voice pulled me back to reality. "Not yet." Suddenly, I didn't want to move. When I felt his body pull back, I gripped his vest tighter. My gut twisted as I decided to throw a lifetime of caution out the window. "buss me." He growled deep in his chest as his hands slid down my sides until he cupped my hips. A squeal of surprise escaped me as he lifted me up, then held me against his chest as he pressed me against the door. "You're mine... ours." Then his buss consumed me, mind, body, and soul. It felt as if our life forces bonded together. The mere thought of letting go of this man became too much. It was in that moment I realized I'd screwed up. I'd never be able to give him up, or the others, without ripping my own heart from my chest. I regretted so much in my life. What was one more? I sank my hands into his hair, gripping it at the roots, and tilted his head back. Our buss broke. A smug satisfaction slid through me when I realized he was breathing as hard as I was, but I wasn't done throwing out stupid rules my mother had forced on me. I pulled his head until I'd exposed his neck. The edge of a tribal tattoo peeked out under his shirt. I trailed the tip of my tongue along the dark lines, then bussed a trail along his neck. He moved until only one hand cupped my hips. His other hand caressed the back of my neck, urging me to do whatever I wanted to him. I tightened my legs around his waist, lifting myself higher as my busses moved along the edge of his beard. "That is hot." Another man's voice made it through my lusty fog. "Yeah, can't wait until it's my turn." Someone else said. I pulled back and realized my five other mates were watching us make out. All of them had a hunger in their eyes I'd never seen before...

Today's additions are:

• We don't suck, we blow! - Chimneys (Tags: hip hop, jazz, rock, beat, beats, fusion, hip-hop, jazz, rock, samples, Hamburg) [JazzLab]
  
• Haishen - Awaken the Endless Deep (Tags: metal, rock, ambient, post-rock, progressive, Rochester) [Needlejuice]
  
• Vulvodynia - Entabeni (Tags: ) [Unique Leader]
  
• Intervals - memory palace (Tags: metal, progressive, rock, independent, instrumental, prog, Toronto) [Independent]
  
• Oppress. - The Subtle Art of Turning Gold into Shit (Tags: black metal, extreme metal, metal, death metal, United Kingdom) [Independent]
  
• Clæmus - Mercurial (EP) (Tags: metal, experimental rock, progressive metal, Wellington) [Independent]
  
• Francisco Domínguez - Arrosa xuriaren artean (Tags: classical, avant garde, contemporary, electronic, Vitoria Gasteiz) [Ensemble Sinkro]
  
• Markgraf - Hohenbaden (Tags: black metal, heavy metal, metal, Baden Baden) [Independent]
  
• Demersal - Demersal (Tags: metal, hardcore, metallic hardcore, screamo, Odense) [Independent]
  
• yaya bey - Ten Fold (Tags: hip hop, hip-hop, r&b, r&b/soul, rap, soul, Brooklyn) [Big Dada]
  
• Knocked Loose - You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To (Tags: metal, metalcore, beatdown, hardcore, metallic hardcore, numetal, sludge, Louisville) [Pure Noise]
  
• The Tangent - To Follow Polaris (Tags: rock, yes, genesis, prog, prog rock, progressive, progressive rock, van der graaf generator, London) [InsideOut Music]
  
• Sidus Atrum - “Розірване Небо (Torn Sky)” (Tags: female fronted metal, metal, atmospheric, blackened death doom, blackened doom, blackened doom metal, death doom metal, doom metal, ukrainian black metal, ukrainian metal, Kyiv) [Independent]
  
• GOD MOTHER - Sinneseld (Tags: death metal, grindcore, hardcore, metal, power violence, Stockholm) [Independent]
  
• Bab L' Bluz - Swaken (Tags: blues, psychedelic trance, funk, gnawa, Marrakesh) [Real World]
  
• Speed Dealer Moms - Birth Control Pill (Tags: electronic, idm, los angeles, analog, breakcore, breaks, experimental electronic, jungle, leftfield, rave, Winnipeg) [Evar]
  
• EABS - Reflections of Purple Sun (Tags: jazz, jazz fusion, ambient, breakbeat, hip hop, jazz, jazz-funk, poland, spiritual jazz, techno, Wrocław) [Astigmatic]
  
• Vaticinal Rites - Cascading Memories Of Immortality (Tags: brescia, death metal, italy, metal, Brescia) [Everlasting Spew]
  
• Thot - Delta (Tags: rock, industrial rock, noise rock, post-metal, post-punk, post-rock, Brussel) [Pelagic]
  
• Shane Parish - Repertoire (Tags: alternative, fingerpicking, folk guitar, jazz, music, solo guitar, Athens) [Palilalia]
  
• we broke the weather - Restart Game (Tags: boston, rock, garage prog, jazz fusion, math rock, nu-jazz, post-rock, prog rock, progressive rock, psych rock, stoner rock, Somerville) [Independent]
  
• Brad Mehldau - After Bach II (Tags: jazz, classical, genius, piano, piano solo, Amsterdam) [Nonesuch]
  
• Brad Mehldau - Après Fauré (Tags: jazz, classical, genius, piano, piano solo, Amsterdam) [Nonesuch]
  
• Sonus Umbra - Whiteout Hi Res (24 bit) (Tags: progressive rock, rock, Chicago) [Progrock.com's Essentials]
  
• Dälek - Negro Necro Nekros (Tags: hip-hop/rap, hip hop, hip-hop, rap, underground, underground hip hop, Union City) [Ipecac]
  
• Iravu/Mumuksu - Sudra (Tags: atmospheric black metal, black metal, death metal, extreme metal, metal, rabm, ambient, blackened doom, dark ambient, doom metal, red anarchist black metal, Malaysia) [Iravu]
  
• SVNEATR - Never Return (Tags: atmospheric black metal, black metal, blackened death metal, canadian black metal, metal, progressive black metal, Vancouver) [Prosthetic]
  
• SYK - eartHFlesh (Tags: metal, black-metal, death-metal, extreme-metal, groove-metal, progressive, Italy) [Season of Mist]
  
• Yi-Ting Lu - An Unopened Seashell (Tags: bassoon, contemporary classical, guitar, harp, piano, saxophone, New York) [New Focus]
  
• Dreare - Foregone (Tags: metal, drone, instrumental, post-metal, progressive, synth, Czech Republic) [Independent]
  
• Sithu Aye - Kindness (Tags: metal, djent, instrumental, progressive metal, Glasgow) [Independent]
  
• Mountainscape - Iridescent (Tags: blackgaze, metal, instrumental, post-blackmetal, post-metal, post-rock, soundtrack, Reading) [Celestial Diadem]
  
• Ehtëk - Íncst (Tags: atmospheric black metal, black metal, metal, post black metal) [Independent]
  
• no funeral records - Gil Cerrone / Letterbombs Split (Tags: australia, finland, kitchener, on, punk, emo, emoviolence, screamo, skramz, Canada) [Independent]
  
• Eat Your Own Head - The Trawler - EP (Tags: alternative, rock, alternative, grunge, independent music, math rock, math-rock, post-rock, rock, London) [Drongo]
  
• GNAW THEIR TONGUES - Hagetisse - The fountain of fallen stars (Tags: black metal, drone, experimental, Smallingerland) [Independent]
  
• Crystalline Thunderbolts Pierce The Sacred Mountain - Shine Like The Suicidal Madness Of The Sacred Amethyst (Tags: black metal, drone, experimental, Smallingerland) [GNAW THEIR TONGUES]
  
• No Teeth - Decadence In Breeding (Tags: experimental, art rock, experimental rock, garage, noise rock, post-punk, Newcastle Upon Tyne) [Post Post Music]
  
• JOURS PÂLES - DISSOLUTION (Tags: asphodèle, black metal, blackgaze, emotional black metal, french black metal, jours pâles, ladlo, melancolic metal, France) [Les Acteurs de l'ombre]
  
• Atavistia - Inane Ducam (I will lead into nothingness) (Tags: black metal, blackened death metal, death metal, melodic metal, metal, brutal metal, epic metal, melodic death metal, Vancouver) [Independent]
  
• Black Hole Deity - Profane Geometry (Tags: brescia, death metal, italy, metal, tech death metal, brutal death metal, tech death, Brescia) [Everlasting Spew]
  
• olim - Because (Tags: atmospheric black metal, black metal, blackgaze, metal, post black metal, post-black, Greater Sudbury) [Independent]
  
• Bleached Cross - Columns of Impenetrable Light (Tags: punk, darkwave, electronic, experimental, post-punk) [Independent]
  
• Windows96 - Yes Da Da Da (Tags: electronic, chillwave, psychedelic, synthwave, vaporwave, São Paulo) [Independent]
  
• ELECTROMANCER - Enforcer (Tags: thrash metal, 80s, metal, metalcore, instrumental, metal, progressive metal, synthwave, video game music, Australia) [Paul Wardingham]
  
• svrm - Прощання (Tags: black metal, metal, Kharkiv) [Independent]
  
• Chase Elodia - Have, Know, Want (Tags: jazz, indie, jazz, rock, Brooklyn) [Biophilia]
  
• Paradox Rift - Ensnared (Tags: metal, deathmetal, grindcore, melodic death metal, progressive metal, Cleveland) [Independent]
  
• MATTHEW SHIPP - THE DATA (Tags: jazz, matthew shipp, avant garde jazz, avant-garde music, free jazz, improvised music. rogueart, jazz piano, new york jazz, piano, Paris) [RogueArt]
  
• The Rhythm Method - Pastorale (Tags: acoustic, classical, experimental, classical, contemporary classical, experimental, flute, holiday music, new music, post asmr, string quartet, New York) [Independent]
  
• Katt Rán - SÁLA (Tags: alternative, folk, icelandic, nordic, pagan, viking, Delft) [Svart]
  
• John O'Gallagher - Beast (Tags: jazz, alto saxophone, free improv, free jazz, "john ogallagher", modern jazz, nu jazz, spiritual jazz, vinyl, whirlwind recordings, Birmingham) [Whirlwind]
  
• Liturgy - Immortal Life II (Tags: experimental, black metal, Brooklyn) [Independent]
  
• A Night In Texas - Digital Apocalypse (Tags: ) [Unique Leader]
  
• Like Moths To Flames - The Cycles Of Trying To Cope (Tags: metal, metalcore, hardcore, Columbus) [UNFD]
  
• Rendered Helpless - From Nothing Comes All (Tags: death metal, deathcore, doom, metal, progressive, slam, slamming brutal death metal, sludge, Christchurch) [Independent]
  
• Colin Stetson - The love it took to leave you (Tags: experimental, indie, jazz, instrumental, Montréal) [Envision]
  
• Cosmic Jaguar - El Era del Jaguar (Tags: death metal, metal, technical metal, technical thrash metal, thrash metal, avant-garde, progressive metal, world music, Zhytomyr) [Independent]
  
• BALWEZO WESTIJIZ - Tower Of Famine (Tags: black metal, sweden, Kitchener) [Profound Lore]
  
• Cruce Signatus - Cruce Signatus (Tags: dungeon synth, metal, synthwave & darksynth, Milwaukee) [Independent]
  
• Gaylord - Baseball Bats and Butterfly Knives (Tags: grind, grindcore, lgbtq, metal, queer, queercore, antifa, black metal, lgbtq, Canada) [Independent]
  
• Mark Guiliana - MARK (Tags: jazz, rock, electronic, instrumental, jazz and improvised music, Los Angeles) [Edition]
  
• Summoning The Lich - Under The Reviled Throne (Tags: death metal, metal, thrash metal, St. Louis) [Prosthetic]
  
• Houle - Ciel Cendre et Misère Noire (Tags: black metal, death metal, melodic black metal, metal, Paris) [Independent]
  
• Luna Li - When a Thought Grows Wings (Tags: alternative, dreamy, groovy, indie, pop, Los Angeles) [In Real Life]
  
• The Plot In You - Vol. 2 (Tags: alternative, hardcore, metal, metalcore, post-hardcore, rock, Ohio) [Fearless]
  
• Drawn from Ichor - Up Into The Wolfs Jaw (Tags: death metal, metal, Sheffield) [Independent]
  
• TESTO - Marya.Ivan (Tags: idm, world, dub, folklore, jungle, world music, Saint Petersburg) [Independent]
  
• Anna Gadt, Marta Grzywacz, Natalia Kordiak, Gosia Zagajewska - VOICEACT (Tags: anna gadt, cecil taylor, gosia zagajewska, impro, jazz, marta grzywacz, natalia kordiak, vice, free impro, fsrecords.net, improvisation, music, piano, Warsaw) [Fundacja Słuchaj]
  
• Pijn - From Low Beams Of Hope (Tags: experimental, rock, ambient, doom, drone, post-metal, post-rock, Manchester) [Floodlit]
  
• JACK - Split with Chadhel (Tags: rock, grindcore-crossover, hardcore, punk, Hungary) [Independent]
  
• Milton Nascimento & Esperanza Spalding - Milton + esperanza (Tags: jazz, New York) [Concord Jazz]
  
• Fake Fruit - Mucho Mistrust (Tags: punk, indie rock, lunchmeat, oakland, post-punk, wobbly, Oakland) [Carpark]
  
• Fire-Toolz - Breeze (Tags: electronic, idm, alternative rock, cybergrind, electro-industrial, emo, experimental, experimental electronic, fusion, glitch, grindcore, jazz fusion, new age, noise, noisecore, prog, Chicago) [Independent]
  
• Oxygen Destroyer - Guardian of the Universe (Tags: angelcorpse, metal, morbid angel, death metal, death thrash, death thrash metal, demolition hammer, kreator, morbid saint, vader, Seattle) [Redefining Darkness]
  
• Soften The Glare - EP III (Tags: rock, math rock, progmetal, progrock, Raleigh) [Independent]
  
• The Flying Luttenbachers - Spectral Warrior Mythos 2 (Tags: experimental, grindcore, modern classical, no wave, noise, post punk, New York) [UG Explode]
  
• TALL MARY - When Will I Find Something New (Tags: drone, experimental, noise punk, post rock, Vancouver) [Kingfisher Bluez]
  
• Цар Стангра - Битката за Фиорда - На живо в Сагене (Tags: black metal, bulgaria, metal, dark ambiant, folk, ritualistic, Canada) [Independent]
  
• Anarchÿ - The Spectrum of Human Emotion (Tags: melodic metal, melodic thrash metal, metal, technical thrash metal, progressive metal, progressive thrash metal, speed-metal, thrash, thrash metal, St. Louis) [Independent]
  
• PreHistoric Animals - Finding Love In Strange Places (Tags: alternative, alternative rock, prog rock, progmetal, Sweden) [Dutch Music Works]
  
• THE LAST OF LUCY - Godform (Tags: metal, brutal death metal, death metal, deathcore, grind, grindcore, hardcore, mathcore, progressive death metal, progressive metal, tech death, technical death, technical death metal, us death metal, United States) [Transcending Obscurity]
  
• And So I Watch You From Afar - Megafauna (Tags: alternative, instrumental, rock, Belfast) [Independent]
  
• ColdCell - Age Of Unreason (Tags: atmospheric black metal, black metal, depressive black metal, extreme metal, metal, Basel) [Independent]
  
• IXION - RESTRICTION (Tags: electronic, metal, ambient, androids, atmospheric metal, blade runner, doom metal, electronica, gothic metal, robots, synthwave, France) [Independent]
  
• William Soovik Grand Finale - Once More, Dear Friends! (Tags: contemporary jazz, experimental, free jazz, gothenburg jazz, grunge jazz, jazz, rock, saxophone, swedish jazz, Gothenburg) [Independent]
  
• Carb On Carb - Take Time (Tags: new zealand, punk, emo, emo revival, midwest emo, pop punk, Whanganui) [Independent]
  
• اکوان (Akvan) - سووشون (Tags: black metal, black metal from iran, blackened death metal, iran, iranian black metal, metal, Iran) [Independent]
  
• Claire Cross - Sleep Cycle (Tags: jazz, ambient, australian jazz, chamber, contemporary jazz, folk, minimalism, nu jazz, progressive rock, Berlin) [Art as Catharsis]
  
• Extortionist - Devoid Of Love & Light (Tags: deathcore, extortionist, hardcore, industrial, metal, metalcore, unique leader records) [Unique Leader]
  
• Sebastien Ammann - Change Of Course (Tags: jazz, New York) [Ropeadope]
  
• Pallbearer - Mind Burns Alive (Tags: epic doom metal, metal, Little Rock) [Nuclear Blast]
  
• COGNITIVE - Abhorrence (Tags: death metal, metal, progressive, slam, technical death metal, grindcore, Jersey) [Metal Blade]
  
• Botanist - Paleobotany (Deluxe Edition) (Tags: metal, avant-garde, black metal, experimental, hammered dulcimer, San Francisco) [Prophecy]
  
• NOCTURNUS AD - Unicursal (Tags: black metal, death metal, metal, heavy metal, Tampa) [Profound Lore]
  
• Kulk - It Gets Worse (Tags: alternative, norwich, doom, doom metal, heavy, post-metal, psychedelic, sludge, stoner metal, stoner rock, United Kingdom) [Human Worth]
  
• Inner Landscape - 3H33 (Tags: metal, post-hardcore, post-metal, Lyon) [Independent]
  
• Eigenstate Zero - The Malthusian (Tags: metal, deathmetal, djent, jazzmetal, melodeath, melodic death metal, nogenre, prog, progressive death metal, progressive metal, techdeath, Stockholm) [Independent]
  
• DAVID MURRAY QUARTET with Marta Sanchez, Luke Stewart and Russell Carter - Francesca (Tags: david murray, luke stewart, composition, improvisation, jazz, marta sanchez, Zurich) [Intakt]
  
• BORDERLANDS TRIO with Stephan Crump, Kris Davis, Eric McPherson - Rewilder (Tags: eric mcpherson, kris davis, stephan crump, composition, free jazz, improvisation, jazz, Zurich) [Intakt]
  
• Big Chef - Mud Wrestling Sydney Sweeny Perched High Upon a Mountain Peak, Beneath a Canopy of Shimmering Starlight (a millennial's american dream) x :) (Tags: beefcore, deathgrind, death metal, deathcore, metal, thall, djent, goregrind, grindcore, slam, slamming brutal death metal, Australia) [Independent]
  
• öz ürügülü - Della Morte dell’Artista (Tags: frank zappa, jazz, mats morgan band, morgan ågren, mr. bungle, panzerballett, secret chiefs 3, snarky puppy, experimental rock, film music, fusion, jacob collier, odd time signatures, oriental, poil, progressive, Zug) [Independent]
  
• Maddalena Ghezzi - Dolomite (Tags: electronic, jazz, avant-garde, contemporary, contemporary jazz, songs, London) [Independent]
  
• Gatecreeper - Dark Superstition (Tags: crust, death metal, doom, hardcore, metal, Arizona) [Nuclear Blast]
  
• Liraz - Enerjy - انرژی (Tags: farsi, global disco, world, electropop, persian, pop, retro, world-disco, Tel Aviv Yafo) [Batov]
  
• i Häxa - Part Two (Tags: alternative, dark ambient, dark folk, electronic music, indie, trip hop, London) [Pelagic]
  
• Karen Willems - JUJU (Tags: soundtrack, avant-garde, percussive, sound collage, Maldegem) [Werf]
  
• ZILF - Reanimated (Tags: alternative, djent, indie, mathcore, metal, metalcore, rock, technical metal, thrash metal, United Kingdom) [Independent]
  
• Layale Chaker & Sarafand - Radio Afloat (ICR031) (Tags: arabic jazz, world, arabic jazz, arabic vocals, chamber music, improvised chamber jazz, improvised piano, jazz, jazz and improvised music, violin, world music, Brooklyn) [In a Circle]
  
• Ambient Jazz Ensemble - Spirit Dance (Tags: jazz, ambient, ambient jazz, ambient jazz ensemble, chillout, cinematic, cinematic jazz, jazz, lounge, lounge music, rnb, London) [Here & Now]
  
• Tzompantli - Beating the Drums of Ancestral Force (Tags: metal, black metal, death metal, doom metal, heavy metal, Pittsburgh) [20 Buck Spin]
  
• James Ilgenfritz - Stay Logged In On This Trusted Device (Tags: experimental, New York) [Infrequent Seams]
  
• Joe Rocca - Hybride (Tags: hip-hop, hip-hop/rap, r&b, rap, soul, Montreal) [Bonsound]
  
• Thought Trials - This Has Always Been With You (Tags: rock, ambient, electronica, instrumental post-rock, post-rock, Buffalo) [Post.]
  
• Christopher Cerrone - Beaufort Scales (Tags: classical, classical contemporary music, classical, contemporary classical, electronic, experimental, new music, vocal, vocal ensemble, Brooklyn) [Cold Blue Music]
  
• wthAura - gumballs (Tags: alternative, experimental, rock, intstrumental, math rock, prog rock, Philadelphia) [Independent]
  
• Gabriel Dharmoo - Vestiges d'une fable (Tags: classical, experimental, avant-garde, classical, contemporary, contemporary classical, vocal, Toronto) [Centrediscs]
  
• Le Double - Le Double (Tags: alternative, electronic, contemporary classical, contemporary jazz, new music, poetry and music, Canada) [Corne de brume]
  
• Hvile I Kaos - Lower Order Manifestations (Tags: black metal, experimental, metal, chambermusic, neoclassical, occult, Los Angeles) [Independent]
  
• Viacrucis - Melhorament (Tags: atmospheric black metal, black metal, blackened death metal, death metal, metal, rouyn-noranda, atmospheric, cathar, metal noir, occitan, occitanie, Gaspé) [Independent]
  
• Gabriel Genest - As It Is (Tags: jazz, canadian jazz, chamber jazz, contemporary jazz, modern jazz, Montreal) [Independent]
  
• Darko - Greyscale (Tags: a wilhelm scream, melodic hardcore, propagandi, punk, strung out, technical melodic punk) [Lockjaw]
  
• Federico Bonacossa - Elettroarmonico (Tags: contemporary classical, electric guitar, experimental, New York) [New Focus]
  
• Hemotoxin - When Time Becomes Loss (Tags: death metal, melodic, metal, thrash metal, progressive, technical, San Francisco) [Independent]
  
• JISEI - POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS (Tags: deathcore, punk, beatdown, deathcore, falsegrind, hardcore, lgbtq+, trans, Vancouver) [Independent]
  
• Maudits - Précipice (Tags: metal, ambient, instrumental, post, Paris) [Independent]
  
• Avoid Humanity - Between Now and Never (Tags: metal, hardcore, Bucharest) [Independent]
  
• Kavyesh Kaviraj - Fables (Tags: creative jazz, jazz, avant garde jazz, contemporary jazz, jazz and improvised music, jazz piano, modern jazz, nu-jazz, Minneapolis) [Shifting Paradigm]
  
• Nebula Orionis - The Long Path to Nowhere (Tags: metal, ambient, atmospheric black metal, cinematic, cosmic, space metal, Russia) [Independent]
  
• TERAMAZE - Eli : A Wonderful Fall From Grace (Tags: metal, progressive metal, progressive rock, rock, Melbourne) [Independent]
  
• Gnarwhal - Altered States (Tags: hard rock, rock, fuzz, stoner, Yellowknife) [Independent]
  
• Lower Automation - Welcome to My Deathbed (Tags: alternative, experimental punk, goth, industrial, math punk, mathcore, noise rock, post punk, punk, Illinois) [Independent]
  
• MULA - Cúmulo abierto (Tags: punk, rock, spoken word, experimental rock, free jazz, improvised music, jazz, noise, noise ambient, prog, Bogotá) [Independent]
  
• Nyktophobia - To The Stars (Tags: black metal, death metal, metal, Datteln) [Apostasy]
  
• EVILYN - Mondestrunken (Tags: metal, brutal death metal, death metal, dissonant, dissonant death metal, experimental death metal, progressive, progressive death, progressive death metal, tech death, technical death, technical death metal, United States) [Transcending Obscurity]
  
• OGIVES BIG BAND - Boisterous Love (Tags: experimental, hard rock, metal, metalcore, noise rock, progressive, progressive hardcore, psychedelic, soundtrack, hardcore, Bristol) [Stolen Body]
  
• Arx Atrata - A Reckoning (Tags: atmospheric black metal, metal, black metal, blackened doom metal, epic black metal, post black metal, Nottingham) [Independent]
  
• Progfox - Visitation III (Tags: Metal) [schitzocore entertainment]
  
• Voidsmen - Ice Age Part 0: Blood Furnace (Tags: metal, salt lake city, doom, doom metal, sludge, space doom, space metal, space rock, Salt Lake City) [Independent]
  
• Filip Żółtowski Quartet released by Alpaka Records - BiBi (Tags: electronic, hip hop, jazz, fusion, hip hop instrumentals, jazz, nujazz, Poland) [Filip Żółtowski Quartet]
  
• Strelitzia - Winter (Tags: rock, emo, experimental rock, independent, indie rock, math rock, math-rock, midwest emo, post-hardcore, post-rock, Gilbert) [Independent]
  
• Ugly Robot - The Space Between Us (Tags: rock, classic rock, experimental rock, indie rock, indietronica, math rock, Albuquerque) [Independent]
  
• Anoxide - Morals & Dogma (Tags: death metal, metal, brutal death metal, goregrind, slam, slamming brutal death metal, United States) [Ghastly Music]
  
• Otomo Yoshihide and Chris Pitsiokos - Uncanny Mirror (Tags: experimental, avant-garde, free jazz, improvisation, jazz, noise, New York) [Chris Pitsiokos / ELEATIC]
  
• Alex Harding & Lucian Ban - Blutopia (Tags: jazz, avant-garde, modern classical, piano, post bop, New York) [Sunnyside]
  
• On Ka’a Davis - …Here’s to Another Day and Night for the Lwa of the Woke (Tags: Jazz) [Tzadik]
  
• SHOKRAN - Duat (Tags: metal, djent, math, oriental, progressive metal, solo guitar, Russia) [Independent]
  
• Black Dresses - LAUGHINGFISH (Tags: alternative, electronic, industrial, noise pop, sci-fi, Toronto) [Independent]
  
• Sushma Soma - THE MOUNTAIN HAS THE LAST SAY (Tags: carnatic, experimental, indian music, world, world music, tamil folk, Singapore) [Independent]
  
• Les Fantômes du jour - Ravages (Tags: progressive rock, rock, art rock, nantes, post-hardcore, post-metal, post-prog, post-rock, progressive metal, Nantes) [Ajna Management]
  
• Clear Clover - Spectate (Tags: industrial metal, metal, rock, ambient, electronic, industrial, instrumental, new age, progressive metal, vaporwave, Montreal) [Independent]
  
• A Wake In Providence - I Write To You, My Darling Decay (Tags: ) [Unique Leader]
  

I've posted this timeline before but this subreddit wasn't really being moderated and I deleted my posts. It appears to be moderated now, the trolls were just too much.
Anyways here's my cancer timeline. I'm happy to answer questions. I just had my 4th colonoscopy today and only had 1 polyp found. I've included my weights at various stages to show that weight gain can happen on chemo and that it is possible to lose that weight!
Low iron lead to the colonoscopy. I had various symptoms and diagnoses leading up the colon cancer. Separately they're not concerning but in hindsight the colon cancer dates back years most likely.
10/29/2017 - Iron/Total Iron Binding Capacity: 3%
12/5/2017 - Blocking tumor found in descending colon during colonoscopy. Ambry Genetics ColoNext panel (17 genes): APC, BMPR1A, CDH1, CHEK2, EPCAM, GREM1, MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, MUTYH, PMS2, POLD1, POLE, PTEN, SMAD4, STK11, and TP53 and additional pancreatic cancer-related genes A TM, BRCA1, BRCA2, CDKN2A, PALB2 all negative.
12/29/2017 - Partial colectomy performed, 5.2cm tumor, confirmed invasion on 2/25 lymph nodes and perineural invasion. aware of the 5mm lower left lung nodule, never biopsied. Pathologic staging pT3pN1 Adenocarcinoma.
2/26/2018 - 8/6/2018 - Weight before the first chemo ~185lbs. Folfox Q2week, 1 week delay in 1 treatment due to infected dog bite.
9/27/2018 - Lower left lung nodule gone on CT.
2/19/2020 - Central retinal artery occlusion of the left retina during non cancer related surgery at John Hopkins. Essentially blind in left eye. No treatment available.
3/5/2020 - Lung nodule in lower left lobe, 12x10mm, and upper right lobe, 7x5mm, found on CT scan from post stroke work up.
2/20/2021 - Lung nodule in lower left lobe, 17x14mm, and upper right lobe, 9x6mm, per CT.
3/19/2021 - PET findings: Lower left lung lobe lesion, 15x15mm. Upper right lung lobe lesion, 7x7mm. Partial left-sided colectomy with colocolic anastomosis in the left midabdomen without evidence of FDG avid recurrent or metastatic disease in the abdomen or pelvis. There are 2 pulmonary pulmonary nodules with mild FDG uptake concerning for pulmonary metastases.
4/6/2021 - Needle core biopsy of lower left lung lobe nodule (still aware of nodule in right upper lobe, not biopsied at this time), confirmed metastatic colon cancer (positive cytokeratin 20, negative cytokeratin 7, Napsin A and TTF-1 stains)
Upgraded to Clinical Stage IV (CT3, CN1, cM1b) from pathologic staging of pT3pN1
4/19/2021 - Folfiri 1x treatment
NGS showed KRAS/NRAS/BRAF WT, NTHL1
5/3/2021 - 7/12/2021 - Folfiri+Erbitux, Q2Week, 1 stopped treatment when at home pump line is cut, didn't finish treatment that week
8/13/2021 - VATS lung wedge resection of lower left lung lobe nodule 9mm, confirmed colon cancer again, adenocarcinoma (positive cytokeratin 20, negative cytokeratin 7, Napsin A and TTF-1 stains)
9/15/2021 - VATS lung wedge resection of upper right lung lobe. Adenocarcinoma. Start of NED.
10/18/2021 - 1/11/2022 Folfox-6 modified. Q2week. 1 stopped treatment in December, unable to stop vomiting blood, spent several days in hospital, chemotherapy induced gastritis, was near needing blood transfusion. For the last few treatments I went through desensitization protocol. Hives, itching, some shortness of breath, given IV Benadryl and IV solu-medrol at each treatment. Along with iron infusions afterwards due to low iron from vomiting blood. Final chemo weight 293lbs.
5/10/2024 - Weight: 212lbs

I first started noticing that something was wrong around 3 months ago. At the time, I was working from home and would usually light a scented candle while I worked, which usually helped me relax and stay focused on my work. I would usually burn through a candle a week, but over time, the candles started to take less time to fully burn up. At first, I thought that this was because of a change in ingredients the company that made the candles used, but the problem persisted after I switched candle brands, which I once again blamed on the candle manufacturers.
I kept this belief for another week until the first incident. While getting up from my computer desk, which faces away from the candle, to take a quick bathroom break, I caught a glimpse of the lit candle. A two-inch layer of molten wax rested on another three-inch layer of solid wax, the wicks rising out at first and being somewhat visible through the molten layer, finally breaking the surface and being slowly burned away. The flames flickered as I swung the door open and walked out of the room. When I returned 10 minutes later, the molten layer was gone, and the wicks had been shortened so that the flames rested right above the solid layer of the wax. At first, I thought that the glass jar that contained the candle was leaking, but after a short inspection, I was only able to find two small drops of candle wax that had solidified right next to the candle on the bedside table. I still had 2 hours of work left to do, but I was too lost in thought and was unable to do any work for the rest of the day.
Every night before I go to sleep, I like to read for at least 30 minutes, and while reading, I usually light a candle. Around 4 days later, I had mostly forgotten about the incident and went back to using candles. Due to my naivety, it returned.
I fell asleep while reading with a candle lit on my bedside table. I woke up to loud slurping noises. As I opened my eyes, the brightness of the light I had not turned off almost blinded me. As my eyes tried to readjust to the light and focus on what was in front of me, I saw a somewhat humanoid dark gray to light blue blur that contrasted with the white paint on the walls behind it. Another gray line stretched from the shape's head to the candle on my bedside table. I could feel my heart skip five consecutive beats. I opened my mouth and tried to force out a scream for help, but the pressure I applied to my throat was way beyond what it was able to handle, leading me to only produce a light wheezing sound. I tried to sit up or to at least prop myself up, but my muscles failed me. Trying to push myself up with my arms felt impossible. As I stared at the figure that had suddenly appeared in my room, my eyes finally managed to focus, making it possible for me to see the intruder who was now staring at me. The figure was a man at least 7 feet tall, fully naked; he looked bloated; his eyes were bloodshot and looked like they would pop out of their sockets; at any point, his skin was a grayish light blue.
HIS LIPS
His lips extended from his mouth like an elephant's trunk, which had been split in half. The lips extended from the man's face to the candle; the flames had been put out. He was using his lips as a makeshift straw, slowly sucking up all the molten wax from the candle, which had fully liquified while I was asleep. I laid in bed, unable to move, unable to scream for help, staring until he emptied the jar. His lips retracted back to his face, the molten wax solidifying on their tips and cracking, flakes of wax falling off the man's lips and falling to the floor. The man grinned, staring at me. The ridges and gaps between the teeth were filled in with wax, making it impossible to make out where one tooth ended and the next one began. The man opened the door he was standing next to, but instead of walking out of the room, he stepped behind it. His face peered at me from above the door, and then once again, like he had done to drink the wax, the man puckered his lips, which stretched from his mouth and floated to me. I shook and tried to roll over away from him. I wanted to get up and run, but my fear had taken over my body. Tears flowed from my eyes. He kissed me on the cheek, leaving flakes of wax and light moisture. He retracted his lips and lowered his head behind the door.
I don't remember falling asleep, but when I woke up, I saw the empty glass jar, which at one point contained the candle. Even though I had hoped that what had happened was a dream, it wasn't. I still had flakes of wax on my cheek, and on my bedroom floor, the wax in the jar had disappeared. I called the police, but they were unable to find anyone in my apartment; they also could not find any evidence of a break-in.
After the break-in, I started looking for a new apartment to move to, thinking that the man was tied to the building I was in, but even though I had thrown out all of my candles, I could not stomach spending another hour in my apartment, constantly looking over my shoulder or walking around with my back pressed up against the wall to not allow it to creep up on me. Thankfully, my friend Emma was able to let me stay over at her apartment while I looked for a new one for myself.
Me and Emma have been friends since we were 8, and we've been there to support each other when times get rough. This isn’t the first time I've had to stay over at her house for an extended amount of time; in fact, I have had to stay over at Emma’s as many times as she has had to stay over at my apartment, whether it was because of evictions after losing a job, breakups, or a candle wax drinking squatter. I didn't even know if it was human. I mean, sure, it looked like one, but human lips are not supposed to do what his did, and somehow it didn't have a reaction to molten wax being poured down its esophagus. I didn't tell Emma about what happened—the details at least—I just told her that a man had broken into my house and was watching me sleep. The only people I told the truth to were my therapist and the cops, and all of them disregarded what I told them as my mind making things up after a traumatic event.
For a while, I believed what they said—I mean, why wouldn’t I?—but then I started seeing him again. For a few days, I thought it was my mind playing tricks on me again like it had done during the night of the incident. For split seconds out of the corner of my eye, I would see the outline of a tall, bloated figure. At first, they were hours apart, but after a while, it became constant. He was standing in each room I passed, in every single dark corner I glanced past, and then he spoke.
“FeeD MeEeee”
It stood in the kitchen, peering over from a small gap between the fridge and the sink, where the trash can that had been knocked over onto its side usually stood. His voice was raspy, and every word that came out of his mouth was distorted as if he were gargling water, but still, I could somehow clearly make out each word he said from over 15 feet away.
“Please just leave me alone I… why are you following me?”
I shouted at the figure, the same fear that had taken over my body during the night I saw him for the first time paralyzing me, making it impossible for me to move anything other than my eyes, eyelids, and mouth.
“i’M sTarviNg, I nEEd You To FeEd ME”
It replied again. Now, stepping out from behind the fridge, he stepped directly onto a rotten banana. Its mushy brown content’s seeping out of the peel under the pressure of his decomposing foot, which was covered in scabs, and took up the same grayish light blue color as the rest of his body. He mostly looked the same; his bloodshot eyes bulged from their sockets, but now his tongue was swollen. It peeked out from between his bloated, cracked gray lips; it stared at me, waiting for an answer.
“Ok, I’ll.. I’ll feed you, but please just... leave me alone.”
I replied, the tone of my voice shifting into high-pitched squeals with every quick breath I took. He looked satisfied by my response. He somehow squeezed his bloated body back into the gap that was at least four times smaller than him. After peering over at me from above the fridge, he bent over backwards, his spine releasing a series of sickening cracks until he was fully obscured by the fridge, and then he vanished.
Still barely in control of my body, I limped over to the couch tucked away in the back corner of the living room, it took me at least 10 minutes to steady my breathing and 20 more to fully regain control of my body again but as soon as I did I ran out the house and to the nearest store, during the 15-minute walk he stared at me through dark windows and the backs of cars, peered out at me from gaps between leaves in the trees and bushes, he even followed me into the store staring at me from the middle of deserted isles before disappearing right before my eyes were able to fully catch him, once I finally got the candles I randomly picked four off of the shelves and rushed to the self checkout.
When I arrived home, I had 2 hours before Emma got off work. I didn't want to feed it while she was home, and I didn't want her to see it. I pulled out two of the candles from the black plastic bag and placed them on the kitchen table, the first a light blue candle named “Garden Rain” and the second a red candle named “Juicy Watermelon." I pulled out a lighter from one of the drawers Emma used after her stove stopped lighting on its own and lit each of the 6 wicks on the candles. As soon as I started seeing the wax melt under the heat of the burning wicks, I dropped the lighter onto the table next to the candles and ran out of the room. I could not stomach seeing that thing again; even just thinking about it made me shudder and hyperventilate. The paralyzing fear that seeing him caused me made me want to vomit.
At least 30 minutes later I started to hear it drink even though the living room and kitchen were separated by a wall, even though I had closed the door I could still hear what at first started as slurping sounds which were followed up by loud gulps, then it stopped, and once again 30 minutes later it started drinking, as the slurping started once again I heard the door to the apartment crack open, it was Emma, as she stepped through the door I saw her carrying two large brown paper bags of groceries in her hands, she was headed to the kitchen.
“Hey let me grab those for you”
I said running over to her, my voice shaking.
“Oh, thanks. Are you… okay, you look scared?”
My eyes shot wide open in a mixture of fear and surprise. I said the first thing that came to mind.
“Yeah just umm… I didn't expect you to come home so early and I got a bit spooked”
“shit sorry, I know I should have called you, work let me off early today,”
I started to turn away from her walking to the kitchen.
Trying to keep her away from the kitchen I told her to wait for me in the living room because I wanted to talk to her about something. I didn't know what I would talk to her about but that was a problem for future me to resolve, somehow it worked.
“What's that sound?”
She called out to me while walking towards the living room couch. It took me a few seconds to come up with an excuse.
“I think it’s the sink, or the pipes at least”
I opened the door to the kitchen with my eyes closed at first hesitant to look knowing what would be greeting me. slowly prying my eyes open I started to see its outline, my muscles started to lose strength as the details of the man came into my view, I felt the grocery bags start to slip from my arms, my knees buckled, face first I fell onto the kitchen floor scattering the groceries all over the floor, I mixture of a light scream and a yelp escaped from my mouth as my body made contact with the floor, Emma concerned for my safety ran into the kitchen, she didn't scream, using all of the strength and mobility I had left in my muscles I rolled over expecting to see her face drenched in terror, her body frozen still unable to move just like my body had done the first time that I saw him, but Emma looked concerned, the man was gone, she crouched down beside me.
“Oh my god are you ok? What happened?”
I looked around observing my surroundings.
“I um… I… I tripped on the little thing at the bottom of the doorframe”
I finally managed to blurt out another excuse, not being able to remember what the name of a door sill was. I started to sit up using a part of the energy that had returned to my body, pain pulsed through my chest and arms, Emma looked at me with a concerned face.
“You've been acting really weird since I got home, are you sure you're ok?”
“Yeah… I think I’m just having one of those days you know”
The confusion on Emma’s face said that she didn’t know and to be honest I didn't either, I guess my luck of pulling random excuses out of my ass ran out, Emma thought that she triggered some sort of PTSD response after barging into the house unannounced at first apologizing then trying to change the subject to stop my trembling which I was still unsuccessfully trying to hide from her.
“Did you buy candles?”
Emma asked picking the groceries apart from the garbage that spilled out the can that the man had knocked over, placing them on the table next to the now half-empty glass jars, the flames flickered above the inch or so of molten wax the man was unable to finish drinking.
“Yeah I’ve been struggling with work lately, they usually help me focus”
“Huh Interesting combination you’ve got going on here”
She looked at me and smiled slightly, I smiled back and chuckled to seem normal.
“Yeah even I don't know what I was trying to accomplish here, to be honest”
I tried to help Emma clean up the spilled groceries but she did not let me, she told me that I needed to recover like I had been in a car crash instead of having taken a little tumble. After a few seconds of silence, Emma spoke again.
“Anyway, what did you want to talk to me about earlier?”
A quick jolt of stress shot through my body, in a jumbled mess of lies and fear I had forgotten what I had told Emma, I sat there in silence for a few seconds unable to come up with an excuse
“I…umm… I don’t remember, it wasn't anything serious though”
“Damn did you hit your head too?”
She said once again proudly smiling at her joke.
At this point Emma picked up the last bag of potato chips from the floor and placed it on the table, then she opened the fridge and started loading the groceries into it.
“Anyway I gotta go get back to work’’
I blurted out after a few more seconds of awkward silence.
“Alright well good luck”
I walked over into the living room and sat down in front of my workstation, which now consisted of a laptop sitting on a small foldable TV tray that had just barely enough room left on it to fit a small USB mouse.
The last thing I remember, before I fell asleep, was me mindlessly scrolling through apartment listings while Emma watched a random 90’s horror movie I’m positive only had a budget of $500.
I woke up with a light stinging pain shooting through my dry throat, and a dim hissing sound caused by thousands of water drops striking the ground outside filled the room. I pressed the spacebar on my laptop, the brightness of the screen blinding me temporarily, after taking a few seconds to let my eyes readjust I managed to make out the time, 3:45 AM. A strong smell I was unable to make out the origin of assaulted my nostrils. Lavender.
The smell hitting my nose had the same effect on me that I would expect smelling salts would have on a weightlifter right before they set a world record. Before I knew it my legs were moving on their own at an almost uncontrollable pace, fighting back against my mind which was telling them to slow down after years of being used to navigating both mine and Emma’s apartment as steadily as possible to not bother the neighbors.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity I stood before Emma’s bedroom door, a faint, yellow, pulsating light radiated from a lamp and snuck out of a small gap between the door and the doorframe, reluctantly I pushed my left hand up against the door, my right hand grasping onto the door frame for a sense of stability, once the door was fully agape I scanned the inside of the room my heart skipping a beat for every humanoid shadow cast up onto the wall by the lights from the wicks which were set ablaze and were being slowly burnt away.
I walked into Emma’s room and made my way over to her bedside table to put out the candle, as I stepped closer towards her, her face became more defined, I could finally make out her features, she was awake, but no she could not have been, even though her eyes were wide open they never blinked, she didn't even move slightly, as I moved closer I finally managed to fully make out the expression of pure terror on her face, her mouth wide agape as if she was about to release a deafening screach, but she could not have, a single drop of solidified wax dribbled out of the corner of her mouth and clung to her cheek, my eyes traced the cream colored path back towards her mouth, first up her cheek then between the corner of her mouth and finally behind her teeth, there instead of her tongue or the roof of her mouth I saw a wall of wax which had filled in the entirety of her mouth.
I fell to my knees and hunched forward supporting my body weight with my arms, I was too late, I resisted the urge to vomit and got back up onto my feet, a mixture of tears and snot slid down my face and onto my lips, shaking now I slowly started limping over towards my phone which I had left on the couch next to where I had awoken just minutes before, just minutes before my life was destroyed because of my lies if I had just told Emma what I had gone through, if I had just told her what had happened on the night of the incident which now seemed trivial, even if she thought that I was crazy, I know that she would have complied just to make me feel comfortable.
It took me at least 30 seconds of repeated attempts to stabilize my hands enough to properly dial 911. “Someone broke into my apartment and hurt my friend” was the only reasonable explanation I could come up with that would not get the operator to hang up on me thinking that this was a prank call.
I sat there in the living room for an agonizing 10 minutes, crying, my sadness slowly transformed into anger towards myself, and my mind raced thinking of all the lies I’d told, I kept thinking that if I had just told her the truth she would not have been laying there in her bed, her body bloated, “every single orifice has signs of forced penetration and has been filled with what seems to be candle wax” is what was written on her autopsy report.
For a few days I was the main suspect in Emma’s murder, but due to the almost unstoppable crying and the unresponsive state that I was in when the police arrived, mixed with the lack of evidence of me having a way to produce 30 pounds of candle wax led to me being released out of police custody, but because I was the main suspect I was not told any details about what had fully happened to Emma, for days all I had to work off of was the image of her face frozen in terror, and a short glance I caught of her bloated body as she was being carted out on a stretcher.
I recounted every single word of our last conversations over and over again until they became permanently etched into my brain.
Emma’s parents originally wanted to cremate her, as that is what she had somewhat jokingly asked for whenever the topic of funerals came up, well she had joked about wanting to have had unpopped popcorn shoved down her throat before she was sent off to “scare the shit out of the guy cremating me” but due to all the wax which would have been impossible to get out of her body they were forced to bury her.
A few days before Emma’s funeral her body disappeared.
After Emma’s death, her parents took me into their home, after reading the autopsy reports and seeing her corpse they had thrown out every single candle they owned which made their home the safest choice I had, still, this did not stop me from buying a machete and keeping it under my bed, just in case.
I was laying on the bed in their guest bedroom The day that the police informed Emma’s parents about her disappearance, the bedroom is right above the front porch of the house, at first I heard them ring the doorbell which was followed up by 3 powerful knocks on the door, for about a minute I laid there on the bed listening to muffled voices exchanging distorted words I was barely able to make out which slowly transformed into distorted weeps, curious I lifted myself up from the bed, made my way over to the window and carefully lifted the bottom panel making Shure to not make too much noise, the distorted muffled sounds started forming into coherent words “We checked the security footage but the only strange thing we could see was a 5 second time jump” one of the officers spoke in a serious and almost monotone voice “which meant that the security guard who was the only person in the building had to climb down 2 flights of stairs walk through a 40 foot long hallway and then drag her body back up stairs and out of the building in 5 seconds” Emma’s mom let out yelp “ but don’t worry ma'am that’s actually good news because we know that her corpse is still somewhere within the building and was probably brought to the wrong floor by an intern, we’ve already warned all of the staff at the hospital to keep an eye out, and we also sent 5 officers to search the hospital”
I could not believe what I was hearing, my breathing quickened, but this time instead of fear I felt anger, that fucker stole her corpse and was probably in the weird separate plane of existence he always went back to after terrorizing me, cutting off chunks of her body, melting her, and drinking her.
I closed the window Emma’s mom's cries once again turned into a muffled rumble which was only possible to make out if you knew what to look for, I took a few steps back away from the window planning to lay back down, not wanting to bother Emma’s parents. I bumped into something, not something, someone, its fleshy towering form as solid as a wall sent me tumbling forward, I knew it was him, he had returned to take me too, to stretch his swollen cracked lips, push them down my esophagus, fill my lungs and stomach with wax. But despite all of that this time I was not scared, I was angry, and I was not going to stand there in terror like I had the last time I saw him.
I fell forward onto my knees my face missing the window sill just by mere inches, I put my hands onto the floor, lifted one of my knees, and rotated 180 degrees now facing the monster, to the right of him pushed up against the wall was the bed, light from the sun reflected off of the metallic button which kept my machete in it’s sheathe, the man started to stretch his lips, they were moving towards me, waving a wiggling through the air like a snake slithering towards me.
I dove towards the bed one of my feet pushing off of the floor and the other pushing against the wall which creaked under the pressure applied to it, I flew for a few moments before slamming down onto the carpet and sliding forward, the heat generated by my skin brushing against the carpet released a sharp stinging pain throughout my body, my outstretched arm landed just a few inches short of the machete, I quickly bent my arms, pushing my body up and crawled towards the machete. my fingers wrapped around the handle I spun around, my back pushed up against the bedside table, once again facing the man, he was still facing the window but his lips faced me and were just a few feet away from me, for what felt like minutes but was most likely no longer than a second, I struggled to hook my finger under the strap securing the machete into its sheath, as the lips inched towards me the man started producing gurgling noises, he was regurgitation wax.
I finally pulled the machete out of its sheath, I swung the blade at the man's lips, the blade was not met with any resistance as it sliced through the man’s lips which landed on the carpeted floor with an audible thud, the man did not have a physical reaction to my counter-attack, his lips kept creeping towards me, once again I slashed at the lips, still no reaction, I repeated this at least 3 more times.
I wanted to kill him, I wanted to take revenge for what he had done to Emma, but fighting back was pointless. I realized that no matter how much I tried to hurt it, I could not kill him, I could not get rid of him.
My rage dissipated and a mixture of fear and sadness crept in, and soon took over my body, I screamed for help, I screamed in fear, in agony, tears streamed down my face as the man's lips finally reached my face, he wasn’t met with any resistance as his lips snuck between mine, pried my jaw open and finally started to slide down my esophagus.
I heard the cops run up the stairs, they started banging on the door asking if I was okay only to have been met with muffled screams, hot wax started to pour down inside of me, the stinging pain of the heat made me want to plunge the machete which I had dropped onto the ground next to me into my stomach to create a gaping wound that the wax would hopefully funnel out of, the texture of the man's slippery, oily lips matched with the poison like flavor of the wax caused me to start gagging, I felt my insides bulging like at any moment my intestines would have been filled to the point where they would pop, I wanted to vomit, the drain myself of the filth I was filled with, but his lips had plugged my throat not allowing anything to get out.
Hearing my muffled screams the cops started kicking the door down, the man retracted his lips, the suction aided my attempts at cleansing my insides, I got onto my hands and knees streams of molten wax pouring out of me, solidifying on the the carpet, with another loud thud the door swung open slamming into the wall, the man was gone.
That’s the last thing I remember before I passed out, but according to one of the doctors who was in the ambulance that brought me to the hospital, I was still semi-responsive during the first 10 minutes of the ride to the hospital.
Approximately 13.4 pounds of wax were removed from my body, the doctors said that I was in a critical condition and some of them did not expect me to make it.
One of the officers who was there the day the man attacked me took a report of what had happened to me, due to the unmistakable evidence of what had happened to both me and Emma, and the fact that this was the 3rd instance of me reporting something like this the police finally started investigating who this man might have been.
Around a month later I was discharged from the hospital and once again have been staying in the living room of Emma’s parent's house.
I’ve been seeing the man again, candles were not allowed in the hospital I stayed at, which means that he’s probably very hungry, he’s close to attacking me again, I know it, he wants to finish what he started and I don't know if I have the power to fight back, I’m not sure if defeating him is even possible, I’m tired.
I’ve been seeing Emma too, her bloated, reanimated corpse often appears to be standing next to the man. If I let him take me will I get to join them? I’ve tried asking but they don’t answer, they just stare, I can’t keep living in constant fear, always looking over my shoulder, I miss Emma.

We're working with our vet, we recently moved to home steroids as the steroid shot she got helped for a couple weeks, then her breakouts started again. Right now she's having a flare up to a food with Turkey in it (I'm getting her new food Wednesday with Duck as her reactions to that are far less than Turkey/Chicken ((she won't eat the whitefish one, I've tried)) along with using the tapering at-home prednisolone) and missing patches in places. Nothing super raw or showing signs of infection thankfully.
But I've noticed ever since her steroid shot a few months back, her fur has stayed thick in the spots she hasn't lost it. To the extent I was worried her face was swollen recently because she is a fluffball of medium length fur now. It looks like a winter coat, with very minimal shedding- beforehand, she shed a lot and had bad dandruff and dry skin. Don't get me wrong, she still had fur, but it looked more like a spring coat than this. Now, her coat is thick and soft, and while she has some minimal dandruff due to the recent allergen, it's not nearly the type it was before. It's starting to get hot here, but she still isn't shedding it or hardly shedding at all. She doesn't seem warm to the touch, still lays in the sun, etc. I don't want to look a gift horse in the mouth at all, and she's had flare ups her whole life, so maybe this is just her actual coat we haven't gotten to see. Her upper stomach has grown more fur, her lower stomach (the place with her lil tattoo and her pooch) is still pink and primarily furless.
Following that; if anyone has any advice for at-home discomfort relief while the steroids take effect and I switch her food back, that would be amazing. Catnip seems to alleviate her discomfort for 45 minutes to an hour, but I don't want to use that frequently and her to become desensitized.
Right now she's not displaying anything super concerning, and I'm hoping the coat thing is positive, but wanted to post to at least ask. Thanks so much!

Many individuals suffer from the debilitating effects of jaw pain, often a consequence of Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders. Bruxism the grinding and clenching of teeth can induce these TMJ related issues; however, dental mouthguards offer an effective solution by protecting your teeth and alleviating associated jaw discomfort.
In this extensive article, we shall explore the advantages, varieties and key considerations of utilizing mouthguards for TMJ. If you seek relief from jaw pain, continue reading to discover how these mouthguards can assist.

Understanding TMJ and its Causes

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the hinge joint that connects your jawbone to your skull. TMJ disorders can cause pain and discomfort in the jaw joint and the muscles that control jaw movement. Bruxism, stress, anxiety, or even certain medications can contribute to TMJ disorders. Teeth grinding and clenching can lead to significant damage to the teeth and exacerbate jaw pain.

Benefits of Dental Mouthguards for TMJ

Protection from Teeth Grinding: Dental mouthguards act as a barrier, preventing the upper and lower teeth from grinding against each other during sleep. By cushioning the impact and reducing the pressure on the teeth, mouthguards help protect against tooth damage.
Jaw Pain Relief: Mouthguards provide relief by minimizing the strain on the jaw joint and the surrounding muscles. They help alleviate pain, soreness, and stiffness associated with TMJ disorders.

Types of Mouthguards for TMJ

Over-the-Counter Dental Guards: Sporting goods stores and pharmacies stock these mouthguards. To fit a range of mouth sizes, they are available in three sizes: small, medium, and big. Boil-and-bite guards are one type of over-the-counter guard that let you adjust the fit by soaking the material in hot water to soften it and shape it to match the contours of your mouth.
Custom mouthguards: After obtaining impressions of your teeth and jaw, dentists can make personalized dental guards. When it comes to fit and comfort, these guards outperform those found in stores. Custom mouthguards offer the best relief from jaw pain by ensuring a good bite alignment.

Selecting the Right Mouthguard

When choosing a mouthguard for TMJ, several factors should be considered:
Comfort: A comfortable mouthguard encourages regular use and maximum effectiveness. Custom-made guards often offer superior comfort due to their personalized fit.
Bite Alignment: Mouthguards that align the bite properly help reduce muscle tension and promote relaxation of the jaw muscles, leading to improved pain relief.
Durability: Custom-made guards are typically made from hard resin, making them more durable than over-the-counter options. A long-lasting mouthguard ensures that it remains effective over an extended period.
Professional Guidance: Consulting with a dentist or healthcare professional experienced in TMJ disorders is crucial for selecting the right mouthguard for your specific needs. They can provide personalized recommendations based on your symptoms, jaw structure, and overall oral health.

Caring for Your Dental Guard

To maintain the effectiveness and longevity of your mouthguard, proper care is essential. Follow these tips:
Cleanliness: Clean your mouthguard after each use with a toothbrush and toothpaste or antibacterial soap. Regular cleaning prevents the buildup of bacteria and maintains oral hygiene.
Regular Check-ups: Include your dental guard during routine dental check-ups. Dentists can examine the guard for signs of wear, ensure proper fit, and make any necessary adjustments.
Are you tired of living with TMJ pain? Take the first step towards relief by booking a consultation with our TMJ specialists. Discover personalized treatment options and regain control over your oral health. Don’t wait, schedule your consultation now!

i will start by saying i don't know for sure if i have fibro. but a lot of my symptoms do fit with the symptoms.
i was just wondering if anyone here w/ fibro: do any of you experience a dull ache in your chin/ lower front teeth, tension in the underside of the chin (tongue root) and almost jaw spasming (having my jaw open and close without me controlling it)? it doesn't hurt to bite down, nor do i experience bleeding when brushing so i don't think it is necessarily a dental issue (in the cavity sense of the word if that makes sense).
any responses would be amazing! thank you in advanced!

As parents, it’s natural to want the best for our children, and that includes their dental care. And of those is through undergoing pediatric dental x-rays, but one of the misconceptions about this is the thought that bitewing x-rays can cause harm and make them gag. This article will explain the significance of pediatric dental x-rays, how they benefit your child’s oral health, and why Madison Dentistry & Implant Center utilizes them as part of our comprehensive care approach.

Knowing what pediatric dental x-ray is

Dental radiographs, or pediatric dental x-rays, are essential instruments that pediatric dentists use to evaluate and track the oral health of their patients. These pictures offer in-depth information on parts of the mouth that are not visible in an ordinary dental exam.

Why are pediatric dental x-rays necessary?

Detecting Tooth Decay: With the use of dental x-rays, dentists can identify tooth decay immediately, treating it quickly to stop more serious harm.
Monitoring Tooth Development: X-rays help dentists monitor the development of primary and permanent teeth, ensuring that they are growing correctly and identifying any abnormalities early on.
Assessing Jaw Alignment: X-rays help in the diagnosis and treatment of bite issues like malocclusion by providing important information about the alignment of the jaw and the placement of teeth.
Identifying Oral Health Issues: From detecting impacted teeth to diagnosing conditions like gum disease, dental x-rays play a crucial role in identifying various oral health issues that may not be visible during a visual examination alone.

The Safety of Pediatric Dental X-Rays

At Madison Dentistry & Implant Center, we recognize how critical it is to put our young patients’ safety and wellbeing first. For this reason, we employ cutting-edge digital radiography equipment, which substantially lowers radiation exposure when compared to film x-rays. Our team adheres to comprehensive safety regulations to guarantee that kids get the best care possible when getting dental x-rays.

Preparing Your Child for Dental X-Rays

To help prepare your child for their x-ray appointment, we recommend:
Explaining the Process: Take the time to explain to your child what dental x-rays are and why they are necessary. Use simple language and reassure them that the procedure is quick, painless, and safe.
Offering Encouragement: Encourage your child to ask questions and express any concerns they may have about the x-ray procedure. Reassure them that our friendly dental team will be there to guide them every step of the way.
Distracting Techniques: Bring along their favorite toy, book, or electronic device to help distract and comfort them during the x-ray procedure.
We believe that every child deserves a healthy smile that lasts a lifetime. Pediatric dental x-rays play a vital role in achieving this goal by allowing us to detect and address oral health issues early on. Schedule an appointment with us and give your child the gift of optimal oral health.

Hey guys.
Been trying to find answers about this around online, but keep find articles upon articles of quitting cold turkey. However, for almost the past two weeks I've been taking a slower approach to quitting, and am being anxious about it due to random symptoms.
Quick backstory:
Past few months, was eyeing finally quitting. Been vaping for about 3 years, and noticed I had gotten to the point where I was taking a puff literally every 5-10 minutes...too easy access to just snatch it while gaming, mindlessly puffing away. Was going through 80%-100% of a Vuze pod every day on average, and that trend lasted about 6 months.
Couple weeks ago I had a somewhat related event that led to me pulling the trigger. It was slightly unrelated, but gave me the "dang...I need to ditch that too." motivation. Basically long story short, got ahold of a bad delta8 pen, and it spiraled into horrendous symptoms for two days that almost landed me in the ER. BUT the symptoms gave me anxiety about nicotine vape too, so I figured "alright...it's time. It all goes, before you end up going instead."
But I was afraid of going cold turkey, so instead I've been doing a heavy weening.
I went from the above 80-100% of a vuze pod, down to now about 20% of a pod per day on average. Today was even less...woke up this morning with only about 10% of the pod remaining, and it's still got a few drops in it after a full day.
So overall still motivated. Figure after this week, I'm going to try the cold turkey route. At that point I would be having so little per day that it'd be moot to continue it.
However what worries me:
I've got a doctor's appointment to go over this stuff too, so don't think I'm trying to WebMD this...but it would be helpful to get some personal stories too, if anyone else has experienced this.
My biggest worry at this point is "Am I quitting too late? Is something majorly wrong with me and what I felt a couple weeks ago that started this whole thing wasn't a delta8 pen, but rather something more serious like cancer or vape-related lung injuries?"
I've also got other possible causes in mind that I'm trying to either support theory on or eliminate. I moved back into my mother's place in September to help her after my dad passed away. There's some mold in the house that we are cleaning out, so I fear exposure to that could be a cause. Then also this is my first Spring living here in over 8 years. So I also wonder if these symptoms could be me readjusting the pollen here. I also drastically cut back on drinking over the past month...went from being able to have a full bottle of sake or wine any given night to now I won't drink anything over the level of a hard seltzer.
So basically I got slapped with "Too many variables changed, and too many possible unknown variables in the mix, and now I'm wondering if something's actually wrong with me, or it's just things to push through."
Symptoms that I have been feeling:

• Stiffness in my lungs some mornings. Will wake up and just feel a general tightness deep in my chest. Not like hypertension tightness, as I know what that one feels like. I'm talking deeper...like inhaling and you feel some achy resistance to the deep breath. I have no problem holding my breath once I get a full deep breath in, but it's just annoying that that feeling lasts for a few hours...sometimes all day. It's almost like the lungs being stuck together or tacky...like when you have wet elmer's glue on your fingers and try pulling them apart.
  • Is this supposed to happen this shortly after cutting back (stressing/highlighting that, to remind that this wasn't a cold turkey quit...just slammed on the brakes over the course of a week, but still hitting here and there daily). I knew that this type of feeling would come eventually, but most places online said it was more like week 2 and 3, maybe 4, because your lungs essentially start cleaning themselves off, operating more efficiently, etc. and some of the feeling is even your own mind getting used to your lungs controlling themselves at fuller capacity.
  • But this happened on week one for me...is that normal?
• Neck stiffness all over. Similar to when you're getting over a cold, it's like my lymphnodes are quite angry with me right now. Have felt a general soreness all the way up and down the left and right side of my neck along where doctors normally poke when they're checking your nodes. I've also felt stiffness in the back of my neck, radiating up my head around my ear, leading to my temple...this one's a bit more explainable I think, as that sounds like a tension headache, which is to be expected with nic withdrawal. My main concern has been the lymphnode areas being sore, because that can also be indicative of more than just withdrawal symptoms (lung infection or, worse, cancer).
• Phlegm, but from my nasal passages? Similar to the above: Like getting over a cold, you hit that point where your sinuses drain...but I didn't expect it with this. I keep feeling lumps of phlegm go down my throat when I sniffle sometimes. I expected it to happen with the lungs and I'd cough up phlegm (that hasn't started yet), but the nasal passages?
• "Waking Drowning": Some nights lately when I go to bed, Soon after I fall asleep, I snap awake gasping for air with my heart racing. Usually within the first 5-10 minutes of falling asleep. Lately this has led to a couple sleepless nights. Although I'm rational enough night-to-night to not fear falling asleep over it just because it happened the previous night, once it happens the first time on a given night, THEN I become afraid to fall asleep for that night.
• A feeling of physical disconnection: This one may be caused by the neck stiffness, but some days I wake up and I feel like my head is actually detached from my neck and just floating there. It's weird...feels like being high without all the fun parts, and that feeling lingers all day.
• Feeling annoyingly rundown: I've been having issues focusing at work and whatnot. Thankfully I work from home and can somewhat play it off, but the past few workdays I've had to sneak naps on lunch.
• Shaky feeling without the shake. Sometimes my hands will tremor for a moment or two, but that's it as far as visible shakiness. However I have had moments where I'm sitting here feeling like I'm vibrating in random parts of my upper body. Will even look at that body part closely to see if I actually am...but nope still as a can be, yet still feels vibratey lol.

The weird thing about all of the above is that they're being random day-to-day. Either I wake up perfectly fine and have a great day. OR all of the above hits me at once and then disappears again the next day. There doesn't seem to be much "in between."
Overall, though, none of this is stopping me from quitting... I know anxiety is part of "the experience" of quitting, so I've been careful about not letting it convince me to reset. If anything it's spurred more motivation, because I'm never letting a chemical have this level of a hold again. Thankfully, although as you can see anxiety is getting channeled into the above, mood hasn't shifted much in terms of everything else. I've had moments of depression, but not much out of the normal, and the anxiety seems to be more focused on helping me quit rather than convincing me to puff more. But it would be nice if the anxiety would stop trying to convince me that I'm dying, hence me wanting to just gather more info that I'm not finding online.
In advance though, thank you, and I look forward to hearing about anyone else who's experienced the above, and if you know of any remedies that'd be greatly appreciated. Feels good to be finally kicking this after having stupidly picked it up 3 years ago.

I’m a little over 1 month post surgery (all 4 wisdom teeth removed) and I have an infected site. Recovery was fairly smooth with minimal pain until this past weekend. I woke up Saturday morning with my upper left gums extremely sore and tender. My ear felt slightly clogged as well. Waited a few days and it got worse. It started to hurt when I would swallow so I called my surgeon. I went in this afternoon and he confirmed it’s an infection. He drained it and prescribed antibiotics.
I’m pretty much back to my normal diet, so he said it was likely from crunchy food puncturing the site and getting stuck in there. Not fun, so just wanted to give a PSA that this can happen!

I was eating food earlier when suddenly after a bite, there was a flare of searing pain on the left side of my jaw. It faded a bit after a few moments of me messaging the area a bit, and I switched to just chewing on the right side of my mouth to finish my snack- which wasn’t anything crunchy or hard. Less than an hour later, as I was trying to take a nap, the searing pain faded back in. It is now borderline excruciating, just a constant ache in the back of my lower left jaw. I looked/poked around in the mirror with a flashlight but there’s no visual damage to indicate a crack, cavity or anything. I’ve been having having some aches in this area for a while now, but I didn’t consider them serious. The pain shows no sign of stopping and I’m considering getting some numbing agent because it’s so bad that I was crying. I have never had wisdom teeth, & I am a big fast food and soda consumer, but I don’t favor one side when I chew, so I don’t know why it’s only the left side. I don’t sleep primarily on the left side either. Is there anything I’m missing?? What’s wrong with my mouth??? And are there any numbing medications to recommend for gum pain?? Someone please help me out here.

I was eating food earlier when suddenly after a bite, there was a flare of searing pain on the left side of my jaw. It faded a bit after a few moments of me messaging the area a bit, and I switched to just chewing on the right side of my mouth to finish my snack- which wasn’t anything crunchy or hard. Less than an hour later, as I was trying to take a nap, the searing pain faded back in. It is now borderline excruciating, just a constant ache in the back of my lower left jaw. I looked/poked around in the mirror with a flashlight but there’s no visual damage to indicate a crack, cavity or anything. I’ve been having having some aches in this area for a while now, but I didn’t consider them serious. The pain shows no sign of stopping and I’m considering getting some numbing agent because it’s so bad that I was crying. I have never had wisdom teeth, & I am a big fast food and soda consumer, but I don’t favor one side when I chew, so I don’t know why it’s only the left side. I don’t sleep primarily on the left side either. Is there anything I’m missing?? What’s wrong with my mouth??? And are there any numbing medications to recommend for gum pain?? Someone please help me out here.

Demographic Info: I’m 28F. My height is 5’2” & I’m 94 lbs.
So, I thought I’ve been battling a cold for about 2 weeks now. I went to the doctor today because I haven’t been recovering or getting any better. I got diagnosed with a sinus infection as well as an upper respiratory infection.
I was prescribed antibiotics (Amoxicillin 875 MG tablets), cough suppressant (Benzonatate 200 MG capsules), & a steroid (Prednisone 20 MG tablets). The doctor didn’t give me any specific instructions about taking the meds during certain times or if they can be taken together. I also forgot to ask the pharmacist while I was picking them up, I was honestly just wanting to grab them & get back to sleep because I was so lethargic this morning.
So, my question is: Can the steroid meds & cough meds be taken at the same time or do the dosages need to be spaced out?