Pain neck and ear and gums

Hi, I'm here just praying if someone can give me an insite or guidance on having a impacted tooth removed. I had visited a dentist last TH and post a grueling 4hr session where he tried removing the tooth, I had to call it quits cause it was just getting to the point of mental exhaustion and tbh painful despite the numerous anesthesia being injected. The high amount of anesthesia injected into gums and cheeks led to anxiety attacks that night (I am hypertensive).
I decided then to get a second consult in a highly accredited hospital near muntinlupa/alabang. Had to get another type of x-ray done as the tooth is near nerves. Post checking results, was suggested to wait a week so that the swelling can be reduced and then get it extracted but while sedated via IV with a dental surgeon as it's not a simple case and due to my anxiety and trauma from the previous session (which i agree, I don't want to experience that again). The starting price is 70,000PHP + Alpha (possible 80,000PHP add on) according to the breakdown.) Is this really the norm for IV sedation + impacted tooth extraction? The extraction would take place in St. Luke's hospital and the first 70k includes a list of XYZ details but my goodness....That's total minimum150,000PHP !!! Looking for advice or help or any referral 😭

This is a long post, so feel free to scroll down to the bulleted list at the end for questions I have if you don't feel like reading. I could use any advice or experience you have, so please leave a comment if you have anything that you think could be helpful. I'm making this long post in part to aid anyone in the future who may benefit from my own experience so far.
About me: I am 29, male, HIV+ and undetectable for 8 years. I was having some trouble with putting on muscle when attempting weightlifting programs, and have suspected hormonal issues for several years because of this. My health hasn't been ideal for a long time, and I would get sick extremely often with strep throat, sometimes as much as six times a year. I have a family history of endocrine-related cancers, three of which were in male cousins in their 20s. I am the sixth. None of us know if there is a genetic cause that underlies our cancers, but it has been a strong suspicion of mine since these began popping up in the family.
How did I get here?
I've been experiencing fatigue, constant anxiety, feeling cold all the time, low testosterone (<200ng/L) and low levels of thyroid hormones (but still barely in acceptable range) for around two years, but it's likely to be older than that. It wasn't that bad at first, but symptoms have ramped up in the last six months at an increasing pace. As far back as November 2023, I understood that my symptoms clearly fit one of two possibilities, either hypo-thyroidism, or thyroid cancer, but it remained a suspicion and I knew I needed additional testing, so despite pushback, I requested at a November appointment with primary care that we do additional tests in February if I didn't see an improvement. In late-January I had little reddish bumps forming directly on my adam's apple, first one then three. My (now former) primary care doctor referred me to a dermatologist, who thought nothing of it, and gave me an antibiotic and then a follow up a month later. The bumps, which we thought were cysts, had flattened and turned a faint purple but had not disappeared. My voice was also becoming noticeably more strained and hoarse. Primary care was clearly not taking my claims of discomfort seriously after having seen her for about a year, with no improvement. She was actively pushing back on my request for further tests after the dermatologist (despite the clinically low testosterone that she had found at my urging, which at the time was the only anomalous result I had to go on). The dermatologist still thought they were probably cysts at the mid-March follow up, but by then I had much stronger suspicions of cancer as my symptoms had gotten somewhat worse. To her credit, the dermatologist listened to my concerns about a possible thyroid issue, and tried to inspect my neck for goiters, but admitted she was not familiar enough with that area of medicine to make any kind of recommendation. Still, she offered to send me for an ultrasound, but after some discussion, we both agreed that I should seek another opinion first. I went for a second opinion from a family friend who is a doctor, and she heard out my concerns and began ordering a suite of tests. By late-March, she discovered mild, borderline anemia and insulin insensitivity, and confirmed clinically low testosterone. We were considering testosterone replacement, but she recommended a biopsy since there were now five small cysts on my neck right on my adam's apple. I also began having pain and pressure in my right ear, and initially we suspected an ear infection, but it did not go away with antibiotics and has been intermittent ever since. I had a biopsy at the end of April that came back for 3 Bethesda VI nodules in my thyroid, two in the left lobe, one in the right, two over 2cm and one just under. All came back positive for malignancy, with histology indicating papillary thyroid cancer.
What does it look like?
The initial late-April ultrasound showed the three largest nodules, which were followed with an ultrasound biopsy that revealed more, smaller ones, but it was unclear how many. An MRI in late-May revealed a level III lymph node on the right and a possible extension of the tumor into the clavicular area, but it went beyond the area of the scan. Things started moving more quickly, and I was scheduled to see my surgeon next week, but they got me in a full week ahead after reviewing my scans. At the surgeons office, they did another ultrasound and we saw potentially dozens of smaller microcarcinomas throughout the entire thyroid. The tumor that had extended beyond my thyroid had clearly gone below my clavicle and is snaking into my chest cavity, which is apparently a rare thing. He also found two additional suspicious lymph nodes on both sides, and performed another biopsy on all three lymph nodes right there in his office. He was also extremely suspicious that the cancer had invaded part of my parathyroid. The three larger tumors are incredibly ugly and show considerable development, suggesting they have been there for a long time.
What is treatment going to look like?
Surgery will come first, and because of the advanced state, the surgeon was not able to say whether or not it would be fully operable. He wants to take a very aggressive surgical approach, so a Total Thyroidectomy, removal of all suspicious lymph nodes, possible removal of all or part of the parathyroid, and in his words, "skeletonization" of the vagus and vocal nerves to head off any risk of nerve invasion. His approach may change after opening me up, but he felt that he would be taking an aggressive approach. It is a possibility he may decide not to complete the operation in full or in part, and opt for radioactive iodine or a tyrosine kinase to shrink the tumors enough that it is safer to operate. Radioactive iodine therapy is a foregone conclusion at this point, and we will be doing a full-body radioiodine/CT scan, possibly before surgery to get a full picture.
Questions:
So I have some questions that hopefully some kind stranger on the internet will shed some light on:

• Exactly how fucked am I?
• Surgical nerve damage is a huge concern for me. I really, really don't want to sound like RFK Jr., and damage to the vagus nerve is pretty serious. What can I ask for during surgery to help minimize any damage? Are there any recovery tips that might aid or improve my odds of recovering as much of my voice and nerve function as possible?
• Scarring is also a big concern. I will likely require a radical neck dissection on both sides of the neck, although this surgeon has a unique surgical approach that results is much smaller scars than the "hockey-stick" incisions that are more common, and I'm extremely grateful that he will be using this method. Due to the position of the major tumors, it will be a bit lower down than most surgeries, so it can be hidden fairly easily. But scarring is still a concern regardless. What can I ask for during and after surgery that will lead to minimal scarring?
• I understand that surgeons sometimes leave behind metal components to secure internal areas that need to heal. However, other family members have developed severe reactions to the metals in surgical clips and even staples, and I have every reason to suspect I will respond the same way. How do I go about asking the surgeon not to leave behind any metal components? Is there anything specifically I should be asking for to replace a metal component?
• Are there any additional tests we should be considering? From what I understand, there are some molecular tests that may inform his surgical approach, and others that may give us a clearer picture of my prognosis. We are already doing genetic tests on the lymph node samples, and it is unclear if the initial nodule biopsy sent out genetic tests in tandem, but we have not received anything in regards to moleculagenetic testing.
• I'm looking at a several months of on-and-off treatments and surgeries. What can I be doing to make myself more comfortable? And what should I be avoiding?
• I'm looking at aggressive radioactive iodine treatment. From what I understand, my fertility could be at risk, and I would like to have kids one day. Do I need to consider freezing sperm? I do not have an estimate for how much radiation in total I can expect to be exposed to over the course of treatment, but it will probably be quite intense.
• What should my expectations be for disease-free survival? It seems my prognosis could still be decent, around 74% at five years if I assume this is a case of distant metastasis because of the clavicle alone, but it is very unclear and the surgeon did not comment on it. It may be too early to speculate because we don't have a full body scan yet either, but there appears to be a lot of room for this to be much worse as we learn more. I am young, and the surgeon seemed genuinely surprised that I present so normally in spite of how terrible I feel. He noted that although my voice sounds hoarse, I still sound much, much better than he would expect having seen the ultrasound. The general vibe I got from him is that despite how advanced it looks, I have decent odds of beating it for now. Still, I worry this could become a chronic condition.

If you have any personal experiences or knowledge that could be informative, I will be extremely grateful for anything you have to share. I have feelers out to family and friends as well for advice, and at this point any information is information I can work with. I feel comfortable with the approach my surgeon has presented so far, but it's going to be really rough. Here's to hoping this goes well.

Use this thread to promote yourself and/or your work!
(Descriptions of fictional crimes investigated by the story's main Character Max.)
Detective's Fate
It's august of 2008.....
Max is a detective living in Chicago He checks his pistol and puts on his police badge as he walks out his front door.
He has been searching for a serial killer known as the Caller for years and always been one step behind due to the red tape.....
More importantly the chief's lazy attitude towards getting search warrants and actions approved by the courts for raids. Twice Max had good intel on the suspect's locations and photo evidence showing him at the sites.
The department needs more vigilant, caring officers and leaders but no one steps up to do it, instead they just complain about the slow progress and officers. And hinder investigations.
Now Max has decided that it might be time to stop playing by the rules and catch this scumbag.... .... ....
Starting his car Max sets his GPS to the address that "The Caller" was last seen and pulls out of his driveway as the 50 miles of directions pop up.
The killer's nickname being for his signature of calling in as he is committing the crime.
As he drives he remembers his first case, five years ago now..... ..... .....
A woman, Joane Taylor, was found dead in an alleyway after going out for the night. She showed no signs of struggle leading the police to believe she had drank to much and expired from alcohol poisoning.... ...
The death was written off as a "party gone wrong".... That is until several more were found and the coroner decided on a whim to test for other substances.
Once it came out that the deaths were possible murders...
The calls started coming in, almost like the suspect wanted credit before revealing himself....
Then ways of the deaths began changing as the Serial Killer explored his twisted desires searching for his preferred method.
The last case being a young woman found stuffed in a dumpster after the killer apparently got scared off.... Max will never forget it.... .... ....
The GPS finishes and the car beeps its final direction, taking an exit off the highway. Ramps out here are always confusing... Which is funny since he has driven this one for five years now...
The chief says he should sit this one out but he can't... The latest victim 3 months ago.
Marie Spelner, a waitress out on her smoke break talking to her spouse on the phone.
Survived by her husband, no children or living relatives. ....
Max Spelner turns into the driveway of the house he was directed to... Stepping out of the car he walks up and knocks on the door. Looking at the house he knows the family must be doing well if they live here.... Raising his hand to knock again he hears a scream from inside....
A second later the door is answered by a middle aged butler holding a tray with wine glasses on it... "Hello Sir, I'm sorry but this house does not wish to partake in any offers at this time..."
Max calmly says. "I'm not selling anything."
The butler looks confused for a moment before his eyes dart over Max's shoulder seeing his unmarked cruiser and he nods.
Looking past the butler Max sees that a woman is cleaning up after their dog.
"Have you seen this man?" Says Max holds up a picture of the one suspected of being the killer.
The butler gives it a once over before replying. "I'm sorry sir, no I have not." His tone sounds like he is lying... ....
"Are you sure?" The detective asks.
"I would not lie about something like that, sir." He states, his eyes not meeting Max's.
The woman calls from inside "Fletcher, who are you talking too?"
"Some man asking about a killer" he calls back.
"The killer is an inside job!" The woman quickly states.
"What?!" Max says.
"The Killer, it's an inside job." She says again, louder this time. In the same Max also hears a child begin to cry in another room.
"We should start from the beginning, it will be easier to explain trust me." The woman says.
'She seems to know what is going on....
"How do I know your story holds water?" He asks out loud.
"Oh I wouldn't lie. I have been following the case myself and it seems like an inside job to me." She states, somehow sounding hurt.
"Is there anyone else in the house besides you two and the baby?" He asks noticing the baby isn't crying anymore.
"Just Fletcher and I live here, the baby is my cousins but he just stays the night sometimes." She replies.
Max draws his gun and enters the house upon reasonable suspicion of an emergency in progress or suspect on the premisses as the man seems to be deceiving.
While the woman still seems unconcerned that the child is now silent.
He pushes past the butler and rushes towards the area he heard the crying. passes the entryway, the dinning room, and a kitchen before finally finding a child in a playpen.
"There there..." He says in a sing song voice picking up the child. "I'm officer Max, do you know where your mommy is?"
The child just cries louder.
Then he sees the man from the photo walk out of the bathroom, upon seeing him he bolts for the door and Max sets the child down gently then gives chase.
He runs through the house, following the man as he can hear the woman screaming at him to stop but he doesn't."
"Stop or I'll shoot." The man doesn't even break stride.
Instead he runs out of the front door and jumps into his car.
Furious that the man might escape he fires at the car as it drives away.
The back window shatters and he hopes he got his tire, but he doesn't wait to find out as he runs to his car and initiates a pursuit....
He flips on his concealed lights in his cruiser as he reverses down the drive and into the street.
The suspects car is fast but he manages to keep up with it weaving in and out of traffic as people move over for the siren.
As they approach a red light there is heavy traffic in the intersection..... ....
The suspect slams on his brakes and Max's cruiser only just stops short of hitting it. Jumping out the Detective points his firearm at the vehicle running up beside seeing heavily tinted windows.
"Get out of the car and on the ground now!!" He shouts as he moves to the driver's side door.
After seeing no response....
Max throws open the door and the driver is gone with the passenger side open.
He quickly runs to the other side catching the man trying to sneak off tackling him to the ground and then takes his arms putting them behind his back.
Max grabs his radio and calls it in as the man cries.
As he is waiting he hears a noise that sounds like static.....
"Wrong guy moron.. Did you ever stop to think I wanted you close for this one. That I planned everything...Even framing the pothead..... I almost lost interest until you pulled in the driveway... The attic is kinda cramped tho... I think I'll go carve some meat. Maybe graduate to other things to. I'm not sure yet. Lets see if you can catch me before......" A familiar voice says over the radio then cuts off... ...
Max looks at the man on the ground. "Why did you run from me?" He asks.
"Cause I have like 19 grams of marijuana in my pocket." He replies...
"Do you know how stupid that is?! I don't care about that I'm looking for a killer."
Before he can answer Max hears the woman from the house screaming for her life and a child's cries on his radio.
Then from below Max. "He's in the house, he's in the house! My mom and the baby!" The man on the ground says crying.
Max uncuffs him and runs to his car heading back to the house as he lays down rubber on the road... ... ...
As he approaches and pulls into the driveway he notices the front door is open.
"Hold on I'm coming!" Max screams jumping out of his cruiser...
He runs into the house finding the woman's body arriving too late. Moving over to her he checks for a pulse but she is gone, a large gash in her neck.
As he stands up he slips in a fluid but gains his balance and tries not to think about what it is....
He rushes to the room the baby was in finding the play pen empty. He leaves the room searching the rest of the house and still doesn't find the child.
"Where are you!!!" He calls out....
"This is the Callers first kidnapping and the media would eat up the fact I failed to stop the man." He thinks as he blames himself.
Sirens begin to blare in the distance as backup is about to arrive... ... ...
"There's a woman dead and a baby missing! The woman is in the dinning room straight ahead of the front door, Hurry!" He yells into his radio...
Looking over at the mother seeing a piece of paper on the floor.
He walks over to it seeing writing.
"So close... Looks like I'm a kidnapper now.... Good luck finding me.... And... I so enjoyed killing that sweet wife of yours. Might do it that way again. Not to the kid tho....later Max. Ps. This game is so fun.." It says.
"He was here..." Is all he can muster as the team enters.
"He was right in this house and I missed it because her son freaked over weed and ran..." He says as another officer speaks to him gently.
"Don't beat yourself up Detective, it's not your fault. He must have hid before you got her and left after you arrived." The words do little to comfort him "First day back on the job and the killer escaped taking a child..." He says as he walks away.
The chief arrives in his new lexus with a screeching of rubber as he lurches to a halt.
He quickly exits and leaves his door hanging open as he rushes into Max's face....
"I told you to stay away from this case MAX!!!!....(takes a breath)...
"If I catch any flak from my superiors, I won't suspend you.... That'd be to easy. Desk duty and an entry level demotion. The new guy will have a higher rank than you if things go my way.... Now get outta my sight...". "(Sighs)...
"This job is gonna be the death of me..." He says walking away from Max and towards the Coroner's van..... ..... .....
On the way home the detective stops by the store close to his house which is unlike him because he usually follows the same routine.
He nears the front door and he hears a kitchen timer ding loudly from behind him as his car explodes throwing him through the storefront windows as they are blown out..... .....
Alarms around the lot and others nearby create a cacophony of noise. His head pounding as his body aches, Max pushes himself up and collapses as the store manager runs over to him telling him not to move as he dials 911.... .... ....
Waking in the hospital Max recalls the feeling of the Shockwave as he flinches in phantom pain.
"Who woulda thought its like holding a ringing metal bat that hurts your hands but all over and way more intense." He thinks.
He suddenly feels tired and falls asleep.... .... .... ....
The next time he wakes, he sees a breaking news story that Jane Saltani is reporting on....
"Young toddler Accidently Shoots Serial killekidnapper ending his life and Alerting residents in the Area." The news anchor says.
Sighing to himself Max thinks about how crazy that is and laughs.
Tho he really wanted to bring the guy in. He closes his eyes to get some much needed sleep as his door opens.
Max looks up to see a man with a silenced pistol pointed at him.
"Hm. Now they think I'm dead. Funny how they just assume they got the right guy. Just like.... You did Detect... ....." Max hears but then hears no more as his end comes at just over the speed of sound....
The Caller leaves the hair of another intelligent convicted murderer that he obtained in a spot that's believable and quickly leaves.....
He disables the surveillance system and sends a virus out to any device that has received video data from the hospital.
Erasing and corrupting the systems. Leaving a master hackers finger prints on a glass from his home....
"Sorry, no witnesses." He says to the security guard as he fires... ..... ..... .... ....

I wasn’t sure if it was that or a cluster headache or occipital neuralgia or something else
So right now I have had what feels like a kink on the left side of my neck for over three weeks. It feels like it needs to be cracked to relieve pressure. Usually it is worst in the am when I just wake up. Throughout the day it comes and goes and is definitely reduced when I am more physically active. The throbbing radiates up into my head and face sometimes. I don’t have really any other symptoms as far as light sensitivity or anything. I can get hours without any pain but can’t get it to fully go away as of yet either. It feels like a nerve in my neck is compressed.

Hi, i have very severe ME/CFS and i suspect i also have IIH. I had a lumbar puncture which showed abnormally high pressure but my neuro refused to treat me for IIH. He chalked it up to me being bedbound. I have additional symptoms which i think could be connected to IIH

• i see my pulse in my eyes sometimes
• pulsative tinnitus and regular tinnitus
• dizzy spells
• occipital headaches
• migraines
• very stiff neck
• visual snow, pattern glare, sometimes vision gets blurry but no swelling of the optic nerve was found during the eye exam
• eye pain and pressure

i also have hypermobile joints in my neck but nowhere else so it’s not hEDS. i had a brain MRI which came back normal. do you think it’s worth pursuing this diagnosis and are there further criteria i need to meet?

Hello.
I guess this is a weird question, but I’ve been struggling with this for years now.
Every time I lie down to sleep, I have a really hard time finding a position that is comfortable. My ribs and neck always hurt and I can’t really find a good place to put my arms. Then when I wake up, I’m in a lot of pain, especially in my neck, ribs and back.
I can’t fall asleep on my back, so I always fall asleep on my side. Sometimes I turn during the night so I sleep on my back, which is okay. Still painful though.
I’m skinny and tall (190 cm) and I am somewhat hyper mobile (not sure it’s the right word in English?). I’m pretty active, although I’ve not been working as much as I’ve used too since I’ve become a dad. But the problem have been there longer than that. So I’ve been having these issues even if I’ve been to the gym for 3 hours a week.
Is this something I should go get checked out by a doctor?
Thank you for your time!

Everybodies ears and neck are a different colour to their face...

My 12- year old is now on Day 17! (Scroll to bottom for tips)
The first 7 days were hell- no other way to put it - we would cry together. The doctor prescribed her Hydrocodone/tylenol mixture in liquid form. It didn’t seem to work well and she only could consume ice chips for the first 3 days. She was in a lot of pain. After consulting the doctor one last time on Day 4- she said to discontinue as the pain meds only worked for 20 minutes. We started ibuprofen 200mg every 4 hours and staggered with tylenol 500mg every 4 hours- so she was taking meds every 2 hours- we did this until day 10 and was a literal LIFESAVER! The pain meds were definitely hurting more than they were helping so if you have read this, it was true for us!
I was super worried about her taking ipubrofen since the scary bleeding stories but I woke her up every hour to drink water during the night- about 10 days of no sleep for me- she had NO bleeding- not even mixed in her spit- zero. I made her sip water every 5-10 mins while awake. It made the difference I assume.
She didn’t eat solids until after day 7 and only mac and cheese and potatoes. She lost 10lbs that week. But Day 8 was the turning point- she woke up sore but after 30 mins was ready to leave the house and tackle the world. We only stopped meds after day 10- I wanted to stay ahead of the pain.
I NEVER thought she would feel better and I was genuinely concerned about infection because she was in so much pain. It gets better! Hang in there! I know how hopeless you feel and how sad you are in your home and bed miserable but do not push yourself. Listen to your body, rest, and keep your throat moisturized.
She still has tenderness while yawning and chokes on water often, she says theres so much more room back there, but that seems to be it. :)
Tips: -set an alarm for every hour and wake to sip water. -ice packs for ear pain and sucking ice was a lifesaver. Have at least 5 in rotation. -as much as you want solid foods- do not risk it! Try to wait as long as you can- popsicle & ice cream yourself to death.

"I've only one lie to tell." James stares at his reflection. Readying himself.
He enters the drive room. Everyone sits tense. A low rumble emits beneath their feet. "I promise I can get you all home, as your captain." James wasn't really sure if he believed it, but he needed them to believe it. Maisie speaks up "We trust you, Captain." She forces a smile and though her eyes remain void it brings him warmth. The ship has been floating aimlessly between stars for days now, the crew running low on food. The mission they set out on was supposed to be simple. Travel to the nearest solar system and check the planets for life, for a chance at rebuilding a home. Life on Earth has become increasingly at risk due to over population. James did not count on the mission going wrong, on putting his people in danger.
Maisie enters the ship's dining area and silently lowers beside James, a soft hand resting on his. "Maybe we check the ship's engine room again?" James' breathing hitches. "I cannot" "You haven't been down there in months I mean did you really check maybe—" "No. The engine cannot be fixed. It combusted. There is nothing left to even try" His eyes well with tears. His cardinal duty, to protect his crew, begins to weigh. Their families and homes all too far away. If he couldn't even get them home was he really deserving of the title Captain? Maisie cups his face, saving him from his thoughts. Her hands cold yet comforting. He thought her the most beautiful creature he'd laid eyes on. He brushes her hair from her face. "I know you'll get us home. I just wish we had enough pods." He looks to her. The ship was equipped with only one escape pod, it was answer model and untested. Meant for only two occupants, not a crew of four. It sickened him, that he considered to send Maisie, to send her home and be safe. The sickness was love, but love should not make you chose between the people you love. The crew was his family, Maisie would not leave them anyway, and so they would be stuck together. Floating. He takes her hand in his and kisses it gently. Suddenly, his eyes widen. "Gather the crew." Maisie stares confused but nods. Hope blooms as he races through to the drive room. As he arrives two other men are sat waiting and watching as James paces with a smile as wide as a Cheshire cat. "We're going home" The two men exchange looks and face their captain. "I'll need your help" Chris stands let's out a breath and holds out his arm, James clasps it strongly. "Anything, Captain." He grins. " Even if you do sound loco right now"
They all gather closely, staring at the ship's monitor awaiting James' plan. This was his chance to get them all home. To prove he is their Captain, worthy. "We have one shot, once we get close enough to the planet we shoot the escape pod into its orbit." He paces quicker in front of them, excitement spilling out. This could work, he could do this. "Aim it correctly and we can use the planet as a slingshot, sending us back in the right direction, close enough to get a signal." They stand in a circle, arms around each other. A family, James' family.
He steers the ship with pride, one last time. "Now Chris! The pod!" Chris hits the buttons, nothing. Panic rises. He runs, heart pounding in his ears and smashes the button. The pod is released and they wait anxiously. It shoots out fast and whips back towards the ship. It crashes, knocking the crew down. James forces himself up with blurred vision, blood dripping from his temple. He must send out the signal, he promised. He reaches the panel, hits the button and collapses welcoming darkness.
"Sir" James shoots awake. He sits up, a sharp pain in his head. "You're home, Captain" The paramedics exchange a sorrowful look. "We're sorry about your crew" He smiles and tears stream. The paramedic reads from the clipboard to a uniformed officer. " They died immediately on impact. The engine combusted of no fault of their own. Captain James Redders crew passed around 3 months ago" He did not listen. He got his crew home just as he had promised.

Hello people, first off i want to tell you that i indeed have gastritis but i've never had any similar pain to this.
A few weeks ago i had something similar to an ear inflammation/infection and was put on amoxicillin (antibiotics) 7day treatment, had some diarrhea and a bit of pain but started drinking probiotics and it went away, 2-3 days after finishing a course of antibiotics i started getting pain in my groin area, left lower abdomen area, after like 3-4days of constant pain in that area, i now have some constant aches, burning pains in my right lower abdomen, almost on the same place where the appendix is, im concerned is it something to do with gastritis or just antibiotics messing up my intestines/colon, or maybe theres something happening to my appendicitis? Anyone had similar stuff happen to them? Thanks for the replies!!

Part 14B
The massage starts with Ella feeling strange. She’s tense and anxious, but not because of anything the two massage therapists do. They are very professional. She’s just not used to people touching her so matter-of-factly. The masseuse working on Sarah - Leslie - starts with her feet, and surprisingly Ella doesn’t instinctively kick her. Ella is very ticklish, but something about Leslie makes it so Ella isn’t. Leslie’s hands are soft, warm, and stronger than they look. Her touches are purposeful, and once she adds oil to her practice, it feels as if she’s rubbing stress out from Ella’s very bones.
It’s only when Leslie has undone every single knot of tension in Ella’s calves, back and shoulders that Ella realises how sore she actually was. The worst offender is Ella’s neck. It takes actual effort not to moan when Leslie works on those muscles.
Thinking of moaning has Ella snapping her eyes open and glancing towards Damian. He’s looking just as mellow as Ella feels, with May working on his back. He’s staring at Ella with half lidded eyes and a languid smile. It takes Ella’s breath away.
How long has he been staring at Ella? Did she actually make noise and is that why he’s staring? The mortification has Ella closing her eyes again. And it has her tensing her back again, which makes Leslie click her tongue at her. She slides her hands down Ella’s spine in such a way that her entire body turns into a pile of goop. There’s no brain power left to think about Damian next to her.
“Alright, that’s time for today.” Ella snaps awake at the sudden words from Leslie. She fell asleep! Ella puts her hand next to her chest, ready to push herself up and apologise, but Leslie softly pats her on the back. “Don’t worry, miss. It’s a compliment if a client falls asleep on me. Please relax and get up on your own time. The room is yours until you are ready.”
Ella feels herself flush all the way to her toes - but that might just be because she can actually feel her entire body being loose and relaxed. It’s making her sensitive to every sensation right now. Leslie and May leave, the door clicking closed softly behind them, and Damian’s side of the room is filled with rustling. Ella glances his way just in time to see one buttcheek before he ties the towel around his waist again. It is a shapely buttcheek that will appear in her dreams for weeks to come.
“Do you want to go to the sauna? Or are you relaxed enough as is?” Ella can just hear Damian’s smirk. She still looks up to see it. Her brain is still sluggish from sleep, but it’s fast enough to conjure up images of him inside a small wooden room, covered in a sheen of sweat, staring at her with a cocky smirk. Or maybe that soft smile from earlier. It’s both incredibly mouthwatering and entirely inappropriate. Ella needs a cold shower.
“I’d rather just shower and lay down some.” In your bed. Damn it! Ella chastises her filthy brain as she clumsily gets up, trying to keep herself covered with the towel.
Damian shrugs in answer, and grabs two red bathrobes from the cupboard. “The shower down here is abysmal. You can take the one in my guestroom.”
Ella accepts the bathrobe and puts it on over her towel without thinking. Then she stalls. “Wait. I’m not walking through this entire building in nothing but a robe.”
Damian looks at her with a confused frown. “Why not?”
Ella stares back just as confused. “It’s indecent.”
“You’re completely covered.”
“Not underneath the robe.” Ella clutches the robe closer.
“No one is going to see anything under your robe. I don’t understand the problem here.”
“I don’t want to run around in a bathrobe where rich people can just gawk at me.” Ella can’t bare to look at Damian. So she stares at the floor beneath her feet.
“You only have to cross the hall. Once we’re in the lift, nobody’s going to get in with us.” Damian’s comforting drawl sounds like a whisper in her ear, even though he’s three feet away. Ella wants to smile at him and agree. But then she remembers she’s naked under her robe.
“You don’t know that.”
“Yes I do. The lifts are private. Once they’re going, they don’t stop. Besides, chances are very slim we’ll see anyone on the way to the lifts. It’s not even 20 feet.”
Ella hesitates for a moment longer. She feels tacky from the oil, and she does not want to ruin her clothes. She can deal with a quick 20 feet.
They don’t meet anyone in the hallway, and the elevator doesn’t stop on the way to Damian’s apartment - which is on the top floor. He’s living in the penthouse. Of course he is. How does he pay for all of this? Damian exits the elevator first, into a smaller entrance hall. There’s only one door, which Damian opens with a keycard. Ella can’t take it anymore. She has to know. “What do you actually do for a living?”
Damian freezes and slowly looks at her with a deep frown. “Did you not see me in Uncle's business room?” His tone and look are more than enough to make Ella feel like an idiot.
Ella flushes and looks away from him. “Well, yes… but I thought you were a low level guy or something, because your uncle basically-” - whored you out. Ella stops herself before she actually utters the words. She motions between them instead.
Damian throws her a cocky grin and opens his door. “No. I’m the one who deals with the higher class clients. You need a certain flair to do that, which most ‘mooks’ don’t have." He even does one handed quotation marks around the word mooks. Huh. That explains why he got sent with her. The Bocelli’s are as high class as you get.
Ella follows him through the door into an apartment that comes straight from a luxury magazine. Wide open spaces, pale colours, expensive furniture, and an absence of all signs of anyone living here. The outside walls are covered in floor to ceiling windows, and the view really is an amazing perk. She could sit in the plush armchair in front of the windows for hours, just staring outside and never getting bored of it.
“Are you coming?” Ella is startled out of her reverie by Damian calling to her from one of his hallways. He leads her to the last door on the left. “This is my guest room. You can shower in here.” Ella passes him into the room. From the corner of her eye, she catches him starting to smirk. “Unless you want to join me in mine.”
A naked and wet Damian in a small enclosed place? Yes, please. Ella shakes the thought off, and scoffs at Damian. “No thank you. This is -” The guest room is just as simple as the rest of the place, and just as subtly opulent. The four poster bed is calling to her with its softness and its silk sheets. Ella walks over to it - there’s space to actually walk in this bedroom - and runs a hand over the soft curtains. “This is more than fine.”
Damian smiles at her. “Your loss. There should be towels in there. Feel free to use anything and everything you find in there. I’ll be waiting in the sitting room when I’m done.”
After Ella thanks him again, he leaves her alone. Ella glances around at the wide open space of his guestroom. He must have thought her apartment was so pathetic. It could probably fit inside this room in its entirety. With a sigh, Ella goes towards the fancy bathroom. Damian is good at hiding his scorn, unlike her mother. But there is no way he doesn’t think less of her now that he’s seen her place.
That’s just fine. Ella can deal with this feeling of inadequacy. She can deal with it better than the creeping attraction that’s been building inside of her. Knowing just how big of a difference there is between her and Damian makes it a lot easier to ignore her emotions. This is only a business deal, and it’s time Ella stopped forgetting it.

Hi community,
I've been reading posts on this group in relation to my own symptoms, and wanted to reach out.
I've had pulsatille tinnitus for around a month now, which comes and goes.
I also grind my teeth a lot in my sleep, have a lot of jaw tension too, which my dentist told me to get on top of or I'd end up with a locked jaw.
I've got some neck pain, sinus headaches, stuff like that. I suffer with severe anxiety, so when the tinnitus started I went to a&e and had a CT scan done all clear. I do have a Hiatus Hernia though, diagnosed recently.
I've been massaging my neck alot to relax, and also prodding and poking a bit to see if there are any lumps. Today I found a bony lump right under my jaw,quite close to me ear, and deep in the neck (see pics)
It feels all bound up with gristle and tight muscle. If I turn to look to the left, it sort of diminishes, though I can still feeling something hardish and very very sore.
Does this relate to TMJ at all? I've read a few posts on here about bony lumps in the neck. I'm extremelt anxious it's cancer or a tumor, and will book an appointment with my GP (an seeing an ENT at some point) - but when I came to reddit to have a read about these symptoms, I keep being sent here.
Any thoughts or ideas welcome! Thank you :) Helen

What I believe to be my superficial temporal artery has become very prominent this last week on my right temple.
Started randomly one day, noticed it had become very enlarged. I'm bald and have never noticed any sort of artery or vein enotagment there, so I'm pretty sure it's brand new in terms of how prominent it has become.
Ive also been getting what I can only describe as very hot "headaches" (no pain, only heat) on the right aode of my head (temple and arpund scalp by my ear).
Have been to GP, who confirmed it is artery and decided to do blood test (ESR). Results totally fine and no other symptoms whatsoever.
I'm 33M. Just wondering if the development of prominent temporal arteries is normal ? Or should it be something I should be pushing doctor to look into further?
Picture attached is of it when it's been at it's worse. Most of the time the artery is still visible, but not as prominant as the attached picture.
Any thoughts would be helpful? Doesn't appear much more my local doctor feels should be done, and that I just need to accept the change / accept that artery has become more prominent.
Thanks

so after two weeks of doing abs, my left side of the neck started to hurt.. especially when doing planks. it's just tense. and i didn't really take a break bc it was kinda going away but now i noticed when i'm feeling anxious or stressed it's hurting again and it's really tense.. can someone tell me if it's normal..? :c i'm really anxious so i really hope it's just because of the overuse of that muscle. before this, whenever i was anxious or stressed i was feeling this type of pain in my chest but now it moved to my neck area so idk.. :c

This is without a doubt my favorite Phish era and the sbds as well as auds of shows are all very, very good.
Does anyone know what specifically Mike was using for this era defining sound?
From what I can see in pics, he had a Q5 (bolt on neck), EMG pickups, SWR amp/pre. What strings was he using? I know he’s used Slick Rounds for years, but there’s still a “round round” tone to my ears at this point.
Any idea what Paul was doing at the board? To my ears, this era has less actual low bass in the signal. The lowest notes are very piano-esque and defined. I’m also hearing some aggressive compression.
How the heck does Mike play “Ghost” at the 10th fret B string and have it sound so crisp? Zero mush.

I’ve never had this much pain before during the descent of a flight, I had my turbinates reduced with my septorhino. I could feel the pressure moving around my skull, it felt like I was in the movie Scanners. I’ve been chewing gum and yawning, right ear popped immediately - alleviated some pain but my left ear still feels underwater.
My left nostril still isn’t functional and now my left ear won’t pop. It used to have trouble, but I could eventually get it to pop in the airport bathrooms, now it feels more permanent.
Any thoughts?

I have really bad neck pain with a disk issue. The pain therapy doctor noted the following:
Of note he appears to have flatfeet as well this could adjust his gait and cause increased back pain and neck pain from compensation I have seen in the past he may wish to have some type of heel inserts or arch support and be considered for podiatry consult.
I'm SVC for flat feet and have supports already. I've undergone injections but I still have pain. Is this enough to establish nexus?

Hey everybody it's nice to meet all of you. I'm a 31 year old man and I've had psoriasis for about 10 years now. I've been to a couple of dermatologists who have only ever prescribed me creams. Sometimes they work well and sometimes they hardly work at all. I've been tested for psoriatic arthritis which I thankfully don't have, but I'm honestly just tired of not getting the attention I feel I need for this. I feel I've never gotten proper answers or been listened to enough.
I have psoriasis behind my ears, occasionally on my scalp, in my belly button, on my left knee, and it's recently started to show up around my elbows which is really embarrassing for me because it's very noticable. I'm a teacher and I've had some kids even make fun of me for it.
I also have it pretty on my genitals. My penis and scrotum are constantly enflamed and flaking. Sometimes it really hurts and it's itchy and prevents me from being able to be sexually intimate without pain or bleeding when the skin cracks.
I've heard that biologics can do wonders for people, but I'm scared to do it because I've heard somewhere that people with psoriasis have a slightly increased chance of developing lymphomas. I wasn't sure if this is from the psoriasis itself or the treatments because they are directly affecting the immune system, but both my father and grandmother died from lymphoma so I'm scared to start any kind of biologic treatment if there is a risk. I wish I hadn't read some of these articles because I have no idea if they have any scientific or medical evidence to back them up, but the fear is there now.
If anyone could offer their insight, I'd be so thankful. I'm also looking to make new friends with other people with psoriasis. It's rare I get the chance to talk to anyone about it, but I feel a support system with others who are experiencing it would be so helpful. Thank you for reading this, everyone. I hope you have a great day!

60F, 5"1, 120lbs. Non-smoker, non-drinker. No other medical conditions. Minor neck injury from car accident approximately 20 years ago.
For nearly 1.5 years she has been experiencing nearly daily swelling in the right side of her face, headaches and nasal congestion (during these flare ups). It typically lasts from 2-8 hours. Her doctor told her there is nothing wrong and prescribed her Advil.
Over the past three months the symptoms have worsened and her headaches are lasting for days at a time. She began to also have chest pains and dizziness; she was taken to the ER, where her blood pressure was taken at 180/90. She was prescribed blood pressure medication and sent home.
At a later appointment with her family doctor, she was switched onto a different medication: Metoprolol.
4 days later she was taken back to the ER, her blood pressure was at 189/90. The right side of her face was red and swollen. All tests and blood work came back normal. The first ER doctor told her that its high blood pressure and that it takes time for the medication to work.
His shift ended and a second ER doctor noted the swelling of her face. He later told her that she likely has Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN) and was prescribed cabamazepine. She took this in addition to the blood pressure medication and Tylenol for pain.
This medication made her very nauseous, drowzy, and her headaches/face swelling continued. The Tylenol is not working well to ease her pain. Her blood pressure has stayed steadily around 140/90.
A week later she saw a neurologist, who told her she does not have TN. They told her that they dont see anything wrong. They took her off the TN medication and put her on a new medication: amitriptyline.
She is currently taking: amitriptyline, metoprolol, and extra strength Tylenol.
Her blood pressure has remained stable but the headaches and face swelling remain and are severely impacting her life. Its gotten so bad that she has stopped leaving her house. She spends most days in bed. Just going for a walk or a drive is too much for her now.
She doesnt want to go back to see any doctor because she is worried they think she is overreacting or making it up.
I can see that she is in pain. I see that there is swelling in her face. I don't understand how nothing can be wrong.
I would greatly appreciate any guidance.
Please let me know if you need additional info.

They prescribed 800 MG of Ibuprofen (1 per 8 hrs) and Amoxicillin (1 per 12 hrs). I also have Motrin which is 200 MG that I had used before. The thing is the wait between 4 to 8 hrs is painful and the 800MG only last 3/4 hrs for me and the 200 MG last maybe a couple hours. It's middle ear Infection on the left ear. Recently I have been combining the 800 and 200 and it gives a few more hours 5/6 hours. Should I stick to the prescription only and fight the pain or use my own schedule. I'm in a lot of pain tbh. Sleep is unbearable with an infected left ear.
Here is my schedule. I read Ear infections only last a week or so, this isn't gonna be so longterm thing. Adult Male +25 6-2

• 5 AM (800 mg + 200 mg)
  
• 9 AM (200 mg) [optional]
  
• 1 PM (800 mg + 200 mg)
  
• 5 PM (200 mg) [optional]
  
• 9 PM (800 mg + 200 mg)
  
• 5 AM (800 mg + 200 mg)
  
  • Amoxicillin:
  • 6:30 AM
  • 6:30 PM

My first infusion of Skyrizi was two days ago, and I wasn't expecting many side effects if any, but the day after the infusion I started feeling pressure & pain in my left ear that has turned into a headache, burning when urinating, sore throat and fatigue. All listed as common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people) side effects apart from the ear thing, none have gone away yet. Did anyone else have this many side effects immediately? When does it go away? Thanks