#What Can I Do For My Tmj

[audiovisualrecall]

Constant pain only dulled for a whole day by daily taking full dosage of tylenol and also 1 advil even tho I'm not supposed to take NSAIDS

Miserable

[muscari-melpomene]

unclench

your

FUCKING

JAW

and give yourself a little face/jaw massage to make sure the muscles there aren't tense b/c that can ripple out and cause tension in the neck and shoulders :)

[boomerang109]

guys this sleep thing is CRAZY

[labradorite-princess]

My fucking mouth hurts!!!!!!!!!

[professorjjong]

needed a reference letter from my psychiatrist back in the us and it’s so weird having like. a diagnosis. Iike no one straight up looked me in the eye and said “i diagnose you w/ major recurrent depression and social anxiety disorder” so just having it on a piece of paper like this is kinda wild

[heulevescant]

Consider helping out broke person with medical expenses?

Hello folks I'm going to say up front that this isn't urgent, this isn't an emergency I could just use a lil help

I have an appointment to get an oral appliance for my TMJ and mild sleep apnea on June 7th. This will cost me in total 2000$ and an additional 360$ for a cat scan to see what exactly is going on with my jaw. They don't really do payments, best they can do is installments of 500$

I just could use some help coming up with the first installment and would greatly appreciate any help (I also have online shops and am doing a limited amount of crochet scarf commissions)

Venmo is heulevescant

Cashapp is $liraell

Again help is appreciated!

[jomiddlemarch]

let me lay down beside you

“Mmm, darlin’, you feel so good…”

Shit.

You’d thought the one silver lining of living through a zombie apocalypse might be that you’d never have to have another awkward, it’s-totally-me-it’s-not-you conversation with a man about why there was basically no chance he could make you come, including the I-really-don’t-want-you-to-get-carpal-tunnel-or-strain-your-TMJ-trying for those guys savvy enough not to have tried the You-just-haven’t-had-my-magic-dick argument. 

All the crunchy, New Age guys who were going to whip up an Ayurvedic smoothie with exact the right combo of herbs and ripe mango and enough turmeric to dye the sea gold had gone out in the first wave. Nearly all the herbs and certainly the mango and turmeric weren’t available in the continental US.

You were supposed to get something from the universe in exchange for surviving into this new world, a compensation that would make you not regret the choice to dump out all the Ambien your roommate had just gotten filled before she never came home instead of downing it in a nice cup of cocoa and then giving yourself a soft, slow dreaming death. 

No such luck.

“Joel, hang on,” you said, gritting the words out as he did something rather lovely to the side of your neck, one big hand cradling the back of your head. You drew in a breath, prepared to have to repeat yourself, because even if you weren’t getting there, he certainly seemed well on his way.

He stopped and pulled back. His hair, greying and not just at the temples, was mussed and there was a little bit of hazy desire left in his dark eyes, but he’d made it by paying very close attention and that included you.

“Too fast? I can slow down, slow as you like, darlin’,” he said.

“That’s not it,” you said, hating this part. Hating all of it, what was happening and what would happen, leading up to when he walked out the door. Joel was a nice man. He probably would take any cheap shots or do much beyond shrugging those broad shoulders of his. “It’s not too fast—”

“Too slow? Or is that somethin’ you don’t like?”

His lips on your throat, the roughness of his beard against the delicate skin over your carotid, yeah, you liked it. If only liking that and his hands on you was enough…

You were quiet, thinking about how you were going to tell him. Maybe there was a way where you really could stay friends. Where there’d still be nights he took out his guitar and sang Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline and you sang along, the firelight around you both, gold and shadow.

“Someone hurt you?” he asked, being careful. You both knew what he meant and understood how he was letting you be the one to decide how to say it. You both remembered what it was like early on and no one in Jackson was ever required to tell what had happened before they got there. You chose what you brought with you into the community, what parts of your past you’d leave behind.

“No, nothing like that,” you said. You could see the relief in his eyes, the way his mouth turned gentle.

“You wanna boss me around? I don’t have a problem taking instruction,” he said.

“Wouldn’t make any difference,” you remarked before you could think twice about it. He narrowed his eyes and you almost reached out to touch his jaw or his wrist, your right hand fluttering before you made a fist.

“No?”

“You can’t make me come,” you blurted out. “I don’t want you to waste your time—”

“Seems to me I decide what my time’s worth,” he said.

“I meant, you don’t have to do a whole song and dance,” you said.

“Wasn’t plannin’ on it,” he said. “Not a huge fan of musicals.”

“You know what I mean,” you said.

“Frankly, darlin’, I don’t think I do. Why don’t you tell me what’s going on? I’m not going anywhere unless you kick me out,” he said.

“You’ll go,” you said. Lying was essential to living After, but not lying to yourself. That was a death sentence.

“When you tell me to. Not before,” he said, settling back against the couch. 

“I can’t—I don’t come, fucking,” you said.

“That part I got,” he said. In some miracle, he didn’t start the usual litany, asking questions about position or skill, beginning every iteration What about…“How d’you do, y’know, flying solo?”

“Once in a blue moon,” you said. Though probably less often than that. You shrugged. “It’s whatever.”

“Before, probably could’ve tried a vibrator. One of those rabbits maybe. Still find them scavenging, but the batteries are all dead and kind of hard to ask Maria for some juice to get off,” Joel said, so practically and so without the least iota of irritation you were startled into a laugh. He took your hand in his, held it lightly.

“I don’t want to go but I don’t want you to feel bad,” he said. “Want you to feel good, that’s the whole goal.”

“You say that, but everyone wants to come. They want to get the other person off. I don’t want to fake it, to make you happy,” you said.

“I’ve had over forty years to fuck, darlin’,” he said. “I want to be close to you, that’s all. However you want it, long as it’s real. You want me to try shit that didn’t work before, I’ll try it. You have some idea you want to give a whirl, fine by me. I’ll go down on you or use my hands or pretend I’m fucking Captain Kangaroo and you’re Lady Aberlin if that’s something you’re interested in. And if you want to lie in bed or on the couch in sweats and that’s all, that all I want,” he said.

“Lady Aberlin was on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” you said. This was not a conversation you could have imagined happening in any universe, with or without zombies, but Joel didn’t seem to mind. 

“Okay,” he said.

“You’ll get frustrated,” you said. You thought it would come out like a warning, but it sounded like you were floating an idea, waiting for him to tell you that you were wrong.

“There some rule I can’t jack off on my own? Or in your general vicinity?” he asked.

“No, it’s not like that,” you said. You couldn’t recall a man ever asking that or proposing anything similar. It was erotic, that was undeniable, that desire coupled with a total lack of demand—he hadn’t said anything about coming on your breasts or your belly and he would have, if that’s what he imagined. Parallel play, the old child development phrase from that college psych class you’d taken sophomore year, a thousand years ago when no one, even you, had ever thought to call you frigid bitch, the guys at college too self-absorbed to notice whether or not you climaxed.

“Doesn’t gross you out?”

“No. It’s hot. It’s not that I’m not interested in sex, making you come. Just hard for me to get all the way,” you said.

“That’s not all the way, you coming, screamin’ my name, headboard thumpin’ on the wall, wakin’ up the neighbors,” he said, bringing your hand to his lips, kissing your knuckles open-mouthed. “All the way’s feelin’ safe, feelin’ like you can ask for whatever you want, say no to whatever you want. Being there in the morning, your head on my chest, hand on my heart.”

“You’re not going to try and convince me you’ve got some special move that’s going to blow my mind?” you said.

“If I had one, probably throw my back out tryin’ it now,” he chuckled. “I like the way you taste. I like the way you sing under your breath when I play ‘Annie’s Song.’ I like the way you argue and how your ass feels against my cock when you’re the little spoon and and how it looks when you drag me out dance over at Tina’s. If we figure something out one of these days, yeah, that’ll be fine. And if this is what we have, it’s plenty for me. I wanna give you anything you want, that’s all.”

“Anything I want?” you said. 

“Everything, darlin’,” he answered. “What d’you want right now?”

“I liked what you were doing before,” you said.

“What we were doing,” he corrected, but without any scolding. It was an invitation, one you had no intention of refusing.

“Let’s do that,” you said. “But with less clothes.”

“Yeah?” he said.

“Yeah,” you answered. “Maybe I do want to boss you around. Take your shirt off.”

“Yes’m,” he said and the shiver that went through you was that hint of ma’am and the revelation of his bare chest and the gleam in his dark eyes. 

Maybe it was a blue moon. 

And if it wasn’t, he’d still be here, holding you in his arms.

@goodwithcheese I took you up on your suggestion to write something for one of your anons who was hoping for a fic with an anorgasmic f!reader and a soft Pedro character...

[blubushie]

DEAR ARTISTS

(Cheers to @kreidxpriz for asking this in the replies of my other post!)

Many people don't actually know what a bullet is.

These are not bullets. These are cartridges.

THESE are bullets.

Bullets go into the casing to make a cartridge. Inside the cartridge are what the bullet needs to operate: gunpowder and the primer. The primer pushes inward, strikes one side, and that ignites the gunpowder which explodes and propels the bullet out of the barrel of the firearm.

This is what they look like separate. (Those coloured tips on the bullets are polymer points that assist in cutting through the air which lessens the amount of tumbling and also with penetrating the target. The colour isn't important and is often different depending on who manufactures the bullets.)

That piece on the bottom is calling the casing or shell. That's what ejects from the bolt of a firearm when you cycle it. Some firearms cycle automatically (the automatic family of weapons which includes automatic and semi-automatic, where pulling the trigger will fire a bullet, eject the spent casing, and automatically chamber another round), and some have to be cycled manually (bolt-action rifles, where pulling the trigger ONLY fires the bullet and you have to pull back the bolt to eject the spent casing and allow another round to move into the receiver, then pushing the bolt forward chambers that round).

Why am I explaining this to you? There's different between a bullet and a cartridge. So, dear artists: YOU NEVER PUT A BULLET IN YOUR MOUTH. Many bullets do NOT have metal jackets, meaning the bullet is not fully encased in metal, most commonly copper. The casing is usually brass. Why encase the bullet to start with? Inside the bullet is usually lead. Lead is soft and doesn't penetrate very well, so full metal jackets (FMJs) and total metal jackets (TMJs) are used for better penetration. Because the lead is encased and doesn't "fold," they also have much better trajectory and strike more accurately. Point is, don't put a grey bullet in your mouth unless you want lead poisoning.

Additionally, holding a bullet in your mouth will bugger up something we call ballistics, which is how the bullet travels through the air on its path to its target. Any scratching on the surface or minute dents from your teeth that you can't even see will effect the aerodynamics of the bullet, causing the round to tumble. This throws off accuracy and affects how the bullet strikes.

On that similar note: PEOPLE DO NOT CARVE ANYTHING INTO BULLETS UNLESS IT'S ON THE BASE OF THE BULLET. That's this flat part. (Note that this is a TMJ. An FMJ leaves an exposed bit of lead at the bottom of the bullet.)

The flat part is the ONLY part on a bullet that isn't influenced by aerodynamics, so it's the only "safe" place to carve. That said, it's a small bloody space, so good luck carving anything into that. TMJs are VERY difficult to carve and can only be effectively "scratched." FMJs are easier to carve thanks to their exposed lead, which is a much softer material. VERY rarely you'll see people carving an "X" into the very tip of the bullet so that it fragments better, but this takes time and buggers up the accuracy so it's very uncommon (and when it is seen, it's usually only in handgun-calibre rounds where you're not firing over long distances).

What people DO sometimes do (if they have a real grudge) is scratch into the CASING of the round. Some places even imprint them for mementos. This has no real effect on the round or how it fires, so it's safe to do.

Point here is that people don't hold bullets between their teeth. If they're holding anything, it's the cartridge. When I need to reload quickly, I hold the cartridge between my LIPS with the primer against the flat of my canine tooth or incisors so it doesn't get tapped by accident.

That's all and happy drawing!

As always, if you have any questions feel free to send me an ask!

[blommp717]

I’ve been endlessly trying to change my tmj/jaw issues but no matter what I still look and feel the same. I don’t want to simply imagine the change, I want to experience it physically and ikkkk that’s not the point of nd but like idk I’m just stuck. I want to change things at will.

Yes soooo, because I actually did start developing TMJ and jaw issues when I had very very crowded teeth cus of my wisdom teeth growing in SIDEWAYS 😭😭 I know exactly how you feel. This being said, let’s move forward.

The pain and jaw issues actually started going away well before I had my wisdom teeth removed and this is when I understand LOAssumption, if I knew ND I’d literally would have snipped that sh🤭t so fast.

Yea so knowing what we know, even then, I’m not telling you to ignore physical pain, if you have medication that can help you relieve pain right now because I know how bad it can get, pls don’t just ignore taking care of yourself because you want to prove something to yourself first 😭😭😭 (I literally made the mistake of doing this)

But yes, okay it’s as easy as realizing that, as “ “ your everything, you appear as everything, so even the

“I have TMJ/Jaw Issues” (instantly true)

“I’ve been endlessly trying to change my issues” (instantly true)

In the same way that

“Finally my Jaw problems are gone” (instantly true)

“My TMJ is finally gone” (instantly true”

So what I want you to understand is that, this is and never will be a doing process, do not get yourself stuck in trying to change option A to B, because nothing is being changed and nothing is being transformed, it’s all you. Anything realized is now the truth (so to speak)

There are no opposites, only what you realize. It’s really just option A or B, no “I need to change this into that”

It’s one claim or another, one idea or another, one realization or another, not turning one into another

There’s no effort or trying you have to do.

“But what do I do when it hurts” either take medicine or if it doesn’t bother you that much just ignore it, because if someone who doesn’t have jaw issues felt sore or some pressure in the jaw, they wouldn’t just go in a spiral about how it’s not working or it’s still here or whatever, you brush it off as a weird sensation that’ll go away. Don’t abandon what the new experience is just because the old one feels comfortable to return to. Don’t feel powerless in a world that literally is you.

I honestly hope this made sense, I’m sorry I’ve been lacking sleep recently 😭😭😭🤭🤭🤭

[audiovisualrecall]

So anxious abt Friday :(

[lovelynim]

Gains

Uta no Prince-sama - Ittoki Otoya x Tokiya Ichinose

A/N: FELIZ ANIVERSÁRIO @ppystkposts!!! EH NOIS QUEBRADA, TMJ VOA MLK TE ADORO E É ISSO AI!!!!!

Okay, jokes aside, I hope this is not too f*cked up because I didn't have a lot of time to research about them and I wanted to be really subtle about it so... yeah. I tried my best, but you deserve more than my best, but I can only offer you my best and-

*ahem*

Anyway, happy bday!!!

also i kind of inspired of that drawing off "lee mood otoya" you did cuz it was really cute, ehe

Summary: Otoya decides to show off his "gains" after months of workout.

Word count: 1078 words.

After months- no, probably a year already, it finally paid off! All those days struggling with lame diets and privating himself from eating tasty food… it was all worth it! 

Beaming with contempt, Otoya continued to admire his own brand new physique in the mirror, flexing his arms and turning around to check the defined muscles tensing up. He looked so cool! And even hot! Now, with his ultimate goal achieved, what should Otoya do?

Show off, of course.

Reaching for the plain white shirt that was laying around next to him, Otoya quickly got dressed up again and was ready to show off his brand new look. He couldn’t wait to brag about how awesome he would be in summer photoshoots or anywhere where he could show off his abs. So exciting!

Now, who should be the first one to know? Hmm…

Ah, of course. Who else better than the one next door?

“To-ki-yaaaa!! ~” Otoya sang, knocking on the door multiple times before walking inside the other’s room anyway. They were already beyond the level of intimacy where you’d need to wait for consent before walking in (at least, in Otoya’s view of their relationship). “Are you busy?”

No, he was - in fact - very busy. It’s been hours since he was drafting and trying out new lyrics, searching inside his head for anything that sounded nice in an eventual new performance. By now, even his legs hurt a little from sitting so long, waiting for the gears inside his head to turn. 

Still, just because he wasn’t making any progress, it didn’t mean he had time to waste with other things, like paying attention to whatever Otoya came up with this time. “Yes, so d-”

“Oh, oh, I promise it will be very quick!” Otoya spoke hurriedly, pushing the door close behind him - just to make sure he wouldn’t be shoved away again. “I just need to show you something. It’s really, really important!”

Tokiya rolled his eyes, already doubting anything from him would, actually, matter. Memories of previous “important things” scrolled through his mind and, so far, he couldn’t find one that was, actually, important. Still, if that would allow him to get back to work and satisfy Otoya’s need for attention…

“Sigh, fine,” Tokiya sighed, leaning back in his chair and spinning it to face Otoya. His arms were crossed in front of his chest, but his eyes were fixed on the redhead, which was enough for the latter. “What is it?”

“Heheh…” Otoya grinned in a way that made Tokiya shiver in his place. He made sure to stand right in front of him, tugging at his shorts with one hand and at his shirt with the other. Tokiya widened his eyes, already thinking about and expecting the worst.

“Wait, Otoya, don-”

“Check this out!” Otoya cheered while Tokiya let out a squeal and covered his eyes, hesitating to peek at… Otoya’s stomach? “Huh? Huh? What do you think?” The redhead added, arching his back a little more to highlight… well…

“What am I supposed to see?” Tokiya sighed, already composing himself again after the initial scare of being flashed with Otoya’s stomach. “Are your stomach hurting?” He said nonchalantly, looking up from his midriff to his face.

That was clearly not the answer Otoya was expecting from him. The beaming smile quickly faded into a pout with furrowed brows and eyes, totally offended, staring at him. “W-what?!”

Tokiya sighed. “Did you burst into my room just to show me your- ahm, stomach?”

“No! My gains! Look at my gains!” Otoya whined, how could Tokiya not see his totally-awesome-and-hot six pack?!

Tokiya’s eyes moved back down and stared some more into Otoya’s body and, after focusing a bit more, he could see the faint outline of some muscles. Was that what he was bragging about? He couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle and peek back at Otoya’s reaction, his eyes almost meeting the latter’s expectant gaze. 

“Ohh,” he gasped, “I think I see now. Can I feel it?” He asked and cocked his head to the side, watching quietly as Otoya nodded to his request.

Tokiya’s hand slowly reached out, dragging his fingers - one at each direction - as he pressed his palm flat against the spot just above Otoya’s navel. The muscles were a little more perceptible through to the touch, he thought, caressing one of the nods of his pack.

“P-pfft…”

To think about it, Otoya was working out a lot more lately, and even stopped eating th- Tsk. “Stop moving,” he groaned, looking back up.

“T-then don’t tickle me!” The redhead complained, puffing out his cheeks.

“I’m not tickling you.”

“You totally are,” Otoya continued, tightening the grip around the hem of his shirt and biting his inner lip as Tokiya resumed his inspection. There was no way he wasn’t doing it on purpose, he thought, sucking in his stomach as Tokiya’s digits brushed around his stomach.

“T-Tokiyahaha,” he giggled, stomping his feet like a kid throwing out a tantrum, “don’t be so gehehentle!”

It was almost as if asking for the exact opposite. Resting his hand in other hand, Tokiya continued to wiggle his fingers up and down, “feeling” Otoya’s so-called gains as he did so. If it tickled so bad, why was he holding out his stomach like? Did he really want to show off his stomach so bad?

“It’s not my fault you’re so ticklish,” he mocked, pinching Otoya’s left side and making him jump out of reflex, a high-pitched yelp leaving his smiling lips. “See?”

“S-stohohop it! You’ve seen enahAHAH!!” He laughed out loudly, letting go of his clothes in a desperate attempt to stop the two hands that had suddenly latched onto his exposed body. “T-TOKIYAHAH!!”

“What? There is no way you grew only that much muscle after working out for so long,” he continued, dragging Otoya closer to his chair at the same time as he dug into his sides, letting his fingers vibrate against the spot below his ribs.

“N-NOhohoh! L-LehEHEHET GOHOH!!” Otoya protested, nearly falling to the ground as his knees gave in to the ticklish feeling. “T-thehehere is no gahAHAhains theheHEHere!”

“Are you sure? Because I think I feel something right… here,” Tokiya grinned, sparking a new chain of reactions as his hands crept to another spot. Well, surely Otoya didn’t expect to come to him and not go through a whole inspection, right? This was definitely what he came for.

[turtletaubwrites]

Parted Lips

This SFW oneshot was inspired by This Post by @hufflefluffy about how Sanji would be with someone who struggles with eating such as with sensory issues, eating disorders, etc.

That post made me so happy, so I wrote this fic about Sanji helping his crewmate who has severe chronic TMJ pain.

Pairings: Sanji x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 1734

Ao3 Link

Summary: Sanji has made another meal just for you, but it's still too painful to eat. You open up to Sanji about your jaw pain, and he offers to help you work through it

Rating/Warnings: SFW, Fluff, Angst, they aren't together yet but there's tension, and it is mildly suggestive, Mostly just sweet Sanji being a lovely human, Chronic Pain, TMJ Disorder, Difficulties with eating such as chewing and appetite, Grief

A/N: I've been struggling with this, and this past year has been awful. Sometimes I couldn't even eat soft cheese. I'm so lucky that my partner is very much like Sanji, and has learned to cook things for me that I can enjoy, and held my hand through this. I hope we can all find that kind of support for our pain. 💜💜

“Mm, this smells amazing, Sanji.”

The bowl of stew he’d placed before you had your mouth watering the scent of the meat and spices making pleasant chills run over your skin. 

Sanji smiled as he sat across from you, and the sight of his own matching bowl made you frown. 

“Why are you having mine?”

“Oh, ma chérie, are you hungry enough for more tonight, I can make something else.”

With a heavy sigh, you leaned away, your small appetite growing smaller at your sour mood. 

“You know what I mean, Sanji. You don’t have to eat what I eat.”

His soft eyes made you tense up, reaching up to massage your cheeks.

“There’s nothing wrong with what you have to eat, Y/N. At least I hope not. Will you calm this poor chef’s nerves, and let me know how it tastes? 

Swallowing your self pity, you reached for the spoon.

Probably the only utensil I’ll ever be able to use now.

Your hand spasmed around the metal slightly, and you felt Sanji’s eyes on your every move.

“Sanji, can you please not stare at me while I eat?”

“Oh, um. Of course, sweetheart, sorry.”

He turned his face down to his own bowl, and you steeled yourself.

It smells so good.

You filled your spoon, not taking too much, but making sure to have a piece of meat and carrot.

Very small pieces.

The meat was so tender, the flavors overwhelming you. 

It had been so difficult to enjoy food, but Sanji’s cooking was bringing your love back.

But that almost made it worse sometimes.

Even with how small the bites of meat and vegetables were, how wonderfully tender, it was still enough chewing to make you sore. You knew if you ate the whole bowl, you would be hurting. It had been a bad week.

“It’s delicious, Sanji. Thank you so much.”

You couldn’t keep your voice from cracking, and his brows tensed as he set down his spoon. 

“Is it too much, darling?”

You sat back, heat building in your throat as you started massaging your jaw. 

“I don’t want to eat puréed food for the rest of my life.

It was such a dumb sentence. It sounded pathetic. But the weight of it fell down on you, crushing your joy.

Sanji reached out, your skin tingling as his hand touched yours, pulling it away from your face to hold it. He squeezed it gently, and his soft skin was soothing, even through your frustration.

“I know what it is to be hungry, Y/N. I won’t let you suffer like this. No matter what it takes, I will find food that nourishes and satisfies you. Please let me help you.”

Hot tears welled in your eyes, and you swallowed, trying to push them down. 

“What else can I do?”

Looking away from his pleading eyes, you stared into your bowl of stew, the small pieces taunting you. 

Your hands reached up to rub at the sore muscles again. 

“Does massaging your jaw help with the pain? I could… Would you feel comfortable letting me touch your face?”

Breath catching, you felt tingles go over your skin.

Is he just trying to touch me? Does he really care, or is this just him…

The thought felt sour as you looked at his earnest face. Sanji was always flirting with you, but he flirts with all the girls, with every woman he meets. You didn’t think he was serious about being interested in you, so you had tried not to think about him that way. You weren’t always successful.

But he was also one of the kindest people you’d ever met. You set your hesitation aside, and took the cook’s offer.

Sanji came around the table now, facing you as he sat in the chair beside you. Your breath was still too light, and you started pinching your fingers in your lap, fidgeting as he moved close to you.

A small gasp escaped you as his warm fingers touched your cheeks. His skin was so amazingly soft, and your eyes fluttered shut as he started to lightly press in circles along your jaw. 

“Does this feel alright?”

You nodded with a small sigh, then guided his fingers with yours, showing him what you needed.

It felt so much better with his touch than your own, and you let yourself relax into it for a few minutes. 

Sanji kept going as he cleared his throat softly, bringing your attention to his face. 

“What are other things we can do to help you, love?”

You had to breathe, bringing yourself back to the moment. 

“Uh, sometimes icing it can help on bad days. There are exercises too, but it’s hard to remember until it gets bad. Then I can’t do them because it hurts too much.”

“Is there an exercise that isn’t as painful,” Sanji asked, his voice just as soothing as his fingers.

It took you another minute to respond as you melted under his touch.

“Yeah, um. I just always forget. It’s not really an exercise. I need to focus on my posture.”

“You have lovely posture.”

“Thank you,” you said with a laugh, not surprised that he would have noticed that about you. “I know I do. I’ve worked hard on it to help reduce the pain. Seems like it’s really paid off.”

Sanji gave a small frown at the light tone you tried to use with your sarcasm.

“What else, gorgeous?”

His soft hands cupping your face while he used that word made you feel dizzy. How can he make me feel like that with just his voice?

You didn’t want him to stop massaging you, but you moved his hands away. 

“Just this.”

Sanji’s gaze was drawn to your lips as they parted, and he stared for a moment before meeting your eyes again. 

“I’m sorry, dear. What is the next exercise?”

“Not an exercise. More posture. I’m supposed to stay like this as often as I can remember.” 

He stared at your lips again as you gestured to them. 

“My tongue is meant to touch the top of my mouth, and my lips should be slightly parted, as often as I can remember,” you explained, your voice trembling more with each word. 

“I hate it, how am I supposed to remember to do it? And if I do, I just have to live with my mouth open all the time? And what if it doesn’t help? Nothing ever helps-”

Sanji cupped your face again, making you gulp as stinging tears finally started falling. 

He brushed them away with his thumbs, and you felt your lips quivering as his face got closer. His eyes were pouring over your features, and it made you shiver.

“San-”

“You don’t have to carry this alone anymore, Y/N. I’ll help you, whatever you need.”

Your eyes clenched shut, sending a wave of tears down as you tried not to sob. All the pain, all the frustration was wearing you down. 

It seemed so trivial. But not being able to eat Sanji’s amazing food, losing your appetite when you thought of what you could eat, watching the crew laugh together over their meals, it made it all harder. 

You had stopped eating with the crew for a while now, with Sanji joining you after meals. But you felt sick with guilt when you couldn’t finish the food he’d worked so hard on for you. 

“May I hug you, ma belle?” 

Nodding, you let him pull you into his arms. You wanted to stop, to push this aside. It’s not that big of a deal, get over it. 

The biting thoughts that plagued you were finally ignored as you breathed in Sanji’s comforting scent. As you let yourself weep, you sobbed onto his shoulder while he drew comforting shapes along your back. 

He let you cry, and you realized that you were grieving. All the pain you’d bottled up was grief. Grief for all the things you couldn’t do, couldn’t enjoy because your body wouldn’t let you. The pain you ignored everyday until it became so sharp that you couldn’t ignore it. 

The days when you had to stop yourself from laughing with your crew because it hurt too much to open your mouth. 

Feeling it all washing over you, you clung to him, gripping his dress shirt in your fingers. 

Your sobs were loud and painful, but you couldn’t stop them if you tried. You had never let yourself feel all of this, all at once. It was like a dam had been breached, and Sanji was holding you, anchoring you so you wouldn’t be swept away. 

“I’m so sorry you have to carry this, darling. You shouldn't have to.”

He stroked your hair as his soft words started coming through your sobs. Your breathing began to slow, and you felt strange, not quite here. Still hurting, but relieved. 

Sitting back, his hands seemed reluctant to let you slip away. 

You were grateful that he wasn’t smiling. His brows were tensed slightly, and he tilted his head in soft concern. 

“Please come to me with this, Y/N. You don’t need to suffer in silence anymore. I won’t allow it.”

You gave a choked laugh as the corner of his mouth twitched up, and you were surprised that you were ready for the smile so soon. 

“Thank you so much, Sanji.”

You gripped his hands, squeezing his fingers as your breathing kept slowing down. He took one hand away to touch your chin gently. 

“Anytime, my love. I’m going to whip you up something delicious, alright?”

Nodding, your skin was still tingling as his thumb traced along your jaw.

“I’m going to be your reminder from now on, is that okay?”

It took you a second to understand, but you remembered your exercises.

“Yes, thank you.”

“Perfect. Now while I cook, I want you to hold your tongue at the roof of your mouth, and let your lips be slightly parted.”

You smiled at him before you obeyed, and then you watched his eyes seem to burn as they watched your lips part. 

Your breath hitched as Sanji’s thumb traced over your lower lip, delicious heat running through your body at his gentle touch. 

“I’ll help you remember now, ma chérie. Your lips look too beautiful like this for me to forget.”

Thank You for Reading! 💜

TurtleTaub Fanfic Masterlist

Tag List: @astheni-a | @fanaticsnail

A/N: I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope that you have someone like Sanji to support you through your pain 💜

Buy me a coffee ☕🙏🏼

[decodedlvr]

meanie sadist!eddie forcing his spit in your mouth but you have tmj ☹️☹️

*grabs my jaw*

‘Open your fuckin mouth’

..I can’t sir

What the fuck did I just say huh??

I have tmj sir..

*he remembers* sighs*

‘Open as wide as you can’

*opens mouth an 1 1/2 inches*

*he cups your mouth as if he’s gonna do cpr and spits deep inside where it hits your uvula*

‘It’s ok, it’s not your fault you’re fucked up’ *tilts his head to the side and pouts*

*..🥲*

reblogs appreciated:>

[muppetjokernumberfiftysevenfan]

greetings.

about.

you may refer to me as the following: 57, or angel. I will respond to either. my pronouns are they/them. I happen to be angelkin. given recent events, my aspirations and goals have been altered. I no longer seek to assist in dismantling the catholic church. I merely wish to ensure kermit's safety.

I'll also take the liberty of addressing my... co-host? in all of this. his name is lorin, and in his home world he happens to be a deity. his access to his magic has been severed, however, thanks to me. completely accidental, I swear!

it's up to him to reveal anything else about himself beyond simple things. here's what you need to know though.

name: lorin age: :) pronouns: he/him other places you can find him: palewhitemoons, his aesthetic blog. he has a main but it's still under construction.

why 57?

the number 57 is an angel number. I have seen this number countless times throughout my life. therefore, it is only right that I claim this number for my own. for the curious:

the number 57 has an important place in angel symbolism and is often seen as a sign of spiritual awakening, divine guidance, or even spiritual transformation. it's believed to be a powerful reminder that the universe is always there for us and will provide whatever we need if we just ask.

perhaps I will achieve spiritual transformation within the muppet transformation caves...

DNI:

DNI: TMJ's DNI applies here. I am more tolerant of women, however. I do hope that is all right.

I'm @snowpoff. if you see that person interacting, it's me.

[librarychair]

I wish my jaw would allow me to eat more raw carrots. I find them satisfying and delicious. I've just been doing experiments trying to find a "safe" maximum number of raw carrots I can eat, and how frequently, and maybe this interacts negatively with granola bars but I'm unwilling to be strictly scientific about it because I love both of them as snacks. I know if I eat 6 carrot sticks my jaw starts to give me warning twinges and I can't eat them the next day. 4 per day on two days in a row is pushing it as well. I might have to either do 3 per day for my 3 workdays, or just go without carrots for the middle day. I DO NOT want to push it so my tmj gets inflamed, it severely restricts what I can eat for several days and it hurts and it's uncomfortable. Who would have thought I'd have to find ways to moderate fucking carrot sticks

[brightlotusmoon]

My FB post right now is being so useful:

Me: Okay, someone with TMJ, trigeminal nerve pain, and sinus pain help walk me through the differences so I can figure out what's happening in my face.

My microbiologist friend: "OMG SOMEONE FINALLY NEEDS ME!!!!

TMJ is an achy, muscular pain. If you press on the hinge of your jaw and/or the back of your skull where it meets your neck, you will feel intense pain followed by release. Causes headaches on one side, usually in the back. Opening your mouth wide while touching your jaw will produce a “pop” on one side and a feeling of sliding sideways on the other. Helped by: NSAIDS, muscle relaxants, heat. Hurt by: crunchy food, chewy food, jaw clenching.

Trigeminal neuralgia feels like random electrical shocks at the base of your teeth, radiating up into your cheek. One side. No headache. Pain can also be sharp or burning (when mine was at its worst it felt like someone put a flaming fireplace poker between my teeth and slammed my jaw shut), but the hallmark is that “shocky” pain. Helped by: medication that is specifically for nerve pain (like gabapentin). Absolutely nothing else helps. Hurt by: ??? (Mine is kind of related to the cold but…???)

Sinus pain is usually heavy pressure and an ache or occasional sharp pain in the jaw. Headaches bilateral and in the front of the head, in a “mask” around the eyes. Trigger points are at the inside corner of the eyebrow and the outer corner of the nostrils, applying firm pressure there will cause SEVERE pain that will lessen over time. Cheeks and forehead may also be sensitive to touch. Also might present as a sore throat. Helped by: sudafed, antihistamines, NSAIDS, cold. Hurt by: that depends on the person. If it’s unrelenting and doesn’t respond well to meds you should see a doctor to check for infection.

Oh my goodness I feel so useful 🖤"

My reply: "I love you. I also feel like all of that happened at the same time. But I'm going to call it TMJ, because the thoracic pain and upper shoulder stiffness is specific to the palsy spasticity, which means it'll hit the jaw muscles on both sides in slightly different ways."

Other friends also weighed in!

A. said "TMJ feels like you have the bottom jaw and the jaw joint hit with a hammer. Sinus pain in face feels like you could stick something into your eye or up your nose and it would pop the balloon that growing in your skull. Trigeminal nerve is one of the worst pains you have ever experienced and you would be at the hospital. It usually only affects one side of the face and it feels as thought someone is slicing your face open. (I don’t have it but a friend does but I experienced mild symptoms after a surgery that temporarily inflamed that nerve and even minor pain it was horrid and gave me a much much less accurate idea of how much pain my dear friend deals with cause mine was like 20% compared to her 100%)"

-

K. said: "TN can be bilateral and can be triggered or exacerbated by the same range of meds prescribed to relieve it.

Sinus pain may respond to pseudoephedrine, but phenylephrine ain't shit, so check your Sudafed formulation before you decide that decongestant doesn't work.

TMJ, you might notice that you're clenching or grinding at night... or other people might notice more than you do.

Also consider for differential diagnosis, these things that can cause REALLY fucking bizarre referred-pain:

Ear infection (look for fever or pain spiking at weird times when you can't identify a trigger, also maybe nausea)

Dental/oral nerve impingement or infection, try swishing with an analgesic like a chloraseptic spray or lozenge, or oragel. See if pan resolves.

Try tapping on teeth and gums. See if any of them feel 'weird.'

Brush/floss/waterpik/whatever very thoroughly and then gargle and swish as aggressively as you can.

I had a poppy seed making me think I was getting shingles one time. Once it was out, I was fine. Weirdest fucking shit... anyway..."