#going down both sciatic nerves

[gallifreyanhotfive]

Yall please help me manifest a healthy spine I fucked uppppp

[mountainsandmayhem]

Wings. Fire. Magic.

Dragon Trainer Joel x Female Reader

Summary: After stealing an egg you become the prisoner of a very handsome human male. CW: no smut (yet), massage, weaponry, mild nudity, blood Word Count: 3.3k, just a teaser Graphics by @saradika-graphics 💚🐉

You peel one eye open, the man who has you captive appears to be sound asleep, leaning up against a rock with an axe across his outstretched legs, one ankle crossed over the other. The large trees rustle around you in the breeze. Moonlight dancing around his face, the scar along the side of his head glistens.

Ok, captive is a strong word. You did try to steal from him. You had stolen from him. A fiery orange egg. Between your magic and your wings you should have been able to escape. He’s just a human and you are one of the few magic Fae left in this world.

Last night, he let you out of the tightly wound chains he had wrapped around you since catching you. For two days you were stuck in those chains that glow a sickly green, chains that silence your magic. Now a single thick cuff, in that same putrid green, is wrapped around your ankle, a short chain binding it to a nearby tree. Your iridescent wings ache as you roll off your back and onto your side to face Joel. 

Joel. Pfft. What a weird fucking name.

You try to stretch your wings quietly, but Joel’s eyes pop open at the little grunt you let out. 

“What’s wrong?” He grumbles. 

“Nothing,” you say defiantly as you roll onto your stomach and try to lift your wings out to stretch them. Your wings may look dainty and fragile, but they weigh more than you and without your magic it’s almost impossible to move them. You grunt again, if Joel hadn’t wrapped you in that fucking chain you wouldn’t be dealing with the uncomfortable tightness between your shoulder blades that can only be fixed by stretching and fluttering your wings. 

Joel sighs in annoyance as he stands and walks over to you. The gravel crunching under his boots wakes the thing that quite possibly intrigues you more than it scares you. It’s a death sentence to want to be around her. It was a death sentence to steal that egg. 

You try to slow your heart as you hear Remmer, Joel's indescribably large dragon move through the shadows behind you. Breathe, breathe, you say to yourself, sweat slicking your palms.

“What’s wrong?” He says again, more softly this time, feet stopping by your head.

“You fucking tied me up, Joel. With that enchanted chain for two fucking days. You squished my wings and now they’re sore.” You don’t mean for it to come out as a whine, but there’s a cold fire spreading across your upper back, slowly spreading up your neck and into your lower back.

He looks down at you, you stay on your stomach, eyes staring at his boots in front of you, resting your cheek on your hands.  “You stole from me,” he says flatly.

“Ya, I know Joel, you made that abundantly fucking clear. Just go back to sleep.” You try to stretch your wings out and then up, but the right one cramps and a sharp pain lances through your body. You cry out into the quiet dark night and it echoes back at you mockingly.

“What can I do?” Joel says bending down beside you, placing a large warm palm in between where your wings meet your back. 

“Rub there,” you say through the pain of the cramp. This isn’t like when you get a cramp in your calf, a wing cramp lights every nerve on fire. Tension builds in your neck and starts to blur your vision, your sciatic nerve shooting pain down both legs. 

Joel rubs the space between your wings in slow gentle circles, his rough hand scratching against the leather of your jacket. You gasp out in pain again as the right side twitches harder. Joel moves swiftly, undoing the zipper down the back of your fighting leathers, opening it fully, rubbing at your bare skin where your wings connect to your back, trying his hardest to work out the knots. He continues the same slow gentle circles and your left wing finally relaxes, curling itself back against your body.

“Is this ok?” Joel whispers. His voice sounds dry and timid. 

You moan slightly as the cramping begins to ease. “A little harder,” you say. 

He kneads the joint of the right one a little harder and it flops down weakly beside you, but he doesn’t stop massaging you. His other hand trails along the top edge of your wing to the first joint and he gently folds it back to your body. 

You close your eyes at the tingly sensation that spreads down your spinal cord at his touch, it feels like warm oil being drizzled down your back and the pain in your legs stops. No one has ever touched your wings before and humans are known to be vicious, yet there isn’t an ounce of fear in you as the man you’re currently a prisoner to cares for you. 

His hand on your wing continues to trace along the outer edge until it’s all tucked up right above your hip. His other hand kneads down your spine and you melt into the hard ground you were sleeping on. 

A little whimper passes your lips at how good his hands feel on your body. Both his hands trail lightly up your spine and massage at your neck. When they slip into your hair the pain in your head stops and your vision evens out. An almost pornographic moan passes your lips. He jerks his hands away and you bite your cheek to stop yourself from begging him to continue. 

He lets out a low whistle. You feel the air move around you and the massive dragon lands beside you with a tiny thump. Fear rises in your throat like a dry lump. A voice inside your head laughs at you. Little Fae warrior, steals an egg yet is petrified of what’s inside.

Joel grabs your ankle and unshackles the chain. Then says, “Don’t run. Go back to sleep, we have a long journey tomorrow.” 

The next morning Joel doesn’t wrap you in chains and make you sit side saddle on Remmer like he did the day before. Instead, he places a thin gold cuff that glows green around your wrist and then gives you a boost to sit normally before he hauls himself up behind you. He makes it look easy, his long powerful leg stretching, the lean muscles lining his back and arms pulling him up. The cuff silences your magic just enough that you won’t be able to fly.

The dragon rises from its crouched position when Joel takes the reins and you grab the edge of the saddle - even though you know that when you’re caged between Joel’s broad frame you won’t fall.

He lets out a whistle similar to last night and with one long swoop of her wings the dragon is up in the air. You tuck your wings in tight to your body, Joel's strong, leather wrapped chest close enough that you can feel the heat radiating off him. The warmth feels nice against the sore muscles lining your back, you have to fight the urge to lean against him completely. 

He doesn’t bring up what happened last night so you stay quiet as the dragon soars high above the fluffy white clouds. Morning dew sticking to your skin, you gaze around admiring the rising sun casting hues of pink and orange around you. It’s almost kind of romantic, minus the whole being held captive and being taken - well, you aren’t exactly sure where Joel is taking you. 

You sit in silence as the morning sun rises up and over you, until it becomes the evening sun. Joel pulls the reins and his dragon swoops down, skimming the surface of the large lake you didn’t even know you were flying over. The dragon drinks deeply, dragging her long obsidian claws of its back feet through the water. There’s a large mountain range on the other side of the lake and when you reach the shore the dragon gracefully veers upwards, landing in a grassy clearing between two peaks. Remmer lands so gently that you barely feel it, the only sign that you’re on the ground is that the wind around you has stopped. 

Joel doesn’t take the cuff off, but says “I’m trusting you not to run” before climbing down the leg of his dragon. He disappears into the tree line, assumingly to gather some firewood, and the dragon turns her head to look at you, almost side eyeing you as if to say “get the fuck off of me you freeloader”.

You mutter an apology to the dragon, flinging your leg over the saddle, trying to replicate all Joel’s steps while the burnt orange eyes of the dragon watch you.

Once you hit the ground the dragon nudges you with her snout and you stumble forward before she takes off into the air, darting into a cave above the right side of the meadow. 

Rude. 

You look around the meadow, light green clover and colorful wildflowers cover most of it. Tall trees lining the edge of it, a jagged rocky mountain cliff face that leads to the cave closes in the rest of it. You hear water trickling, spinning around you see a stream of bright blue water. The water is so clear that you can’t tell how deep it is. The bed of the stream is covered in rocks of purples, greens and blues. 

Joel is nowhere to be found and you’ve been up near the sun in these leathers all day. You glance around again before stripping off all your clothing and submerging yourself in the cool blue water. It flows over your skin like silk, you take a big breath and disappear under the water for a little bit, watching a few striped fish swim past. 

Suddenly, a hand has you by your hair, ripping you from the water as a yelp leaves your mouth. 

“Joel, what the fuck?” You yell, trying to cover your naked body with your arms. But it’s not Joel. No, it’s three large males dressed in greens to match the meadow. All of them have large full beards and are armed with curved blades.

When humans think of sprites they imagine small woodland creatures. But some sprites are anything but that. In this land, sprites have been after fairy wings for as long as you can remember. The brutal males need the wings to make the potion to keep their unbelievable strength. 

They speak to each other in a language that you don’t understand. Two of them grab onto you, one at your hands and the other at your feet. They spin you around and slam you face first into the ground. You scream out, hoping that Joel is close enough, or cares enough, to come help you. But maybe he brought you here for this reason. Maybe he only massaged your wings so tenderly last night because he’s expecting some sort of payment from these males. 

The third male crouches down beside you. “Shut the fuck up, there’s no one here who can help you.” 

His hand reaches around the top of your wing and he pulls it as hard as he can to try to pry it away from your naked body. If Joel had removed the small gold cuff around your wrist you may have been able to fight them off. At this point all you can do is squeeze your wings into yourself as hard as you can. They need the whole wing, joint and all to make their potion properly.

“No! Please!” You scream, seeing the long sharp dagger he pulls from his boot. 

His feral touch on the sensitive membranes of your wings is almost enough to make you wretch. His cronies pull your arms and legs tighter, almost as if they’re trying to rip you in half, the sharp rocks poke and scratch underneath you. 

“No! Help me! Someone!” You are practically sobbing. 

You know you aren’t a good fairy. You’ve spent years stealing and taking things that aren’t yours, but it was for your village. Fae in this area of the world have been pushed out of land that they once owned. Your ancestors were injected with that same sickly green that Joel has embedded in his chains and then stripped of their wings. Magic and wings were lost for centuries. Babies were born without either, and only recently did it start showing up in a new generation of Fae. You thought yourself lucky at one time, but here you are, about to be flayed open like a spatchcocked chicken.

A sharp poke hits just above your right shoulder blade and you scream out in agony. Before you can comprehend what’s happening you’re encased in a dark shadow. For a moment you think you’re dead, until glowing flecks of orange light cast a warm glow around you. A wing. You’re surrounded, tented in almost, by a wing. You hear the males pleading on the other side. 

“Easy there.” 

“We didn’t mean no harm. Eaaaasy.” 

You hear the sound of wood falling to the ground and as if he appeared from thin air, Joel is beside you, his axe gripped tightly in one hand. He’s crouching slightly and you wrap your arms around yourself to cover your naked flesh. 

“NO!” You scream, trying to scramble away from him.

He puts a finger to his lips to shush you and then steps out from the wing. 

The males go quiet. 

“If you touch her again,” Joel says darkly, “My dragon will be the least of your concerns.” 

“We have gold,” the voice of the one who was cutting you says, “give us the fairy and we’ll give you gold.” 

Joel is silent for too long, you’re sure he’s considering it, about to sell you off. You reach over your shoulder to where the dagger pierced you and feel a sticky warmth against the pads of your fingers, pulling your hand back you see your fingers coated in blood. 

“Stay. The fuck. Away from her,” Joel growls. Remmer huffing beside you.

You hear the footsteps of the men trail off. The dragon lifts her wing and then peaks at you with one eye. You stay seated on the ground, knees drawn to your chest, covering yourself up as best you can. A shiver runs down your body, the dragon's eye narrows slightly and then warm air blows from her nose, heating the space under her wing. 

You smile at the dragon. “Thank you.” 

“Lift up,” Joel says on the other side of the wing. The dragon growls quietly at him. “Ok weirdo. Can I at least hand her her clothes?” 

She lifts just enough for Joel to slide your boots, leathers, and white cotton shirt under. The moment his hand is clear she flaps it back down and huffs at him. More warm air fills the space before she turns her head away so you can get dressed. 

“How chivalrous,” you say to the dragon. The tented space under the wing is big enough for you to stand up in as you shimmy your clothes and boots on, leaving your jacket off since the joint of your wing is burning. You can already feel the soft cotton of your shirt sticking to you. “I’m dressed,” you call out when you’re done. 

The dragon peaks in again at you. “Am I allowed out?” 

Remmer stares at you for a little while before Joel speaks up from the other side of your cocoon, “Rem, she’s not your pet. You can’t hold her in there…”

The dragon eyes soften at you and you smile a little. “I’m ok, I promise. Thank you.” 

She lifts her wing up and nudges you towards Joel, using her nose to turn your body so that Joel can see the blood. 

“Shit,” he whispers. 

“I’m fine, Joel.” You say, trying to step away but you’re caged between the dragon's large head against your stomach and Joel at your back. 

“You’re not fine,” he says, moving your hair away from the deep gash. “Fuck, don’t move. We need to wrap this up.” 

The dragon must be able to understand him, because she immediately turns her body to where the bags hang off her saddle. He gets the medical supplies and then pulls you gently over to sit on a rock. He stands behind you, tugging the back of your shirt so he can see the full extent of the damage. 

“This might sting,” he says as he uncaps a bottle of antiseptic. 

He drizzles a little bit on you and it feels like liquid fire spreading across your body. You bite hard on your lip to not scream, hands curling into fists. The dragon pushes herself flat to the ground and almost slithers up to you, resting her massive head on your lap, looking up at you with sad eyes. 

“Why’d you take it?” He says, gentle hands beginning to wrap a bandage around the joint of your wing. You stretch it out as much as you can to make it easier for him, wincing at the sharp pinching sensation, Rem lets out a whine, similar to a little dog, at the sign of your pain.

You want to reach out to pet the dragon but fear stops you, “The egg?” you ask timidly.

“Mm-hmm,” he says behind you, looping the bandage around, the back of his hand grazes the underside of your wing. You hadn’t realized how sensitive that part of your body is and your nipples harden, eyes closing briefly at the sensation.

“We needed money,” you reply just above a whisper.

“Who’s we?”

“My family. I’m the only one with magic and wings, their survival falls on me. And there’s not a lot for us here.”

“Why don’t you all go somewhere else?” he asks, his hand brushing that sensitive spot again.

You snort a little, the dragon thinking it’s pain nuzzles into you more, you still don’t move to pet her. “Wingless Fae aren’t exactly welcome in many places, and as you just saw, those of us with wings are under attack.”

“Why?” he asks again as he ties the bandage in a knot.

“Our wings hold our magic.”

One of Joel's strong arms trails down yours, his chest pressed against your back. Sparks shoot across your body at his sudden and all consuming closeness. He smells like pine needles and fresh grass. His hand wraps around your wrist and he brings your hand to rest on the Remmer’s head, right between her glowing orange eyes.

“Just don’t stroke against her scales, she won’t like that.”

You take a shaky breath and stroke back towards the spiky crown of her head.  Her spikes lay flat and she closes her eyes, a purring sound fills her chest and you smile over your shoulder at Joel.

“Where are you taking me?” You ask.

“Where we take all thieves.” He says.

The King.

“No, please. You can’t! He’ll do worse than cut off my wings!” You plead, Rem shoots her head up towards Joel, eyes flaring.

“Remmer, down.” Joel says warningly at the dragon. She doesn’t lower her head back to your lap, but you notice the orange in her eyes softens. He turns now to address you, “This is the way of your world, you knew that long before you took my egg.”

Rem huffs smoke at him when he says ‘my egg’.

“Apologies. When she took your egg.”

Remmer blinks at him, then back at you before resting her head back on your lap. You use both hands now to stroke along her scales. It's hard to believe that just mere hours ago you were terrified of her, but something about those males that attacked you has changed her presence around you. 

Joel turns towards the wood he dropped earlier and starts building a fire. You swear you hear him say, “whose side are you on?” under his breath.

Taglist: @corazondebeskar @hiddenbabynyc @mermaidgirl30 @rainstorms-library @smutsmutslut @sullyrocky44 @keylimebeag @pimosworld @casa-boiardi @pedritoferg @paleidiot @musings-of-a-rose @lorilane33 @pansexual-potatoes @baar-ur @jessthebaker @tightjeansjavi @javierpena-inatacvest

[sixhours]

One Day at a Time - Chapter 6 - Transition

Author's note: Good news! The rest of this will probably be posted today, with the exception of an epilogue I haven't had the guts to write. When I do, it will be posted as a separate work, and it's not necessary to wrap up this story. Thank you for reading! Your comments and reblogs are feeding me. <3

Series Chapter Index | Read on AO3 | Complete

Rating: Explicit, 18+, here be smut Series tags: The Last of Us, The Last of Us (HBO), Joel Miller x f!OFC, Joel & Ellie, mostly follows canon, SMUT, gratuitous smut, dubious consent (drunk sex), unplanned pregnancy, fluff, references to past miscarriages, angst, hurt/comfort, romance, age gap (~21 years), childbirth, fluffy baby stuff, I've probably forgotten some so please let me know <3

After weeks of sleeping on the narrow, lumpy mattress in Ellie’s old room, his back finally gives out.

He’s reaching for the coffee pot and something about how he moves his shoulder causes a domino effect of rippling pain that starts at the nape of his neck and ends by setting his sciatic nerve on fire, every muscle along his spine locking up tighter than a fist.

He barely makes it to the couch, easing himself down to a prone position with a groan that he hopes Charlie can’t hear from the bedroom.

Her footsteps echo on the stairs.

No such luck.

“Did someone just die down here?”

“M’fine,” he mutters through gritted teeth. “Just my back.”

“What happened?“

Ellie chooses that moment to come through the front door. “Joel? I need a–”

“He’s on the couch. Think his back gave out,” Charlie says, now standing over him, looking concerned.

Ellie’s face pokes over the back of the couch. “Again, old man?”

“M’fine,” he repeats, trying to roll to his side to try to stand, but that only aggravates the nerve and sends a ripple of spasms up his traitorous spine. “Fuck!”

“Should I go find Maria?” Ellie asks. “Those pills she had worked last time–”

“No, I just…need to rest for a minute,” he grumbles, knowing full well he’s out of commission until someone finds him a muscle relaxant.

“Is he always like this?” Charlie asks.

“Pretty much,” Ellie says, too quickly for Joel’s liking.

“I’ll go find Maria,” Charlie says, surprising them both when she takes Joel’s hand and gives it a tender squeeze. Ellie’s eyebrows shoot up.

“Make sure he doesn’t hurt himself again. I’ll be back,” she addresses Ellie before heading out the door.

When Charlie is gone, Ellie plops into the armchair and leans forward, an almost predatory smirk on her face.

“So…is she your girlfriend yet?”

“S’not like–”

“If you say ‘it’s not like that’ one more time, I’ll take the damn pills myself,” she says.

Joel groans. “Do we have to do this now?”

“Got ya right where I want ya,” she says. “Spill it, dude.”

“No, we’re not…I don’t…I dunno,” he grumbles.

“You ‘don’t know?’”

“S’what I said,” he grits his teeth against another wave of pain, forcing himself to lie absolutely still. “It’s complicated.”

Ellie rolls her eyes. “That’s just what grown-ups say when they don’t want to tell you the truth.”

He winces. “Yeah. Well, the truth is…it’s complicated.”

She sighs. “Are you sleeping together?”

“That’s none of your–”

“Just saying, if you’re fucking her, she’s probably your girlfriend. So it’s not that complicated.”

“Ellie, I’m not havin’ this conversation,” he growls, squeezing his eyes shut.

“Well, you should probably figure it out before the baby gets here.”

He can’t argue with that, so he doesn’t.

“It’s gonna be weird…having a baby around,” she says thoughtfully. “Remember how bad Tommy was after Izzy was born? When he kept putting Maria’s breastmilk in his coffee by accident?”

Joel snorts. “Yeah. I remember.”

“You’re gonna be busy,” she says. “Babies are a lot of work.”

Even in his pain, he picks up on the unspoken question in her voice. He softens. He wants to sit up so he can look at her, but his back protests. Instead, he reaches blindly for her hand.

“C’mere.”

There’s a reluctant pause, and then she’s standing beside him, slipping her fingers into his.

“I know I haven’t been, uh…great…lately. M’sorry.”

She shrugs, biting at her lower lip.

“Truth is…I was just gettin’ used to the idea of bein’ your dad, and now with the baby…”

He takes a deep, shaky breath.

“It’s a lot. An’ I know it’s prob’ly a lot for you, too.”

Her voice is too light, like she’s trying to cover something up. “You’ll have a real kid soon.”

He frowns and gives her an experimental pinch between her thumb and index finger. “Dunno. You feel pretty real to me.”

“You know what I mean,” she says softly, and he feels it in his heart, a twinge more powerful than any back spasm. He grips her fingers tighter.

“It’ll be different for a while…and yeah, I’m not gonna get much sleep. Prob’ly be…distracted. But it’s still you and me, kid,” he says. “An’ I’m always gonna be here.”

His back takes that moment to seize up again and he hisses. “Shit, sorry.”

She sighs, but there’s a smile in it. “At this rate, you’re always gonna be here on the couch .”

“What’d you need, anyway?” he groans, trying to change the subject.

“Oh, a hammer.”

“What for?”

“Cat found me this new poster, was gonna hang it in my room.”

“There’s one in my toolbox; s’by the door,” he says. “Just put it back when you’re done.”

She narrows her eyes. “You’re not gonna hurt yourself again, are you? Your girlfriend’ll have my ass.”

His answering glare has no effect and she leaves him, laughing.

Charlie returns with the pills a few minutes later, and he swallows two of them eagerly before she can fetch a glass of water. Then he hears her rummaging around up in the bedroom. She comes back with a heating pad.

“Found it at the post,” she explains. “Your kid is killing my hips. Lift up.”

Your kid.

He frowns. “I don’t need—“

“Spare me,” she sighs. “Lift up.”

So he does, still grumbling, and she slides the pad under his lower back and plugs the cord into the wall. It’s instantly warm, oozing heat up his spine, and the muscles slowly start to unwind. He can’t hold back a groan of relief.

“It’s the bed, isn’t it?” she sighs, easing herself into the armchair.

“No,” he says too quickly. “Strained it at work. Tommy’s got us workin’ doubles to get the new barns up.”

“Uh-huh. Maybe you should consider moving back into your room.”

“Not kickin’ you out,” he scoffs.

“I’d stay there, too.”

He side-eyes her. “No playin’ house, remember?”

“I think we might have crossed that line already,” she murmurs, quirking her lips.

Then she’s up and doing something in the kitchen, and Joel tries to focus on letting the heat work its magic. He knows the muscle relaxant has kicked in when he can roll over slightly and it doesn’t make his back seize. He tries to sit up, but Charlie is instantly at his side, holding him down by the shoulders.

“Gotta work,” he mutters weakly.

“Nuh-uh. I already told Tommy you’re out of commission,” she says.

“The hell’d you do–”

“You’re not good at letting people take care of you, are you?”

He grunts. “Says you .”

“Yeah, we have that in common. Not so much fun on the other side, huh?” she murmurs.

She plunks down a mug of coffee, a glass of juice, and a plate of eggs and toast on the table next to him, then puts a DVD in the player and hands him the remote.

“Stay,” she commands. “I’m at the post all day, but I’ll bring you lunch on my break. You’d better be horizontal when I get back.”

He wants to complain, but the pills have made him slow, and she’s out the door before he can think of a response.

The coffee is black and strong, just the way he likes it. The juice is awful–it’s green, some combination of things from the garden–but he chokes it down anyway, thinking of Sarah and her vitamins.

And then he passes out because he forgot that taking muscle relaxants on an empty stomach will do that. He wakes a few hours later, mouth dry and tasting of that awful juice, to find a paper bag and a note from Charlie have replaced the food and drinks on the table.

It’s a sandwich. Take another dose if you need it. I’ll be home by 6.

He’s pleasantly surprised to find he can sit up. Sure, the noise he makes in the process is unflattering, and he’s not going to be doing cartwheels anytime soon, but it’s an improvement.

This time, he eats the sandwich before he takes the second dose and manages to stay awake until Charlie gets home, but his head swims and he barely makes it halfway through their nightly movie. He wakes to her tugging gently on his hand.

“Come to bed.”

He’s too tired to protest. He lets her lead him to his bedroom, lets her pull back the covers and tuck him into bed, lets her wrap her body around his.

“You just wanna take advantage of me,” he slurs lightly into her hair.

She snorts a laugh. “Yes, Joel. This was my grand plan. For you to knock me up and throw your back out so I could keep you as my sex slave.”

“Mmmff. Knew it.”

“Go to sleep, old man,” she murmurs, nuzzling into his chest until he can feel her smile against his skin.

Sometimes Charlie is so distant, it’s like she isn’t there at all. She stares into space and he has to say her name four or five times before she hears him. Sometimes he has to physically touch her to bring her back, and then she looks at him as though he’s a stranger.

After the second or third time, he recognizes it as the disassociation of grief. He lost days of his life after Sarah was taken from him, days where he existed in body only, when Tess or Tommy would have to pull him back from the edge of a deep, dark pit. He’d wake up unable to remember how he’d gotten to bed or find himself in the middle of a fight with no idea how he’d gotten there. It might have scared him if he thought he had something to lose.

Those are the nights she needs him.

He knows he should turn her away. He knows he’s using her as much as she’s using him. But she comes alive when they’re together, and he tells himself it helps, and maybe it does.

He takes half as many showers.

Tonight, she arches back into him as he thrusts into her on her side from behind, curled around her body, heady with the feeling of being surrounded by her, all soft skin and warmth. She’s murmuring into his palm, slicking her tongue around his fingers, sucking them into her wet mouth and humming. His other hand rubs flutter-like circles against her clit the way he knows she likes.

She’s three orgasms deep and still hungry, panting and pleading, more, there, so close, please .

And then she comes hard, clenching around him and wrenching a hoarse name from her throat.

Not his name.

It barely registers until she’s scrambling away to sit at the edge of the bed, still trembling from the aftershocks, pulling the sheet across her naked chest.

“Shit, shit, shit, I’m sorry,” she gasps.

“Hey, it’s okay,” he soothes, reaching out to pull her back against him, but she jerks away from his touch.

“Fuck,” she grits out, followed by a low, keening sob. “Shit. Fuck.”

Some part of him has always known; the way her eyes clamp shut at the critical moment, the way she positions him and guides him and takes and takes and takes, the way she asks to forget, to pretend. Joel knows it’s foolish to think she needed him and not just the idea of him: a warm body, a working cock and fingers and tongue.

“Charlie, it’s–”

Her muffled sob cracks something in his heart. Then she’s locking herself in the bathroom before he can find his feet.

Shit.

He gets out of bed and pulls on his boxers, goes to the closed door. “Charlie?”

“Go away.”

He rolls his eyes. “Dammit, I’m not…mad.”

Silence.

“I don’t care if you…if you need…if you…fuck,” he hisses. “Just talk t’me.”

Her voice is so faint it barely registers. “I can’t.”

“Okay, you don’t have to, but…can you at least open the door?”

“No.”

He makes a fist against the wall, gritting his teeth. Without a better idea, he turns and slides down the wall, pressing his back to the door.

I’m here , he thinks helplessly. Just tell me what to do.

Silence. And then…rustling, a soft grunt, until they’re back-to-back with the door between them. He hears the hitch of another muffled sob.

“I always…thought it would be him,” she whispers finally, voice thick. “That we’d do this together.”

He feels a familiar shameful flush. What can he say?

I’m sorry it happened the wrong way, at the wrong time, with the wrong person.

I’m sorry I’m not him.

But he’s not sorry at all. He’s a selfish asshole, so he doesn’t say anything.

“We wanted this so much. And sometimes it feels like a…a betrayal. Like I’m moving on…forgetting him.”

He swallows hard, thinking of Sarah, wondering if he might hold this child in his arms and feel that same gnawing guilt, like he doesn’t deserve to be whole again.

“I think he’d want you to be happy,” Joel says softly.

“I tell myself that, I do…but I don’t think I believe it. I don’t–”

More silence. He shifts his weight. The floor is cold and hard, digging into his ass. It can’t be good for her back.

“When we…started…you said…you needed to pretend,” he tries, tipping his head back against the door and closing his eyes. “I knew that goin’ into this. Knew I wasn’t, uh…I’m not–”

“I thought…I wanted…I don’t know,” she hiccups. “I don’t know anymore.”

“We…you don’t need to—”

“It hurts,” she grates out. “It h-hurts and I miss him and it’s not f-f-fucking fair.”

It’s not fucking fair .

What else is there to say?

“I know,” he whispers roughly. “I know.”

They sit like that until his ass is numb and her silence is too unnerving to bear.

“Come back to bed,” he says, defeated and not expecting her to answer. “Please.”

There’s a watery sigh on the other side of the door. Then he hears her moving, the slightest groan as she gets to her feet, and he eases himself off the floor. The door opens. She’s wrapped in a robe, one hand cradling her belly under the terrycloth, the bedsheet pooled at her feet.

Her eyes meet his, red-rimmed and hollow. He cups the back of her neck and pulls her into an embrace.

“S’alright,” he whispers when her tears wet his chest and she shudders against him. He sways like he used to when Sarah was little, rocking her back and forth until she quiets.

“Oh!”

She jumps suddenly, startling in his arms, a soft gasp escaping her lips. Swiping at her eyes, she grabs his hand, guiding it down her body until it’s resting just below her belly button. Her skin is warm and taut and smooth.

“What—“

Then he feels it, the tapping against his fingers, some tiny arm or elbow or foot poking at him from under her skin. She laughs through tears as the insistent little being seems to dance under their hands.

“Never been this strong before,” she whispers thickly.

Joel doesn’t trust himself to speak, pride warring with sadness in his chest. They stay like that for a long time, his hand on her stomach, new life roiling beneath his palm.

The baby should be able to hear them now, so at night, he reads out loud from a tattered copy of The Fellowship of the Ring , sitting up in their shared bed with a pair of reading glasses perched on his nose. The reading was his idea, the choice of material was hers.

One hand holds the book, the other rests on Charlie’s stomach. She says she likes the sound of his voice, but most of the time, she’s asleep before he gets to the third page. At this rate, the kid will be twenty before they finish the first book in the trilogy.

Tonight, the baby–Coconut, he thinks–is particularly active, rolling and kicking against his hand. A particularly hard jab causes Charlie to jump, hissing a soft ouch under her breath, and he puts the book aside.

“Hey, kid, settle down,” he says, rubbing at the squirming lump. “Let your mama sleep.”

This earns him another pointed jab; the kid is all attitude.

“Mmm,” Charlie mutters. “I know what’d help me sleep.”

“Yeah?”

“Mmmhmm,” she stretches, arching her back, and he can see the outline of one dark nipple through her bra.

“Again?” he murmurs, sliding a hand up to cup her breast and rolling it gently through the fabric. “Already?”

She sighs at the contact. “Mmm. Please?”

He tosses his glasses on the nightstand, more than happy to abandon the book, and curls around her, nuzzling her neck. “‘Fraid I’m not going to be much help with, uh…y’know.”

Not for the first time, he wishes he was about fifteen years younger. Even then, he’s not sure he could keep up with her. He wonders if she was always like this, or if it’s the pregnancy. He wonders if he’ll get to find out.

They don’t talk about this, or what will happen after the baby comes. They go to her midwife appointments together and Joel grinds his teeth through every second, but he stays by her side. Sometimes she holds his hand, and when she kisses him, she does so with the full force of her being. But just like the baby, their relationship doesn’t have a name.

She guides his hand between her legs, under her panties, finding her slick and swollen. She gives a contented little hum of pleasure when his finger traces her seam. “I’m sure you can figure something out.”

He huffs a breath into her nape, kisses the spot where the soft, downy hairs tickle against his nose, and strokes her the way she likes, circling and tapping until she’s arching against him. She comes almost immediately, fluttering and pulsing against his fingertips. A little one.

“More?” he murmurs, gentling his touch as her breathing calms.

“Mmhm, please.”

Her clit is a hard, slick little pebble under his fingers. He draws her orgasm from her more slowly this time, teasing, building her up until her climax is a growl sprung from the depths of her throat and her thighs clench his hand in a vise. He cups her sex gently and trails kisses along her neck, her throat, her shoulder as she rides it out, whispers into the shell of her ear, “More?”

Charlie reaches back and threads her fingers into his hair in answer, pulling him tighter against her, and he breathes her in, sweat and soap and something uniquely her. It drives him crazy, makes him feel feral and protective and alive. She turns her head, seeking his mouth, and he obliges, tongue parting her lips and tasting her as she hums and shivers and writhes against his hand, don’t stop please don’t please don’t stop . 

“I got you,” he murmurs against her lips in between kisses, fingers circling and circling until his wrist aches. He can feel the baby roll and kick under his forearm, feels her fingers gripping him there. He loves watching her like this, loves the way her back arches and jaw goes slack with pleasure, the sounds she makes when she comes.

And then she does, coming undone in his arms with a throaty moan, shuddering and keening in a way that makes his cock twitch.

“Better?” he murmurs, finally pulling his hand away and groping for the blanket they’d tossed aside.

“Much,” she sighs, relinquishing herself to his warmth. “You sure you don’t want me to…”

“M’fine,” he says, wrapping an arm around her belly, which has gone mostly still. “Kid calmed down.”

“Yeah. S’the hormones,” she murmurs drowsily. “Oxytocin.”

“They can feel that, huh?”

“Mmhm,” she says. “They can feel everything.”

“...everything?”

“Don’t make it weird,” she murmurs, and he can feel her smirking against his arm. “Read to us?”

Us . They’re slowly bending all the rules, he thinks.

He groans. “Thought you were goin’ to sleep.”

“I am, but I like your voice.”

“Uh huh. Damnit, lost my place,” he grumbles, grabbing for the hefty paperback. “Never find it again, damn book is six-thousand pages long. Thought this’d have dragons, so far they’re just describing’ stuff and yackin’.”

“It’s Tolkien,” she yawns. “It’s a classic.”

“Buncha elves and gnomes and shit,” he mutters. “This Dildo Baggins character sounds like a porn star.”

“They’re hobbits,” Charlie laughs and pokes him in the thigh. “And it’s ‘Bilbo’, you grouch.”

He squints. “Right, need my glasses. Tiny print.”

Charlie snickers, something about old eyes , and burrows deeper into the covers as he finally finds his reading glasses and his place.

He doesn’t make it two pages before he hears her snore.

They’ve kept up the movie night routine even though there’s no good reason for Charlie to stay off her feet. They’ve rented the last of the action flicks from the library, so now they’re working through television shows and sitcoms. Some unlucky soul from the time before left behind a sizeable collection of M*A*S*H episodes on tape, so Charlie often falls asleep to the sounds of Hawkeye’s sarcastic drawl.

They’re on the couch in their usual spots, her with a bowl of homemade strawberry ice cream perched on her belly, him with a beer. The ice cream is the only thing she craves–strawberry preserves mixed with cream and sugar, then frozen and scooped into a bowl. Joel makes a new batch every other night before they go to bed. They’re going through Maria’s summer preserves like crazy, and he’ll be doing work on the community greenhouses for the rest of his fucking life at this rate.

But it’s worth it, he thinks, as she takes another bite of the rich, creamy concoction, licking the spoon clean with her strawberry-pink tongue. She’s a fucking distraction. The laugh track is going off in the background, but with every bite, her eyes roll back and her lashes flutter, and he wants to take that spoon out of her mouth and–

He adjusts himself, forces his eyes back to the screen, takes another sip of his beer. Jesus .

A few minutes later the bowl is licked clean, and a well-placed kick from the baby sends it rocking, tumbling into her lap.

“Apparently we demand more,” Charlie laughs.

“Kid’s gonna come out lookin’ like a strawberry,” Joel mutters.

She smiles. “Baby wants what it wants.”

The phrase triggers a memory, and he chuckles. “With Sarah, it was mangoes.”

Sarah’s mom, sitting at the kitchen table in their tiny one-bedroom, devouring the fruit straight from the rind, sticky juice coating her fingers, running down her chin.

Baby wants what it wants , she’d said, and then he’d kissed her, lips syrupy sweet.

He doesn’t remember if he loved her–there was no room for love to grow, really. Not enough time, not enough money, not enough maturity between the two of them. But they’d made Sarah, and he’d loved his baby girl enough to make up for the rest.

“Who’s Sarah?”

Charlie snaps him out of his reverie. She’s looking at him curiously.

Oh.

He reaches for the remote, pausing the show, and the silence around them has weight, he can feel it pressing against his chest. He coughs, clears his throat, tries to figure out how to start.

“She was, uh…my daughter. Before.”

She blinks at him, wide-eyed, her question a small, breathless whisper. “You had a daughter?”

He ducks his head. “Yeah. She, uh…was killed on Outbreak Day. She’d be about your age now. Little younger, I guess.”

Her eyes are so bright, they almost glow.

“Her mom…my ex…liked mangoes,” he explains. “When she was pregnant. Couldn’t keep enough of ‘em in the house.”

“Why didn’t you say something?”

“Didn’t know you liked mangoes,” he says weakly, trying for a joke. She doesn’t smile.

He takes a deep breath, trying to keep his voice from shaking. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t tryin’ to hide it. It never felt like a good time, and it’s…I didn’t want you to feel like I was…replacin’ something.”

She looks around then as if seeking some kind of clue, something obvious she might have missed. There are no photos of Sarah on the mantle, no drawings or keepsakes to indicate he’d been a father before Ellie–only the broken watch on his wrist. He holds it out to her, the shattered glass face shimmering in the light of the TV screen.

“She gave me this for my birthday,” he says, and the words stick in his throat. “It’s…all I have.”

“And her name was Sarah?” she says in a small, tight voice.

His smile is sad. “Go figure, huh?”

Her lip quivers. “Joel…”

She sets the bowl aside and starts to get up, the bulk of her belly and gravity working against her.

“Don’t–” he starts, but she makes it to her feet before he can protest.

Then she’s standing between his knees and cradling his face in her hands. There are tears in her eyes, spilling down her cheeks. She cries at everything now, but that doesn’t explain why he wants to cry, too.

He wants to say something reassuring, to set her at ease, but his tongue is thick in his mouth and it hurts like it does sometimes, like the wound is fresh and raw and new all over again.

“I can’t,” he says thickly, pleading. “Not…right now. Not yet.”

She nods slowly, kisses his forehead with something like love, and cradles him against her. Her warm, full belly presses against his chest, against his heart, and he hates that it soothes the ache. It’s too much like forgetting.

Her whisper at his temple is a balm.

“One day at a time.”

[pinksiames]

Hi all, I’m sure you all have noticed my lack of presence on tumblr and ao3. But do not fret I am not gone! I’ve been dealing with a lot of medical issues lately so I’ve been more mentally focused on them. I was diagnosed with DDD (degenerative disc disease) and sciatica. It’s basically I have a lumbar disc that’s deteriorating and it’s compressing on my sciatic nerve going down both of my legs.

For the most part I’ve been fine but a few weeks back I started having flare ups, got sent to do some tests and scans that I haven’t been able to go to yet. It was steady, was coming and going but then these last two weeks have been hell. I’ve been in some of the worst debilitating pain I’ve ever been in. So I’ve been on the track to recover and progress and heal. So I will be continuing to be on break but believe me once I’m better it’s more hellish content from me!

[splathousefiction]

Update 10/6/24

Gming er'body

It's been a busy few days here at Splathouse. Friday morning I woke with a head cold and coughed so hard I pinched a nerve in my back, and I've been laid up for two days dealing with both. Today was the first day I was able to walk without my cane and a manageable level of pain; I'm going to continue taking the rest of the day off in order to make sure I can stand upright behind a mic without fear of doubling over in agony.

Sciatic nerve pain ain't no joke. Don't get old, folks.

In other news, I thought I would update all of you on current schedules and the like for content:

Fansly: totally up in the air as of this writing

Patreon: "Smoke Session: The Hurricane Episode" will likely record tomorrow. This will cover absolutely everything that happened from my POV and how horrible helen was to NC. Bring your tissues, it's likely to get emotional.

"Old Man LaCroix: Act 1-The Old Gray Wolf" Will likely premier friday (october 11/24), since I was physically unable to record at all over the last few days. However, I still don't believe in sacrificing quality to ensure a deadline. So if not friday, "when it's done being edited". I want this series to be perfect as you all deserve nothing less.

I was originally going to record "ICFT: Taladega Nights" before Helen dropped, and I still intend to do the review despite the fact the movie is no longer available on the service. It's a fantsic movie with a deeply personal tie to the person that directly inspired me to start this podcast, and so the episode will be in dedication to them. Sean, if you're reading this, I love you so much buddy.

Commissions: I currently have 1 commission in the queue and 1 very long overdue finale for another series I think would be *perfect* for a halloween upload on patreon. To these people, your patience during this completely unprecedented part of my life has been incredible and should we ever have the good fortune of crossing paths, I hope you like hugs. Those will be worked on some time over the next few days.

To everyone else:

Thank you once again for your incredible support during hurricane Helen. NGL, this has been the hardest week of my life in a great while and the destruction the hurricane let loose in NC is comparable only to Katrina. Without a doubt or joke to be had, there was a very good chance when the hurricane touched down I wouldn't be here typing this. The fact I survived not only it's arrival but the week after (and what's more, my immediate family as well) was made possible directly by many of you.

Thursday evening was the first time I allowed myself to sit down and really think about the fact my life was on the line. Specifically, by the giant tree directly in front of my bedroom. I got lucky, and many people in NC alive today got lucky. But the margin of error was that thin.

I love nature, but I'm cutting down that #$%-ing tree.

[semiotomatics]

okay been wearing my foot/ankle braces for like 10 hours now and i definitely think theres something Going On w my right sciatic nerve. as far as i can tell ive got both on equally snug and yet, while my left ankle/foot feels great, my right does not. i had a sciatica flare-up that got so bad i had to take the brace off for a bit, and now that its been back on for ~10 minutes im starting to get the same neuropathy symptoms again. it seems to be triggered by my foot being at a right angle, cause when i take the brace off and stretch it out it feels better almost immediately. from my research it looks like that could be bc bending my foot stretches the nerve, whereas straightening my foot relaxes it. this also tracks w other things i can do to relieve the pain, which usually involve relaxing the nerve, vs things that aggravate it, which usually involve stretching it.

and!! additionally!! i found out the sciatic nerve connects to the spinal column around the lower lumbar/upper sacral vertebrae. yknow, right where i have a known malformation. technically theres the S1 lumbarization plus the tilted pelvis, which i wouldnt be surprised at all to find out could cause issues. some rando in reddit mentioned seeing signs of sacroiliitus on my right side too, which, yeah, that absolutely tracks, ive been having SI joint pain on that side for years.

anyway, i dont need to get into my whole medical history rn aldkakfkaf i just like laying it all out like that to prove to myself that there are plausible reasons for my pain other than just "youre fat/out of shape", things that could be diagnosed if only doctors would look. it also helps to know what specific symptoms are potential indicators of stuff like this, so i know what to point out. even saying smth like "chronic sciatic nerve pain/neuropathy radiating from the lumbar/sacral area down to my calf and right foot, activated by stretching the sciatic nerve/lumbar region/leg/foot, worst at night or when sitting/standing, relieved by walking/relaxing the sciatic nerve" gives me a better chance at being taken seriously than just "chronic low back pain". i rly rly hope so anyway :/

[ancureclinic]

How to Sleep with Lower Back Pain and Sciatica: Tips for a Restful Night

Lower back pain and sciatica can make getting a good night's sleep seem impossible. The discomfort and pain can keep you tossing and turning, preventing you from getting the rest your body needs to heal and function properly. However, with the right strategies and adjustments, you can improve your sleep quality despite these challenges. In this blog, we will explore practical tips and techniques on how to sleep with lower back pain and sciatica, helping you achieve a restful and restorative night's sleep.

Understanding Lower Back Pain and Sciatica

What is Lower Back Pain? Lower back pain refers to discomfort or pain experienced in the lumbar region of the spine. It can result from various causes, including muscle strain, disc problems, or degenerative conditions.

What is Sciatica? Sciatica is a type of pain that radiates along the path of the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back through the hips and down each leg. It is often caused by a herniated disc or bone spur compressing part of the nerve.

Impact on Sleep: Both lower back pain and sciatica can significantly impact sleep quality. The pain can make it difficult to find a comfortable sleeping position, leading to restless nights and chronic fatigue.

Tips for Sleeping with Lower Back Pain and Sciatica

1. Choose the Right Mattress: A supportive mattress is crucial for managing lower back pain and sciatica. Look for a medium-firm mattress that provides adequate support to keep your spine aligned while also offering enough cushioning to reduce pressure points.

2. Use Pillows Strategically:

For Back Sleepers: Place a pillow under your knees to reduce lower back strain and maintain the natural curve of your spine.

For Side Sleepers: Place a pillow between your knees to keep your hips aligned and reduce pressure on the sciatic nerve.

For Stomach Sleepers: It is generally advised to avoid sleeping on your stomach, but if you must, place a pillow under your abdomen to reduce pressure on your lower back.

3. Maintain a Proper Sleep Position:

Back Sleeping: Sleeping on your back with a pillow under your knees is often the best position for lower back pain and sciatica, as it helps distribute your weight evenly and reduces pressure on your spine.

Side Sleeping: If you prefer sleeping on your side, make sure to keep your knees slightly bent and use a pillow to maintain proper alignment.

4. Stretch Before Bed: Gentle stretching before bedtime can help relax tight muscles and reduce lower back and sciatic pain. Consider incorporating stretches like the knee-to-chest stretch, piriformis stretch, and cat-cow stretch into your nightly routine.

5. Apply Heat or Cold Therapy: Applying a heating pad or ice pack to your lower back before bed can help reduce pain and inflammation. Use heat for muscle relaxation and cold for reducing inflammation and numbing sharp pain.

6. Practice Good Sleep Hygiene:

Establish a Routine: Stick to a regular sleep schedule by going to bed and waking up at the same time each day.

Create a Relaxing Environment: Make your bedroom a calming space by keeping it cool, dark, and quiet. Consider using blackout curtains, earplugs, or a white noise machine.

Limit Stimulants: Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and heavy meals close to bedtime. These can disrupt your sleep and exacerbate pain.

7. Consider Over-the-Counter Pain Relief: Non-prescription pain relievers, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, can help manage pain and improve sleep. Always consult with your healthcare provider before taking any medication.

Additional Strategies for Managing Pain

Physical Therapy: Working with a physical therapist can help you develop a tailored exercise and stretching program to strengthen your back and improve flexibility, reducing pain over time.

Mind-Body Techniques: Practices like mindfulness meditation, deep breathing exercises, and progressive muscle relaxation can help reduce stress and improve pain management, contributing to better sleep.

Ergonomic Adjustments: Ensure your sleeping environment is ergonomically friendly. This includes adjusting the height of your bed, using supportive pillows, and making sure your mattress is in good condition.

Conclusion

Sleeping with lower back pain and sciatica can be challenging, but with the right strategies, you can improve your sleep quality and find relief. By choosing the right mattress, using pillows strategically, maintaining proper sleep positions, and incorporating pre-sleep routines like stretching and heat therapy, you can manage your pain and achieve a more restful night's sleep. Remember, it's important to consult with a healthcare professional for personalized advice and treatment options. Prioritize your sleep, as it plays a crucial role in your overall health and well-being.

By focusing on practical tips and personalized strategies, this blog aims to provide valuable information for those struggling with lower back pain and sciatica, helping them achieve better sleep and improved quality of life.

[skaddy111]

Santin Chiropractic: Your Premier Destination for Holistic Pain Relief

In today's fast-paced world, many individuals are seeking effective solutions for various musculoskeletal issues such as sciatica, shoulder pain, and back pain. Santin Chiropractic is dedicated to providing top-notch chiropractic care that not only alleviates pain but also promotes overall wellness. With a team of highly trained professionals and state-of-the-art facilities, we stand out as the go-to chiropractor near you.

Understanding Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic care is a health discipline that focuses on diagnosing, treating, and preventing mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, particularly the spine. At Santin Chiropractic, we believe in a holistic approach that addresses the root cause of pain rather than merely masking the symptoms. Our treatments are designed to restore the body's natural alignment and enhance its ability to heal itself.

The Role of a Chiropractor

A chiropractor is a healthcare professional who specializes in spinal health and the nervous system. They use hands-on spinal manipulation and other alternative treatments to properly align the body's musculoskeletal structure, particularly the spine. This alignment aims to enable the body to heal itself without surgery or medication. At Santin Chiropractic, our chiropractors are skilled in various techniques and tailor each treatment to meet the unique needs of our patients.

Chiropractor Near Me: Convenient and Accessible Care

Finding a reliable chiropractor near you is crucial for timely and effective treatment. Santin Chiropractic is conveniently located to serve our community, offering flexible scheduling and easy access. Our goal is to ensure that quality chiropractic care is available to everyone who needs it. Whether you're experiencing acute pain or seeking preventive care, our clinic is your local destination for comprehensive chiropractic services.

Addressing Sciatica

Sciatica is a common condition characterized by pain radiating along the sciatic nerve, which runs down one or both legs from the lower back. This pain can vary in intensity and may be accompanied by numbness, tingling, or muscle weakness. At Santin Chiropractic, we have extensive experience in diagnosing and treating sciatica. Our approach includes spinal adjustments, physical therapy, and lifestyle advice to alleviate pain and prevent recurrence.

Effective Solutions for Shoulder Pain

Shoulder pain can stem from various issues, including rotator cuff injuries, bursitis, and frozen shoulder. It can significantly impact your ability to perform daily activities. At Santin Chiropractic, we offer targeted treatments to address the underlying causes of shoulder pain. Through chiropractic adjustments, therapeutic exercises, and other modalities, we aim to restore full function and relieve discomfort.

Back Pain Relief

Back pain is one of the most common reasons people seek chiropractic care. It can result from poor posture, injury, or underlying health conditions. At Santin Chiropractic, we understand that back pain can be debilitating and affect your quality of life. Our chiropractors use a combination of spinal manipulations, soft tissue therapy, and personalized exercise programs to provide effective back pain relief. We also educate our patients on proper ergonomics and lifestyle modifications to prevent future issues.

Personalized Chiropractic Care

At Santin Chiropractic, we believe that each patient is unique and requires a personalized treatment plan. During your initial consultation, we conduct a thorough examination, including a review of your medical history and a physical assessment. This allows us to identify the specific factors contributing to your pain and develop a customized treatment strategy.

Holistic Approach to Wellness

Chiropractic care at Santin Chiropractic extends beyond pain relief. We adopt a holistic approach to wellness, emphasizing the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Our services include nutritional counseling, exercise recommendations, and stress management techniques. By addressing all aspects of health, we help our patients achieve optimal well-being and prevent future problems.

[lafayettechiro]

HOW CHIROPRACTIC CARE IN LAFAYETTE HELP WITH LEG PAIN

As the demand for active lifestyles increases, the occurrence of leg pain is becoming more prevalent. Individuals engaged in various activities, including walking, running, and exercising, often experience leg pain. This discomfort can be disruptive, hindering daily activities and impacting the overall quality of life.

Leg pain is a common issue for those leading active lifestyles, whether professionally or recreationally. Its implications go beyond mere inconvenience, potentially limiting mobility and, if ignored, leading to more serious complications. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the causes, treatments, and effective strategies for managing and recovering from leg pain, providing insights for individuals seeking relief and a return to their active pursuits.

What Causes Leg Pain?

There are a number of different things that can cause leg pain. Some of the most common causes include:

• MUSCULOSKELETAL IMBALANCES

When the muscles are not in proper sync with the skeleton it is considered an imbalance. These imbalances can cause overuse of muscles leading to strains, and underuse resulting in weakness. Both cause stress to the joints of the skeleton and supporting structures.

• NERVE COMPRESSION

This happens when there is pressure on the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back down through the legs. This can be caused by a herniated disc, tumors, or pregnancy.

• ARTHRITIS

This is a condition that causes inflammation in the joints, and can lead to pain and stiffness in the legs. There are many different types of arthritis, including osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. 

In What Ways Can Chiropractic in Lafayette Treat Leg Pain

Leg pain can be caused by a variety of factors, from musculoskeletal imbalances to nerve damage. Fortunately, chiropractors are able to provide relief for many types of leg pain. Chiropractic treatment is an individualized approach that focuses on customized care for each patient. The chiropractor will also provide advice about exercises and diets, which are designed to support ongoing treatments as well as after-care plans in order ensure full recovery from any injuries or illnesses sustained during workouts at home.

Here are three ways that chiropractors in Lafayette can help treat your leg pain.

1. MUSCULOSKELETAL REBALANCING 

One of the most common ways that chiropractors will help treat leg pain is through spinal adjustments and joint manipulations. By aligning the bones in your spine and legs, the chiropractor can take the pressure off of your nerves and muscles, which will help to restore proper function and alleviate your pain.

2. IMPROVE FLEXIBILITY AND MOBILITY

Exercise is important for overall health, but it’s also important for treating leg pain. Strengthening the muscles in your legs can help to take the pressure off of your joints and nerves, which will help to reduce your pain. Chiropractors in Lafayette can create a custom exercise plan for you that will help to treat your leg pain. 

3. IMPROVE FUNCTION AND REDUCE RE-INJURY

Three Types of Leg Pain in Lafayette

Leg pain is a common complaint among adults, and it can have a variety of causes. In some cases, leg pain may be the result of an injury or overuse. In other cases, it may be caused by a medical condition such as arthritis. The pain can range from a dull ache to a sharp, shooting sensation.

Here are the three types of leg pain that require different chiropractic treatment methods;

1. MUSCULOSKELETAL LEG PAIN

The human body is made up of many interconnected systems that work together to keep you moving and feeling your best. One such system, the musculoskeletal (or “inflammatory”) ones refer specifically to pain involving bones or joints; muscles/tendons which attach onto these structures via stretchy tissue fibers called ‘ligaments’ for support purposes- they don’t really have any function other than this one purpose.

Musculoskeletal components, such as bones and muscles can be due to accidents or other issues like fractures that occur in this area causing misalignment which causes excessive strain on nearby tissues resulting in severe discomfort when walking around all day long. If you’ve ever experienced pain that radiates down your leg, specifically when walking or running it could have been due to a muscular imbalance. 

2. NEUROLOGICAL LEG PAIN

Leg pain that occurs due to the compression or pinching of nerves is another type. The causes can be neurological issues such as restless legs syndrome, neuropathy (nerve damage), and sciatic nerve problems with rare cases being caused by an injury like a sprain/strain which will cause inflammation around these areas where there’s tissue damage leading up until below knee level.

Chiropractic care at Lafayette Chiropractic in Lafayette can often help to relieve neurological leg pain by realigning the spine and relieving pressure on the nerves. In addition, chiropractors may use massage and other techniques to relieve muscle tension and inflammation. If you are experiencing leg pain, it is important to consult with a chiropractor to determine the cause and find an effective treatment plan.

3. VASCULAR LEG PAIN

Vascular leg pain is a condition that is caused by poor blood circulation in the legs. The most common symptom is pain in the legs that gets worse with activity and improves with rest. This can make it difficult to perform everyday activities such as walking or standing for long periods of time. There are a number of different treatment options available, and the best course of treatment will vary from person to person. 

Vascular leg pain is caused by poor blood circulation in the legs. This can be due to a number of different factors, including obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and smoking. If you have any of these risk factors, it’s important to talk to your doctor or a chiropractor in Lafayette about ways to improve your circulation and reduce your risk of developing vascular leg pain. 

Chiropractor in Lafayette Treats Leg Pain

Leg pain can arise from various factors, including chronic overuse, specific injuries, or a prevalent cause – misalignment in the spine. Misalignment exerts pressure on the nerves running down the legs, resulting in pain, numbness, and tingling sensations. Moreover, it can affect balance and coordination. Fortunately, chiropractic care offers an effective solution by enhancing spinal alignment and relieving nerve pressure, often providing significant relief after a few treatments. 

Chiropractors use a variety of techniques, including strengthening, stretching, adjustments, and manipulations to release tension in the muscles and joints. This can help to improve range of motion, reduce inflammation, and improve function. As a result, chiropractic care is an effective way to relieve leg pain and improve overall mobility.

In addition, leg pain can also lead to problems with balance and coordination. Fortunately, chiropractic care can help to improve spinal alignment and relieve pressure on the nerves. As a result, patients often experience significant relief from leg pain after just a few treatments. 

You may have heard of chiropractic care but you may not be sure what it is or if it’s right for you. Chiropractic care is a branch of health care that focuses on the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of neuromuscular disorders. It is a natural, drug-free approach to healthcare that can be used to treat a variety of conditions.  If you are experiencing leg pain, it is best to consult with a chiropractor. At Lafayette Chiropractic in Lafayette we can help assess the cause of your pain and provide treatment that will help reduce or eliminate your symptoms. Contact us at  (303) 818-0595 today to schedule an appointment and start feeling better!

[no-hugs-peach]

Sunday Adventures

Went shopping with my MIL yesterday. A yearly thing that always drains me.

Today's shopping was task oriented, I need new pajama pants and an author I like released a new book. A side quest of this yearly excursion is to see my MIL in a neutral setting away from my FIL, and then I give feedback to my husband due to our concerns about possible dementia and putting off her own health issues.

This year Hubs joined us because the baby triggered my sciatic nerve Saturday and so I've been trying to mitigate the pain.

I'm glad he did, because despite making the plans when we saw her on Friday she forgot about the plan today. She also didn't check her phone (that thing she says can be used to reach her) so missed the update I sent about an hour ahead that Hubs would be joining. So two concern points.

Overall, spending three hours with her highlighted all the usual concerns (social skills that never get exercised, memory concerns, habitual lying and doubling down when called on it, refusal to reach out to ask for help and then demonizing people who don't just volunteer despite saying she does not need help, lack of boundaries, and expectation that we'll bend over backwards to assist everything to her and her husband's expectations with no change on their parts, etc.)

So we both recharged and then had a multi-hour conversation making sure we're on the same page of "The household is failing, and while we don't want the worst case to happen we're not willing to set ourselves on fire to perpetuate the toxicity. We'll throw life preserves and offer specific help but unless something core to their household changes we're hesitatant to get more involved, see prior instances of helping them and watching Hubs's brother set himself on fire for their parents."

And also going over concerns/expectations for the shower in January. Basically it comes down to someone at the shower needs to be tasked with escorting his parents out when they get out of hand. His brothers are unlikely to be at the shower (it is coed but at our wedding BIL2 escorted their parents out so I can understand not wanting to repeat that) and his extended family don't know how bad it is, so the current brainstorm is putting my immediate family in charge of escorting his parents out OR someone notify Hubs and then he escorts them and leaves himself because the shower is ruined for him. The third, but unlikely, option is someone from his extended family takes it upon themselves to handle his parents.

It's a convoluted mess and as I noted in the Thanksgiving post to go into full details would take a while to unpack. But I'm definitely going to be looking into resources for navigating being estranged from your parents/in-laws while raising kids.

[usfreehealthcare]

home remedies for sciatic nerve pain

I have certainly heard from several people about home remedies for sciatica and lumbar discs. If you don't know what home remedies for sciatica are and can't bring yourself to try these methods, we empower you. This is because some of these methods are not scientific and can worsen the patient's condition. In this article, we will check the effectiveness of home remedies for treating this condition and talk about some doctor-approved home remedies for right leg sciatica.

Effectiveness of treatment for sciatica at home

Some people with experience or relative knowledge of sciatica and spinal disc disease recommend home remedies for sciatica to reduce sciatica pain. Some people find that treating sciatica at home is more effective than visiting a neurologist. For this reason, we see patients looking for home remedies for sciatica instead of going to a specialist and following the treatment path by following the advice given there. No nutritionist or neurologist will refuse to treat sciatica in the knee and leg at home, but all experts believe that something should be done for home treatment under the supervision of a specialist. Because in some cases, home remedies for right leg sciatica worsen the patient's condition. 4 ways to treat sciatica at home Do a little research or ask others about home remedies for sciatica and you will find that there are quite a few. In fact, everyone makes different recommendations based on their own experiences and what they read on various sources and sites. Below, we have tried to introduce the doctor-approved methods. When starting these methods, ignore the recommendations and treatments recommended by experts. 1- Treat sciatica with exercises at home Exercises such as swimming, yoga, walking and tai chi can be very effective in treating sciatica. You can also do some stretching to treat sciatica with exercises at home. However, keep in mind that all these movements should be done under the supervision of a physical therapist or physical therapist. Strenuous exercise such as weight lifting, squats, strong hamstrings, and abdominal stretches should be avoided while the pain is not properly treated. 2- Using warm water compresses and ice therapy Some home remedies for back and leg sciatica are things you can do at home to reduce the pain. In addition, warm compresses and cold compresses or ice packs can reduce pain. Thus, ice helps increase blood flow to the painful area, reducing inflammation and speeding up healing. Both generally reduce muscle spasms. To do this, apply cold compresses every hour and apply warm compresses to the painful area for 15 minutes every 2-3 hours. 3- Permanent change in physical condition Another way to treat back and leg sciatica is to get out of monotonous postures. In general, you should not stay in one position for long periods of time. To do this, you need to change your position every 20 minutes. For example, when you sleep, change your sleeping position every 20 minutes, and if you sit, change your sitting position little by little. This helps reduce pain and reduce pressure on the nerves. 4- Sufficient rest Another way to treat pelvic cramps is to get plenty of rest. This does not mean that you need to increase the amount and duration of sleep. This means not sitting for long periods of time, doing heavy work or carrying heavy objects. These measures will only worsen the disease and slow down the recovery process. Excessive inactivity can also prevent full recovery. When should I stop using home remedies for right leg sciatica? Regardless of the method used to treat sciatica at home or to treat a lumbar disc, in any case you should pay attention to the signs and symptoms of the disease. Speeding up the recovery process is a good thing. However, if you experience any of the following symptoms, you should stop using home remedies and exercises for sciatica and consult a neurologist immediately. Sciatica pain is severe after 2 weeks of home treatment. Since starting these home remedies for herniated disc and sciatica, my sciatica pain has gotten worse. If you feel numbness, tingling and weakness in the leg area. Loss of bowel and bladder control. Answers to frequently asked questions about home remedies for sciatica Below we answer some questions about sciatica and its treatment. Answering these questions will help us better understand and treat this disease. Can sciatica be treated with traditional medicine? Herbal treatment for left and right leg sciatica is also one of the recommendations that patients face. Herbal treatment for sciatica usually involves the use of compresses such as green walnut shells, cabbage leaves and beetroot to reduce pain and massage with warm oils. In any case, you should consult a professional in this field before starting one of the traditional home remedies for sciatica. Can sciatica in the right leg be treated with acupuncture? In addition to recommending herbal remedies for sciatica back pain, others believe that acupuncture is the best way to treat sciatica permanently. In response, I must say that even sciatica doctors can prescribe acupuncture. This is because acupuncture helps reduce sciatica pain, has general anti-inflammatory, analgesic and spasmodic properties and treats the condition by increasing blood supply and nerve stimulation. Of course, acupuncture must be performed by a doctor who specializes in this field. What can prevent sciatica? Sciatica can happen to anyone. For this reason, we need to know what we can do to protect ourselves from this event. Our main services in this area are: Control your weight. Because excess weight can cause this disease. Add exercise to your daily schedule. Even a simple walk during the day can prevent sciatica. Be careful when performing daily tasks such as sitting at a desk, lifting, moving, or bending. Add vitamins like vitamin B12 to your diet. Read the full article

[tensunitsciatica]

Best tens unit for sciatica

Sciatica, characterized by sharp pain radiating from the lower back down to the legs, can be an incredibly uncomfortable and debilitating condition. Fortunately, Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) units provide a non-invasive and drug-free solution for managing sciatic nerve pain. In this article, we will explore the five best TENS units specifically designed to alleviate sciatica symptoms, taking into consideration features such as effectiveness, ease of use, and overall customer satisfaction.

HealthmateForever YK15AB TENS Unit:

The HealthmateForever YK15AB TENS Unit is a highly regarded choice among individuals suffering from sciatica. This unit offers 15 different massage modes and 20 intensity levels, allowing users to customize their pain relief experience. Its dual-channel design allows for simultaneous treatment of multiple areas, making it suitable for targeting sciatic pain effectively. The YK15AB comes with a large backlit LCD screen and user-friendly controls, making it easy to navigate and adjust settings.

Omron Pocket Pain Pro:

Compact and portable, the Omron Pocket Pain Pro is an excellent option for individuals seeking relief from sciatica while on the go. Despite its small size, this unit provides powerful pain relief through its customizable therapy programs and three massage modes. With its long-lasting battery life and convenient belt clip, you can easily use the Omron Pocket Pain Pro during daily activities without interruption. The unit also features a large display and simple controls for effortless operation.

iReliev TENS + EMS Combination Unit:

The iReliev TENS + EMS Combination Unit is specifically designed to target both pain relief (TENS) and muscle conditioning (EMS). This dual-functionality makes it an attractive choice for individuals dealing with sciatica pain and muscle weakness. With 25 intensity levels and 8 pre-set therapy modes, including a specific mode for sciatica, the iReliev unit offers versatility and tailored treatment options. Its compact size and rechargeable battery add to its convenience and portability.

TechCare Plus 24 TENS Unit:

The TechCare Plus 24 TENS Unit is a feature-rich device that offers a wide range of options for sciatica pain relief. It includes 24 pre-programmed massage modes and 20 adjustable intensity levels to accommodate various pain levels and personal preferences. The large animated LCD screen and intuitive controls make it easy to navigate through the settings. Additionally, the TechCare Plus 24 comes with a sturdy belt clip, allowing users to wear it comfortably while going about their daily activities.

AUVON Dual Channel TENS Unit:

The AUVON Dual Channel TENS Unit combines effectiveness with affordability, making it an excellent choice for those on a budget. This unit offers 20 intensity levels and 16 pre-programmed massage modes, including a mode specifically designed for sciatica pain. The compact design and user-friendly interface ensure ease of use, while the rechargeable battery provides long-lasting performance. The AUVON TENS Unit also includes adjustable timer settings and a lock function for added convenience and safety.

Conclusion: Finding relief from sciatica pain is crucial for improving quality of life, and TENS units offer a drug-free and effective solution. The HealthmateForever YK15AB, Omron Pocket Pain Pro, iReliev TENS + EMS Combination Unit, TechCare Plus 24, and AUVON Dual Channel TENS Unit are all exceptional choices for managing sciatica symptoms. Consider your specific needs, such as portability, customizable options, and budget, to select the best TENS unit that suits your requirements.

[backdoctornewjersey]

What is Sciatica Back Pain?

Sciatica lower back pain is caused by compression, pinching, inflammation, and nerve irritation in the lower back. The most common reason is a slipped disk, leading to stress on the nerve root. Various individuals with sciatica get better independently with time and healthcare surgeries. The nerve sciatic back pain treatment is mainly associated with the sciatic nerve that arises from an irritation or injury. It originates from the gluteal area and goes to the lower leg bone. It is mainly created of five roots of nerves, two generated from the lower back area, known as the lumbar region of the spinal cord, and three generated from the last section of the spinal cord, known as the sacrum. 

The five nerve roots combine to create a left and right sciatic nerve. A single sciatic nerve operates through the hips on every side of the patient’s body. It goes through the buttocks to the down leg, which finishes just below the foot knees. This nerve branches into the nerves, which is mainly responsible for the continuation of the downfall of your leg in the feet and toes. The nerve sciatica issue is limited at back pain specialists clifton. However, the word sciatica is generally used to describe pain that starts in the lower back and goes below the leg. 

What are the feelings of sciatica pain?

Sciatica pain is described in distinct ways based on its causes. Some people show that it has felt like jolts, shooting, and sharp pain, while others show pain as stabbing, electric shock, or burning. The pain can be continuous or may go and come. However, the back pain doctor woodland park is generally more severe than lower back pain in your leg. 

The pain may feel worse if you are sitting and standing for long periods, also during the twisting of the upper body and when standing up. An instant body movement and a force like sneezing and coughing may also generate the worst pain. Sciatica mainly impacts a single leg at a single period. However, it is probable for sciatica to lead to both legs. It is only a condition of the place of the nerve being pinched with the spine at back pain specialists woodland. 

Risk factors associated with sciatica

There are various risk factors which are linked with the pain of sciatica. The most common and general risk factors are mentioned below.

It may have an injury to the lower back and spinal cord, putting anyone at the most significant risk. 

Normal aging may feel the nerves at threat of becoming injured and pinched through the shifts and transformations in ligaments, discs, and bones. 

The weight being carried in our front is the lift which has been pulled. 

Conclusion

Sciatica can occur either suddenly or slightly, and it depends on the reason for the occurrence. A disc herniation may lead to sudden irritation and causes pain. Arthritis may occur in the spinal cord, which takes time to originate and increases slightly. Sciatica is a common and general concern. Almost about 40 percent of individuals in the world experience sciatica generally. Back pain is the most common and the third most widespread cause for individuals to go to the back pain doctor or any other healthcare provider. 

Article Source : https://www.healthandhealthytips.com/what-is-sciatica-back-pain/

[artofliving1]

7 Yoga asanas for relief from sciatica

Low back pain giving you sleepless nights? Perhaps changing positions from sitting to standing is not the piece of cake it used to be? Wait, is your leg feeling some nagging discomfort too? Did I hit a nerve? If I did, and it was the sciatic one, you are probably going through sciatica.

Sciatica is not a word you would just stumble upon. In fact, you might have encountered the pain before knowing the condition – a lower back pain that extends all the way to your legs. It is important to understand that not all back pain is due to sciatica. Only if your pain arises because of the affected sciatic nerve, it is called sciatica.

What are sciatic nerves and where are they

The sciatic nerves are the longest in the body and are as thick as your little finger. They extend from the lower lumbar spine, passing your buttocks, down the back of your legs, and extending to the soles of your feet. Pain may originate in any of these parts – lower back, buttocks, calf, legs, or foot.  

How is the pain in sciatica

This varies from person to person and from episode to episode even. It could be a mild, nagging pain that you could work around to an unbearable shooting pain that makes standing and walking difficult. So expect throbbing pain, heat, soreness, tingling, and even electric shocks! Also, it usually affects only one part of the body.

Now let’s move on to the good news! A report by Harvard Medical School article states that while medication may or may not help with this condition, practicing yoga for sciatica pain, as a preventive measure, is a good idea.

So, you can help yourself with a non-invasive, personalized yoga regimen for your sciatica pain.

Why yoga for sciatica pain relief

A) Yoga poses can help align, straighten, and strengthen the lower back, the source of the sciatic nerve.

B) Some spinal twists can also help relieve pain caused due to compression of the sciatic nerve.

C) Yoga asanas help lengthen the spine; this will relieve pain caused due to the pressing of the spinal cord on the sciatic nerve.

D) Time and activity could have made the hip muscles tight, applying pressure on the sciatic nerve. Yoga asanas help lengthen and loosen these muscles.  

E) Simple stretches also greatly ease the pain along the entire sciatic nerve.

Yoga poses for preventing sciatica

Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose)

Viparita Karani (Legs-up-the-wall Pose)

Eka Pada Raja Kapotasana (One-legged Pigeon Pose)

Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-facing Dog Pose)

Pawanmuktasana (Wind-relieving Pose)

Ardha Matsyendrasana (Sitting Half Spinal Twist)

Gomukhasana (Cow Face Pose)

1.

Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose)

Benefits:

Opens and stretches the hip flexors

Strengthens the core and back muscles

Relieves lower back pain

Aim: Align your back, root, and thighs in a straight line and maintain it for about 10 seconds, gradually increasing the length of the pose.  

Tip: You may support your lower back with your hands if that is comfortable for you.

2. Viparita Karani (Legs-up-the-wall Pose)

Benefits:

Relieves tired legs and feet

Relaxes the hips and back

Reduces knee and ankle pain, as you take your bodyweight off your knee

Aim: As your body gets a deep rest, try to relax your mind likewise.

Tip: To add to your comfort, place a hip bolster under your hips to support it.

3.

Eka Pada Raja Kapotasana (One-legged Pigeon Pose)

Benefits:

Stretches the lower part of your body well, relieving aching muscles

Makes the hip region more flexible

Promotes good posture

Aim: Focus on balancing your body and once that is achieved, feeling calm.

Tip: Focus on both hips even if there is pain only in one.

4.

Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-facing Dog Pose)

Benefits:

Helps stretch and tone the back muscles

Strengthens the legs and feet

Lengthens the spine

Aim: Move the heels towards the floor, touching it if possible. The idea is to shift the weight off the back on to the heels.

Tip: Do some warm-up exercises for the ankles and arms before you get into this pose, as they manage the weight of your body in this pose.

5.

Pawanmuktasana (Wind-relieving Pose)

Benefits:

Helps flex your back and hip muscles

Loosens the tightness in the lower back

Relieves knee pain

Aim: Maintain the pose for as long as you are comfortable; the bend will relieve weariness.

Tip: If you are not comfortable with this pose, try this variation:

Lie on your back and straighten your legs with the back of your knees touching the ground. Inhale.

Exhale and bring your knees (only one knee if that is more comfortable) gently to your chest. Ensure that your back is flat on the ground.

Hold this pose for 10 seconds while taking slow and deep breaths.

Exhale and release your legs regaining your original position.

Repeat 5 times or as you find comfortable.

Now, all these poses will leave you feeling stronger with more confidence in your back, hips, and thighs. You can supplement them with some hip-openers and stretches.

6.

Ardha Matsyendrasana (Sitting Half Spinal Twist)

Benefits:

Flexes the spine, making it more supple

Stretches the back muscles

Releases stiffness in the hips

Aim: Focus on twisting your body around equally both sides.

Tips:

Twist only as much as you are comfortable with.

You can sit on a cushion to lift your lower back as you twist.

7.

Gomukhasana (Cow Face Pose)

Benefits:

Elongates the spine, correcting posture (bad posture is a major cause of back pain)

Strengthens the back and hip muscles

Aim: Try to get your hands to meet at the back and maintain this posture as long as you can without straining yourself.

Tip: It is alright even if both hands are not able to meet at the back. It will come over time with practice.

[cakesexuality]

Roughly 5.5 months on Lupron update

I had a spike in immune symptoms in December and appear to be having one again, but with a different set of symptoms this time compared to the last couple of times

A lot of my joints hurt (namely my knees, ankles, foot joints, wrists, shoulders, and right hip), my eyes keep hurting and are becoming light-sensitive again, and I have this pressure sensation in my lower right abdomen?? Which might be my ovary (the right has always been worse than the left) or it might be my intestines (there's a part in that area that likes to cause problems when I eat something I can't digest) or it might be something else, and my ears and nose are getting fucky again too

But wait! There's more! While writing this post, I started developing the same pressure sensation on the left side, so... yeah, probably my ovaries, then!

I also have a fever most days, which is normal for me during these immune flares (of course my temperature is 38.0°C, why wouldn't it be?)

Laying down to sleep or rest or even just sitting is a fucking Time bc bringing my knees up to my chest helps my sciatica but it also feels like my thighs are squishing my abdominal organs too much so then I put heat on my lower back to soothe my sciatic nerve instead but then that comes with a risk of upsetting my uterus for whatever reason GOOD GOD

I thought maybe I was done talking about my immune system in my Lupron updates, but the joint pain is both concerning and potentially relevant bc that's what would happen to me when my Depo-Provera was wearing out and my estrogen was going up and I'd be limited in my mobility for days or even weeks until my next Depo shot (why my NP moved my frequency from 12 weeks to 8 weeks, to shorten how long I'd be like that, and why we moved it from being done by a nurse at my primary care clinic to being done by a pharmacist at my pharmacy, so it took less out of me to get my shot done, and it's also why I started asking if I could self-administer at home)

That pressure sensation, I don't know what it means, so I'll probably call TeleHealth or my gynecologist or GP... the walk-in clinics here probably can't do anything, so I'll see if my gynecologist or GP want to see me (I have a GP appointment booked this week anyway but atm it's set for over the phone) or see if anyone tells me to go to the ER, bc those are the only options where I live

I'll probably make a separate post elaborating and probably using a Read More for sensitivity purposes, but maybe this bit of info would serve someone somehow -- what's been happening with my body for the last few months has been making me feel as if I can't do anything right in regards to my health/healthcare and I can't control my body through treating it well, and it's compounding with already being in the mental state of "traumatised by my medical experiences" and "the more I learn about endometriosis, the more pissed off I get"... so the short version of the story is that I recently had to call CMHA 3 times in 1 week, I've been in contact with NEDIC, I had a chat with my dietician last week, and I'll be talking to my GP on this coming Friday... I'd want to expand on it in a separate post due to it perhaps being too off-topic, but I'm bringing it up here bc physical disability and chronic illness don't really mix well with EDs or even with some of the language used in recovery (like "your body is trying to take care of you" when my immune system is offended that I have lungs), and I just want other people in my boat to know that they are in fact riding a boat with more than one passenger

I'm currently not scheduled to see the gynecologist until April, I won't be seeing my psychiatrist until just over a month from now, and I probably won't be seeing the allergist for another 9 to 11 months, but things might change and I might end up seeing one or more of my doctors sooner than originally planned