u/678999821242069

he had been starting to unmask in small ways (i.e. removing to take a sip of his coffee in cafes while we waited on the rest of our order) but finally voiced to me a few weeks ago that he “wants to start wearing it less”. last week we visited family out of state, and he didn’t mask AT ALL. we went to lots of shops, cafes, etc. plus gas stations and rest stops on the road trip there and back. I feel like there is no way for me to approach how uncomfortable I am with this without him viewing it as a personal attack. I’m not sure if I’m looking for advice (though I am open to it) so much as just to get this off of my chest, most of my family has been maskless since 2022 so I know talking to them about this would be pointless.

tl;dr: i would recommend using watermelon frost for canker sore numbing/pain relief!

Currently dealing with fingernail sized canker sore on the side of my tongue, needless to say it’s been agonizing. I ordered watermelon frost after seeing it mentioned in another subreddit (r/lifehacks i think?) and tried it for the first time this morning. I was able to talk, drink enough fluids to take my medications, and eat a small meal! It lasted for maybe 5-10 more minutes after eating (I just used it again a few minutes ago so I can report back with how long it lasts when you’re not eating/drinking right away). It is a powder form and the applicator seemed a bit tricky to aim correctly, so here’s what I did instead: 1. blotted/dried the sore with a tissue (the worst part by far) 2. put a small amount of powder in my palm 3. used a damp finger to pick up the powder and dab it on the canker sore (and the surrounding area) 4. gave it a second to sit and then closed my mouth (didn’t spit it out or anything). It has a slightly herbal taste and a cooling feeling that doesn’t burn in the way a lot of menthol-based oral pain relievers do. Truly the most painful aspect was drying the sore off beforehand. Thank you for reading this far (I am autistic and my writing tends to be verbose), and I hope this is able to help anyone else who is suffering with these miserable sores!!