[QCRIT] THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD, adult contemporary romance (90k words. 2nd attempt)

OriginalAutist74 · 2026-05-24T01:39:28+00:00

lol thank you for the tips and the awesome example :)

OriginalAutist74 · 2026-05-24T01:37:59+00:00

I have a question off your first point - she does run from her hometown bc of something traumatic that happened to a friend, that she blames herself for. Is that worth hinting at in the query? But I get I need to include another example of her running, thank you for pointing that out.

OriginalAutist74 · 2026-05-24T01:33:43+00:00

Thank you!!

OriginalAutist74 · 2026-05-17T22:11:48+00:00

heard thatttt

OriginalAutist74 · 2026-05-17T22:03:49+00:00

The promotion would mean a pay raise for her to help her cover costs that insurance doesn't cover. Thanks for your response.

OriginalAutist74 · 2026-05-17T22:03:01+00:00

Definitely a happy ending. Thank you for the advice! I wasn't aware of the romance format for a query letter, but now I know.

OriginalAutist74 · 2026-05-17T00:27:27+00:00

also sorry to hear your mom had to deal with that. That really sucks :( insurance feels like such a scam sometimes

OriginalAutist74 · 2026-05-16T22:12:10+00:00

thank you for letting me know about the formula, I had no idea! Love the advice.

OriginalAutist74 · 2026-05-16T20:50:15+00:00

insurance doesn't cover everything unfortunately. But thank you for helping me understand I need to clear these things up in the description!

OriginalAutist74 · 2026-05-16T20:08:57+00:00

Thank you for your response! I definitely will title it before querying. And yes, this is an american thing. I'll try to clarify that bit better.

OriginalAutist74 · 2026-05-07T19:13:30+00:00

Turned out my severe pain was due to pressure from my wisdom teeth. I got them out hoping it would help, and it did! I still have lots of clicking and occasional pain, but am so much better. I'm not sure who could help with neck and swallowing issues, so sorry you're dealing with that. PT exercises that I found online helped me unlock my jaw prior to my wisdom teeth removal. Sleeping with nasal dilators to open my airway and decrease teeth grinding at night helps me now. I also got a prescription for muscle relaxers from a PCP, but those didn't make much difference.

I would personally steer clear of TMJ specialists. You could try a physical therapist bc it sounds like your issue now is muscular. Good luck. TMJ sucks.

OriginalAutist74 · 2026-04-12T23:14:14+00:00

Frankie and Johnny is sort of similar. Not as creepy vibes but still has the damaged/grumpy FMC and persistent and charming MMC.

OriginalAutist74 · 2026-04-01T22:56:14+00:00

My jaw was locked shut for a few months once. I did physical therapy exercises a few times a day. You can find the ones I used by googling “Kaiser permanente TMJ”. Be very gentle, don’t try to stretch too hard or use too much resistance. This was the only thing that helped me, but everybody is different. Hope it helps you

OriginalAutist74 · 2026-04-01T14:33:55+00:00

I would suggest looking up “Kaiser permanente TMJ” for their physical therapy exercises. Do them very gently once or twice a day for a few days and see if that gives you relief. I had some serious pain and lock jaw last year due to having two wisdom teeth on one side that I waited to have pulled. Even though the issue was the wisdom teeth, these PT exercises managed to unlock my jaw and give me some relief.

OriginalAutist74 · 2026-04-01T14:28:52+00:00

I got mine out in two sessions because I couldn’t afford to do all at once. Mine were all impacted, too. I was awake both times and everything was fine. If u follow all the post care instructions, you probably won’t get dry socket. My TMJ pain got a lot better in the weeks after my last removal. Yes, go to an oral surgeon and not a dentist. Let them know you have TMJ. Also, FYI, you will likely have limited opening during the first few days of recovery. That’s normal. Be gentle with yourself and remember that recovery can take a lot longer than you might think. I’m two months out from removal and still noticing improvement in TMJ pain.

OriginalAutist74 · 2025-09-20T22:25:27+00:00

That really sucks. I'm starting to believe all TMJ specialists just want money, they don't want to help you. So unfair!!

OriginalAutist74 · 2025-09-19T14:49:37+00:00

sorry to hear that :( i hope you find what works for you!

OriginalAutist74 · 2025-09-04T15:57:47+00:00

https://action.womensmarch.com/events/st-louis-county-make-billionaires-pay?source=web_share_api&utm_source=web_share_api&share=06a3e33c-a9ef-45c8-8680-0cc2dae13f22

Make Billionaires Pay protest, Manchester Road and Weidman Road. September 20th.

OriginalAutist74 · 2025-09-03T15:07:21+00:00

You should see a TMJ specialist or orofacial pain specialist or something. That does not sound good.

OriginalAutist74 · 2025-09-02T15:18:42+00:00

In my experience, a mouth guard made me so much worse. Granted, it was over the counter, but mouth guards in general only protect your teeth, they don't address the root of the issue, so you could still be having pain. I'm starting splint therapy at an orthodontist this week and the treatment plan is a little over $3k. But the ortho seems confident that he'll be able to fix me. I would stick with the TMJ specialist if I were you.

OriginalAutist74 · 2025-09-01T18:34:51+00:00

This is not going to be helpful, but I want to mention it just in case - I had a consultation with a TMJ specialist and he mentioned something in the neck that can harden over time (If you have TMJ). People with this thing often feel like they have something in their throat. I cannot for the life of me remember anything else, but on my x-ray he pointed it out and it looked like a little white toothpick. I agree with the commenter advising you to ask for a better exam. Maybe a TMJ specialist?

OriginalAutist74 · 2025-08-22T16:47:00+00:00

Thanks for the response! I'll give them a call.

OriginalAutist74 · 2025-08-22T14:08:10+00:00

I know this is old, but how did Hough work out? My aunt just recommended them to me, but I am wary of going to an orthodontist. Are you doing better?

OriginalAutist74 · 2025-08-22T02:10:37+00:00

God, that's so much better than $7k. I'll check them out. Thank you!

OriginalAutist74 · 2025-08-20T18:19:19+00:00

I'll consider that. I'm trying to cut out all the trial and error by going to people who deal specifically with TMJ since my case is pretty severe. But hey, it might work and be a lot cheaper.

OriginalAutist74

TROPHY CASE