Dear Felix:

Thank you for your empathy regarding my forced feeding trauma, one I have no memory but of which I suffer as I am typing these words, still trying to breathe comfortably. I never communicated with another person who was forced fed, or who shared that he or she was. It is amazing how much we suffer and for so long from things that didn’t have to happen. And yet, we can’t change what happened.

I am trying to breathe comfortably. One thing that helps me is to go on fast, long walks outside, my usual 3.5 miles a day. When I walk fast, I have to breathe, I don’t have to try.

Regarding your chewing or eating, it is understandable that it hurts to use your back teeth, because you don’t have experience using them. Any progress on the matter has to be very, very slow and gradual. Just a bit of chewing with your back teeth to start with, let’s say two chews one day for seven days, then three chews the week after, and so you build endurance to chewing over time. If you could see a therapist or a doctor on the matter, to help you along this process, that will be best. And if your family has the money, it will be an excellent investment, getting a competent professional help so to adopt a healthier, more comfortable eating practice.

Regarding my example of the 5’3” man, I also know of one man who is about 5’6” who married a woman who is about 5’7”, if that helps.

anita