My kid just had this surgery a couple months ago, and I totally get the food struggle. Did you ever try those little squeezy applesauce pouches? They saved us—no chewing at all, and way less mess than a blender. We also did a lot of cold yogurt and pudding. I’m with you on the ice packs, though… it felt like the only thing that made any difference with swelling. How long did it take before you could eat real food again? That’s what we found hardest.
Those applesauce pouches are genius, right? I basically lived on them and Greek yogurt for a week. Honestly, I tried to eat “real” food around day six, but chewing was just not happening—felt like my jaw was made of rubber bands. The swelling stuck around longer than I hoped, but ice packs were my best friend. I do think the cold stuff helped more than warm soups, weirdly enough. It’s such a weird recovery… hang in there.
That’s actually reassuring to hear about the ice packs. I keep second-guessing if I’m overdoing the cold, but the swelling’s no joke. Chewing anything even remotely solid feels like a distant dream right now… Applesauce and yogurt are basically my safe zone too. Did you ever try smoothies, or was that too much?
I keep second-guessing if I’m overdoing the cold, but the swelling’s no joke. Chewing anything even remotely solid feels like a distant dream right now… Applesauce and yogurt are basically my...
- Totally get the “applesauce and yogurt are basically my safe zone” thing—same here for the first few days.
- Smoothies worked for me, but I kept them super simple (banana, plain yogurt, a little honey). Anything with seeds or thick bits was a no-go.
- Ice packs helped, but I tried not to leave them on too long—maybe 15 minutes at a time?
- Did you notice if warm compresses made things worse or better for you? I’ve heard mixed things about switching to heat after a couple days.
My kiddo had to go through this last year, and honestly, I was so nervous about the whole cold vs. heat thing too. We stuck with ice packs in short bursts (like you said, 15 minutes max), and that really seemed to help with the swelling. When we switched to a warm compress after about two days, it actually made things feel less stiff—but only if we didn’t overdo it. Too much heat seemed to make the swelling flare up again. I’d say trust your gut and watch for what feels right in the moment. Applesauce and yogurt were our go-to’s for a while too... soft scrambled eggs became a lifesaver after a few days, if you’re looking for something different.
