Historical fiction sounds like a solid choice—wish I'd thought of that when I had mine done. I mostly binged on true crime podcasts, which in hindsight, probably wasn't the most relaxing choice, haha. Totally agree about the library apps; saved me from boredom without hurting my wallet. Recovery's tough at first, but you're already doing great by distracting yourself and keeping comfy with ice packs. Hang in there...it gets easier pretty quickly.
Historical fiction's definitely a good call—probably better than true crime, haha. Did you find the podcasts made you more tense or anxious during recovery? I've heard some people say stress can actually slow down healing a bit, though I'm not sure how much evidence there is behind that. Ice packs are key, but have you tried alternating with warm compresses after the first day or two? It can help circulation and ease stiffness. Glad you're already feeling some improvement...it really does get better quicker than you'd think.
I actually found true crime podcasts made me way more anxious during my recovery. I tried listening to one about a missing person case, and it just made me hyper-aware of every little ache or weird sensation in my mouth. Historical fiction was definitely a safer bet for me too, haha.
About the warm compresses—did you find they helped significantly with stiffness? I read conflicting advice online (typical, right?), and I was worried heat might increase swelling or inflammation. I stuck mostly to ice packs because I was paranoid about making things worse. Maybe I should've tried alternating sooner, though...I did notice stiffness lingering longer than the swelling itself.
Also, has anyone else noticed that stress seems to amplify pain perception? I'm not sure if it actually slows healing, but it definitely felt like the more anxious I got, the more sensitive I was to discomfort. Could just be psychological, but still interesting to think about. Glad you're already noticing improvement—it's reassuring to hear it gets better quickly.
Totally relate on the stress thing—I swear, the more I worried about healing, the worse every little twinge felt. When I had my gum surgery, ice packs were my go-to as well (cheap and effective!), but after a few days I did try warm compresses just to loosen things up. Didn't notice any extra swelling, honestly...it actually seemed to ease that tight feeling quite a bit. Guess everyone's mileage varies though.
Haha, reading this brought back memories of my own gum surgery saga. I remember obsessively googling every tiny symptom and convincing myself I was doomed (classic dental professional move, right?). Ice packs were definitely my best buddies at first—cheap, soothing, and perfect for binge-watching Netflix while recovering. But after a few days, like you, I switched to warm compresses just to ease that stiff, tight feeling. Honestly, it made a noticeable difference for me too...felt like my jaw finally relaxed a bit.
Funny enough though, I've had patients swear by sticking with ice the entire time—claiming warmth made things worse for them. Bodies are weirdly unpredictable that way. In the end, it's all about finding what feels comfortable for your own healing process. Glad you're past the worst of it now! Gum surgery recovery is no joke—but hey, at least we get some guilt-free couch time out of it, right?
