I tried frozen peas after my gum surgery, figuring they'd be lighter and mold better around my jaw. They definitely weren't brick-like, but honestly, the sound of peas shifting around next to my ear drove me nuts after a while...like having a tiny maraca strapped to my face. Eventually went back to regular ice wrapped in a towel—boring but predictable, and no weird noises. Blueberries sound interesting though; never thought of that one. Glad it worked for you!
"like having a tiny maraca strapped to my face."
This description made me chuckle—I hadn't thought about the noise factor before. I've had patients mention frozen peas, but personally, I found gel packs wrapped in a thin cloth worked best after my own gum procedure. They mold nicely without the percussion concert next to your ear. Blueberries do sound intriguing though...I wonder if they'd stain if they thawed slightly? Might have to test that theory sometime.
The tiny maraca thing cracked me up too...never thought about the noise, but now I'm kinda glad I skipped the peas. I was super nervous about swelling after my gum surgery and ended up trying a few different ice packs. Gel packs were definitely easiest to handle, but I kept worrying they'd leak or something (I know, probably paranoid). Anyway, blueberries sound like they'd make a mess...I mean, I spill them on my shirt and it's game over, can't imagine thawing blueberry juice near my face.
But honestly, thanks for sharing your experience—it makes me feel less weird about obsessing over these small details. Gum surgery recovery has been stressing me out big time, and hearing tips from others who've been through it helps ease the anxiety a bit. Maybe I'll stick with gel packs wrapped in cloth and skip experimenting with fruit for now. Good luck with your healing!
I totally get the paranoia about gel packs leaking...had one burst on me once (thankfully not near my face). Have you tried frozen corn? Smaller kernels, less noisy than peas, and molds pretty well. Might be worth a shot if you're still experimenting. Hope your recovery goes smoothly!
Frozen corn is a pretty clever idea, actually. I haven't personally tried it, but I can see how it'd mold nicely around the jawline. I tend to be a bit overly cautious (okay, maybe anxious is a better word) about using food items as ice packs, though. A few years ago, after my wisdom teeth extraction, I tried the frozen peas trick everyone recommends. It worked great at first—until I accidentally fell asleep with the bag on my face. Woke up to a soggy, mushy mess and a weird pea smell that lingered for hours. Not exactly the comforting recovery experience I was hoping for.
Since then, I've stuck strictly to reusable gel packs, but your story about one bursting makes me reconsider. Maybe I've just been lucky so far? Now I'm wondering if there's some kind of middle ground—something flexible and moldable like corn or peas, but without the risk of leakage or weird smells. Has anyone ever tried those clay-based cold packs? I've seen them advertised as leak-proof and moldable, but I'm skeptical about how well they actually hold the cold. Would love to hear if anyone has experience with those, because honestly, I'm running out of freezer space for all these experimental ice packs...
