"Blended pasta tends to get gluey and unappetizing pretty quickly—trust me, I've heard enough patient horror stories."
Haha, yeah, gotta agree with this. I tried blending mac and cheese after my wisdom teeth came out, thinking it'd be comfort food heaven...big mistake. It turned into this weird, thick paste that was honestly pretty gross. If you're craving something savory and filling, I'd second the mashed sweet potatoes idea. Also, scrambled eggs cooked softly and mashed up can be a lifesaver—protein-rich and easy to swallow without feeling like baby food.
Definitely on board with the wedge pillow suggestion too. Regular pillows shift around way too much, and waking up in pain isn't fun when you're already dealing with recovery stress. A wedge pillow made a huge difference for me in terms of comfort and sleep quality.
Good luck with your surgery prep—sounds like you're already thinking ahead, which is half the battle.
"Also, scrambled eggs cooked softly and mashed up can be a lifesaver—protein-rich and easy to swallow without feeling like baby food."
Scrambled eggs were honestly my go-to as well, especially since you can add a little cheese or avocado for extra calories without changing the texture much. Another thing that helped me was prepping smoothies ahead of time—banana, peanut butter, and a bit of protein powder kept me full without feeling overly sweet. Definitely skip pasta though...lesson learned there, haha.
Scrambled eggs are usually a safe bet, but I'd be careful with cheese—sometimes dairy can irritate healing gums or extraction sites. Smoothies are great though, especially if they're not too cold (cold sensitivity can be rough after surgery). I learned the hard way about rice...tiny grains getting stuck everywhere, ugh. Maybe stick to soups or mashed potatoes for a couple days just to be safe.
Interesting points about dairy—I never had issues with cheese personally, but I guess everyone's different. Weirdly enough, yogurt was my go-to after surgery and it actually felt soothing. Maybe it's the probiotics or something? Totally agree about rice though... learned that lesson fast, haha. Also, smoothies were great, but I found room-temp applesauce surprisingly comforting too. Did anyone else find certain foods unexpectedly helpful or problematic?
Funny you mention applesauce—I always recommend it to patients because it's gentle and easy to manage. Yogurt's probiotics definitely help soothe things down, plus it's cool and creamy, which feels nice. One thing I've noticed is some people underestimate soups. Broths are great, but watch out for sneaky noodles or veggies that get stuck... learned that one the hard way myself, haha. Did mashed potatoes work for anyone else? They're usually a safe bet, but I've heard mixed reviews.
