"Usually, rinsing gently with warm salt water after meals helps dislodge food particles without irritating the healing area."
Yeah, the salt water rinse was a lifesaver for me too. I remember being paranoid about rice bits getting stuck—I swear I spent more time checking my stitches than actually eating, lol. Honestly, it took me closer to three weeks before I felt totally normal again, but each day got noticeably better. Everyone heals differently, so don't stress if your timeline isn't exactly like others'. You'll get there soon enough... hang tight!
I tried the salt water rinse too, but honestly, it didn't seem to help me as much. Maybe I was doing it wrong or something? I remember being super careful about food getting stuck, especially tiny seeds from smoothies—those were the worst. Took me about two weeks before I could eat normally without worrying. Guess everyone's healing process is a bit different...maybe I was just unlucky, haha.
Did you try rinsing gently or were you swishing pretty hard? I noticed when I eased up a bit, it actually helped more. And yeah, smoothie seeds are sneaky little devils... took me forever to trust strawberries again, lol. Hang in there, it'll get better soon.
Totally agree about easing up on the rinsing—when I had mine out, I thought swishing harder would clean things better, but it just made things worse. Gentle saltwater rinses were a lifesaver. And yeah, smoothies were tricky for me too. I remember thinking raspberry seeds were tiny enough to be harmless... big mistake. Took a good two weeks before I felt comfortable eating normally again, but every day got a little easier. You've got this!
Yeah, gentle rinsing was definitely key for me too. I made the mistake of thinking iced coffee would be fine since it was cold and smooth... nope, caffeine made the swelling worse and slowed down healing. Wish I'd known that sooner. Took me about 10 days before I felt comfortable eating regular foods again, but honestly, mashed potatoes and scrambled eggs became my best friends during recovery. Hang in there, it really does get better each day.
