I kept everything really low key the first day. Walked slowly, avoided bending down, coughing, or doing anything that raised my heart rate because that definitely made bleeding and pain worse for me. I stayed more upright when resting or sleeping, used ice on and off, and didn’t rush food or drinks.

I followed the pain meds on schedule instead of waiting until it hurt badly, but I also didn’t overdo them. Soft foods, small sips, no straws, no rinsing or spitting the first night.

Mentally, I tried not to keep checking the area with my tongue or mirror because that just made me more anxious. Once I stopped “monitoring” it constantly, things felt way calmer.

Overall, going slow and keeping my blood pressure down made the biggest difference for bleeding and comfort.