Surgery done, now can I have my life back?!

Are you having, or have you had a Lateral Internal Sphincterotomy (LIS)? Please share your experiences here, or ask any questions.

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Re: Surgery done, now can I have my life back?!

Postby howtobepositive » 02 May 2013, 02:38

Iced I totally agree with you and have discussed this with my doctors but none of them seem to be too concerned about that! They just ask me to take probiotics which I take already but still cant really put an end to the various symptoms you described. Do you have a regimen or any supplements you take that work?
Ceetee looks like you and I are going to need each other's support a lot :D
George hang in there, Im sure you will overcome the issues soon :)
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Re: Surgery done, now can I have my life back?!

Postby howtobepositive » 02 May 2013, 02:51

Day 1 post op

So the first BM happened or did it?! It did! but it was a type 7 literally all water and though I know that isnt good for the AF, its done and over. I actually went twice once in the afternoon and once in the evening both times it was all water. Its probably staying on a fluid diet yesterday and taking miralax and softners.
Pain wise it was a little less on the incision probably a 4. But after the BM and for most of the day afterwards I have had burning/itching type of pain all over the anus which to me isnt a good sign but its probably just the diarrohea and the fact that the fissure isnt yet healed. Also there was a little bit of spasming but nothing like I would have gotten had this been before the surgery and without the use of NTG ointment.
But honestly though I was expecting neither of the burn/itch pain nor the spasms. I did call the surgeons office and asked him a bunch of questions and his answer to all of them was to just let the area settle down, give it a week and I should see considerable relief. So for now I am just concentrating on keeping the diet good, get the water and fiber in and be patient! Also I went for a short walk - probably 20 minutes or so and though I have a slight limp it wasnt bad at all.
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Re: Surgery done, now can I have my life back?!

Postby Ceeteefeebs » 02 May 2013, 11:29

Have you scaled back a little on your soluble fiber? I
overdid it with fruit, veg, and Metamucil the first two days post-op, and I paid the price yesterday! I course-corrected- increased my nonsoluble fiber to bulk things up, and today seems to be going better. Less burning and itching down yonder and far fewer spasms. I know IBS affects everyone differently, but maybe more whole grains could minimize your diarrhea? Keep casually strolling! It's great to hear you're up and about. :D
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Re: Surgery done, now can I have my life back?!

Postby Anne37 » 02 May 2013, 14:35

I'm not an IBS sufferer, but had the same high expectations that after surgery there'd be no pain. No such luck for me. My LIS was a week ago today though, and I can say that things are getting better. I still have fissure pain and pain at the incision site during a BM and for 5-15 minutes afterwards but am seeing some slow but steady improvement. I still dread pooping and cannot imagine the day I will have to do it in public or at work (which I go back to on Monday) because I have really come to rely on the baths as a way to muster through the pain post BM. I start running the tub as soon as I get in the bathroom so that I can hop right in.
Funny story - I was so afraid of my first BM after surgery that I woke my boyfriend up that night moaning. I'd been having a dream that I was pooping and that it hurt! lol. I didn't poop the day after surgery so had to take Milk of Magnesium. The next day I pooped 5, yes FIVE, times within a 24 hour period. The first BM was completely liquid and as much as it burned, I did not care I was so relieved it wasn't bulky! lol. Each day has gotten a bit firmer, but I am still trying to figure out a balance with my stool softeners and diet. I was still going three times a day, and now have it down to two times a day but... once I get back to work that's not going to be an easy task. There's little time between when my body lets me know it's time to go and when I actually have to go. I teach and by the time I recognize the signs, call the office to have someone cover my classroom, wait for them to get there, and walk (run) to the bathroom I think I'm going to have poop myself in the hallway or even worse in front of my class! Explain that one to 2nd graders! lol. At least I'm at a point where I can laugh a little bit about it all.
Anyways, although not fully healed, to answer your questions:
1. I gave myself 10 days off work, but haven't gone back yet so can't say whether that's an adequate amount of time. If it weren't an issue of not being able to use the restroom whenever I want though, I'd have gone back today. If I could just time it to happen first thing in the morning (which it usually does) and that be the only time I go each day!
2. Yesterday, 6 days after surgery, was the first day I drove, walked my dog, or did any light chores. Driving hurt a bit, so today I used a pillow and made sure it was a shorter distance.
3&4. My doctor's orders were not exercise for 2 weeks, and even then I have to stick to just walking for 2 more weeks. He said not to get back into my gym routine for 6 weeks. I miss yoga and cycling! For a while I never thought my butt would touch my bike seat again!
5. I haven't eaten out yet because I've gotten so anal about tracking my fiber. I've also gotten picky about what I eat, so eating out isn't as appealing to me as it used to be. Am I the only one that can't enjoy food anymore because with every bite I take I can't help but think "this might taste good, but it's going to hurt coming back out." Ugh! When does THAT feeling go away?
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Re: Surgery done, now can I have my life back?!

Postby howtobepositive » 02 May 2013, 14:59

Anne, I could seriously copy paste your last paragraph and make it my own, I feel exactly the same!
I am lucky in a way that I have an office job and the bosses are very helpful so they have kind of told me to take as much time as I need to ensure I am right, I think that has something to do with them wanting to work me crazy hard once I do go back :) Wish you all the best with the pain and controlling the BM's.
Milk of Magnesia again - I have heard so much about it, what exactly does it do? Is it a softner, bulker or a regulator? I take docusate for softening and it works just fine, so wondering if I should consider using it or not?!
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Re: Surgery done, now can I have my life back?!

Postby Anne37 » 02 May 2013, 21:33

Thanks, How to be positive! If you feel like the docusate is working for you, I'd stick with that. Milk of Magnesium is a laxative, which is why I think I had 5 rounds of the runs the day after I took it! It was not fun! Although it has completely different ingredients, I think it works similar to Miralax in that it's stimulant free and pulls water into your stool.
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Re: Surgery done, now can I have my life back?!

Postby Ceeteefeebs » 03 May 2013, 12:16

Anne, your posts made me laugh like I haven't laughed in a while- so thank you!
For my first post-LIS BM, I made my husband come into the bathroom so he could rub my back (what a trooper). I just needed the moral support. Oh, the things we do for love!
I also don't have much warning time before a BM.... I give you so much credit for going back to work and braving the second graders! Thank goodness it's May already, right? Hopefully by June you'll be feeling like a new lady, but should healing go slowly, you'll have a few months kids-free soon. Woot woot!
Know EXACTLY what you mean about eating out. I'm so careful about what goes in my body (fiber! water! some more fiber!), my idea of eating out now is to get a salad from Saladworks while my husband chows down on Jimmy Johns.
Anyone else dreaming of pizza? That's the one type of food that has only grown in appeal. I see a pizza ad on TV and let out a completely inappropriate and involuntary moan.
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5 days post op

Postby howtobepositive » 06 May 2013, 00:48

5 days post op

Alright so I thought I should do another one of the follow up posts.
Overall I think I have made some progress but not as much as I would have thought. What I feel is pretty much like I used to before the surgery just on a lower level. I have managed to keep the BM's soft (actually too loose because I suffer from IBS) so there isnt any pain just discomfort while Im in there. However a few minutes after BM I get minor spasms and a strong burning/itching kind of pain thats usually at a 5-6 for a couple of hours and then goes down to a 3 and thats where it stays the rest of the day.
The penguin walk is mostly gone Image
I also feel much worse while walking than when laying down. Sitting wise I ccan probably sit on a really soft surface for 5-10 minutes and thats about it! One thing Im worried about is that I started walking probably 3rd day post op for about half hour to 45 minutes and though there was discomfort I was able to get through, hopefully that isnt screwing things up.
All in all, Id have to say there is progress but Im kinda where I am with using NTG before the surgery. I mean its nice that I dont have to worry about using the all the time but I still find myself stuck in the rut of fiber/water/sitz baths etc..... I was really hoping this surgery would set my sphincter free and it hasnt happened yet.
Maybe because I was already quite a bit healed up before the surgery I dont see the day and night difference that someone else who hadnt healed any would have but either way Im not where I want to be .....especially after being told by the docs that I should feel immediate relief!
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Re: Surgery done, now can I have my life back?!

Postby Ceeteefeebs » 06 May 2013, 12:46

Slow and steady wins the race... Someone else on this board told me that you have to assess progress on a weekly basis. A week post-op, and I'm with you. But that gives me hope that we are recovering. Everyone is different, and same of us will take more time than others. The key is to find that magical balance for your BMs. I'm definitely not there yet. Here's to hoping we quickly crack the case.
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Re: Surgery done, now can I have my life back?!

Postby Anne37 » 07 May 2013, 20:17

Haha! CRACK the case? lol. My boyfriend pointed out today just how much we talk about poop now. This was after I described the difference fruits vs. whole grains make to my BMs.... He's been so supportive, but I sort of wonder if he (like me) thought LIS would be a quicker cure than it has been for me.
Ceeteefeebs, I like the idea of assessing progress on a weekly basis vs. daily. If I could just get my poos right I'd be good to go I think. I am eating 30-35 g of fiber each day and think I'm overdoing it, but have become such an addict to it. I'm scared to back off, but know that I need to. My question is... what do I eat that isn't full of fiber? With all the diet changes I've made because of my chronic fissure, I've actually become mostly vegan. So... with no cheeses and meats, what's out there that's not fiber filled (besides soy yogurt and nuts)? When can I stop obsessing over this whole cycle of "what goes in must come out"?
On a positive note, I have not crapped my pants in front of my students post LIS. Image
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