About I have a BM, I wipe with wet wipes and rinse with a hand held shower head in the tub. After an hour or so I used to feel a little irritation and would find a spec of poop around the anus. I now routinely check after an hour or so, so that nothing has a chance to start irritating. Usually I can do this with a bottle filled with water over the commode. A friend gave me a plastic bottle with a pointed cap on it (like a ketchup squeeze bottle) which I carry in my purse. I occasionally can see a spec of poop in the commode after I rinse. I did not think it was significant enough to discuss with my surgeon. I don't know if this would be considered leakage or just a stray piece that I didn't get after wiping the first time. I still have a small skin tag which I think helps hide these occasional specs. Sometimes I do this routine after another hour just to be safe and sometimes still see a spec of poop as a result of the second check.

I wonder Worrier, would you be able to bring your enema bulb with you and a bottle of water and use that if you have to have a BM when you are out?

Hi msimon,

In theory: yes. But it's not really practical. I suppose it would be OK if I was round someone's house. But doing that in a pub toilet would be a bloody nightmare.

To be honest, I find it a difficult enough process to do at home each day. I guess I have a while to practice it though. Never crossed my mind that this would be the outcome of having LIS. Still finding it hard to deal with on a daily basis.

I can only imagine how tough its been on you Worrier. I have nothing but problems since my LIS too. I just had another procedure to 'unroof' the swelling around the incision site that has been repeatedly infected and swollen. I just started being able to walk around and half-sit only to have a big setback with this new, larger incision. I hope things look up for us soon.

What is your next course of action?

My next course of action? I finally get my follow up with the surgeon who did the op next week. I have no idea how that will go. 3 months on and I'm dealing with stool leakage plus the fissure. Dont think he'll be pleased to see me and I don't really see there's anything that can be done now. Since the fissure isn't causing any pain my main problem is the leakage, but there's nothing that they can do about that. I doubt they'd could consider any surgery since it's what they would class as a minor problem.

I don't know if I'm depressed or just melodramatic, but this whole situation just keeps making me feel utterly hopeless. Can't help but feel that I've brought it all on myself. The more I ask for help or moan about it- the more I feel selfish and pathetic. I don't see a way out of any of it.

Worrier, don't feel selfish or pathetic because you asked for help with one very commonly done surgery. I also don't think you have a minor problem if is affecting your life to that degree. Everyone is different and how big of a problem it is is determined by you, not anyone else. You really need to tell that Doctor the truth about how it's been for you so he feels obligated to help you. What day is your appointment?

Worrier12345 wrote:My next course of action? I finally get my follow up with the surgeon who did the op next week. I have no idea how that will go. 3 months on and I'm dealing with stool leakage plus the fissure. Dont think he'll be pleased to see me and I don't really see there's anything that can be done now. Since the fissure isn't causing any pain my main problem is the leakage, but there's nothing that they can do about that. I doubt they'd could consider any surgery since it's what they would class as a minor problem.

I don't know if I'm depressed or just melodramatic, but this whole situation just keeps making me feel utterly hopeless. Can't help but feel that I've brought it all on myself. The more I ask for help or moan about it- the more I feel selfish and pathetic. I don't see a way out of any of it.

So LIS has not healed the fissure?

Msimon, My appointment is on Wednesday.

Jay. No the fissure is not healed. I can still see it. I wonder whether this may be because my fissure is not typically like many people's in here. Mine is at the anterior, and now I wonder whether an advancement flap may have been a better option. My fissure never caused severe pain, just a scraping discomfort during a bm and some bleeding. I was never convinced that I was having spasms, but there was always a feeling of tightness and I struggled to squeeze BMs out sometimes. I never had pressure tests so I'll never know for sure. My surgeon said that my sphincter was in spasm when he examined me a few weeks before the surgery.

I have no idea why it's not healing. Maybe it's because of the enema routine. But I've had no medical input on this. I don't really know what the hell I'm doing.

If you're wondering if you should have lis or not - I'd say if youre in a lot of pain then go for it. I can definitely go to the toilet more easily now. Things slip out a lot more comfortably. It's after that my problems start. But it,doesn't seem to be a very common issue for most who have had LIS.

In my opinion, I rather have the leakage, than this horrible pain.During and after BMs that last for up to 8 hours sometimes more. Absolutely, I will hope for a complete recovery, but I will deal with the minor side effect of the surgery if the fissure and pain vanish! Indeed, if you can manage your daily living with no pain or life threatening illness,you are good to go.Yes, we strive to be normal as we used to be,but our body may take a couple of years or more to return to a full recovery.So long as the devil (AF) disappears, I will claim the victory!.

The thing is.... If you have leakage you still have pain. Stools are very acidic... Think of a poor baby's nappy rash.... That's what you have to deal with. .. Not to mention he paranoia of not feeling clean, thinking you smell. Not nice.
Thankfully this type of thing seems to be uncommon. :)