Hi Arafat
Congrats on your surgery It sounds as if you are doing very well for all you have had done!! I only had LIS and was feeling great on day 5. I didn't use the gauze or cotton, I really laid around with a nightgown or big T shirt and no underware :oops: and got in the tub at least 4 times a day and that helped with the little bit of drainage I was having. I didn't really have to much. I am thinking yours is probably coming from the fistulotomy, and is normal. Day 3 for me was my worst. I think the swelling was at it's peak and the bruising and all the nerves were starting to heal. Things should be getting better from here. I would take things slow, I am sure a little moving around is ok, but with what you have had I would not do too much!!! Hope you continue to feel better!!

Thanks Sue! Congrats on ur surgery too!!!Its so great to know that ur doing so well now. I read abt ur miseries for so long before u opted for surgery. I'm really happy that ur surgery was successful and that ur almost back to normal life!
I'm getting into the tub a few times as well, SO relaxing for a sore butt! I'm going to take a few more days laid up with maybe a bit of walking before i try n ease back into normal life!

I was soooo miserable. For me the surgery was more of a discomfort not pain. Sheesh, with all the swelling and bruising. I still get in the tub it is so relaxing and I am still only 9 days out so It definately can't hurt. That's what I did, laid around for a few days and slowly got moving. Today I am exhausted have been out all day. Hope you continue to feel good. Soon all will be normal

Hey Arafat! Congratulations on your successful BMs!! :D
The soreness is normal, so don't worry too much about that. It gets better. You also had quite a bit done too. I had an LIS and a fistulotomy - but not at the same time! You're doing really awesome for someone who went through two procedures. The worst of the pain should be only in the first week, and really the first few days, so what you are going through now should be the worst of it. :D
Discharge is definitely normal after a fistulotomy. Mine drained some exudate for months afterward. My doc said not to worry abou that - draining is good. It should slow down over the next little while and you should need less gauze up there, which will be much more comfortable. You may find that after the first week or two, you only need a small pad of gauze on the underwear (pantyliners work well too - I know! Few men are willing to use those things - but the macho ones do :D )
I expect you had a very small fistula if you can't see the wound. I could see mine! In fact, my doc told me to stretch my wound to make sure it didn't heal too soon and in the wrong way (I think Adam's doc told him to do the same thing).
Gentle walking is fine, when you're up to it. Just try to avoid heavy lifting (no over-loaded school bags!).
It sounds like you are doing awesome! I'm glad you're taking it easy and that you are doing so well. I'm REALLY happy for you! Way to go, buddy!

Thanks wonderful ppl! I finally did get to see my wound or rather wounds. There is a small wound on the right side which im guessing is the LIS excision and there is a longer one beside it which is i think is the fistula wound...I try stretching it a little bit abt 3-4 times a day and clean it with a gauze pad stuffed with cotton.
I dont want to miss too many more days of school and i'm hoping to get back on Monday, provided my follow with doc goes well on Sunday. That'll be almost 9 days of rest which i think is pretty decent...

Hi, Arafat -
I hope you're doing well and are feeling better. Take care of yourself, rest, and take the time you need to recuperate.

Thanks bugaboo:) I'm feeling quite good actually! Hope the future only holds good things for all of us...

Had my 3rd BM abt an hour back. The BM came without straining but there were abt 3 pieces of rather long and hard stools. Thank God there wasnt any pain on defecation and only feel mid soreness now.
The cleaning aftr BM is frustrating and is a nuisance!!! I squatted in front of a mirror to see the fissure n fistula wounds and i see pieces of fecal matter even though at the time of cleaning right after BM i had directd the shower wand directly at the area for a full 3 minutes! Tried removing fecal matter with gauze pads n cotton n then went back. I had to go back to the bathroom and again i directed the shower wound at the area. Came back to my room, dapped n semi wiped with my cotton filled gauze pads and finally saw the place reasonably clear of fecal matter. Its taking soooo long and whats the guarantee that the place is totally clear of fecal matter??? Plus, the fistula wound looks so raw and somewhat bloody:( Maybe i shouldnt have looked at the wound! How long before the wound stops looking so scary?

Hey Arafat - cleaning can be frustrating! Just remember to take your time and be gentle. The shower wand can do an ok job, but I found that soaking in a bath for 15 to 20 minutes not only helps with healing, and it also helps get those stubborn bits of fecal matter loose, which makes them easier to remove with a wet baby wipe after the bath. If you spread your butt while laying in the tub, the warm water has an opportunity to swish in the area too. Cleaning will get easier when the swelling goes down in a few days, so hang in there!
The fistula wound will likely look raw and bloody for a while - mine did for about a month. With wide wounds like that, it will take a while for the area to epithelialize. You want the wound to heal from the bottom of the wound bed, and not along the top, which can just form another 'tunnel' (which would just be a new fistula). Try not to worry too much about the wound looking raw - that's normal. I know it sounds a bit strange, but you don't want that wound to heal too quickly from the top down.
The challenge now is being patient, my friend. Doctors very often underestimate healing time. I definitely understand that you just want all this over with, but the healing (and cleaning!) process will take a while. I really learned a lot from my ordeal -- namely, what I high-strung, hyper-active person I was! This is the time to slooooowwww down a bit and focus on looking after yourself. The wound will look scary for a while - possibly a month or more. But it will likely look worse than it is while it's healing. Pain matters as much, and sometimes more than, how the wound looks - if you don't have pain, and the wound doesn't look angry and red, then I'd say you're doing good.
Of course, all this comes from my own experience, so all I say must be taken with a grain of salt. I'm sure your doc will give you some good insights when you have your follow-up on Sunday, which I hope goes really well. :D
You're doing great, Arafat - remember that. Good BMs are really important. The cleaning will get easier, and the scary wound looks worse than it is.

hopetoheal, i feel so much better after reading ur post....thanks sooo much:)
I had a difficult night, was pretty sore down there and couldnt find a comfy position. Sometimes i feel the soreness from the LIS wound and sometimes from the fistula wound. This morning, tho, i feel better and dont feel much soreness. I've started walking around a bit around the house. I'm hoping to go back to work on Monday. I know i should ideally have given 14 days b4 returning to work but i only have 3 hrs of classes on Monday, 3 hrs on tuesday, free wednesday and 5 hrs on thursday before a free friday n saturday. Of course, it all depends on what my doc says on sun. Soo hoping that the 1st follow up goes well!
Hopetoheal, thanks for letting me know abt the wound needing to heal from the base up. I do spread the wound a bit 3-4 times a day after each BM and after every sitz bath. Do i need to do anything abt caring for the LIS wound? I just dap it once/twice abt 4 times a day. Apologies for bugging u so much!!!