That is so great Hope, that you are getting back into the swing of things. It's nice to feel like you are rejoining the world, isn't it? lol
Literally, just in the last two days, I have been feeling a lot better. I can sit fairly well and drive without a lot of pain...some chairs are worse than others, but I even watched a full tv show without having to shift in my seat...that is progress. lol I have started running errands and that is actually nice too.
The blood thing is not as bad as that day I wrote about. Now it's just a little spot here and there after a bm. I still take two stool softeners a day, although on my directions it said go down to one a day after the first ten days, but I don't want to risk it. Do you think that is a problem?
It's now been 3 weeks since the surgery. I have one more week off of work, so that is good to really take it easy. Hopefully this week, will be a lot of progress. Then I go to the doc's for my 1st visit the 5th week.
Glad we both have good reports this week!! Onward sista! hehe

Glad you're getting back to normal Summer - great news!
Doesn't it feel great to get back to running errands! How sad are we to be ecstatic about being able to get our groceries!!!
I think it's ok to take as many softeners you need, for as long as you feel you need them. There will come a time when you feel comfortable and ready to decrease it to one a day - then's the time to go down to one!

Well, I just went back to work this week. I went back after 4 weeks off for my fistulotomy, skin tag removal, and hemorrhoidectomy. It went pretty well, all things considered. I can sit now pretty comfortably, with only very mild soreness usually. I worried about needing the bathroom, since I still have some issues with that and we have one bathroom for about 30 women! UGH! lol But so far, so good with the work situation other than being behind and exhausted from waking up early. Luckily I only missed a week an a half of work, the rest of the time I was recuperating I was on vacation time.
I had my first post-surgery follow-up on Friday. I told the doc I still had a little bleeding when I had a BM. He did an exam and said there was a small area on the fistula that was not healed right. He said something about granules or granulization?? I can't remember now. Does anyone know about that? Then he said he was going to do something (not sure what now lol it felt like a shot, but not sure) that was going to sting a little. Then he says, "Well, actually, it's going to sting a lot, but you probably have realized that by now." I just giggled for some reason. lol I suck at remembering what doctor's tell me. He was doing something to coagulate? Or not coagulate the area? LOL One of those I think.
SO anyway, I got home from that and my bum has moderately sore again. I am going back in 3 months, but overall he said he was very pleased and said there were no other problems. Keep your fingers crossed, that whatever he did helps. He didn't seem overly worried I suppose or he would have brought me back sooner or done surgery I guess, so I am assuming that is a good thing. I told him I was going on vacation next month, and he said I would have no problem with that. Yay!
Oh and I still have some itching from time to time. Not sure how much is the surgery area and how much is my psoriasis (another issue I have lol), but that is annoying when it kicks up. Any tips for itching?
I am so glad to be this far out now. It seems like just a bad dream now. lol Someone on here told me once that you measure recovery from these surgeries by weeks and not by days. That was so true. I can tell week by week how things are getting better. At least now I know, if I have to have surgery ever again, that I can handle it...rough patches and all. That is good to know, since the pre-surgery anxiety was a killer for me (although on the actual surgery day I wasn't nervous at all...I think I was JUST SO READY to get it over with).
I hope everyone is having a good week! :D

Hey Summergal! It's nice to hear from you! I'm so happy you are doing so well.

I'm still bleeding a bit with BMs 10 weeks post-op. I saw my doc last Wed and he didn't seem too concerned. He just told me that if I'm still bleeding three months from now when I see him again, he's going to put a scope up my bum! (That's a BIG incentive to heal asap!). I think that granulated tissue forms scar tissue eventually and maybe your CRS wanted to get rid of some of that (?) I'm not sure, though, but maybe he used silver nitrate or something like that to cause coagulation. Of course, I'm just guessing - I don't really have a clue
I'm so happy you are doing so well! please keep us posted.

Ohhh no...not a scope! hehe I agree that is a big incentive to heal asap! lol
Well, it makes sense what you said. I always get so nervous after I have "assumed the position" that I forget to ask more questions. Does your doc have that table where they lower your head and raise your bum? I always am worried I will slide down the table, so I am so busy worrying about that, that I lose focus on my questions. I am going to write them all down when I go back on 3 months. My appointment is Dec. 2nd. Looks like we will almost have the same schedule for our next visit. Good luck with yours! Hopefully we will get a healthy bum present for the holidays!

Ha ha! I was on that jackknife table with my first CRS. In fact, I was on that table when I got my LIS! Trying to follow what the doc is saying with your ass in the air and blood rushing to your head is not easy! My new doc just has me on my left side, knees to chest, which is more comfortable for me. It probably also helps that my new doc is a lot gentler :)
My next follow-up is Dec 14th, so you're ahead of me now. :D I also really hope we both get to post great news and celebrate the holidays with healthy, happy bums. :D

lol Yes, that table sucks!
I am still taking two stool softeners a day and sometimes miralax, but even with that I still have some bleeding. It stops fairly quickly after the BM, but I just fear next time I go in, he will say they need to do surgery to repair it. GULP! He seemed less worried than me though, so we shall see. Here's to a good December for both of us!! :)

Hey Summergal! I also still take Miralax - a 1/2 dose in the evening makes the perfect poo for me. I went off it for a while because my BMs were too loose, but then things started to get better digestion-wise and I needed it again because I was passing pebbles and having to strain.
I also still bleed a bit with BMs. Not a whole lot - there isn't usually blood on the stool or in the toilet, just some on the TP, and it seems to stop pretty quickly. It is frustrating, though, because it makes me a bit anxious. I also worry about the possibility of needing more surgery , but I'm trying not to think about that. My surgeon didn't seem too worried. He did say, during my last follow-up, that things looked and felt good down there and that if I'm stil bleeding in Dec he would investigate further. So I'm thinking that I shouldn't worry unless I'm still bleeding by my next appointment. Well, that's all I can do, anyway.
Oh, it will be so nice when all this over!!! Yes, definitely - here's to a great December follow-up for both of us! :D

I think whatever the doc did the other week for the fistula site has made it worse (or at least it feels more sore than before I went in). Bleck! I still also have bleeding when I have a BM, so I am worried when I go back in December, he might say something is still wrong.
I had a question for anyone who might know. Ever since the surgery, I pretty much always have to take stool softeners. I often have harder bowel movements or at least movements where I have to push. Before surgery, I rarely had this problem and in fact, I would have very soft bowel movements and go quite easily. Is this surgery related and how long until things are back to normal?

Hey Summergal! I'm so sorry you are still sore. :( I know what you mean worrying about bleeding with BMs. I'm still bleeding a bit too. I don't want to speak too soon, but it seems like over the last few days, the bleeding has slowed down a lot and it looks like the wound is healing. I'm also still getting a little bit of white slimey stuff. Not a lot, but it oozes out and forms a film over the wound (sorry for the TMI!). I'm hoping this doesn't mean that there is something wrong. To be honest, it doesn't feel like there is anything wrong - there's no swollen feeling, pain or pinching sensations, so I'm just thinking that these things take quite a while to heal. Are you getting a lot of blood or any other discharge?
It's possible that the surgery messed up you BMs a bit. I'm not sure how that works, but I've read about that here many times. In my case I got very loose stool, and then when I went off the Miralax, I started to pass pebbles. To be fair, I wasn't drinking as much water as I should have been. Are you getting enough fluid? Also, is it possible that you may have been passing harder stools before all this, but you just didn't notice it so much?
I'm not sure how long it will take to get back to normal. I think we might have to adapt to a new normal - that is, a life of lots of fiber and water.
I really hope you are feeling better today!