Anya324 wrote:

cherylk wrote:ryan
I thought that you did something brainy. You really, really impressed me when you said that you were taking a class in differential equations because I know that would be difficult. I don't have a laptop, but want/need to have something if we return to Florida this Feb. Woud you recommend an ipad or laptop for getting e-mail? My son uses a laptop solely. He's a pharmacist, and I'm proud of him! :D

If I may Cheryl, I'd love to give my 2 cents on this topic :D Apple is coming out with an IPad mini (Rumored release for Nov 2) that would be perfect for email, games, books and other useful apps. I'm guessing they'll be priced around $299 and up. If you aren't an Apple fan, the Kindle fire is also another option for what you're looking for it you want something you can stick in your purse
Hope you don't mind me chiming in :)

Also, check out the Microsoft surface. Awesome laptop/tablet device. Just search for "Microsoft surface" and links will come up. I've got a windows phone 7 and I can't wait to get a surface.

Ryan,
I'll have to jot down these suggestions--never heard of any of them. I'm just not a techie and am very glad no longer have to keep up with all of the changes in software and applications like I did when I worked. That's the best thing about getting older--not working. It's really the only good thing except obviously less stress that goes along with it.

6PM (1 week post-op)
- Sat on the toilet late last night, but didn't have to go. Didn't push or try at all, just figured it would wait until the morning.
- No pain medicine since early this morning
- slept until 4PM, woke up in no pain at all. I do get these random shooting sharp pains that last about 1 second. They happen about 1-3 x day. Not enough to yell out or anything. General discomfort (aware of the area) most of the day. I still don't want to sit on hard chairs.
TODAY'S UPDATE
- Ate, drank 2 big glasses of water, then had a BM around 5PM. I had the urge building up and I had been passing a lot of gas (mostly while walking around the house AND with no effort on my part). My teenagers, who nicknamed my condition "Butt Cut" or "BC" when in public, think its so funny . I think they have even extended the nickname to me, "What's up, BC". I told them that they won't be young forever...
TODAY'S FIRST BM
It was VERY thick with a lot of volume. I think everything is fine; however, you know I am going to dive into a brainstorming deep analysis of it. I didn't push at all. I am guessing 5 or 6 pencils bunched up would repesent the thickness (hard to tell since I didn't really get the pencils and compare the 2) -- the damn subjects I study these days...
WAS IT TOO THICK?
Well, the first part that comes out goes to the bottom of the toilet, so I can't ever see it once i'm done. It sure felt much thicker than yesterday. The part that I could see did look pretty thick. Doc tole me (pre-LIS) that keeping my BM too thin would provide short term relief. However, it would make the area too tight up there and lead to later stretching. So, is thick actually a good thing post LIS to keep things loose as the damage sphincter slowely gets a bit stonger over the next year?
So anyway, I'm not sure what to think of the thick BM. It as soft, a lot of volume came out, and the same burning followed the BM. i didn't push at all; although, I felt it slow down at first like it might have been having some issues coming out. It always feels like it thickest when first coming out. But, then it continued on. I was a bit worried, but it seems it was fine. There was blood when wiping, but very little. The blood spot was probably about the size of a pencil eraser or so. I got in the tub for 10 minutes, the burning stopped. And remember, i'm not really on pain meds right now. After the tub, I got on the heating pad. I feel a little discomfort, but for no pain meds, I really think the pain is really nothing right now. I mean, after going, I surely couldn't wait to get into the tub.
What do you think? To thick? Not an issue? Cut back on the fiber and up on the fruit? Don't worry about it?
LIS LOOSENESS SEEMED TO HELP
I think the added looseness down there from the LIS made things better. its hard to tell if this BM would have been a problem pre-LIS. Often a thick BM would stretch and I would see large amounts of blood, pain, followed by throbbing/tighness. However, this bm was very soft and loose. In other words, it seemed to just fall apart in the water.
Anyway, lots of blood and pain are not the case today. I don't feel anymore pain than before. I really think the burning is less. I used some of the balneol lotion after.
DISCHARGE:
low upon waking, but this pad fell out a few times. Sometimes, the pad is a bit uncomfortable if I press it up there a bit. However, if I don't press it up there good, it seems to fall out. Anyway, after the BM, 15 minutes had a spot of light blood, penny sized. After sitting on the heating pad for 15 minutes (which followed a warm tub soak), I wiped some more. There was some matter. I'm not sure if its just more waste from me cleaning a little more on the inside now that its a bit looser from the heat. Or perhaps, this is dried blood tissue from the mild trama of the BM. either way, if you add it all up, maybe a couple of spots pencil erasers of thickness on the non-liquid clumps of whatever they are.
WHY BM SO THICK?
Not sure, here is my guess. Before, I was waking up every 3 hours to eat and I was eating less bulky fiber. Maybe, the first few days that was keeping me going a bit more frequently (3-4 times a day) and it was keeping the thickness down. However, I think I ate larger meals further apart from each other in time. maybe, I added more flax scoops and some more veggies? All the junk food I ate a waffle house? I'm eating less bananas and applesauce lately. Perhaps, I supressed the urge to go last night while eating at waffle house in order to wait until I got home and then it was too late? Drinking less water over last 12 hours? This is why I call this an imperfect art. There is a lot of variables. The only think I seem to have down is that if I eat tons of soft fruit, not too much fiber, eat every 3 hours, and a ton of water, things seem to stay soft and move through frequently. Other than that, I'm not sure how to absolutely control when you go, avoid all pushing, keep things super soft, and not to thick. But, I sometimes overthink things and I'm still trying to figure all this out.
COULD I GO TO WORK TODAY:
I think I could manage. I would definetly have to wait until the first BM of the day and tub soak was over. If I had a BM (especially the first of the day) at work, it would take a long time and would surely consist of me suffering in pain in the stall for a few minutes as I waited for the burning to stop. Maybe I could have heated up a corn bag and bring it in the stall. Then I could wipe a few times, place some Toilet paper in the way, and slap that bag up there for a while. Like I said, I'm not in a lot of pain now, I could work. I may not want to be in front of a meeting speaking as the center of attention right after a BM. But, I might be able to pull it off.
CAN I DRIVE?
My long car ride wouldn't be too comfortable either. I would definetly bring a corn bag to sit on. The seats sort of spread things apart and the bouncing and swaying upon turns or hard breaking didn't seem to fun yesterday. It wasn't a screaming type of pain, just a kind of burning.
Anyway, I'm off the pain pills for now. Overall, I think I'm doing really good. I'll start working from home on Monday- Wed, then I'm off until Saturday. As a test, I'll drive the boys to the gym to drop them off after a while, its about a 15 minute drive one way. So, I'll let you know how it goes.

Ryan,
It sounds like you are healing well. Keep up the good work.

8PM (1 week post-op)
GOT OUT OF THE HOUSE TO TAKE A DRIVE
- went for a drive. Threw the bag of corn in the microwave for 3 minutes first. Took the car, because my wife's truck sways around a lot when turning. Dropped the kids off at the gym (wish I could get out with them . Felt fine.
THINGS GOING WELL- DECIDED TO RUN SOME ERRANDS
Decided to stop for gas and pick up some fast food for me and my wife (ugghh... giving in to more junk food). I figured it would help to get out of the house. Anyway, this made the total time since I left close to one hour. I had to get out at the gas station to pee. When compared to the surgical cleaning that i have been giving my bathroom at home, this public restroom felt discusting. I didn't risk changing the drainage catcher (which I noticed was gone when I got home -- hmm..) I guess I would have to figure something else out if I was at work. I noticed I was walking odd and very slow;
but, I am not one to worry about what others think.
GETTING IN AND OUT OF THE CAR:
Getting in and out of the car is a bit uncomfortable. not too much pain, just a sense of worrying about moving the wrong way and pulling things down there the wrong way. this is because I can feel things getting tugged around when I get in and out.
SOME PAIN TOWARDS THE END
- So around the corner from my house, the heating pad was now cold, and the pressure from sitting so long with the minor shaking around of driving was starting to get to me. I could feel myself tensing up and shifting my weight around a bit more. It actually hurt pretty good for a while and I was looking forward to getting out of the car. It wasn't enough to distract me from driving. However, I had to make sure I did lay off the gas pedal so i wouldn't speed to try to get home.
Anyway, it wasn't too bad. I think I'll keep any trips tomorrow to around 1/2 hour. It felt good to get out of the house. Upon arriving home, I decieded to take the pain pills as the area was tense and sore. I heated up the corn pad and placed it on the electric heating pad. I'm not full of junk food, feeling better from the pain pills, and relaxed from the heat. It might be almost time for a BM, not sure yet.
DRAINAGE:
I used baby wipes (have to remember not to flush them and clog up the drain) to clean and the drainage is a bit more to the red side. I think after the last BM, things are a bit more disturbed down there.
CONDITION:
So, 1 week post-op, I'm out of the house running errands, able to stay off the pain meds most of the day, having minimal drainage, regular BMs which are not perfect but seem ok, Not in any significant pain beyond just a little discomfort and a few short bursts of pain, could return to work in a limited capacity preferrably as long as I had a BM at home before leaving.
Even though I took some pain meds, I may try to get some studying done, might be able to go to sleep earlier, go back on a softer healthier diet, and relax a bit. Thanks again to all who listened to my run my mouth, provided so much information here on the forum for me to research pre-op, replied to my posts to help me feel not so alone while going through all of this. I'll keep posting updates.

3:00PM- 8 days post op
LAST NIGHT BM:
- had another BM last night, it was thin (2 pencils thick), soft, and not a lot of volume. I didn't hurt a lot
TOOK PAIN MEDS LAST NIGHT
- took pain meds after discomfort following last night bm
- no pain meds today
- slept a lot
NO PAIN AFTER WAKING AND BEFORE 1ST BM:
- was in absolutely no pain upon walking as I had not had a bowel movement yet. I was walking around doing things with no issues after walking
DIET:
- so far today I ate Greek yogurt & flax, eggs, boiled/blended carrots & broccoli (like baby food), almond butter, olive oil, applesauce, green tea, coffee, coconut oil
DRAINAGE LAST NIGHT
- drainage seemed heavier than usual last night. A bit more to the bloody side. Still nothing bad. Maybe a quarter sized spot and some small specs of tissue-like matter every hour or so. Basically, after yesterday's thick BM, it seems to be more.
BOWEL MOVEMENT:
- just had a bowel movement, it was thicker than last nights, but only maybe 3 pencils thick. It was soft, well formed, a lot of volume, and didn't hurt. I had the urge to go, so didn't push at all. It came right out. There was a burning after, but it went down a lot while I was filling up the tub. In other words, if I was at work and had no tub, I would have been ok. It seems to be the thicker ones that hurt the most. Nevertheless, I got in the tub (hotter than usual- had to ease in) and I'm feeling fine.
Overall, I think it continues to slowly heal. I've been tired and worn out feeling and trying to rest a lot. Still haven't studied!

9 Days post-op
I think my recovery continues to go very well
9 DAY POST-OP PAIN LEVEL
- Pain level continues to drop. Yesterday, I only took 2 pain pills the whole day. I did have some withdrawal symptoms yesterday when I tried to stop taking the pills cold turkey, but that's probably because I was taking 2 pills 6x day (which was as directed). No pain pills so far today; no withdrawal symptoms.
9 DAY POST-OP ACTIVITY LEVEL
- Worked out again yesterday with the light weights (I'm hard-headed)
- I went to the grocery store today. I loaded up on fruits, healthy fats, and veggies. My son went with me to help. It is still hard to sit in the car, walk around or stand too long. I found myself having to walk around slower. Once the basket got too heavy, I have to get my son to push the basket. I started to unload/load the most of the heavy bags. However, I found that throwing the heavy bags of milk around put way more tension on my bottom end than the working out I was doing. Something about the twisting.
- I've been sleeping pretty late and feeling tired most of the day. Not sure why I am more tired now than last week. Maybe the pain meds mask the tiredness.
GOT SOME COTTON SQUARES.
- I've ditched the wipes completely and got some of the makeup pads from Walgreens. I got the 200 count "Quilted Cotton squares". They are dry. I also got some of the round pads also.
After my last BM, I first used the Toilet Paper, then put some Balneol lotion on the square and applied it to the area. This lubricated things and I used several more pads to wipe. Then I dabbed around some more with the toilet paper. I definitely don't have to be as careful as I was before when wiping. Now, I'm sitting in the tub of hot water and the pain seems to be very minimal at this time.
There was a lot of drainage after the grocery trip.
BOWEL MOVEMENTS
- Bowel movements have been perfect: 3xday, soft, not too thick, no too much volume. Burning persists for a couple of hours post-BM (but nothing worse than the original fissure pain)
RETURNING TO WORK SOON:
I am returning to work either tomorrow or Monday. However, I'm glad to be able to work from home. This is because I work a 4x10 and sitting in the car for 2 hours and the desk chair for 10 hours would really not be fun. This way, I'll be able to lay down when working on the laptop from home. I can also have an easier time with the BM. However, I could surely manage work if I had to.

Good that you finally bought the makeup squares. They work better than cotton balls!

cherylk wrote:Good that you finally bought the makeup squares. They work better than cotton balls!

Yeah. Thanks for the tip about the Balneol lotion.
One thing that still bothers me a lot is coughing. I coughed a few times today. It makes everything tense up down there. Its really hard to try to relax the area down there while coughing. I would really feel bad for someone who gets a bad cough after the surgery (assuming they tense up like me).

Thanks to Anya for pointing out to me that there are pads made for catching the drainage. I went to amazon and searched for "ard pads" and "B-Sure Anal Leakage Pads". These seem to fit between your cheeks and be made just for this purpose. I don't know which ones are better. I ordered a box of B-sure. They looked a little bit thinner (which might be more comfortable). I think they were around $10 shipped with Amazon Prime.