Just curious if any of you older LIS-ers have had a problem with leakage. I am 8 months post-op and still having this problem. It's improved a lot since my surgery over the months but it's still happening. I'm starting to worry that this isn't going to go away!! I remember NG saying he had it a couple of months and it stopped. I was hopeful that the same thing would happen for me but I am long passed a couple of months and the constant cleaning and spraying my butt with a shower wand in getting old, not to mention it's very irritating to my anus.
For the record I'd like to say I am in no way incontinent or have problems holding bm's and besides this LIS has been very positive for me.
I appreciate any advice, experience anyone could share:)

Oh Dawn, that's quite a drag! :(
As you know, I'm a relatively new LISer, so I can't offer any useful insight. Do you have this only after BMs or is it pretty much all day? I think I recall some boardies talking about using Balneol to clean up and barrier creams to reduce irritation, but I imagine as a vet here you probably know about all that! I'm sure those with more knowledge about long-term issues will chime in soon.
I'm really sorry you're struggling with this. I hope it goes away.

Hey Hope,
It happens for hours after a bm and if I have more than one, it's pretty much all day. I've been using A&D and Vaseline for a barrier. Last night I found some of the calmoseptine (SP?) from my old fissure butt bag and put that on. It seems to be helping with some irritation I got a couple of days ago. I need to get some of the Balneol. I've heard it's really good.
My biggest concern is am I going to have a leaky butt for the rest of my life?
Gosh, I hope not!! I guess my cut was more than sufficient as I haven't had any problems since LIS. I just hope it's not too loose that I leak the rest of my life. I still take some miralax and I'm not sure if that's the problem. My bm's are formed and I've cut back from a whole cap(17gs) to 1/2 the cap full since my surgery. I'm deathly afraid of stopping completely but I may try cutting back a little more.
Well thank you hope. Hopefully others will come along soon:)

I have also heard very good things about Balneol. I think i will get some for when I'm away from home. I also heard good things about calmoseptine and zinc oxide is supposed to be a good barrier as well.
I'm sure I read NG talking about how Miralax was contributing to his problems and that things got better after he cut back on it. But I completely understand your reluctance to stop taking it altogether.
It would be good to hear what the "old-timers" have to say.

Hope,
I'm going to order some of the balneol. We are going to take the kids to Sea World in a couple of weeks and I'm sure I will have a day with plenty of walking with no convenience of my own bathroom and my shower wand,:oops:
I noticed this morning, I had no irritation after using the calmoseptine last night. I don't have much left, so I need to get more of that too. I think the active ingredient is zinc oxide.
I know Steve stopped the miralax after LIS. He was having frequent, loose bm's which caused him to have burning and irritation. I usually go once, sometimes twice a day and have no problems with loose bm's
How are you doing? Does your infection seem to be getting better?

I'm so glad the calmoseptine didn't cause any irritation. That's a good sign! Sea World sounds like a lot of fun ... but I completely understand how "fun" things can be a bit less fun when butt issues are involved. :(
I'm sure there was someone here who talked about a little travel bidet - I'll keep my eyes open for such a posted. I really hate going anywhere but at home now.
I'm also confused about the leakage without loose stools. I know this doesn't sound very appealing, but do you think a gentle morning enema might eliminate the extra material that escapes during the day? (I read that Tolstoy got a daily enema just to stay healthy ... hmm). I wonder if your doc can offer some insight into what might be causing this and how you might be able to stop it.
I'm doing ok, thanks for asking :D The infection does seem to be getting better, but my ass is still sore! The fissure site looks quite pink and like there's new skin, but it's still a bit raw and tender. The skin tag area is also a bit raw, and there is a deeper pain, a bit like a bruised feeling, but also sometimes more like a cutting sensation. I took a look at the skin tag area this morning and things a bit red and raw looking. Is any of this familiar to you (for a few days past one month post-op?).
Oh the joys the butt brings!

Dawn, sorry you're having problems. I think though, in time the muscle will get slightly tighter. My LIS was 3 years ago and with this fistula I could feel it was tight again. I'm sure your problem will settle down in time - and especially if the miralax is contributing to it.
I got a portable bidet from Amazon - they do an inflatable one too!

Hope,
I never looked at my butt. I had my husband look at it starting from day one and I asked him to show no expression on his face, so that I wouldn't panic,LOL
The skin tag is a b**** to heal completely. Everything causes irritation. If you walk too much or it's not clean enough,etc. I would just air, soak and try not to do too much if I felt it getting a raw feeling.
The bruising was up to the bottom part of my butt cheeks for some time after surgery. I'm not sure for how long it took to actually go away. My husband and I were just talking the other day and he just now said how bad it was. He said "I still wonder what the hell they did to you",Lol I imagine the inside is very bruised and swollen too.I have read older post and I believe it was Fissy who said it takes months for the swelling to completely go down inside.
I had soreness for awhile. I was just so happy to be over the spasms and painful bm's that everything else was kind of whatever.I would say being sore and feeling bruised inside, weird feelings in that area is perfectly normal at one month post-op.
Thank you Val. I will look on Amazon!

Thanks Dawn :D
I feel very reassured. Man, butts sure are sensitive, fickle body parts. Sheesh!
I like the idea of a travel bidet. I'm going to look on Amazon too.

Wow Dawn- it is really strange that I logged on this morning and saw your post. I was just having a conversation with my hubbie this morning about this very issue and I am having a day when I am just sick and tired of everything- and mad, which I rarely allow myself to go to. Maybe I should more often as it can be a very productive emotion- the angry part, not mad as in crazy (which I go to much more often unfortunately!). Anyway- YES I am still struggling with almost identical issues . My husband asked this morning- "what about on your board- do any of the ones who had this done talk about this happening?". And I told him that they have and that I thought they said it got better over time and planned to go back and read NG and HappyAss reports from the past.
Here's my annoying routine (and I say "annoying" because I know from my husband's unfortunate routine that there are many worse things that could be happening- things that make you want to take 6 Vicodin over the course of half and day and end up making you puke in the trash can- more on that in "Off Topic").
So I wake up every morning still in dread of my morning poop. For those of you who are earlier in the process of healing or considering LIS, do not see this as a negative. It isn't that it hurts and I haven't seen blood in months- I don't have the issues going on that Val or Hopetoheal have and my recovery as really been pretty good. That said, I still feel like I have this major case of PTSD over pooping, which sounds ridiculous. Most days it is formed and soft- from eating lots of fruits and veggies, a ton of water and oatmeal for breakfast- no more Miralax for me. Some days the beginning is a little firmer than I would like and it scares the bejesus out of me. I have started singing "Move on down the road" while pooping- it's silly but it helps me..
Anyway- after that, usually the poop starts to irritate the outside pretty quickly so I use baby wipes- I usually try to put vaseline on first which seems to help with cleanup and my peace of mind. Then I hop in the shower or bathtub, which I treat like my bidet- running the faucet and backing up to it to run the water in a directed way to my butt. Then out of the shower. I usually (almost always) have a feling like there is still something up there, but if I pushed it wouldn't do any good. Almost what I would call a "gritty" feeling up inside and on the side of the incision. I wonder what this is- a hangup at that spot that gathers a little residual poop to release later on? The thought of an enema absolutely freaks me out! Two years ago when I first had the big poop that caused this thing, I did a Fleet enema and I think I poked myself and really made things worse. This morning, the first poop wasn't too burny and the skin tag area didn't sting or feel irritated in the shower, in spite of yesterday having some mild irritation all day long. But then predictably about an hour later, I start to feel itchy/stingy down there and sure enough there is residue or leakage. Nothing that would even stain underwear, but irritates the heck out of that tender tissue where the skin tag was. So then I rinse off- sometimes put on A and D. I use Calmoseptine at night sometimes and it helps, but I'm a little concerned that it dries things out during the day and may rub. I am menopausal and already have some dryness issues in my whole body. Plus I live at 5280 ft and a dry climate. I have not tried Balneol although I have it in my bathroom. Somehow I have become afraid of using something that might make things worse. And I just can't deal with worse right now. So I have been skin patch testing it on my arm the last couple of days to make sure it doesn't break me out.
Then usually about an hour later, I rinse again. The A and D seems to be somewhat irritating in itself at times- I can't tell if it really is. I hate the feeling of something down there- always have. Anyway- I have found that Walmart's brand of wipes is softer than Cottenelle and I think I prefer those. They don't have the handy put in your purse packs.
One thing that has helped me when out and about:
At Whole Foods at the checkout counter they had these very soft, squishy squirt bottles that I fill with water. They work pretty well to get water up there in a public bathroom. Then I wet the wipes I carry so they are wetter and use those. I had one very successful cleanup after a loose stool the other day after a dinner out and all was well. I stuck a little piece of toilet paper up there to blot the water and then put a little A and D.
I really think I should try the Balneol- the testimonials on their site are pretty consistently great- read them yesterday . I also have been carrying around cotton balls in my purse to help with cleanup.
I hate this part because it is keeping me from exercising and I already feel like I am withdrawing from life more. I don't know what I would do if I were still working. At school, I barely had time to go pee!
But like Dawn said, I would do the LIS again. I would just hope this will settle down. Today I had the second poop mid morning which like Dawn said, makes it go on for a lot of the day. Too time consuming- but it is not a fissure and there is not the passing of glass, fear of upcoming surgery, etc...I think my surgery worked, just this recovery period is annoying. My new motto is "This too shall pass".
Bambi