I'm so thankful I found this forum. I appreciate everyone sharing their experiences and I wanted to add mine.
I had LIS back in December, and I should have had it much earlier on. Don't do what I did and wait until you're in agony before seeing a surgeon. I had tried healing it with nitro and had limited success. I also had a tag removal. Three months after surgery I had a flare up and had to go back to the surgeon. I'm currently using nitro to heal the fissure and it's helping. The LIS has definitely helped and I'm glad I had it done. I'm not saying it's for everyone but in my case I really needed it. I did have to change my diet and I take stool softeners regularly. I also added fiber but through food, not fiber supplements. So far that is working for me. I also use coconut oil several times a day--just add a little dab to the area. I mostly do this when I'm going to be home for the day (I work from home so that helps). I make sure to use it at night and first thing in the morning.
My surgeon said he is very conservative with women because cutting the muscle too far can cause incontinence. He's a wonderful surgeon and a compassionate doctor. I'm very blessed to have found him.
Good luck to everyone dealing with this nightmare--for a long time I thought I was the only one.