fabulous Rob,
Love to hear good news!
-Tanya

Hi, Rob -
That's great to know - about the old Schwinn exercise bikes being on Craigslist. I'll have to keep my eye out for one of those. I looove Craigslist. --- My 1950-era Schwinn is really fabulous, if a person likes that sort of thing (which, I do).
Speaking of my bike, today I saw my crs - and one of the questions I asked him was when I could ride it. He said that I'm healing just fine, and I can ride my bike, as soon as I think I feel comfortable enough to sit on the seat. He didn't seem to think that the actual sitting on the seat will hurt my bottom, at this point -- it's just a matter of my feeling healed enough (not there, yet). --- I drove my car today (first time since before my surgery) - and it made me ache more. It must be the hardness of seat, I really think so.
Anyhow, I had a good visit with my crs -- he is being deployed to Afghanistan next week, because he's in the Reserves. He'll be a surgeon in a hospital there, tending to our U.S. soldiers - for three months! So, I next see him in July.
He said that my swelling should go down even more, to a flattened state. I sure hope so. --- I asked him about the burning and soreness I still have (it varies during the day) -- and I told him I have "Fissure Phobia" - that I'm so afraid of having another AF, but he said that would be rare. He said that the burning/soreness I feel is because of my surgery and is NOT related to an AF. I asked him what he would estimate would be my total healing time, and he didn't seem to know. (I think that's a very individual thing.)
So, I checked out okay -- I just have to wait until my post-op symptoms completely and permanently subside.
It sounds like you're on the mend, and I'm so happy for you. The pink staining seems very normal -- I had that, too, for awhile after surgery - and in fact, I noticed a teeny, eeny bit of that the other day after a bm - and my doc wasn't concerned about that, either.
I'm off the Miralax and stool softeners - my crs told me two weeks' ago that I needed to wean that out of my diet, and also to add more fiber - and I discussed that with him, too. --- All in all, he seems a lot more relaxed about this, than I've been. lol
Happy healing to all of us, that's for sure. I feel for anyone who's had to go through this ordeal.

Had my two week post-op visit with CRS yesterday. He said that everything looks as if it is healing normally. He also stated that my fissure had been exceptionally bad, which would account for the extreme pain I was experiencing.
Seeing just a bit of discharge on my Tucks pads these days, and bowel movements are far less painful. I have some minor discomfort in the area, and that's about it.
Looking back from where I was several weeks ago, I am so glad that I went through with the LIS.
I hope everyone is doing well today. Thanks for all the support.

Terrific Rob!
you deserve a break!
enjoy
-Tanya

Well, I'm now at the weekend, and every day just keeps getting a bit better than the one before. I'm currently waiting for my BM to come. I started getting those feelings like it's about time.
As mentioned before, I'm still trying to stick to my pre-surgical diet, and that seems to help. I do kиp my Ibuprofen around in case the need arises, but I've found no need for anything stronger.
Good luck to all my fellow sufferers.

I just noticed that I hadn't updated my diary for a few days. Well, I'd heard it, but I was skeptical, I never expected to feel as good as I do at this moment this soon after feeling so terrible in those last weeks prior to my surgery. I went through the day without even concern about rectal pain at all. Wow!
I am a realist though, and I do understand that how I feel in the days to come is very much dependent on what I do for myself today. I learned that lesson quite by accident a couple days ago, when I ate some veggies my wife had cooked on the grille. Frequently, she will mix onions, zuchinni, cut up pieces of bell pepper, and even cherrie tomatoes in a dish with a dash of oil. This is quite taste. Sometimes she likes to grille up some jalepeno peppers too, but they're usually separate and cooked whole. She was out of bell peppers, so she cut up the jalepenos. Not realizing this, I grabbed a nice forkful of veggies and had chewed maybe twice when suddenly realizing how hot my mouth is becoming. OK, I'm staying away from those for the evening. Nope, too late. The next day, I ended up having not one, but two bowel movements, the second one a bit more soft than I would have preferred, but that wasn't the problem. Rather, that was the burning sensation I experienced for the next several hours. Although a notch or so below my old spasm pain, it was quite unpleasant nonetheless.
As I said though, today has been fine, so, if it is painful going in, it will likely cause pain one the way out or beyond.
This brought me to think more about some changes that I have made, and the effect that those changes have had, both on my fissure, and on my health and well being in general. Having significantly less red meat in my diet has not been something that I've missed. Eating mostly chicken and cooked vegetables has allowed me to consume a healthy, filling diet without overeating. Today, I am seeing food more as the fuel that my body needs to run on and less as items that make me feel good. I have become a more educated consumer when it comes to what goes into my body.
I have also learned, and this is a big one, that I can maintain a healthy diet on a long term basis if I so choose.
Going forward, I do plan on staying with my daily use of Metamucil and MiraLAX until at least my first three months post-op. After that, I'm going to try cutting back on the MiraLAX to see what effect that has and will play it by ear.
I'm feeling better without all the caffeine, so that will continue.
I do realize that there will be situations that come up where I will be in a position where I cannot easily avoid eating less healthy stuff. While I may not be able to, or even always want to avoid less healthy items, this doesn't mean that I cannot limit my intake. Instead of eating two pie slices of pizza at a party, I can eat just one. I can also bring either a veggie tray or a vegetable stir fry salad as an appetizer.
I am just so glad to be sitting here without any pain in the moment. And I have to thank all of you for putting up with me when I was so down that I didn't want to continue on, and for providing me with information, advice, and encouragement along the way. I just wish that there was some way we could all meet face-to-face for a big group hug!

rasmith3530 wrote:I just noticed that I hadn't updated my diary for a few days. Well, I'd heard it, but I was skeptical, I never expected to feel as good as I do at this moment this soon after feeling so terrible in those last weeks prior to my surgery. I went through the day without even concern about rectal pain at all. Wow!
I am a realist though, and I do understand that how I feel in the days to come is very much dependent on what I do for myself today. I learned that lesson quite by accident a couple days ago, when I ate some veggies my wife had cooked on the grille. Frequently, she will mix onions, zuchinni, cut up pieces of bell pepper, and even cherrie tomatoes in a dish with a dash of oil. This is quite taste. Sometimes she likes to grille up some jalepeno peppers too, but they're usually separate and cooked whole. She was out of bell peppers, so she cut up the jalepenos. Not realizing this, I grabbed a nice forkful of veggies and had chewed maybe twice when suddenly realizing how hot my mouth is becoming. OK, I'm staying away from those for the evening. Nope, too late. The next day, I ended up having not one, but two bowel movements, the second one a bit more soft than I would have preferred, but that wasn't the problem. Rather, that was the burning sensation I experienced for the next several hours. Although a notch or so below my old spasm pain, it was quite unpleasant nonetheless.
As I said though, today has been fine, so, if it is painful going in, it will likely cause pain one the way out or beyond.
This brought me to think more about some changes that I have made, and the effect that those changes have had, both on my fissure, and on my health and well being in general. Having significantly less red meat in my diet has not been something that I've missed. Eating mostly chicken and cooked vegetables has allowed me to consume a healthy, filling diet without overeating. Today, I am seeing food more as the fuel that my body needs to run on and less as items that make me feel good. I have become a more educated consumer when it comes to what goes into my body.
I have also learned, and this is a big one, that I can maintain a healthy diet on a long term basis if I so choose.
Going forward, I do plan on staying with my daily use of Metamucil and MiraLAX until at least my first three months post-op. After that, I'm going to try cutting back on the MiraLAX to see what effect that has and will play it by ear.
I'm feeling better without all the caffeine, so that will continue.
I do realize that there will be situations that come up where I will be in a position where I cannot easily avoid eating less healthy stuff. While I may not be able to, or even always want to avoid less healthy items, this doesn't mean that I cannot limit my intake. Instead of eating two pie slices of pizza at a party, I can eat just one. I can also bring either a veggie tray or a vegetable stir fry salad as an appetizer.
I am just so glad to be sitting here without any pain in the moment. And I have to thank all of you for putting up with me when I was so down that I didn't want to continue on, and for providing me with information, advice, and encouragement along the way. I just wish that there was some way we could all meet face-to-face for a big group hug!

Glad to hear you're doing well with your recovery, Rob. --- I feel the same way you do - that food is fuel, and I don't have to eat as much as I used to, in order to feel full.
Wouldn't it be great to get together with everyone and have a group hug? I think it would.
I'm still in the healing process, along with everyone else. So, we just gotta keep at it.
Sounds like you have a good cook there in your house. :)

Rob,
Your last post was wonderful. You sound miles away from the guy who first joined this forum!!
congratulations!
I agree with you and Sweet about food being fuel, but I do think my palette has changed over the years to enjoy healthier foods. Fast food just tastes awful to me now. I am amazed that I ever liked the stuff?!
Cheers,
Tanya

Oh Tanya, I wasn't speaking of fast foods, I was speaking more along the lines of a 16oz T-Bone, cooked Medium Rare, a slab of baby backs, slow cooked all day in a smoker, a nice Prime Rib with all the fixin's. Then of course, there's the football sized Beef Buritto they serve at a local Mexican establishment, or the huge plate of Fettucinni Alfredo that a local Italian place puts together.

Ya know what, Rob? All that food should sound delicious - especially the Fettucini Alfredo (I love noodles and pasta!) . . . but what goes in, must come out! - and I really don't want my poor colon and backside to have to deal with tons of food, lol -- no matter how delicious!
I recently read about a woman who's trying to become the world's heaviest woman. She's currently over 700 lbs., I believe -- and I have to wonder how her bottom can take all of that abuse . . .? How about that woman who's had 19 children?? Gads, I would think that things might be a bit sore and shaky down below.
JMHO.