Congratulations, Rusty! I'm so glad everything went well. :D

I second everything Val said - definitely stay on top of the pain, so take a pill before the butt-numbing wears off. And definitely take the stool softeners. Don't be afraid to eat. If you start off with soft food, you will be fine. I had scrambled eggs and brown toast for my first post-op meal. Soups are also good. The first BM will be scary, but just remember to take deep yoga breaths and relax - it won't be nearly as bad as you expect it to be. Get lots of rest too, as Val said. The baths will really help with the healing. I'm not sure about the dressing because I didn't have any, but as long as you keep the area clean, you'll be in good shape. The first week can be a bit rough, but by the second week you should be feeling better, with maybe the odd day or few hours of some pain/discomfort. Don't let that throw you - recovery is up and down. By the third week, you should be feeling closer to normal. My surgeon said healing takes a month or more. I was feeling almost completely normal by a month out, but it'll still take a while for everything to heal completely. You are on the road to healing now! Way to go!

Thanks hopetoheal and Val, it's nice to be able to talk to people who have actually gone through the process.
I have a few more questions if anyone would care to answer.
1) How many stool softeners should I take per day?
2) Do you have any food recommendations? (Also, when can I start eating real food, like meat?)
3) How many baths should I take per day?
4) Do you think I will be able to return to my desk 9-5 desk job on Tuesday?
5) I have had some gas and I can't really seem control it or hold it in, is that normal?

Hi Rusty - this forum really is great for getting people together to help each other out! I'll try to be helpful with your questions :D

1) Unfortunately, your first question is not one I'm able to be very helpful with! I use Miralax/Movicol, which comes in a powder, so I modify the dosage to suit what I need. I'd say take the full dose that is safe while you are on painkillers because they constipate. Some folks resort to Milk of Magnesia if they don't have a good, soft BM by the second day.
2) As I mentioned, I found soups and scambled eggs very good for the first few days. About three days out I started having oatmeal with blueberries for breakfast, soup for lunch, and veggies on brown rice for dinner. Any dish with lots of vegetables would be good. You just want to avoid constipating food that is hard to digest, like pasta, white rice, bread (especially white bread), and red meat. Unfortunately, it is a good idea to avoid red meat for a while :( But you should see how your BMs go. It's also a good idea to steam your veggies so they are soft. There are lots of great fissure-friend meal ideas in the "diet tips" forum, which would be very good for recoverying from fistula surgery.
3) I take 3 to 4 baths a day, and definitely have a bath after every BM. Just be careful to make sure you dry off down there very well. A dry environment is best for healing (some folks even use a hairdryer set to 'cool' to get the job done). Also, you don't want to develop a yeast/fungal infection in the butt and, er, private area :)
4) It all depends on how you are doing, but I wouldn't plan on returning to work that soon. Maybe Tuesday of the following week would be better. It's best to stay off your butt for as long as you can and take good care of yourself with bathing and resting to ensure that your recovery will go smoothly.
5) Yeah, butt surgery can make it difficult to control gas for a little while. That's pretty common, but it should go away soon.
I hope that helps! I also hope you're getting good rest and that you are doing well.

Hi Rusty,
Sorry to hear about this. I wish you luck on Tuesday. I hope whatever is decided for treatment, it is the right choice.

your intro post mentions 22 y/o, me being 22 can relate to the fact that why u mentioned it. the first thing that comes to mind if something like this happens is "wait a minute iam just 22 this can't happen to me" , nd suddenly one is occupied with all the fears. Thoughts like "will i be able to live an normal life or not", and how early i could get over it
Relax i happened to me and it happens to almost every one in their early twenties. The world will not end and you will get back to normal life.You just need to keep two thing in mind, TWO IMPORTANT THINGS and you will be alright
1) Never prolong anything, things tends to get worse with time it's better to take an expert surgeons opinion early on
2)IF u decide to have any medical procedure make sure the surgeons specializes in it and has a humungous experience in performing that procedure

nd be positive becuz this happened to us at this early age we came to know a lot about good diet and lifestyle otherwise we would have never cared to find out thus saving us form many other disorders of middle life.

Well I am feeling better, but I still have some bleeding. How long until I'm 100%? It has been 8 days, I have an appointment on the 29th. I had a large bowel movement today that made me bleed, I feel like I moved backwards. Should I continue the baths and strict diet?

Rusty,
you need to continue the baths and good diet for months to come weather you heal conservatively or with surgery. I went a whole month before LIS with no blood, so that shows you how cruel fissure are, Lol.
Good luck with your appointment the 29th.

Thanks for the advice everyone. Would anyone recommend sitting on a heating pad every now and then? It can be a hassle to taken all these baths and I just figure that the heat will help heal in the same way the baths do. Thoughts?

The heat pad, or hot water bottle sure does help the pain and spasms, but it's not really a replacement for the baths. They not only promote blood flow and help the pain, but as you're trying to heal a really unsterile area, frequent baths will help keep it clean and prevent infection.

I worked up enough courage today to take a look down there in front of a mirror. I noticed a lump... and I can sort of feel it after my large bowel movement. Is this another fistula? I am very worried and I thought I was on my way to recovery until today. Has anyone had the same experience?