I am glad the dreaded BM was not as, well, dreadful as it has been. It's so unfortunate that the things that can minimize pain can also cause BM to be more difficult.

I was wondering how you would describe the discomfort of the first BM post surgery. Fissure pain is that knife in your butt level 10 pain. How would you say this pain was? Did it hurt for long after going?

Once again, thank you for your posts and I hope each day is better than the last.

Nowhere near that pain, thank goodness, but certainly wasn't pain free. More of what others have said...just discomfort. On a scale of 1-10 I would give it a 3-4. I went one more time and that one was a little more painful but still not fissure pain. Still going with Tylenol and sitz baths, which seem to be doing the trick. Unfortunately I don't think stool softners work for me. I've always been a natural girl. Miralax worked best at one point in time so if tomorrow's not softer I may make the switch. I'm just glad the first one is over, not quite as nerve wrecking anymore. Here is to staying positive or hoping that they start making trendy and cute Depends ;). Good luck on Tuesday! We can commiserate and celebrate success together soon hopefully.

Day 4- yes it's early

Needless to say I don't needing encouragement to go anymore, and the softners seem to be kicking in. I won't lie though the pain has gone up. Still not fissure pain, I would actually compare it to the pain during recovery of my episiotomy after having my daughter--dull, burning, and annoying. The good news that even after 3, yes I said 3, BMs this morning there was no sign of blood and no fissire pain. Just the discomfort one would expect after being cut open in their rear.

Still just on Tylenol but may need to throw in the towel on that today.

I will say, the sitz baths and soaking in the tub with some Epsom salt will do the trick.

Everyone's recovery is different as we all have different immune systems, pain tolerances, and digestive systems. I'm not whistling Dixie today, but do feel I'm on the right path.

Oh, and I can def tell the difference between wind and a BM coming. I'm sure that varies across the board for folks. I read somewhere that day 3-4 might be the worst for pain. Let's hope. I remember with my episiotomy they said it would get worse before better, and they were right. By week 2 I was sitting pretty. Here is to staying positive and hoping for the same results.

Apologies, last post should have said day 3 not 4. Can't blame me for wanting to rush this.

Sorry to hear that things are a little worse today, but with your great attitude, I'm sure that you'll be over the hump in no time. Good luck and I hope that the rest of today goes well and that tomorrow brings you a better day.

I found my pain to go up a bit around day 3/4 as well. I was scared to take too much percocet because of possible constipation, but I found that a half a percocet in the morning before my BM didn't cause me any problems and helped a lot. Maybe that's something you could try if needed for just a day or two?

Thanks Tigerbutt2, I did take a percocet at lunch yesterday and the pain went down significantly. I didn't need to take another one, and was pretty much pain free by bedtime. I soaked and took two Tylenol for precaution before bed. This morning I had two BMs the first one was a little hard and there was a very, I mean very, small amount of blood. However, the throbbing pain returned after that. I went one more time about 30 minutes to an hour later, which was very soft. This only made the pain more intense. I soaked and took a percocet and it's slowly starting to kick in. I called the surgeon's office, because I want to be sure this is normal… I'm still waiting for a call back. The good news is, I have had no fissure pain at all just the throbbing pain by the incision area. I had some discharge yesterday, but that even subsided by the evening.
You would think I would have developed a higher pain tolerance dealing with fissures for several years, but I'm still a big baby. I'm also a slow healer. When I shattered my ankle 11 years ago, it took forever for me to get up and running again. In looking back, when I've had cuts or wounds it usually has taken me a bit longer to heal. In addition, when you think about it, passing something through a wound every day I'm sure delays healing. I just need to stay patient and optimistic. I'm sure this is perfectly normal and that by next week I'll be ready to start life again as the new me. For me, my daughter is my inspiration. She is only 2, but has been so supportive at this young age. This morning when I went in to wake her, she said "mommy, are you feeling better" and gives me a big hug. I also have an amazing husband who has been through hell and back with this with me, but has stayed every step of the way and will continue to. I'd be lost without them.
Additionally, the forum has provided me with so much support. Reading the stories, asking questions, and gaining perspectives from others truly helps. I can only hope that my story helps others.

An update for those tuning in. The surgeon's office called back and said everything sounded normal. Unfortunately, intense pain by this day is pretty common, but I should be over the hump soon. It subsided drastically by the afternoon, and the only medication I took was the one percocet this morning. I think that's a good sign. I've done a couple of epsom salt soaks and walked around for a bit to keep circulation going. Thanks for all the support! Onward and upward.

Sounds like you're doing really well, and I hope that your hump is very short-lived.

My post-op instructions indicated that I should have 3-4 sitz baths per day, and additional ones right after any BM's. I'm sure that the frequency of the soaks improves healing time, so I'm glad to hear that you're doing that too. I actually took full baths, because I've never liked the sitz version.

I preferred full baths too. Much more relaxing :)

As for the pain, I usually peaked about 4 days in too and I believe this is because inflammation peaks in 72 hours and inflammation is very irritating to the nerves. Hopefully things will improve for you very soon. An anti-inflammatory medication like ibuprofen might be helpful. It is very helpful for me.