by Hopeful1 » 19 May 2016, 06:22
Caf1988,
I'm sorry your recovery is proving so awful.
From what I've read elsewhere, your sphincter will *never* completely regain its previous strength. But after about a year, it will have regained some or most of its tone.
Your 'incontinence' issues, although problematic, may be being caused by the stool softeners that you're presumably still taking this soon after surgery. I had LIS on 17th March and I'm still on them. Getting the balance right is difficult. Until you return to a normal diet without softeners - which I wouldn't advise until you've *completely* healed - your urgency issues may very well continue.
Personally, I seem to have incontinence to gas, but not poo. Luckily I've not had to properly hold one in so I don't actually know how things would turn out in that situation...
I don't think you are "retearing" as such, but it's probably irritating your fissure that is still in the process of healing. I'm going through the same thing. I'm going for a shit 3 times a day and it's doing my head in. Before surgery I was a once-a-day man. Although my poo is soft each time, 3 times a day is too often and is irritating my fissure too much. This morning, for example, was annoying painful afterwards. It feels like one step forward two steps back some days. But overall, I know I'm healing. It's been just over 2 months.
These fissures take bloody ages to heal. And I'm like you. Some days it just feels like it's NEVER going to heal. But we have to remain positive and not dwell on the negative aspects and how long we'll be going through this. It's stressful and upsetting, but we will get through this.
Just remain hopeful that your urgency issues will go after you're off the softeners.
I hope I'm helping in some way.
Haemorrhoids: for about 8 years - lived with it
Rubber Band Ligation: Spring 2015
Anal Skin Tag Removal: Summer 2015 (missed sentinel pile)
Fissure diagnosed: Aug/Sep 2015
GTN unsuccessful
LIS: 17 March 2016