Kim - LOL! When I eat in the cafeteria all the other students say, "Oh there is Jen and her fiber again". I wish I could stop being "anal" about my fiber!

Jen,
they probably never had a fissure, so cannot understand. I think our bodies change--they are not machines!! Maybe soon you can go back on your fiber supplements. I think we all worry. I have to do a search on skin tags and vaseline.
Cheryl

Cheryl -
Are you having a skin tag problem now?
Jen

Aren't we all anal!! ?
Man, what a handsome little tiger!

Jen,
I scratched down there a few days ago and irritated the area I think. I don't want to use my cream since it is not the fissure prob. I might try using some vaseline tonight. Thanks for asking! Your little guy is such a doll. No wonder you want to have more children!! Hopefully, your butt will behave as you prepare for your trip. I remember I got constipated the first day in Hawaii (pre-fissure days). Try to relax and not worry about retearing. You were so positive about the benefibre; I am sorry that you are having second thoughts about it. I am currently taking 3/4 teaspoon of it in the am. Good luck!
Cheryl

Jen sweetness - be careful please ! I would not make any drastic and sudden changes - whenever I did I payed for it . Always go slowly "up" or "down" with your supplements over 4-5 days of same thing to see how it effects your guts. Your BM is bigger now because your sphincter is looser and it can "accommodate" Hulk's BM, BUT-
outer sphincter is same as before and has hard time adjusting to big stuff now . I also sometimes wonder if anal dilation that involves BOTH damn sphincters actually would work better for people like us who have it all together tight and small . But, now we have to do what we have to do - adjust our BM to be "just right", at least for a year until our mucosa regenerates completely. That said - I think that it is good that poop is on a larger side - to stretch our stupid tight butts and keep them "accommodating", but since it is all still so raw and sensitive it should be on the softer side too !!! That is what I think and what my butt wants ! If benefiber worked well to keep it soft - than size does not matter (yeah in this instance it does not LOL) wink-wink. Anyway - buddy - I would keep it soft and playable - I do . In January I will try to use regular Metamucil instead of new love "smooth texture" and only after a year I would try to get off all of that - maybe LOL.
I would hate you to tear before your HI trip - you now , couple of weeks of keeping it still soft would not make any difference for your bum-bum , but injury can spoil your well deserved vacation !!!!
Best of luck Jen-buddy I am sure all will be fine. Be extra careful around your
periods - "DANGER ZONE"

Thanks everyone! I hope you bum feels better cheryl! i am sure that little scratch will heal up real fast.
Fissy - I have also used the smooth texture in the past and I liked it! I actually took a small amount today instead of the benefiber. How much do you take in a day?

I take one tablespoon a day - before the dinner since it is my biggest meal of a day. I actually eat 2 times a day. Brunch is some cereal and sandwich and some veggies, so enough fiber by itself. Dinner I eat some "serious" meat LOL, and veggies . I ate 2 times a day before my fissure , almost since I can remember being able to tell my Mom that I do NOT have to eat 3 times and be alive LOL. I always hated breakfast - since childhood - almost made me sick to eat that early in the morning. So , I would always have nice meal around 1 or 2 pm and than dinner at 6. In Europe it was different - people there eat the biggest meal around 3 pm and very little at night, but here I had to adjust to do it other way around . I think that that is one of the reasons that people here gain weight easy- they have big meal so late at night

I know! When I lived in Germany, everyone at early in the village and then walked every evening after dinner. Thats why they are all so fit. I am not big on breakfast either. Whenever I eat it, I get even more hungry about midmorning, and by lunch time, I was so hungry I would eat almost anything!
What does the smooth texture stuff do to your BM's? From what I remember, it made my poo nice and fluffy. After that, I started using the Benefiber because I could mix it in soup and practically anything.

That is exactly what smooth texture does for me Makes it fluffy, but it comes out formed, only after I flush it "disintegrates" LOL. When I was using Benefiber it made me go more often and poop was too soft. Not runny, but not formed at all. So I had to try something else and thought maybe smooth Metamucil was something in between and it was . At some point I will try regular one , but not yet - NO WAY JOSE !!!! I really don't mind taking Metamucil, I have small sachets in all of my handbags and mix them with water if I go to a restaurant - nobody EVER gave me any looks - from California Pizza Kitchen to fancy French restaurants and even if they did - I could care less ; )) !
Now that I see your baby "up close" , I think he has your eyes and smile too , or there is just something in general expression - I don't know LOL, but I somehow can see some resemblance : ))) !!! How is he doing : ) ??? Still playing with your sitz-bath :D ???