What was the best thing that helped you cope Kim? Didn't you suffer a really long time before surgery? I know you healed fairly rapidly (well mostly) after surgery.
Val-Jen-Corsi-Cheryl-Tabby--thanks again for giving me advice and sharing your stories. As you can tell I am feeling sappy today :)

I really find that hard to answer. I never took anything for pain, I guess the stool softeners and hot baths helped me most but I really don't think I coped very well... I was a pretty miserable person to be around when things were at there worst, Tracey. My family seemed to understand and tolerated me pretty well, that helped a lot! It was merciful that I healed quickly after the surgery, but I had a rough recovery for the first three or four days and even had a few moments where I wished I didn't have it.
Having AF is like being locked in a torture dungeon!

LOL!!! I know. I am thankful at least I am not there again. Those first days for me too were just hell. That was the only time baths helped and I literally stayed in them constantly the first days after LIS. I was in about constant pain the first month or so but it diminished a few hours a day after that (even just a few hours gave me my sanity back).
It's very rough on our families too...made me feel guilty for being a bear too, and I felt like no one could really understand what's its like to feel pain so much and then on top of it be scared to eat!

I remember how my fissure was usually (usually!) mainly a problem just during the AM hours and I had few if any spasms during the afternoon, evening. That was such a mental relief as well as physical.
Then there were days when it burned all day long and I felt so trapped....!!

I know. I had a major snafu this weekend and am scared. I ate some tortilla (well a lot) chips and thought I would just take extra magnesium...and forgot to take it at all. Plus I am near that time of the month and that causes constipation sometimes. Anyway, I had a very dry, large BM that I had to strain a little to get out (no choice) and felt myself hurting a lot. I am thinking about taking a stool softener everyday for awhile. Which one and how often did you take yours Kim?

oops! Gotta watch those slip-ups, Tracey!
Hey, I wasn't suggesting you start back on the Mexican so soon!
But I understand, I had some chips and salsa myself yesterday...it can be a real craving...uummmm!
I took dulcolace sodium, the liquid as a stool softener but it doesn't seem to be very popular with other boardies here. The gelcaps weren't as effective as the
liquid.
I'm sure if it is a setback it is a minor one. The intensity and duration of the pain you experienced should be your guide, how would you rate that?

Mexican is my favorite!!!! I thought the chips would be ok.....:(
I hope it is. I think though I may get the liquid softener to make sure for awhile. Is it sold in the same place as the gel caps? I agree-the gel caps never worked that well for me, which is why I stopped.
The pain is not intense, but is constant and burned a lot last night...