Thanks to HappyAss and Dawn and others I may not remember right now in my addled state for support and advice. I took just one Vicodin and the 3 Advil around 9 last night and then fell asleep. I woke up around 3:30 to pee and didn't really hurt so I didn't take anything. If I could go back, I would have! When I woke up a while ago around 8 I had my first true BM and "ow!" . It didn't hurt where the fissure used to be or where the skin tag was removed, but on the other side. I'm assuming that is where the incision inside on the muscle is? I did 1 Tb citrucel and the 2 Colace during the day and double my usual dose of Miralax. It was formed (about a nickel in circumference) and soft but I had to push it ever so slightly to get it to come out and it felt like my body was trying to clench on it because of the pain. Dawn, is this the spasms? I do have some valium around from the past.
Happy, your advice I read this morning was perfectly timed as I was feeling like ok, day 3, I don't need to be on pain meds so much. But after looking for the first time and seeing the bruised battle zone of my butt and the feeling that I still have some unfinished business up there with pooping, I am going to at least take 1 Vicodin and the Advil. So at least the first 3-4 days you would recommend the pain meds? I think I will up my Miralax tonight to a full dose to insure a soft, easy poop tomorrow and if I wake in the night again I'm going to take it as a sign to dose up for the morning poop! At least I did go though. That is good news. And I have this feeling it will get better and better now. I am fully on board now with giving myself some slack and allowing myself to just relax and get better the next few days and try not to allow the pain to get started. Because then my fear kicks in and my anxiety and that doesn't help! Thanks again for the help and advice. Off to eat breakfast and take my meds!
Bambi

And am I remembering correctly that Day 3 was not easy for several people?
Bambi

Hi Bambi - I can't offer much advice along LIS lines, but a nurse friend of mine says that it's important to stay on top of pain. If they say to take something every 6 hours, then take it at 5 hours and 50 minutes. As you found out, it's hard to control once it gets its foot in the door. Have it right by your bedside (or wherever, just immediately handy so that you don't delay).
And then of course, to be careful with any constipating effect from any drug (like valium, I think, but am not cerain...).
Really hope that you will move into some smoother waters soon. It seems you are well on your way! :)

hi bambi,
welcome to day 3!!!!! you are 1/2 way through your first week! how exciting.
well, now that you have had your official big BM, congratulations. when i had my first BM post-LIS, it was like on day 3 and i squatted. i didn't feel anything except maybe at the site of the LIS inside and i think the inside of the involuntary sphincter muscle.
it was good.
**
regarding your pain management, i don't want to encourage or discourage you because everyone is different.
i know what is hard is to find that right balance between constipation and taking pills! it's so hard because the longer we are on the pills, the longer we prolong the constipation.
i think i did continue the vicodin for the first entire week. i continued doing the acetomenaphine as i got off the vicodin off and on during week number 2.
on day 5 or 6, i had a sneaky quick BM that just flew out of my bum! and that one scared me the most. it wasn't firm and it wasn't hard but for whatever reason, it just like spread my cheeks with force unexpectedly as i was completely relaxed and well, i had soreness for the next 6-10 hours. that one scared me! LOL.
i have had 2 more sneaky BMs (they have averaged like every 8-9 days) like those but the post-soreness and discomfort have not been at that level! thank Goodness. these are the ones that actually disturb my "skin tag"less site.
**
definitely take your vicodin every 6 hours or like bumbutt said every 5 hours 50 minutes!
do you know what strength your vicodin is?
now that you had your first big BM, a few more and you'll have this licked good!

Best wishes with your recovery, Bambi. Sounds like you are doing well!

Hey Bambi,
Congrats on taking the plunge. I think I can reassure you a little about the pain after BMs. I had spasm-like, pretty intense pain after BM around the incision site during the first days after my surgery. I asked the dr. about it and she said it was very unusual, so I worried about it . It was definitely on the incision side and not the fissure side. Anyway the pain was bad only for 10 minutes or so after every BM and hot baths definitely helped for immediate pain relief. By two weeks or so out this problem disappeared. Since then (about 2 months ago) I've been mostly good --have had a couple of episodes of mild to moderate fissure-like pain, possibly from not getting enough fiber and fluids--but for the most part I feel healed. Happy recovery!

hi mr fissure!
can you believe it that it has been 2 months from your LIS?
i am glad you are feeling healed and good! keep up your fiber and fluids!
happy

Hey Bambi,
I think it could be some spasms but it could be that everything is swollen.
I say take the valium :) Even a 1/2 of one before bm's did wonders for me. It really helped me relax. I think mine were 5 mgs. I can go look and I will change the post if there different than that.... Take care....baths and relax!

A late congrats on your Lis Bambi!!!!!
I just want to add from about day 2 to 10, the bm situation was out of wack. I think our butts dont know what the **** is going on lol. I remember sometimes i use to get up at 3am thinking i need to go but just a false alarm then 1hr late i did. I think i spent my at least half of every day thinking i need to go of that first 10 days.
But after that thinks got back to normal.
Another thing that i just remembered i had a electric heat pad that i use to put on low just before i went to sleep for a few days just warm enough to relax to get to sleep. I dont know if thats a no no but it really helped me.
I also took me phone to the loo and played games to get my mined off the job and relax lol Angry Birds to be exact bahahaha
Hope you heal fast

Wow- Just had a huge BM! At first, it was one of those situations where it didn't really want to come out- not really hard but slightly clay-like and it just felt like I had to push. And I didn't want to push! And it really hurt on what I now think of as the incision side, but also on the other side where the skin tag used to be. I tried leaning to one side or the other and then I tried reading for a while and that didn't seem to help. Eventually, I tried the squatting thing (which I never in my life would have expected to do) but it worked! Wholly cow! I just kept going and going and going and it didn't really hurt then. I really couldn't believe that I had that much stuff in me! There was a tiny amount of blood with the first few little turds that were on the drier side but none on the tp or at the end of things. I was scared to death! It reminded me very much of the situation that started this whole thing, but with a much different outcome. Sorry to be so graphic, but I know others have experienced similar things. It actually was pretty soft at the end, but I think I will do a little more Miralax tonight before bed just to avoid that initial "it won't come out unless I push" thing.
Good grief- New Mum, I can see what you mean, too. It's like my body is going through a whole new experience. My husband was very happy for me.
And my drug situation was pretty perfect, because I decided to go ahead and take everything (including some Valium Dawn) about an hour before and then watched TV a while. I could feel something coming on and was trying to wait a while. I think I was in a good situation with the pain meds and relaxed more because of the Valium. I felt so much better after- I haven't realized how much I've had that feeling of constantly needing to go but not being able to. Just got out of the bath and will try and get two more of those in before bed. The days really are flying by! Wow- it will be 36 hours at 9 tomorrow morning and technically I have had 3 BMs so far. I feel very lucky at this point!