Hi all-
I still haven't had a BM today so I'm not entirely sure how things are going down there. I talked to the Dr. this morning and he does want me to continue using the Nifedipine (I knew he said that but the nurse at the surgery center insisted that it wasn't written down- so I allowed myself not to think about it for a day or so- I didn't particularly want to touch myself down there anyway!). But today after two different baths, I did put some on and it didn't really hurt. Of course I was super careful!
Continuing to take Advil, Vicodin and some Valium today and really just have hung out on the couch reading the paper, watching TV. It is getting easier to let myself relax! The hubbie is great help and company. The wind here must be gusting to around 60-70 mph at times today- so typical of the front range of Colorado sometimes. I hate windy days and they tend to make me restless, but not today!Just glad to be inside...
At this point, I feel it is really too early for me to weigh in with any profound wisdom or advice for anyone and yet if someone told me tomorrow that I'd have to do this again, I would really be ok with that. It hurts, there's no doubt about that, but if it means this will finally get better, which I think it will, then it is 1000% worth it!! And after my CRS reported how tight I was and now that I know for sure that the fissure was still not really healed after all this time, I would do it again in a heartbeat! It was just so tormenting that I wasn't sure if it was getting better finally without it. I think my CRS was surprised as well that I was so tight after all this time, the creams, two Botox treatments, etc....
So that is my two cents worth so far! And I was a complete basket case last week!
Bambi

hi bambi,
don't worry if you don't have BMs every day.
i would be happy with an every other day pattern if it can stay that way.
some days, i do have them once per day and then for some reason (possibly something i ate or something emotional), i skip a day.
when i skip two days, i am not happy! LOL!
sometimes it is weird, one day you have the easiest poo come out and then the next day, clay poo! ugh. or when you skip a day, the poo is surprisingly soft and then the next day, clay poo.
at least i haven't had any of the freaky dried-tipped poos!
let's not go there....

Good for you for relaxing. I think your body knows when you need to relax and recover and for some reason the restlessness disappears then. So, try to "enjoy" - watch some TV and let your hubby take care of you! That's what I do! And then when it's his turn, I do the same. I bet you have done this too!
Sounds like you are doing well, and it's good you felt mentally ready for this. Take care!

So far so good today. I got up around 6 and thought I should eat something so I could take a Vicodin since I could feel it aching around the skin tag site. Right now I am really more afraid of pain than anything. Afraid to not take something and then have it hurt like crazy when I go. I actually think there is something to that with me as I tend to over-react and get all anxious, although that is a pretty normal reaction! Anyway- planned to just take 1 Vicodin and 2 Advil after breakfast + the 5 mg Valium (thanks Dawn!). Decided to make coffee even though I'm not drinking very much of it while my water was heating up for oatmeal. I don't know what the heck I did but the coffee leaked out all over the counter and the floor- under the bread, etc....- yuck! I cleaned that all up and by that time I had been standing a while and the pressure feeling was getting more intense and I started to hurt more on the skin tag site. So I ended up taking 2 Vicodin. I think that was overkill- for the first time this morning around 10 or so I felt slightly nauseous. But it passed after a while. So my goal for later is to maybe just take one more Vicodin around dinner if I hurt at all. The bruising looks better down there!
My husband has been wonderful and he keeps encouraging me to keep myself pain free and reminding me of what I would be saying to him. He is a bladder cancer survivor and had probably 4 (we can't even really remember, I think it was more) different surgeries where they removed small tumors or concerning areas through his urethra (yikes! i can hear all the men reacting!). For the past 8 to 9 years, his checkups have been good and he has only had to go in once a year. This last September there was an area they biopsied and it ended up ok but now they want to go back to every 6 months, so he has his recheck in March. I pray to God that all is well then! But he keeps reminding me that I took good care of him too and I hope I was as caring.

You and your hubby both sound like very caring people. I hope your pain will soon be over and that your recovery is an easy one.

yes, i did say 'yikes' in my mind bambi when you mentioned ur hubby had to have bladder surgery via his urethra!!! OMG. i hope he didn't feel a thing and was completely under. i hope he didn't have to stay catherized post-surgeries.
it's like when i was reading about how they take out your "balls" (well for men) via an incision in your abdomen or right above your pubic area and i was like - huh? how do they push all that stuff up there? how do they pull the ball out? ugh.....makes me nervous! i always thought they would go in through the sack even though that is scary too because the sack is elastic and changes size and well, i can't imagine having stitches on skin like that!
i will pray for your hubby's visit in march as well as your healing.
both of you are so brave. brighter days are ahead!

yes, i did say 'yikes' in my mind bambi when you mentioned ur hubby had to have bladder surgery via his urethra!!! OMG. i hope he didn't feel a thing and was completely under. i hope he didn't have to stay catherized post-surgeries.
it's like when i was reading about how they take out your "balls" (well for men) via an incision in your abdomen or right above your pubic area and i was like - huh? how do they push all that stuff up there? how do they pull the ball out? ugh.....makes me nervous! i always thought they would go in through the sack even though that is scary too because the sack is elastic and changes size and well, i can't imagine having stitches on skin like that!
i will pray for your hubby's visit in march as well as your healing.
both of you are so brave. brighter days are ahead!

Thank you again for your prayers. I don't feel very brave- I had a really painful BM about 90 minutes ago that made me second guess the decision to reduce the pain killers today! It is definitely pain that must be at the incision site. I actually don't seem to hurt where the fissure or skin tag was other than when I have the gauze up there and am walking around, then the skin tag area feels irritated. Someone remind me that it is probably unreasonable to expect that I would not be sore and hurt at the surgery site.
My husband is the brave one. And unfortunately he did have to be catheritized post surgery and in this day and age, it was day surgery. So he came home with the catheter in which neither of us was prepared for. It started to really bother him and we called the Dr. who said the reason for leaving it in was to keep him from having bladder spasms. But that if he really wanted it to come out, he could give me directions of how to do it over the phone (I couldn't believe it!- although he did say we could meet over at the ER but that it would take a while). So I followed the Dr's instructions , but in the end it involved my husband then pulling it out himself (can you believe this!?). Afterwards he was very very sorry because then he did have spasms of the bladder which were unbelievably painful. So lately I've said to him- Would I rather have what I have or what you went through and the answer is I'd rather have the anal fissure. Not that either is a good choice!
So I'm off to soak some more. I took some meds and have had frozen peas on my behind. Feeling better but I don't feel as positive about everything as before. I know I'm being unreasonable in my expectations though. Just wanted those flowers and rainbows to be the only thing coming forth from my bottom- no pain, no blood, no more problems of any kind ever again for anyone!

Butt pain stinks, but hopefully, you will start to feel better with each ensuing day!!

Stay positive Bambi! You are going to heal :)
You have a lot on you right now. Try to relax as much as you can and take care of yourself. You are fresh from the surgery and it's not going to happen over night but it's going to heal!!
Praying for you and your husband. God Bless.
ps... I used some frozen veggies too:)