So the last two days, I have had 5 bowel movements each day. A few months ago, I was in the same place- back then I was using Metamucil, then Citrucel + Colace , some Miralax, some flax seed oil and eating a high fiber diet. Since the surgery last week and knowing I would be taking Vicodin and other potentially constipating things, I did decide to add to my 2 teaspoon a night Miralax regimen. So I upped the Miralax to 3-4 tsps, which is almost a full dose, have used 1 Tablespoon Citurcel each morning, 2 Colace a day and still have been eating my high fiber diet- at least 4- 5 fruits and veggies a day + high fiber oatmeal, etc... I have just not wanted to risk a hard poop and still don't want to, but the gassy feeling and that almost constant feeling of needing to go is annoying as well. So my plan tonight is to still take my increased Miralax dose, have my nightly apple before bed, and then tomorrow i think I will drop the Citrucel and still take the one Colace. Then see how things go and maybe drop the Colace the next day and see and then maybe begin dropping the Miralax down tiny bit by tiny bit. This is also of course with the reduced drugs each day (today I did take 1/2 a Vicodin this morning and some Advil as the day wore on, but probably won't take anything else- as compared with several days ago of taking maybe 5 Vicodin and a bunch of Advil on Dr's advice. So that's my plan! I am very grateful at Week One to not have had much bleeding since Day 1, to have reduced pain today- still pinch, bruised feeling at incision site, to have less pain when sitting at the skin tag/fissure site, and to feel a little better in general. I walked a bit today- about 1/4 mile, but that's better than yesterday!
Now I get to go watch TV!
Hope others are recovering well or if surgery is on the horizon are not worrying too much! It really isn't that much worse than what we've gone through with the fissure (and for some in a more active phase, I hear it is an improvement!)- I would do it again and my results are still pending! But I really feel like every day I am getting better and I know that it is normal to feel bruised and sore. Just don't expect too much, too soon!
Bambi

Hey Bambi,
You sound like you are doing so much better :)
I don't blame you for wanting to back off some of the fiber and colace to get less bm's and gas.
If it were me I would do the same. You may already be getting enough with what your eating anyway...
One thing I would do is when you make any changes, give it about 3 days before making any more. So if you stop one of the fiber supplements then give it a few days before stopping the colace. Then you be able to make a better observation of which one you should add back if needed or whatever.... Plus I'm not sure how soon the effects of the supplements, softeners take to leave our system completely?! Hope this make sense!
You are right about not expecting too much too soon! It can be slow at first, but so worth it. The skin tag removal is pretty sore for a few weeks, but it does get better:)

Hi Bambi,
Glad to hear your feeling better!
Getting the fibre/softener mix right is a bit of a challenge isn't it? I'm taking almost a full dose of Movicol/Miralax too, as I had been for a couple of months before the surgery.
For me, the surgery has changed everything in terms of regularity. For the first week or so, I was getting 5 or 6 BMs a day, but now it seems to be calming down.
I'm now having less BMs, not getting any bloating and just get a little cramping immediately before a BM. Hopefully I'll soon be able to reduce the Movicol. The surgery seems to upset the bowel patterns quite a bit. At least it did for me. Everyone here advised me not to change anything too quickly, and I think that has turned out to be good advice.
We'll get there in the end!

Yes...you'll get there! To anyone about to have surgery, or who's had it recently and feels discouraged...go find Jen's story in the old threads. She had episodes of bleeding and problems after the surgery that gradually tapered off over six months' time...until they were gone!
Stories like that set your expectations right where they should be; it's not a quick fix and it can really take some time to improve, but in the end it's bound to be worth it!

Dawn- good advice! I tend to think of making a change a day, but that is probably not really how the body works! And yesterday was the last day I had any Vicodin- just 1/2 of one in the morning. So today I did not take my morning Citrucel. So far today I've had 2 BMs and it is only 4:30. I still have that gassy, uncomfortable feeling. I did take the one Colace with breakfast. I will adjust my plan to go with the 3 days. Makes sense.
For some reason, I have been completely emotionally labile today. Really have cried a lot over "little " things. I say that in quotes because for some reason I woke up so sad that I can't talk to my dear Mother, who passed away in August 2001. It is just surprising to feel that way and yet not. She did have this surgery, of which I know only a passing comment or two, and I wish she were here to call and talk to! That led me to crying about how our dachshund didn't really get to say goodbye to his mother (that seems crazy, but I didn't make it to my Mom's before she passed and I suspect that's what that was about). Then I started laughing while hugging my hubbie because that seemed so ridiculous as I was saying it to him. My daughter came by and I told her I should have a sign that says "I am an emotional basket case" and she asked "Oh- why Mom" and I burst into tears again about my Mom. She was so sweet and said "you need to call your sister". Called my sister and told her all about it- just laughing and not crying about it. She understands completely, really. Then one of my best friends called to check on me and I curled up on the couch with Grand-dog and dog and all has been well. I just feel so exhausted today. It was the first day I went out of the house- to do some banking things with my hubbie and to go to the library to pick up a book on hold. Did others have similar emotional experiences about a week later? Is it the drugs and anesthesia leaving the body?
Basically, today has been better. Easier to sit, although I'm trying to not get carried away. My hurting with BM this morning was more of a bruised all over feeling than a specific sting in one spot, but better. And my after lunch BM was virtually painless! No bleeding. Just feel exhausted for some reason.
Bambi

hi bambi,
good evening!
just to comment on feeling like a basket case, i was like that and it got worse over week 2 - where i was having really intense mood swings from euphoria about how happy i was that i had the surgery but then a deep suicidal low because i was freaking out over my testicle and then i was just really depressed because i missed my mom too. she lives in texas and is like 79 going on 80 and she is a strong woman but she is falling apart yet keeps on going. fragile yet indestructible.
i feel guilty living here so far away and well, that's why i decided to make that trip to texas just a bit shy of my four weeks after LIS. it was so good to be home.
now i have this little "idea" inside my head that i would love to buy a home down there (like there are some 3bd/2baths/2 garage with fenced yard for under $70K!) - and i did find this cute home that i would love to buy. it is at $108K but appraised for taxes at $94K and well, i would hope that it would sell around $85K-$90K. i got my bank approval and a nicer higher limit but i don't want a big mortgage since i wouldn't probably get a high paying job down there like i have here.
anyway, going back to the subject of being on an emotional trip...i am with you. i was so outta control.
going to church that friday helped me immensely to put those suicidal thoughts to rest. and then the following week, i was so happy that God answered my prayers again.
i was wondering if it would take that long to get those drugs out of my system? i feel so much better now, mentally and emotionally.
i think you are at your 1st week of post LIS right?
so hang in there as i am not out of the clear yet but for me week 5 has been the best so far. i am excited. i do have some odd feelings down there if i sit for too long but it's not pain and not quite the zingers...just a odd nerve sensation. it's rare but i do get them.
so i am sure that in 5 weeks, you'll be at your ever evolving best.....
you definitely are sounding like you are handling things a lot better with the ups and downs. who knew there would be a little roller coaster after LIS, no?

Hey Bambi,
Oh yes, I was very emotional. I was very prone to random sobbing just as you described. I was like that for days! Crying over every little thing. From what I've heard, it's pretty normal, as is the exhaustion. I couldn't understand why when I was a whole week out from surgery, by which time all of the drugs must have surely left my system, I was just so lethargic. Things started to feel better in that respect around day 8 or 9 and I felt able to get back to work around day 10. So you will probably feel better soon. My father, who had Coronary Bypass surgery a few years ago, was warned to expect a period of 'post surgical blues' or possibly depression. Sure enough, he was extremely emotional during the first few days after surgery, but when he was sent home he became quite depressed for a few weeks. Bypass is a pretty serious surgery, but I believe it's possible with any procedure. I think the issue has been studied to some extent as well.
AF is pretty darn depressing as it is, but the pain and fear following surgery ... Especially a surgery in that area ... I think it's pretty hard to cope with.
I hope you feel better soon ... I'm sure you will!

Thank you both so much for your reply. I remembered hearing about post-surgical blues (I think in a recent Barbara Walters special about open heart surgery, actually) and yet it just caught me so off guard. The strangest thing about yesterday was that it was probably one ( actually probably THE one) of the best days I've had post- LIS. The day started with a rather bruised all over feeling with my initial BM- then I was careful to soak after that and then again around 11:30. Then we took off to do our banking. We were probably out about 1 1/2 to 2 hours , mainly sitting, but I wasn't uncomfortable in the car or the bank in the chair. After I got home and had the melt down on my daughter, I went up and had BM #2, which was essentially painless (not fearless!). Soaked again, talked to sister and friend, and then spent time on the couch. After dinner, my husband and daughter and I started watching Top Chef Las Vegas that we just bought so more couch time. At around 9, I had BM # 3 which was also basically painless and soaked again. The one thing yesterday was that I ran out of the gauze pads the surgery center sent me home with and started using the ones I bought at the store. They definitely feel not as soft and I could feel some irritation around the skin tag/fissure site. The incision site was having a quiet day for some reason.
Then this morning, I woke up at 4, peed, went back to bed with the electric blanket on. I couldn't go back to sleep so I decided to get up and go downstairs. Hadn't been down here more than about 10 minutes when I began to feel a slight need to go. Then an aching around the incision site that to me meant, ok, things are definitely trying to be on a roll. By the time I got to the bathroom, it ended up being more of a pain at the incision site like a few days ago (to me a 3-4 out of 10, as opposed to a 2-3 yesterday AM and a 0-1 the other two yesterday). And things were just as soft, maybe softer.. I have found myself thinking that I need to get up and get off the couch more, but then now I wonder if I sat too much yesterday. I know most people on here have talked about up to 2 weeks on the couch, but my Dr. was basically- hey whatever doesn't hurt is ok. Sit if it doesn't hurt too much, whatever.
That was a depressing start to the day, but I am trying to keep it in perspective. But it is a roller coaster still and I hate roller coasters! And we've all been on one for so long, we should get lifetime free membership, free entrance to all Disneyworld attractions!

excellent bambi!!!!!
i think the good thing is as long as you can mentally and physically deal with the little irritations, you will be better prepared to deal with the steps forward and back...
i don't necessarily think you had a step back but maybe other than staying on the couch more than usual, ie, sounds like you sat on your tush a lot thru the day - which is okay too because you need to get it acclimated to sitting and getting those nerves adjusting to do that - i didn't read anything in your post above about staying on top of drinking your fluids/water and fiber intake!
in any case, the great thing is that you had a wonderful day before and you have to grab that and keep it in mind that there are many more to come where it will become a daily thing!
your butt is still sorting out stuff and you are only starting week two so i would be super happy that you had a wonderful day with so much pooping in it and you felt great that it is a sign of greater things to come.
with regards to the gauzes, as much as i liked that the surgery center sent me home with lots of them, actually when i bought the 3x3 at CVS, those were indeed a lot more softer than the surgery center. LOL!!!! i was like, what an upgrade feel!
okay, let this be a healing, happy day for you. think happy, healing thoughts for your incision site and that if you could, you would hug it, kiss it, and tell it how much you love it. that you want the best in the world for that incision and you want it to heal and that you will be patient with it in healing and you ask that it heals with love and kindness and happiness.
love that you had a wonderful day!!! and today is also a brand, new wonderful day too. just made for you.

What a wonderful post, Happy! I am trying to do just that today- I like the visual of trying to hug and kiss my bottom. That would take a lot of yoga practice, wouldn't it? I hadn't thought about the nerves needing to get used to things down there. Mainly so far today, I have soaked a couple of times and played a short game of Bananagrams with my daughter before she had to go to her job today. She will be back later. Either today or tomorrow, I will probably go on an outing with her to return a cute dress her husband got her for Valentine's Day and see if they have a smaller size.
I had some older 3 by 3 Johnson and Johnson gauze and it really felt harsh to me yesterday. I had bought some smaller ones than that before the surgery and I am using on of those right now. It still feels like it may be causing some rubbing, but maybe I am just in a different healing phase as well. Things feel tighter down there around the wounds, for want of a better word. When I dropped something earlier and bent to pick it up, things felt oddly tight like the skin wasn't as flexible. So that to me seems like a time and healing thing. Thanks again for the pep talk! Hope and pray you are still doing well.
And I forgot to mention about your thinking of buying a house in Brownsville! It is amazing what you can get for your money down there isn't it? Certainly it is that way in Victoria- but also you can't make as much money. It sounds like you have really been missing your family. I wish you luck and keep you in my prayers as you sort this all out.
Bambi