Hey Jas - everyone here knows exactly what you're going through! The anxiety butt problems cause is just amazing. My doc gave me anti-depression and anti-anxiety meds! If you can get some, you should really try it - they do help. I only had to take them for a few months and now I'm drug free, but I really needed them for a while there! Oddly enough, they actually also helped my BMs. Well, maybe that's not so odd, since there is a pretty intimate relationship between hormones and digestion,

It really sounds to me like you are doing very well. I know it doesn't really feel like it just yet, but you had a procedure that involves basically creating a fresh wound so that the fissure can heal properly - and that does take a bit longer than the standard 6-8 weeks to heal. There have been boardies here who had fissurectomies and they did need more time to heal than folks who got just the LIS. The sphincter may tighten a bit over time, but it shouldn't tighten so much that it causes pain. Also, it's not unusual to feel tighter after a large BM - even people with "normal" butts get that feeling after a large stool (I've been talking to my hubby and family members about their BMs, so I know!).
Perhaps you can ask your doc about getting some valium - a few boardies got that to help with anxiety and sphinter spasms. Maybe that will help you over this last hump. I'm sure that once your doc tells you that you are doing fine, your BMs will settle down. If you're like me, anxiety really throws the digestion out of whack. Please try not to worry! And let us know what your doc says. :)

Jas wrote:Thanks Dawn for your encouraging words and support. I am trying to think positive but it is very difficult.Does anyone know or heard of a person on here that became tight again after having LIS. I have been feeling tighter when I have a larger BM. It has been this way since my surgery. I am starting to freak out like there is something wrong. I keep having the urge to go to the bathroom again. Like a nervous stomach. I don't think I can feel better until my doctor gives me an update. Geez I need to be medicated or something I can't believe I am writing all this.

I am not sure about other boardies feeling tighter... One thing that is very common ( since you had two fissurectomies and LIS comes to mind) is spasms when alot of work is done there. You may still have some tightening going on cause the butt kinda can goes into a temporary shock after surgery. I think Paulspain said had post op spasms and Im not sure who else told me they lasted a couple of months. I had them post-op but got the valium right away and they stopped and I healed. That may be the whole problem and is not unusual. I say ask the CRS for some. Maybe they can call it in. If you are like I was, you want need them long. I think I made a two week prescription last a month cause I really didn't need them very long and cut them in half for awhile just to ease my nerves before a bm. Just had the fissure fear and that helped.

ps... I hope that all made sense, I have to pick up my kid,Lol.

Thank you Dawn and Hopetoheal. I am going to trying and drink more water and eat fissure friendly foods for the next couple days. I drink water but maybe not enough. I also don't eat fissure friendly foods all the time. I try but have to eat what is for dinner and lunch. My wife get mad when I eat like a bird or vegetarian. I was under the belief that metamucil would soften my stool enough that I could eat most things. I must be wrong and need to give myself more time before having regular diet like most people. I also stopped miralax after my second week. My doctor said to not take it all the time because my stool will become to soft and that could have a negative effect on healing properly. So that is when I started taking more metamucil. A stool softener may help me feel better down there. I will let you know how my dr visit goes.

Jas the CRS told me to just take the fiber supplements too, but I went out on my own and took the Miralax. Yeah, you need to keep the core diet a fissure friendly one for a long time. You can sneak things in here and there but the main diet needs to be veggies, fruit and avoid things that make harder bm's for a few months. I know it sucks and I feel for you. You really don't have to eat like a bird though, you can eat plenty of the safe foods. It's so hard to make other people understand how important this is who haven't had a fissure. I have been eating out at the same restaurant for over a year ( when I eat out) and I know it gets annoying to the rest of the family but oh well, I'M going to take care of myself no matter what cause I'm the one who has to be in pain.
As you said already- plenty of water. I drink tea and diet drinks but I drink enough water that they don't effect my bm's.
You'll get there. It just takes some time.
Take care.

Thank you. ? For you what some good ways to get protien in your diet. I cut down on red meat and have lost about 10 pounds in the past 3 months. I still want to eat but not lose weight. Are there any meat alternatives?

There's tons of foods with protein that are still fissure safe= chicken,fish, peanut butter (will make you fat fast- I'm living proof)
Here's a website that may help you. There's a lot of info on the net, just avoid anything sharp that doesn't digest well. For me, that's any kind of nuts, taco shells, pop corn.
http://www.livestrong.com/healthy-eating-guide/
There's even protein in cereal.

For me it kinda worked against me getting all very very healthy. I know that sounds stupid, but my gut wasn't used to all the changes i.e only water, loads of fruit, fibre gel yuk, no red meat, less & I mean less food (for fear of it coming out) etc...I have found that movicol/miralax is helping me immensely. And, I have relaxed alot near back to normal, about what I eat? I do feel like my butt is a time bomb now, but as long as what comes out is soft its bearable. It is not the fix though. I do need botox ha!? and LIS as I know my o is not normal? When I was a child I suffered with constipation. In adult hood, I always said laughing when I was prescribed enemas etc : aint nothing can go up as nothing can come out without a major fuss so s.d that for a game of bingo lol... And, then I got enrolled in fissureville classes ...thank God they exist here!!

Well I went to appointment today. My Dr said everything looks healed and my rectal tone was good and not to tight. He did say that the area is new again and can be irritated by a hard BM. He wants me to use metamucil daily and miralax as needed. He said it did not look like I had a retear but was just irritated. He also said I should not retear after surgery but to be careful because of the area being weaker for awhile. I am trying to make since of that. I feel kind of helpless like I will be walking on egg shells with my rear for some time until it regains it pre fissure strength. I guess I need to just be more positive and realize it will take time. I am so afraid to retear that I am always anxious when I go #2. he did say that a person does not want to keep retearing because more scar tissue would reform and another fissurectomy would be needed. He also said if a peron has a retear that it will heal in a couple days and not be as severe due to the LIS.

Congratulations Jas!!!!

That's really great news! I think you should give yourself permission to feel good about things now. Everyone here completely understands your worries - it takes a really long time to feel comfortable with the ole butt, but it can happen. (I'm working on making friends with mine again too.) It will take a while, like maybe even a year, from what I've read on this forum, for the butt to completely heal, but in the meantime, if you look after yourself as you should, then you will be happy with your butt again and enjoy a good BM. Your doc's right, too, that even if you do retear, it'll heal much more quickly because you had an LIS. I had a retear when I got my fistulotomy I was ready to freak out, but another boardie told me not to worry, it will heal - and it did pretty quick. YIPPPEEEE FOR YOU!!! WAY TO GO :D :D