Hie all
I had my surgery last week friday and im in pain, the doctor said he didnt remove the fissure just that he cut up my sphincter i guess thats the LIS surgery. I was discharged yesterday from hospital but thing is im still in pain, i dont think its fissure pain but surgery pain well at least i hope so. I thought it wouldnt be painful and i would basically feel nothing but im still so scared to go to the loo. also my stool was a bit hard on sunday and monday , very painful to pass but im taking lots of water and i was given lactulose as a stool softener and im havin sitz baths as well. ive got questions though, how can i heal faster. And to those who have had surgery did u get stitches because i have stitches and when i go for my bm's every morning its very painful, im so scared im gna push so hard, the stitches will come apart, i just need post surgery support and advise right now

Hi Michelle - I'm so sorry you are in pain. :( Unfortunately, the first week or so is a bit rough. That's why keeping the stools soft is so important. If they sell Movicol in South Africa, you might try that. It really helps keep the stools soft. The surgery doesn't actually remove the fissure (you can't really remove a cut); instead, they cut the sphincter muscle so that it will loosen and stop spasming. That creates the environment that enables the fissure to heal. It will take about 6-8 weeks for the fissure to heal. Meanwhile, warm baths really help. Don't be afraid to take pain meds, either, even though they can constipate. As long as you take stool softeners and drink lots of water, the pain meds won't constipate you. It's also a good idea to take it very easy and stay off your bum as much as possible for the first two weeks after surgery.
I didn't have stitches, but others have, so maybe they can chime in. Try to remember to take deep yoga breaths while you are having a BM so that you are not straining.
Don't be afraid - the pain will not last forever. Things will get better soon and you'll be happy to have all this behind you.

Hi Michelle,
Did you get pain meds? Stay ahead of the pain with you meds and as Hope already said, no pushing, just deep breaths when having a bm. Hope has already mentioned this but I'm going to second her- Miralax/Movicol is the best stool softener and will help out with the BM's and pain meds.
Hang in there! It will get better soon:)

Hey you two and Val, Know where I am coming for advice when I get my long awaited LIS... Angels in disguise!!
I cannot thank you all enough! I for one, owe you big time xx Thank you isn't even enough! We have Charlies Angels for real x ....Val, Dawn B, Hope all you need now is Charlie Dawn, he better look like Magnum ;-) hee hee ....

We will be here for you Andrea
Magnum

Hi Michelle,
I had stitches with my first surgery when they removed a tag. I found the stitches quite painful - when they dissolve or get taken out you will feel a lot more comfortable.
Yes, it's very important not to strain - the stitches are resilient, but you have to be a little careful.
Lactulose is something that not a lot of us like very much - so I will say the same as Hope and Dawn - give movicol a try! It could make a huge difference.
And yes, hang in there, it sure will get better!
Can't wait until you get your LIS Andrea! You need to get out of pain and get your life back!

Thanx girls!! Only another 2 weeks to wait to see CRS. That will be one to watch lol..
Cannot wait for my LIS! Bring it on :D

It'll go brilliantly, Andrea! You're going into it with a great attitude and that's a good part of the battle right there! :D

Hi Michelle- So glad to hear that you already have the surgery part behind you. It is very normal to have pain at the surgery site . I second what others have said about the Movicol and the water and taking it easy if you can. And taking the pain medication too! My CRS Dr suggested using an ice pack for 20 minutes or so to relieve pain as well and that helped me. A bag of frozen peas wrapped in a hand towel works well. It helped me as I began to hurt less and needed the pain medications less. But the first few days my Dr had me taking narcotics and Ibuprofen several times a day. Things are bruised down there and it takes a while for that to heal. I hope you have some help and a chance to take it easy. Try not to worry and as someone wise on here told me (I think Dawn or HappyAss)- take things a week at a time rather than a day at a time. One thing that helped distract me when having a BM was singing softly to myself. I also read somewhere that opening your mouth wide can help relax the area- I'm not sure that's really true, but deep breaths and distracting yourself are good. I also still routinely pray on the toilet every day and find it helps me. The idea is to try to relax and not get too stressed out or tensed up.
How are your studies going? Were your professors understanding?
Bambi