So, I have made it to day 4 and I must say today is a better day!!! The swelling has gone down considerably, but is still present, but at least I don't feel like I have a corn cob up there.. Still some stinging after BM's, I am sure my fissure is still open and know it will take a while to heal, especially after being stretched by the clamp on Monday, but a quick rinse with the shower wand and a soak in the tub take care of it. Bruising still ever so present, but fading. BM's are soft and pain free and no blood not even after surgery. The only thing I am having problems with is I am going like 4 or 5 times in the morning 10-30 minutes apart. It would be nice if I could get it down to 2x. I increased my Miralax to 1 cap twice a day on Tuesday b/c I had no BM that day. Yesterday, I decreased to 1/2 cap in the afternoon and 3/4 cap at bedtime. I was only doing 1 cap at night before surgery. I am a little nervous to decrease it too much cause I don't want any hard BM's!! If any LIS vets out there can help me with this, it would be greatly appreciated, I think going so often is just keeping things a little tender. I feel like I can probably do a little around the house today... nothing major, maybe a load of towels since I am using them like crazy with all the soaks.. I am going to hate to see my electric bill Energy level is picking up I sent my husband to work today, figured I can manage by myself today. He has been a saint, gone above and beyond the definition of husband. All I can say is laying around with a sore butt is no party, and all you have to do to keep it clean, but I was miserable with pain and spasms for 3 yrs on/off the last 8 months being constant and miserable and by far the worst, but the soreness gets less and less everyday and soon this will be a memory, fissure pain and spasms are always there and you just never know day to day how you are going to feel, at least with surgery you know the next day will be a little better than the previous day!! Is LIS worth it, HELL yeah!!! I would do it again in a heartbeat I only wish I did it 2 years ago, but live and learn. You don't have to suffer forever, I hope this helps anyone considering surgery.
Sue

Yay, Sue!! You are doing REALLY well! Way to go! :D
I've had a few surgeries in my day and I can say that butt surgery is a different beast altogether. With every other surgery I've had, the healing goes forward in a steady progression of improvement. With butt surgery, there are many more ups and downs - it's quite frustrating! The trick is not to let the less comfortable days throw you (easier said than done, I know!). You can expect to have some odd sensations and some periods of discomfort. The natural reaction to that is "Yikes! I'm moving backward!" - but that's not necessarily the case. It takes quite a while for the tissue to settle down in such a delicate area, so don't be too alarmed if a less comfortable day follows a really good day.
The multiple poops are also pretty common, since we have to take more stool softeners. I also think that our digestive systems get upset with us when our butts hurt (that's my experience at least). Many poops can keep things a bit tender, but that will settle down as your digestive system calms down and as you ease off on the stool softeners too. When my stools were getting too loose, I took 1/2 cap of Miralax in the morning and another 1/2 cap of Miralax in the evening ... then I gradually decreased the evening dosage, depending on how the BMs went that day. Don't worry - you'll find a the right dosage, and that will get easier when you system settles too.
If I may nag a wee bit: Don't push yourself too hard! You're still delicate. Do only light work and rest or at least an hour between each light task that you do. I'm a high-energy person too, so I know how hard it is to stay still! But remember, rest, and especially sleep, are really important for healing.
I'm so glad you are doing so well! :D

Thank you so much Hope!!! Don't worry, I am not doing very much at all. Like I said, I did a load of towels, took a shower, and fixed my lunch. The rest of the time I spend laying down, I am not a napper so I figure even though I am not sleeping, I am resting, and I am sleeping very well at night. I have had a few surgeries too and yes butt surgery is a different beast!! Thanks for the info on the miralax dose, I am going to try that today, funny...I am not a bathtub girl but boy have I learned to love it!!! When this is all said and done....I may get a hot tub...LOL never knew a nice warm soak was so comforting!!! Thanks again for responding Hope!!

Awesome Sue! Just don't overdo anything sweetie..

Hey Sue,
Great to hear you are doing so well. I did a little laundry post-op too , but like you I laid around the rest of the day... It does get boring no doubt, but just think how much time you put into that darn fissure before surgery. A couple of weeks of continuing your rest will be a small price to pay! I'm sure you agree :)
I had to cut my Miralax a few weeks post op. Once I really started eating well (more than a toddler), I started having just a couple more bm's than I wanted a day, Lol.
Hope's advice is spot on IMO. Just cut it back slowly and always give it a few days before making anymore changes...
Just think you have almost made it through what is considered to be the worst week and have done it very well!:)

Hey Dawn, I was wondering where you were!!! I have missed you, but I know you have a life too!!! You have just helped me so much, I want to share my good experience with you!! Had a little bit of a rough day yesterday, if you look at my day 3 post, I won't bore you with the details,,LOL. Anyway, I am eating like a champ, still lots of high fiber foods, water, the usual and will for the rest of my life, but my hubby made some peanut butter cookies and I ate 4, damn they were good. As much Miralax as I have in my system, don't think they will hurt at all. I totally agree with you, I am not going to jump into anything too soon, gonna enjoy the lazy time, cause soon enough I will be back to the rat race!! I only had to take 400mg of Advil 2 times today. I feel, I am doing very well considering it is only day 4 I just don't want to jinx myself, I kind of have post op anxiety. Lots of weird feelings, but I know it is part of the healing, but NO spasms not one!!! Life is getting good!!

Hey Sue,
It will definitely take more time to get past the anxiety than it will for your fissure to heal. I have just came to a point (at 15 months post-op) where I set down to have a bm and am not thinking about a fissure. It will take awhile to overcome the fears ... :oops: I know this sounds crazy but some of us have actually discussed if we have a little PTS after dealing with the stupid thing for so long?!!
There may be days things are just a little sore or irritated and it will take a little while for things to get strong and feel as if it all never happened ,but it is all manageable and nothing like before the surgery!! There will be some random out of nowhere odd sensations (enough to freak you out) that will end in the blink of an eye. I've read where some of the others discussed it being nerves reconnecting/ meshing back together, etc. I'm not really sure what it is really ,but many of us experienced all the weird stuff and are healed!! As I was once told by another boardie- just roll with the flow and take it as it comes! Lol!
Your recovery sounds very much like mine was though. I knew at 3 days post-op I did the right thing! Even with all the swelling and bruising! Lol!
I couldn't even pass gas before surgery without pain and I was ecstatic when it would escape post-op. I seriously felt like pooping in my pants would be great compared to living with the fissure! Don't get me wrong that's not something I wanted and I thank God I'm not but the pain was horrible. I basically lost a year of my life and was finally seeing improvements. I like you can't believe I waited so long! I guess we live and learn...
Oh the Chocolate chip cookies... Yummy! I imagine they were delicious after all the suffering and sacrifices you have made. I woke up in the middle of the night at two weeks post-op, Sue and I think I counted about 15 wrappers the next morning of Reeses peanut butter cups!! :oops: I was half asleep, hadn't ate anything sweet in months and just said the he** with it!! LOL
Thank the Lord, it all came out just fine. Miralax is fantastic! I only wish I would have listened to all the other boardies before I had my surgery and made the switch when I was suffering with my fissure before surgery. It may have saved me a lot of pain... That's the thing about fissures though, we are in so much pain that the fear of things getting worse keeps us from doing things that will make them better- like surgery, Lol.
I am so freaking Happy for you! I can't wait to hear from you at two weeks post-op with things going as well as they are for you right now. You've done great, you've stayed calm and realized there's going to be some swelling and bruising when they operate on your butt- just like any other place on our body! I just think you have been so realistic with your healing and that makes all the difference. Enjoy not having those darn spasms!! Isn't sleep great after those are gone?!! I think that was the most enjoyable thing to me after surgery. It's so crazy how the simple things we take for granted mean so much when they are taken away.
Take care and keep posting! I know you are helping so many others who are on the fence and I do check in often and always check to see how you are even if I'm a little late posting, LOL :) Hope gives excellent advice too. You are in good hands when she gives advice!