Tanya
LIS was the last resort. My fissure was not that bad but just fed up with the retears here and there over the last 8 years. Tried the creams and Botox twice but still reoccurs. I was just fed up with this thing. CRS said it was an elective surgery for me but those in extreme pain beg for surgery and get immediate relief following LIS. For me, he said I won't noticed immediate relief but should help with long term reoccurences as the muscle is now permanently relaxed. Only time will tell.
It's a bit sore now and BMs are a tough as I don't want to push at all. BMs are super soft with Miralax but still have trouble completely emptying my bowels.

FishBoi, just stay on the Miralax for awhile - at least until you feel like you're well into the healing process and can manage without it.
I'm off the Miralax now, but I'm continuing the stool softeners, and I'm also adding more fiber, per the advice of my crs. I spoke with him about how fiber tends to bulk things up - but he said my stools should be soft, yet have a little bulk to them. Okaaaay, so I'm working on that part now.

Thanks fishboi,
That's kinda what I thought.
Have you tried using a stool to acheive more of a squat?
I haven't had a problem with fully emptying since I bought this stool called a squatty potty. It's 7" tall, for a medium height toilet and I am 5'8".
I always feel like I'm in a bad infomercial when I tell people about this stool. LOL :D
But anyways, I think it is one good thing that has come out of this fiasco for me.
Glad the healing is going well for you!
-Tanya

workingonit wrote:Thanks fishboi,
That's kinda what I thought.
Have you tried using a stool to acheive more of a squat?
I haven't had a problem with fully emptying since I bought this stool called a squatty potty. It's 7" tall, for a medium height toilet and I am 5'8".
I always feel like I'm in a bad infomercial when I tell people about this stool. LOL :D
But anyways, I think it is one good thing that has come out of this fiasco for me.
Glad the healing is going well for you!
-Tanya

woi/Tanya, even though I've already had my surgery and don't anticipate anymore problems, I hate my current toilet -- it's way too low. So, I'd love to find a better system for it. is that squatty potty something that sits on top of an existing toilet?

Hey Sweet,
Google squatty potty. The name doesn't sound like it, but it is just a stool to put your feet on. So your feet sit higher up and it puts you in more of a squat.
I like it , but my hubby won't try it. ; )
-Tanya

workingonit wrote:Hey Sweet,
Google squatty potty. The name doesn't sound like it, but it is just a stool to put your feet on. So your feet sit higher up and it puts you in more of a squat.
I like it , but my hubby won't try it. ; )
-Tanya

Thanks, Tanya - I'll see if I can find one via google. :)

This sounds quite interesting Tanya. One thing to note for those who follow Tanya's suggestion and Google "squatty potty," you will find that one of the results is "images," and it is here that you will see how common this method for evacuation is in some parts of the world, to the point that plumbing is quite different than most might be familiar with in the West.