Hey chibilink,
Interesting about the antibiotics...
Is it for the fissure?
NMFAM,
MoM is milk of magnesia. It makes your stools softer/looser. It's also used for heartburn.
It's not the same as a magnesium supplement.
http://ibs.about.com/od/constipation/a/magnesium.htm
http://chealth.canoe.ca/drug_info_details.asp?brand_name_id=5396&rot=4
-Tanya

chib, I'm glad you're making some great strides forward. It's crazy how much more I appreciate every second of life since having this annoying fissure. Days in the past that I felt stressed, tired, or unhappy now seem insignificant compared to having to deal with this fissure. I have a wedding this June to goto, I hope I will have everything healed by then but it worries me slightly since I will have to watch what I eat. I can recall the one I went to last year where I ate and drank whatever I wanted without a care in the world. lol

Hey Tanya,
When the CRS took a look on Monday of last week, he said thought the fissure looked like it was still healing but that the internal hemorrhoids where very badly inflamed and it was possible they could of been affected which is probably why I was in so much pain 24/7 and not just during bowel movements. Since I have finished taking the antibiotics, I have seen just about a 98% improvement in my condition (knock on wood it stays this way). Not only do I now have virtual no pain while passing a VM, but i have no pain AT ALL after the BM passes. I no longer have that knife stabbing spasming pain that would make going through the rest of the work day feel like hell. The other thing that has developed from this, is regular BM's that have the consistency of toothpaste and require no effort or strain at all. I have switched to miralax since this past wednesday and haven't skipped a beat in terms of regularity or consistency. I'm REALLY hoping I can keep this up for my fissure to fully heal. EVERY once in a while i feel a little pain down there if i sit to long, or sit on a super soft couch. But if i stand up or adjust myself properly the pain goes away and its not an issue anymore. I don't know how much of an impact the antibiotics had, but my CRS is an absolute genius because I thought for sure after going to the ER that surgery was my only option.

chibilink,
That's so great that you are almost all better!
Don't stop what you are doing too soon though. IMO. I would go with your diet/program for at least a couple more weeks after you feel all better.
-Tanya

Chibilink,
Glad to hear your condition is improving. After going through pure hell for several months with my second AF, I went with my CRS' recommendation and had LIS surgery. It has been almost three weeks now and I am feeling so much better.
One tip for you. When I am out and can't get to a tub after having a BM, I carry a package of Preparation H towelettes. I clean up as best I can with toilet paper, then finish up with the wipes. They contain Witch Hazel and Aloe Vera, two substances that sore bums seem to like.
Good luck to you!
Rob

Tanya,
Thanks for the encouragement! I plan on doing this for a couple more months at least. Once I have complete soreness free for a few weeks, I'll try to ease off the miralax, but maintain a high fiber diet.
Rob,
Congrats on your road to recovery. I always use the prep H wipes :). I haven't used regular toilet paper for a few months. The couple of times I had to use regular toilet paper, cleaning off after BMs were really uncomfortable. I'll probably be using these wipes for a while.
Chibi

I have a follow up appointment with my CRS this morning at 9:45am. It will be interesting to see how things go. I am still passing BM's pain free and am not having the painful spasming afterwards. I did however switch back to dulcolax as the miralax started making my bowels get out of control and messing up my consistency.

I will be wishing the best for you Chibilink. Take care.

So just to follow up, I went to my appointment today and my CRS said he saw that the internal hemorrhoid swelling has gone way down, and that the fissure is continuing to heal very well. He told me to spend the next 2 months sticking to the same plan that i'm doing now and visit with him again at the end of it. Because i've read so much of this board, I know how easy it is to re-tear or take a step back. Heck, a bout of food poisoning sent me to the ER with this mess. I do plan however to make this into a long term lifestyle change, I feel like I have my life back, but i'm VERY conscious of how fast it can fall apart. Thanks for all the encouragement, information and support to this forums. I'm very excited about the road ahead!
Chibi

Chibi, so glad to hear that you had such a positive follow up. Like yourself, I also plan to keep with my new, healthier diet as a change in lifestyle. One positive thing to come out of this, for me at least, is to look at food in a whole new light. I would much rather maintain a healthier diet than have a replay of the past few months!
Take care and continue healing well.