Regarding the bum washing thing Lecia, I know a couple of people who really do that, and when I visited India, it was commonplace! In most "high class" places though, they have bidets attached to every single toilet - actually almost every "Western" toilet I saw there had a bidet attached. I think people there are just more comfortable with using water over toilet paper. My gramps had the same problem & granny was telling me how important it is to wash with water (yes, they use water and their hand to clean themselves, and eew, it does seem sort of disgusting!) rather than toilet paper/even wipes. It's not thaat horrifying compared to everything we've been through. You simply put clean, warm water in a glass small clean pail/container and pour it on your behind while using your other hand to clean yourself. She was saying it's the most gentle way to clean yourself. It would take me a while to get used to, that's for sure, but I can also imagine its usefulness. As long as you have a nice antibacterial soap to use afterwards ! haha
It's funny how they have bidets AND ground toilets (if that's what they're called) in the East. Perhaps we are too advanced (or too backwards) in the West :rendeer: hehe. Actually a lot of the ground toilets in India manually flush, you usually only have to wash the 'fecal matter' down in poorer areas (from my experience).

Truthfully, getting up and squatting over a toilet is not easy and can be downright dangerous. But it is more "natural." One alternative would be to use a plastic container, like those pink and yellow hospital containers all patients get, filled with water, to squat over. It would require being cleaned every time you used it, but it would be safer...and much easier..

i would think that if we can clean our ass in the shower after a BM, it shouldn't be too icky to think you can wipe your ass after cleansing it with water the old fashioned way :-)
this is a wonderful topic.....
and yes, i would highly recommend anyone to try squatting as part of your strategy in healing, with or without surgery.
i actually squat just like mypoopyhurstme describes.
however, if you are not embarrassed and not very agile or are afraid to slip off the toilet rim, please consider getting yourself a bed pan or as an alternative, use a cat litter box and scoop your own poop after you are done!
if it's good for your cat, why not for you? hehehehehe.......
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ps....i wish i had a bidet!!!! those are wonderful!!!!!!