Hi,
I had my knee surgery on Monday, and I haven't passed a stool since that morning before I went to the hospital. I was on percacet but that made me vomit up everything I would try to eat, so now I am on tramacet. I have been taking stool softeners and benefiber three times a day (I started the stool softeners several days before the surgery) and eating lightly, (fruits and vegetables supplemented with tofu and kefir.) I am afraid for when I will need to pass a stool because my whole leg is in an immobilizer and all bandaged up inside, it is hard to find a way to perch on the toilet even for urinating. Yesterday I eased off on the pain killers but that has made the swelling really bad around my ankle and thigh (I can't really see my knee as it is all bandaged) so I am taking just one tramacet when I need it to spell the over-the-counter Aleve that I am taking otherwise. I am sure the constipation is from the painkillers (and perhaps the anesthesia still?). Plus, I haven't been eating all that much since my appetite is low and I'm just lying in bed instead of being active. I haven't been constipated before, is all this time going to make the stool much harder to pass? Is there anything I can do to get my bowels moving? Any tips for how to make passing it not horrible? I haven't been using the nitropaste because I haven't figured out how to maneuver myself to apply it without causing severe pain in my knee. Any ideas would be super helpful.
Thanks,
Susie

Could you try taking some Mirlax or MOM??

Prune juice did the trick for me when I was post-op. It was a bit forceful but got the stool moving.

I did Miralax, three times a day after my surgery and it got things moving!

I have a new recipe I read in a pamphlet here to try when I get home for helping constipation. It would be a nice alternative to Miralax in the evenings. We can have a new goal--to wipe constipation away over this earth! (kind of like a virus or bacterial infection)

Have you passed anything yet? Try some MOM if you have not. Also, if it has been 5 days, have an enema ready incase your impacted. However, with that being said, usually if I go for a few days without a BM, and I keep up with my fissure diet & benefiber, things are still soft when they come out. I hope everything is ok!

Hi,
Here is an update, thanks for all your ideas and positive thoughts, I cut back on the pain meds and yesterday morning I passed a stool, even though it had been three days, it was still soft. Today I have gone twice, the second quite loose. Maybe I should cut back on the benefiber and stool softeners? I usually go twice a day without any aids, but I do want to keep things soft.
I haven't had any blood but some relatively minor fissure pain during and shortly after passing, which I think is worsened by the weird way I have to sit on the toilet and the horrible awkwardness of trying to clean myself afterward. Fortunately it hasn't lingered as I still haven't been able to put in nitro because of not being able to move my leg at all. I can't soak at all either until the stitches come out, hopefully next week. Putting the heating pad under my bum seems to help for the meantime. I am going to the Orthopedic surgeon on Tuesday.
Thanks again!!
Susie

Could you have someone put in the nitro for you (parent or SO)?????

The nitro could also be applied while you are lying on your back, if you can do it that way!

It does not have to be applied inside - if you can wipe your butt - you can reach your butt to smear some nitro with your finger . Just make sure you clean it as much as possible with baby wet wipes or Balneol cream applied on the toilet paper.
Yes - if you have a parent or significant other to help - don't be shy to ask !!!!