I just found out that I should be able to access all of the lectures online if I miss my classes, so hopefully I shouldn't have to worry about sitting in a hard chair yet!
I forgot to ask before, is there any trick to when I should take the miralax, or just a night on an empty stomach?

Jtb, I'm happy about your success story - good for you and kudos for dealing with this AND law school at the same time..YIKES!
As for the Miralax, I just take a full capful (more if I din't eat as "well" that particular day) with tea every night around 9 PM..seems to do the trick for me.

OUCH!!!!!
This miralax does NOT seem to be working for me. Took a full capful last night and it seemed like I was trying to pass a brick wall. One really hard push got it out but left me with a bright red toilet and bad pain. Not fissure pain, but a sore/pressure/owww type of pain.
I can't do this again, I had a strong urge to go when I woke up, used Vaseline this morning (lidocaine really doesn't do much for me) and not fun. I think I'm going to take 3Tbs of mineral oil tonight, because it just isn't sliding out like I need. Shouldnt it be easier to pass stools with the LIS? Id rather have diarrhea than this!! Then it wouldn't kill me all over again every morning!!

Called the dr office this morning and spoke to one of the nurses. She said I may have caused some damage to work he did but that should be ok. Also wants me on a liquid diet today with lots of apple juice and soup so I will be doing that. This really sucks, and I hope I didn't cause too much harm to the area.

Oh jbt, I'm so sorry you are struggling with the BMs! That's not only painful, it is also seriously anxiety-inducing (I know ... I had two large, hard BMs that were a struggle to pass just after my surgery). I think the good news is that even if you did do a bit of damage, it will heal up quick because the sphincter is looser. I'm feeling much better even though I passed a few bricks. How long have you been on the Maralax? It can take a few days to start working, so if you decide to try it again, you might want to overlap it with mineral oil or whatever else you are using that works for you. How's your diet? Do you have some meals planned for after your liquid meals today? Are you getting lots of insoluable fiber (especially leafy greens)?
I really hope you are feeling better and may you have only perfect poops from now on!

Last night was my second time taking the miralax. My diet has been good IMO, you can see a sample diet in my previous posts, and yes ive been eating cantaloupe and lettuce/salad.
At this point I'm tempted to stick to a liquid diet for several days bc this pain is not good and doesn't feel right for almost a week post-op (compared to pain a few days ago)
I think today is prob the most painful and lasting pain I've had in my recovery. :( .
I'll continue to update and thanks for the responses and helpful tips. It truly helps knowing I can vent/talk to others who know exactly what I'm going through (versus the mom, who is very supportive though).

This is a great place to vent - you should see some of my rants!
I'm really sorry you are in pain. It is really frustrating trying to create the perfect BMs. A liquid diet might be just what you need. If it helps, I find cooked spinach moves my bowels very effectively.
I know how this can get you down. We expect the pain to gradually improve each day; but, a number of boardies have insisted that the recovery process is up and down and a few wise folks have advised that we measure our progress week to week and not day by day. I was a bit bummed out a few days ago because the pain was worse then it was the days before. It really does sometimes feel like it's two steps forward, one step back. I think you're doing everything right ... try not to get discouraged (easier said than done, I know!). There will be days where it feels like you are going backward, but you will gain that ground back quickly!
Definitely keep us posted - I hope your pain goes away very soon!

Thanks HTH, you've been great. I just woke up from a nap and the pain seems to have drastically reduced from this morning. I took a percocet before the nap, so hopefully I'll be ok since I'm all liquid today.
I know that I need to be very patient with my recovery. I really can project out a month and know that I'll be feeling much better by then, and hopefully back to my happy and pain free self soon!

I'm so glad you're feeling a bit better. Naps are really wonderful. I try to take as many as I can!
It is difficult to be patient during recovery - but you're doing a great job. I have no doubt you'll be happy and pain-free soon. :D

Sorry that you are having a hard time with your post LIS BMs. I hope that it gets better for you really soon.
As for discharge, I am almost 4 weeks post LIS and I still have a bit of spotting of bright blood here and there. I think it's mainly after a 1# and that irritates my behind. The others are right that it takes a lot of patience, rest and TLC for your bum to heal. Time and rest are key! I am still taking it easy, even though my CRS said I could resume the really active activity 3 weeks post surgery.
I have been using the inflatable butt cushion -- a lifesaver after this surgery, especially in the car and at work. It's embarrassing by itself but I keep it (and sit on it) in one of those hip looking nylon re-usable bags. People don't really know what it is in the bag and don't question that I'm sitting on it or carrying it around.