Hello all. I'm new to the board and for now just want to express my thanks for the board and all the information it contains. I had LIS 6 days ago and will post a longer message of my experience thus far. I found this board the day after my surgery and have found the conversations to be very helpful. So, Thanks!

Hello Rosa,
welcome to the forum, and congratulations on your recent surgery!
Glad you found us and that you have found helpful info!

Hi Rosa,
Welcome---- I am on day 6 of my LIS as well. Hope you are doing well. This board has been extremely helpful to me also.

Rosa !
Soo glad your on the road to recovery now!! Get some extra TLC from ur family and now ur virtual friends here too! Get ur feet up! Are you taking stool softners and pain relief etc..???

Wow, thanks so much for the warm welcome everyone. Toby, thanks, we have something in common, the day we were given a chance at a normal life again. I am doing ok at the moment although the recovery process is a slower one than i would prefer. How are you doing at this point? Andrea, I do have my feet up for most of the day. I am really trying to be careful to do things in my power for healing. I have been taking Miralax since the day of surgery. It does work but I seem to be at that point of watery stools which have gotten irritating to the incision so I cut back to half dose tonight. I'm scared to cut it out completely even for one day as I fear hard stool more than anything I can think of. As for pain relief, at this point I'm taking only Advil. I took very little of the Vicodin prescribed to me after surgery because of my fear of constipation. I do not recommend going without pain meds as there was at least one day and night, the day after surgery that was extremely painful. I should have been smarter about handling the pain but never having taken Miralax before, i wasn't sure it would do the job enough to keep my BM soft. Live and learn, i guess.

As long as ur taking Miralax the Vicodin won't constipate you. It is much stronger than Advil so if the pain gets too bad, try it? I agree about not stopping the stool softner! I hope you have a better day tomorrow and thereafter... :) Try the Vaseline on ur o before ur bm too. It eases out better and acts as a barrier cream too. Hope this helps some??

Yes we have a lot in common. I seem to be doing ok. I was having a lot of difficulty/pain with BM's following my surgery. I didnt think twice in taking my pain meds. I did start taking stool softeners following surgery but they didnt seem to be helping so I am now taking miralax and it appears to be helping greatly. I was taking percoset but starting yesterday I basically stopped taking meds and now taking some Ibuprohen to help with the discomfort. I am watching what I am eating and drinking lots of water and I hope I can keep this under control but let me just say having a BM is still not the most pleasant thing now days. My other problem is I just cant sit at all. I am still extremely sore and fills like I may still have a little swelling. Are you having this problem as well since we are on the same timeline? I am up walking, slowly I might add, but I am walking :) but I basically have to lay on my stomach. Curious to know if you are having the same problem.

Toby, Yes I am still having the same issues. I cannot sit yet and don't wasn't to push things so I basically lay on my right side all the time because i feel pain on the left side where the incision is. I too am walking slowly and gingerly. The most I've done since the surgery is a couple loads of laundry but never lifting anything of any substantial weight. One night i stood long enough in the kitchen to cook a simple meal. Other than that, I am babying the booty, to quote another member's post. I believe it really is a slow process and a bothersome one but necessary. I was able to take 2 weeks off work. I have a desk job and the thought of sitting any time soon does not appeal to me.

Toby, hope you are having a better day today. How is it going?

Hi Rosa - Each day is a little better. I did go for a brief ride in the car today. Was a bit uncomfortable but I finally got situated and it wasnt so bad. (If you could have only seen how I had to sit in the car...LOL) I think I may have overdone it though so now I am babying my backside the rest of the afternoon. But I do have to say....THANK GOD FOR MIRALAX. That is the best stuff. It has sure helped me on the bathroom end of things. Still sore but I think it gets better each day.
How about you? How are things going? Are you feeling any better today?