Yes, as msimon said, the hose is to avoid wiping. There's no way I would have been able to touch that area for the first two days or so and then a few days after that it was still tender and I was afraid of hurting the incision by wiping. The other problem I had was that I swell very very easily (from even little injuries; I just have sensitive skin), and I was really too swollen to wipe anyways, so the shower helped me feel cleaner. You might want to ask your doctor for his/her recommendation on which is better for you, if you've had burning with water in the past. And to answer your other question, my first BM was a little painful, but not bad at all, and different than the fissure pain (and short-lived). I'm now two weeks out and my BMs have been, dare I say, beautiful?? The last few days every time I go, I'm like
I can't believe how easy it is now!