what to do about painful stools?!

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Perhaps your pain medication is causing constipation? I help to run a site for Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and people often email about IBS-C (constipation) with very similar problems to yours.

Have you tried Metumicil?

http://www.ibs-life.com/metamucil.html

I would advise drinking a lot of water, as that naturally softens stools, and pushes fecal matter through.
I think this might be a combination of your operation, and obviously being inactive for a little while, and pain medication, which sometimes does cause constipation. If you can, eat fruit, something like dried or tinned prunes is good. If you are desperate you could try something like Ex-Lax, which from what I remember goes through you like a dose of salts. (Epsom salts, also an old remedy for constipation). Try to eat fiber, such as fruits or vegetables when you can, and keep drinking water. Your bowels need to get moving again, and periods of inactivity, (which you just cannot help at the moment) or pain-killers can make them very sluggish. I hope you get better soon.

http://www.ibs-life.com/treatment-for-ib…