Dear TweedleDee:
Thanks for your words of encouragement. I'm not very computer savvy, so I'm embarrassed to admit how long it took me to figure out how to reply to your lovely message. Maybe I should be Tweedledum.

That's a great intro for asking you about a taboo topic which has made me increasingly more uncomfortable over the past 36 hours. Since your other recommendations seemed so dead on, I wondered about your thoughts on the best way to deal with constipation. (Back to the Tweedle thing, my mother used to refer to our BM's as "DeeDums.")

The medicine I got for constipation is pretty nasty--a thick liquid--Diocto. I nearly gag when I take it, and the aftertaste is horrible for hours. The last thing I want to do is rupture my stitches with a lot of dry heaving. Many men are filled with false pride, and I'm no different. An enema seems so embarrassing, but I'm coming to grips with the idea that it's better to deal with temporary embarrassment than to deal with significant health risks. I've decided to take laps around the inside of the house (snow outside), having tried every stool softener I could get my hands on over the past 3 1/2 to the maximum dosage.

Oh wise TweedleDee, do you have any advice for me?

Thanks again.

Let the journey begin. Rest, sip water often and don't sit too long without a short stroll.
Protein is important, but you want to stay hydrated. In a few days as your swelling goes down you will find it gets easier to address both H2O and protein. Remember to send out messages to find out how others have made it through the different challenges of our new lives. And welcome to a great club of people who chose to live a better and fuller life.. It's worth it.