I'm happy you are feeling better! Increasing your fluid intake in your situation was obviously a good move.

Many people add fiber to their diet when they begin to feel somewhat constipated, but that is frequently the opposite of what they should be doing. Fiber in our diet helps to prevent constipation, but once you are already constipated, fiber can make it worse.

As you become constipated, the stool in your lower bowel tends to dry out and harden, effectively blocking the exit of new waste matter as it enters the colon from the small intestine. The additional volume supplied by fiber thus becomes trapped behind the hardend stool in the sigmoid and rectum, obviously a very uncomfortable situation.

So the message is that fiber is good as a maintenance and preventive strategy, but if you become constipated for whatever reason, I recommend turning to the enema bag sooner rather than later. The sooner you relieve the constipation the easier it will be, and then you can concentrate on prevention for the future.

Best wishes, Valerie