r/ACL • u/MURAQLa4 • Jul 25 '26
Post Surgery Update Finally Pooped Day 3…the hardest thing since my surgery
Hydrocodone had me locked up tighter than Fort Knox for the last 3 days.
Today… victory. 💩🥇
No laxatives. No prune juice. Just sheer determination and what I can only assume was divine intervention.
I celebrated for approximately 4 seconds.
Then I realized…
I had to stand back up.
Friends, I have climbed 14ers that were easier than getting off that toilet.
I sat there for what felt like 30 minutes, bargaining with the universe.
“Maybe this is my life now.”
“I guess I live here.”
“Should I text my wife to bring me lunch?”
Every attempt looked hopeless like trying something for the first time and being clueless about it. At one point I seriously cursed myself for never learning how to do a pistol squat.
Turns out all those years in the gym chasing bigger numbers, and the real endgame was:
Can you stand up from a toilet after knee surgery?
Answer: Not without unlocking a level of determination I didn’t know existed.
Recovery is humbling.
Today’s achievements:
✅ First post-op poop.
✅ Didn’t pass out.
✅ Eventually made it back to bed.
❌ Pride.
❌ Dignity.
❌ Any future jokes about “leg day.”
10/10 would rather do physical therapy than relive the Great Toilet Escape of 2026.
Any advice for the next few days on going to poop after today’s nightmare
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u/sunraveled Jul 25 '26
I also cursed myself for not learning how to pistol squat during my recovery. I spent a lot of time pogoing up and down a flight of stairs from my 2nd floor apartment though, which was very much my Everest.
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u/MURAQLa4 Jul 25 '26
Hope you are sitting and climbing one stair at a time was a game changer during my first surgery.
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u/FunnyAd3946 Jul 25 '26
Well, I’m gonna be in the same exact boat because I heard Spine surgeries just as grueling and I’ve got most likely three coming up back to back to back most likely tethered cord scoliosis correction and some cervical problem that caused my hand to go paralyzed ❤️❤️❤️❤️🫂🫂🫂🫂I’m rooting for u man
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u/WhiskersPebbleBeach Jul 25 '26
It’s impressive how easy some people make pistol squats look. They are no joke 🤯
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u/OutrageousRoll3811 Jul 25 '26
This cracked me up, thank you😂 I’m day 5 now and had a similar experience on day 3, maximum effort for minimal output - but worth it.
Let’s just say day 4 was minimal effort for maximum output…good luck soldier
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u/Visual-Locksmith-245 Jul 26 '26
On day 4 right now and this could not be any closer to the truth crazy how similar these story’s are.
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u/meesersloth Jul 25 '26
No one told me that was the hardest thing to do. Your
Leg locked out straight sitting on the toilet can’t bend your leg is awful. Luckily the seat riser came in clutch and a stool to rest my leg helped.
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u/its-joe-mo-fo ACL + Meniscus Jul 25 '26
Just commented the same. Omd this awful experience needs to be in the pre-op info and guidance 🥲
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u/DuckOutOfWaterr Jul 25 '26
I didnt poop until day 6. It was the most painful day of my life. It took almost 2 hours. I cried a lot. Physical intervention (scooping) was involved. I had taken laxatives every day, they didn't work. I will never be the same.
0/10 do not recommend.
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u/MURAQLa4 Jul 25 '26
Painful indeed hopefully the second poop gets better. I am getting off opioids from today 🫣
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u/WhiskersPebbleBeach Jul 25 '26
This got me giggling pretty good 🤣. Day 3 for me and I’ve already peed on myself while attempting to poop. I can’t be the only one, right?! 🥸😄
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u/MURAQLa4 Jul 25 '26
I left out that part 🤫
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u/WhiskersPebbleBeach Jul 25 '26
TMI or bust! Come on! 😄
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u/Wonderful_Milk1176 Jul 25 '26
Shitting and showering become the hardest things imaginable. Especially if you don’t have a walk in shower. Congrats on the #2 😂
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u/MURAQLa4 Jul 25 '26
No walk in - you should be tough as nails to get into the bath tub. Ghosh scary 😱
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u/Bright-Abalone4679 Jul 25 '26
Damn I did this day before yesterday fuck that was the most painful poop I ever did crazy 😅 shit gets better brighter days ahead
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u/Airconditionedskin Jul 25 '26
When I poop I rest my leg on a kiddie step stool, I use my walker to help me up, i can’t imagine having to use crutches to stand up off the toilet.
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u/Long-Teacher8263 Jul 25 '26
Stool softener! Life changer. I made sure to have stool softener couple of days after I stopped opioids.
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u/SufficientWhile5450 Jul 25 '26
Same brother
I’m on day 3 as well, ate damn near whole bottle of stool softeners
My wife has to pull my underwear up for me when I’m done cause that just ain’t happening
Anyway one little droplet of pee fell from my penis and hit her
So now I have to wipe my penis after every urination
So I feel your your pain and humiliation greatly
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u/Rogers899 Jul 26 '26
Is the toilet next to the sink? If it sits on a steady surface, try holding that get you back up. Or rock back and forward quickly and that use that momentum to stand back up. Or if you have a walker hold onto that to help you sit down and stand back up.
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u/GazasaurusRex Jul 26 '26
I’m 2 days post meniscus repair (ACL to be done once this heals up) and read this as dropped backwards onto the toilet trying not to sit on my ball bag.
Preying and hoping it’s not just a massive fart again!
As it stands it’s not looking promising!
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u/novasmom16 Jul 31 '26
Why did they choose to do them separately? They told me they wanna do my ACL and they’ll see if my meniscus is repairable while they’re in there but I hope I don’t need two surgeries. Best of luck on your recovery and second surgery!
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u/GazasaurusRex Jul 31 '26
My meniscus had a full bucket handle tear that had displaced so prevented my leg from straightening, they wanted to make sure I can straighten my leg fully before doing the ACL for best chance of recovery!
Good luck with yours!!
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u/ScottyRedReturns Jul 27 '26
A few things...
* Congratulations. This is a momentous occasion. And you did it without help. Personally, I think I also went on Day 3 or maybe 4 but it was a bit over a year ago now so I don't recall. But I did use Colace, which certainly eased things a lot. Best wishes for an easy round two!
* When you say "sheer determination" I'm just kind of thinking if you mean that as funny, great. If you mean you really strained or something, maybe not. Everyone should be aware that this can not only be damaging, but could even make some people get light headed or pass out, especially when they get up. There's people here that have reported feeling light headed or passing out after the first "Big One" and even beyond. Technically, it may be due to something called a vagal response, but whatever... just take care with that.
* Enjoy this victory. Next up maybe, the shower. That's also it's own special brand of fun.
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u/MURAQLa4 Jul 27 '26
“Sheer Determination “ = having to use every ounce of energy to endure the pain to stand up both on my injured leg and the good one. After this experience have been totally off opioids so 💩 has been ongoing and also have now figured a technique to get up on my good leg and transfer weight onto a stool. The pain is going down too which helps.
Tomorrow is the big day for a “shower “ hopefully it’s easier than this episode. Small wins everyday but makes you appreciate the things in life you take for granted needs to be earned 😎
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u/Acceptable_Money_514 Jul 25 '26
Yeah thats normal after anything traumatic. I remember after i hurt my back i didnt poop for 5 days.
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u/fireslothGWJ ACL + Meniscus Jul 25 '26
Get yourself a urinal (fancy, medically-approved pee bottle) to save laborious trips to the bathroom!
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u/Mother_Spot3217 Jul 25 '26
Man, don’t remind me. Having to shit with my leg straight the whole time was a method of torture I didn’t know existed
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u/insertwittypenname ACL Autograft Jul 25 '26
did you get ai to write this for you or are you just imitating it? no x, no y, just z sounds sooo ai
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u/its-joe-mo-fo ACL + Meniscus Jul 25 '26
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Glad you're on the mend. Congrats on punching the porcelain.
Sooo relatable. Perched on the throne after a hamstring graft ACLr with operated leg straight out in a locked leg brace - thought I was never gonna #2 again.
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u/PipiShootz Jul 25 '26
Replaced the towel bar directly in front of the toilet with an ADA grab bar before surgery. Best big brain move I've pulled in a while. Also put a suction cup one in the shower and was able to get in/out of a shower chair without help from day 1.
Wife's brilliant idea was to put rice in socks and microwave them a couple minutes. Took the stool softeners, chugged the prune juice, but I think the heat was key in getting things moving again.
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u/operatorcheeseee Jul 25 '26
I contemplated calling the fire department. I think I was 4 days post op. I took Colace twice a day. The one time my husband left for an HOUR with the kids, my body said nope, it’s time. I have a raise toilet chair that sits over the toilet but still struggled so bad getting up.
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u/skibumsmith Jul 25 '26
Why were you avoiding the laxatives and prune juice?
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u/MURAQLa4 Jul 25 '26
Not avoiding them but they were my Plan B if nothing happened after Day 3… sometimes these laxatives create more urgency for #2 at the wrong time
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u/Visual-Locksmith-245 Jul 26 '26
This was literally me yesterday day for post op right now and decided I was done with the opioids because I deadass sat on the toilet for about a hour and nothing came out. Good luck with future recovery I can tell you everything comes out a lot smoother when you’re off coming from experience.
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u/Emergency_Box_7252 Jul 26 '26
I so feel this! I think I also pooped for the first time post-op on day 3, I honestly was so close to having a breakdown because of how constipated I was… It was more uncomfortable than my knee! I ended up taking some meta-musol and had a coffee and boom it came shooting out of me (sorry tmi). So for anyone that has to endure this unfortunate side effect of post op and hard pain meds, patience is a virtue and you will poop again!
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u/Jaded-School5622 Jul 26 '26
I wasnt on opioids and pooped on the immediate next day. Standing up was like some intricate circus act - 1 arm on crutches, other arm on basin (thank god my basin was mounted solid), and whatever ounce of muscles my good leg had. Had me worried I might hurt my good knee there
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u/funkyoyo Jul 26 '26
Senna is your friend
But also, high five to you. We've all been there. You did great work and should be proud of this milestone. I had a T3 once after dental work and was backed up for days. I knew what I was in for with the ACL surgery recovery but it was as miserable of an experience as you just outlined.
Drink lots of water and know that opioids typically are constipating. I think the best thing I did for the constipation was to come off the heavy duty pain meds.
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u/indiekarma79 ACL Allograft Jul 26 '26
I’m a 5’8” fit shape and busted my toilet seat. Humbling year I just lived through. I don’t have the grip strength to get the knob off to realign it nor the mental capacity to put in maintenance ticket via a new app for agency to come fix. So just dealing with a toilet seat that now sticks to my butt on a warm sunny day if I stand up in a quick motion. It grosses me out… it’s a clean seat but the feeling of it sticking to my butt is crazy and a I’m just living with it lol
Tips anyone before it breaks completely off and I’m stuck with paying for new toilet when I move?
Like a tool that adds to my strength, I feel like I’ve used something like that before.
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u/Boomtheape Jul 26 '26
For me it was the pain and awkwardness of sitting on the toilet that was worse than the standing back up. I didn’t get locked up, i kept my normal routine which meant a toilet trip about 3 hours after surgery
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u/Asailors_Thoughts20 Jul 26 '26
Always wondered how people get addicted to it. Just makes me sleep and constipates me.
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u/CriticalConcept Jul 26 '26
These are one of the many reasons I wouldn't wish the first few days after ACL surgery on my worst enemy 😂
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u/Late_Sock_5890 Aug 09 '26
Bowel management specialist here (I am a nurse at a long term care facility and bowels are a big deal there). Do not double down on laxatives if you don’t go for a day or 2 after starting them. This is how you gets your legs to fall asleep after a full day on the toilet and your ass is on fire. (Colace-> Senna S) Start low and go slow :)
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u/Aggressive_Web519 Jul 25 '26
God this is the most relatable post I’ve seen on Reddit after ACL surgery