I had a really painful one a few years back. Possibly TMI, but depending on the day I felt like I was either passing bricks or razor blades.
Adding extra fiber (metamucil) didn't help me at all; I eventually realized it had been triggered by adding too much psylium husk to my morning smoothies.
What did help me was eating a lot of fruits and veggies (no fiber supplements!) and of course, drinking lots of water. You'll probably have to stick with the regiment your doctor gave you for several weeks longer than the moment you feel healed, as the area will remain a weak for a time and will be susceptible to rebreaking every time you have a bowel movement. As
flashfacts says, be gentle as possible and bear down as little as you can. Something that helped me was massaging my lower back during the process.
Sorry you have to go through this. Good luck!