I had a bad fissure at the beginning of the year. I had a sphincterotomy in late March, but never achieved full healing. The surgeon said it was healing, but I was still getting occasional soreness and blood on the stool. In Sept. they did a colonoscopy and found a had a case of Proctitis. They gave me Canasa suppositories and a referral to a Gastro. This Gastro basically did nothing but tell me to keep doing the suppositories. Well, since then I've had two times where things have gotten pretty bad. I have terrible pain when I go, and often I don't actually go very much, but my whole lower body tenses up to the point that my legs and buttocks are sore for a while after. Recently, there's been a great deal of blood.

I was seeing mild improvement around Thanksgiving and thought things were getting better. But then I saw another Gastro for a 2nd opinion. His assistant did a digital exam and sincwe then its been very bloody and painful.

I am tired of the rectal surgeon pushing me off onto a Gastro, and I'm tired of the Gastro telling me they think it's another fissure, only to have the surgeon say it's not. Mind you, the Gastro will not address a fissure - you need a surgeon for that. I've been through a year of complete Hell over this, and have contemplated some terrible solutions.

Can anyone tell me who they would see if they were in my shoes - the Gastro or the surgeon? Again, I think it's another fissure. Also, I can't use the suppositories they gave me because it's oo painful to insert them right now. I really think I'm entitled to some answers by some doctor. A human has to have BMs, and it's not humane to know how much I am in pain and nobody wants to do anything.

Also, do you guys think it's appropriate for me to refuse another digital exam unless they sedate me? The last couple times I had one I yelled so loud that people in the waiting rom heard me.

on the 7 of this month i had three hem removed,lateral sym,fissuremontery,
i was bleeding everyday four days ago i had to have emergency repair because one of my stitches came apart and i was hemmorging,its been a nightmare,all i can tell you is that i had one of the best colorectal surgen
tell me that bleeding and pain from these operation can take a long time
to go away,it depends on the amount and damage and repair was needed,
i had three different thing done and he told me it will take a long time to heal
and expect bads days for a while.my stools are soft and i do not strain but
i bleed and have pain its all cut up down there and you use it every day its
a hard place to heal. if you had a symomentery like to said , maybe the fissure was not repair i had a flap put over mine, or it could be scar tissue
on it that was not removed. find another colorectal doctor for another
opinion .stick with broth and veg soups and shakes with fruit and yoga rt or
protien shakes,and take olive oil . you must have free flowing bm no mater
if you bleed , if not it gets worst.

if i were you, i would go back to the surgeon. i just had a sphincterotomy myself on december 13th, almost 2 weeks ago. things are going great right now. basically no pain and i haven't seen any blood since the day after the surgery. i hope it stays this good and i don't end up getting another one down the road. are you taking fiber supplements? i would encourage that, to keep you regular... it's not good to not be going very much. i go everyday. since i've had the surgery, i've been doing sitz baths everyday... i don't wanna be too graphic or sounds gross... but a nurse that was helping me at the hospital suggested going to the bathroom while doing the sitz bath helps a whole lot... and she is right. i didn't mean to go, but being in the hot water, plus just having the surgery done combined, kinda made me go. but it was so painfree and you can also just pour it out and start over. she suggested it so i tried it. it helped me very much. i would suggest sitz baths for you as well. but i really recommend getting back to that surgeon, it's most likely another fissure if you are having that same pain again. doctors are ridiculous these days... i'm sorry for what you're going through. i hope it all works out. take care!

I had a hemmoidectomy in July, followed by anal abcess surgery in late July from infection. He failed to find anal fissure so had to go back in and do a third surgery in early August, and I am still having problems now. I have to shower after every bm to get the residual out. I have a hand held shower sprayer so it helps. I thought things were getting better, but I am torn up again. I am seeing the dr. again Jan 4th and I hope he has answers. All I have had up to now is disappointment. I don't know what the answer is to your question, but I do share in your pain. Good luck.

I would recommend finding a new colorectal surgeon if I were you. If a doctor is not listening to you and helping you with the amount of pain you are in, it is time to find a new one. Are there any teaching hospitals near you? They seem to have some of the best doctors/surgeons around.

I am suffering from a fissure right now and it is a LOT of pain. So I can sympathize with you. My present surgeon says that if I am not healed when I see him next week that we are going to talk about surgery. I really do not want to do another rectal surgery (had a hemorrhoidectomy in Sept.) so I have been looking into alternatives. I talked with another person who had a really bad fissure and she healed hers with hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). It is not cheap and it is very time-consuming but her fissure (which she says was one of the worst that her doctor had ever seen) was healed with 3 months of this treatment. Sometimes medical insurance covers this and sometimes not. When I called a HBOT place near me, the woman on the phone claims that they have healed a lot of people with fissures. This was good to hear!

Hang in there! WE WILL GET BETTER!!!
ericollin

I had a bad fissure at the beginning of the year. I had a sphincterotomy in late March, but never achieved full healing. The surgeon said it was healing, but I was still getting occasional soreness and blood on the stool. In Sept. they did a colonoscopy and found a had a case of Proctitis. They gave me Canasa suppositories and a referral to a Gastro. This Gastro basically did nothing but tell me to keep doing the suppositories. Well, since then I've had two times where things have gotten pretty bad. I have terrible pain when I go, and often I don't actually go very much, but my whole lower body tenses up to the point that my legs and buttocks are sore for a while after. Recently, there's been a great deal of blood.

I was seeing mild improvement around Thanksgiving and thought things were getting better. But then I saw another Gastro for a 2nd opinion. His assistant did a digital exam and sincwe then its been very bloody and painful.

I am tired of the rectal surgeon pushing me off onto a Gastro, and I'm tired of the Gastro telling me they think it's another fissure, only to have the surgeon say it's not. Mind you, the Gastro will not address a fissure - you need a surgeon for that. I've been through a year of complete Hell over this, and have contemplated some terrible solutions.

Can anyone tell me who they would see if they were in my shoes - the Gastro or the surgeon? Again, I think it's another fissure. Also, I can't use the suppositories they gave me because it's oo painful to insert them right now. I really think I'm entitled to some answers by some doctor. A human has to have BMs, and it's not humane to know how much I am in pain and nobody wants to do anything.

Also, do you guys think it's appropriate for me to refuse another digital exam unless they sedate me? The last couple times I had one I yelled so loud that people in the waiting rom heard me.

I was diagnosed with a fissure in early November after 3 trips to the emergency room and I am pregnant. I thought I would die from the pain.So trust me I understand when you say that it is painful, I was dismissed by doctors as a hysterical pregnant woman. The suppositories are a bad idea, they thin your skin in the rectal area which makes tear every single bm. I would stop with those. I have taken a natural route for my healing and can honestly say it has helped. I take a glass of wheat grass in morning and before I go to bed. I cut fresh aloe and boil it for about 10 minutes and add it to my bath water along with 3 capsules of wheat germ oil and 4 capsules of gotu kola and some olive oil. THis helps the healing and the bleeding. Before I go to sleep I take one capsule of gotu kola and one capsule of the wheat germ oil and mix it together to apply to the condition. I have been doing this for 10 days and no bleeding has occurred. Also stay away from cranberry juice, dairy, tomatoe based soups. Herbal teas help relax me right before and after I have to have a bm. Hope some of this helps.

Pregnantnpain,
I am interested in knowing about your healing techniques. Where did you get the ideas that you are using? From other fissure-sufferers? You and I have something in common as I need to be very careful with what I take because I am breastfeeding my baby. What does the gotu kola say about using this while pregnant or breastfeeding? Where do you get your fresh aloe? How many baths are you doing per day? Please let me know as I am desparate to heal this thing without surgery.
Thanks,
ericollin

I have a new recommendation for fissure sufferers. I have been taking a nutritional supplement called L-Glutamine. It is available at most drug stores and big box stores. I have been taking it for a couple of weeks now and I think it is definitely helping me. It is supposed to help strengthen the tissue down there. The person who recommended it to me takes a much larger dose than what it says on the bottle. Per her recommendation, I also take it 1/2 hour before I eat breakfast and 1/2 hour before dinner. If anyone tries it, I would be curious to hear if you think that it helped your fissure.

Hello everyone!
I posted a while back about my hemmorioductmy. I had it done june26th. I finally went back to the dr a few days ago

Hello everyone!
I posted a while back about my hemmorioductmy. I had it done june26th. I finally went back to the dr a few days ago

Hello everyone!
I posted a while back about my hemmorioductmy. I had it done june26th. I finally went back to the dr a few days ago

Hello everyone!
I posted a while back about my hemmorioductmy. I had it done june26th. I finally went back to the dr a few days ago

Hello everyone!
I posted a while back about my hemmorioductmy. I had it done june26th. I finally went back to the dr a few days ago

Hello everyone!
I posted a while back about my hemmorioductmy. I had it done june26th. I finally went back to the dr a few days ago

Hello everyone!
I posted a while back about my hemmorioductmy. I had it done june26th. I finally went back to the dr a few days ago

Hello everyone!
I posted a while back about my hemmorioductmy. I had it done june26th. I finally went back to the dr a few days ago

Anyone have any other fissure solutions other than the LIS surgery?

ericollin,

Wish I could offer some other solutions for the fissure other than the LIS but I can't. I work on a computer 12-14 hours a day and have researched everything there is to on this and unfortunately, if it hasn't healed through diet and fiber then it probably isn't going to. They become what is considered chronic after 6 weeks which means they become less likely to heal and stay healed. The key words here: "stay healed". I know how you feel, I was there myself. Unless you are able to find a way to tolerate the pain and discomfort for the rest of your life you really should have the surgery. It really is not as bad as all the stories you can find out there and read. I read so many that I had myself scared even more and when I finally couldn't take it and had the surgery my first thoughts were "Why did I wait to do this, I should have just done this months ago." I couldn't believe how much better I felt afterwards. Immediately after the surgery I did not have any fissure pain anymore. Slight discomfort from the one stitch that I had where the incision was made and some tenderness. Honestly, this is not something I would lie about, the surgery was a breeze compared to the everyday hell you live with having a fissure. I will be glad to answer any questions you have about the procedure and afterwards. Gosh, I only took my pain pills the evening and night of my surgery. The next day I was on Advil to control the discomfort, and thats all I had, discomfort. I think you get so used to the fissure pain that any other pain from the surgery is just that, a discomfort. My prayers are with you.

do the surgery,once its chronic it will always give you problems,you will
be painfree and bm within a days after surgery.i had this done but much more
surgery , 3 hemroids ,lis.fisuromentry all at once also put a flap over my fissure
i have pain from the hemmroid surgery the fissure part was nothing and
all side effect went away within a week. live with pain and bm trouble all your
life or have the surgery and be back to normal ,i am and will do it again in a heart beat. hemmroid surgery is another thing and the pain from that i do not
wish it to nobody,i am still recoving form that .had surgery on nov7/06 and
had to go bad again two weeks later do to stiches breaking form intenal
hemroid, stayed in hospital with morphine for 4 days! do not do hemmroid surgery if not absolutely required very painull and bm paas like broken glass.

Purpleladyfish and Lodgen,
Thanks for your replies. Did you both have "chronic" fissures when you had your LIS? I know that I've had mine for about 2 1/2 months but I'm hoping it still might heal.

My fissure was caused by having hemorrhoid surgery. I know what that is like and it was the worst thing I've ever experienced. The only person I wish it on is the surgeon who performed it on me because he told me that I would be all better in two weeks. BIG LIE!!!

Anyway I am just afraid of having any more cutting done down there. I feel like the tissue has been compromised already from having the hemorrhoidectomy. I understand that the LIS is not as painful as the hemorrhoid surgery but the whole incontinence thing freaks me out. I know that initially I may be fine but what will my sphincter be like when I am in my 60's, 70's, and 80's??? Will it still be working then? Did either of you ask your surgeons about that because I would be curious to know the answer.
Thanks,
ericollin

ericollin,

My fissure was chronic. I spent 6 1/2 months trying to heal it through diet and fiber. It would begin healing then reopen, over and over again. By the time I had decided to have the surgery, the fissure was deep enough that it was beginning to penetrate the internal anal sphincter muscle, causing it to spasm all the time, especially before, during and after a bm. The spasms are what prevents the fissure from healing at this point. The LIS procedure is fairly easy; an incision is made outside of your anus off to one side, a small cut, mine only had one stitch to close that is how small it was, then they go in through that incision and snip the muscle, relaxing it. Poof! The fissure pain is gone, the muscle is relaxed so it cannot spasm anymore, the pain is gone and because you are a "little looser" down there now, the stool passes with no pain. I do kegel exercises to slightly strengthen the muscle, even though it will never be as strong as it was before the surgery. My surgeon does not feel that I will have incontinence problems later in life. See if your surgeon has some patients that have offered to talk to other patients about their experience. I spoke to a woman who had this done by my surgeon over ten years ago, we began talking in the waiting room one day, and she assured me that she had no problems in that area. She was, at the time we met, being treated for polyps and insisted that he be the surgeon to take care of those since he had taken care of her fissure many years ago. My advice is to have the surgery, get your life back. Make sure you trust your surgeon and ask every question you can think of, its your right, even if it sounds stupid. Trust me, these doctors have had every question in the world asked. And if the surgeon hesitates or doesn't answer your questions the way you feel he should, then by all means find another. All I know is I have my life back and I am happy. I consider it to have been a life experience for me. I have learned to better take care of my body, to eat better the way we should all be eating anyway, and to not take bm's for granted. Even my husband and son have changed their eating habits, not because I forced it on them but becasue they saw what I went through and never want to experience it themselves. My son is 14 and eats a high fiber diet along with me and has commented on how much better he feels and how more regular he is. I lost 62 pounds during my ordeal with the fissure and have managed to keep all the weight off since my surgery. Heck, I got a whole new wardrobe out of it. I will forever take care of my digestive system now because I do not ever want to go through fissure hell again. Remember, what goes in, must come out. Respect your body and it will respect you. Take care, you are in my prayers.

ericollin

i had the surgery called lis plus a fissuromenty and hemorrhoid surgery
all at the same time, do the surgery you will be so happy to be final
over the pain and bm trouble. get the best colorectal surgern to do it
and get on with your life,its to short to waste it on a fissure.my surgern
has never had a incontinence problem from any person he did lis on.every day passes and thelonger you accept this solution the sooner you will solve
it. the decision is yours and it depends how long you want the chronic fissure to dominate your life,it will only get worst and make it pain full.
hope you the best

Purpleladyfish & Lodgen,
Thank you for the input. Since you have both had the surgery how many times a day do you have a bowel movement??? I have heard that you can have more bowel movements a day OR have the feeling of having a bowel movement that lasts all day after having a sphincterotomy. Do you have this?
Thanks,
ericollin

ericollin
your information is incorrect,these system outline a fissure or hemroid
tHAT IS CHRONIC OR EXISTING,once you fix it the items you decribe go away.
number of bm are not the same for everyone,as long as there painless and
come out easy. increasing water and fiber will let you pass one bm a day or
two all at once.i have increased my fiber after these surgeries and take miralax every day till i need it. must keep stools self moving and soft to
achieve your goal of healing after surgery.miralax is not habit forming ,its
a osmotic laxative. all it does is bring water to your bowels for a soft stool.
my colorectal surgen recommed it and i found it very safe , it tasteless and
is white powder and dissolves in water or juice,babies use it for soft stools.
it does not take electrolights out of your body and gas and cramping are not a issue.it works for me till i can be fully healed.i have one or 2 bm in am ,and no more systems like you describe

ericollin

I have 2 bowel movements a day, one in the morning and one in the evening. Eating a high fiber diet and using a fiber supplement twice a day will help to keep you regular as well as keep your stools soft and bulky. After having bm's I do not have a feeling all day of having to go again. I feel empty after going as you should. Also, keep in mind, that what foods you eat dictate the frequency of your bm's and consistency of your stools. That is why you want to maintain a high fiber diet with lots of fruits and vegetables and whole grains and wheats and drink plenty of fluids throughout the day. Beverages with caffeine do not count as caffeine dehydrates you. I still have 2 cups of coffee a day but do not count them towards my fluid intake for the day. Everyone's bowel habits are different but as I said the fiber supplement and high fiber foods keep you going regularly and smoothly. I do not have to strain or apply much pressure to have a bm. It comes out swift, soft and smooth (the 3 S's, that's what my colon/rectal doctor calls it). One should not have to strain or bear down as if giving birth to have a bm, if you do then you are, to some degree, constipated. Soft, bulky bm's don't need much help to come out. A lot of people are under the misconception that you are only constipated if you do not have a bm, that is incorrect, being irregular or having hard, dry stool that is misshapen and causes you to have to strain and bear down a lot is also constipation. You will learn what your body needs and how much over time and be able to stay on a regular regimen that keeps you regular. I honestly believe that if you have the surgery you will be so much happier and feel so much better. I was afraid to have the surgery myself, and kept hoping that diet and fiber would heal me but as I have said before, once they become chronic, the chances of healing it and keeping it healed become increasingly difficult. LIS is usually reserved for those people who have a chronic fissure that just won't heal. I am glad that I had it done and only wish I would have decided to do it earlier. As a result of having the surgery done when I did, August 06, I was completely healed and feeling tremendous for the holidays. That was the best christmas gift I received.

Purpleladyfish,
Thank you for the info. I have been taking a fiber supplement twice a day since before developing my fissure. I am eating a pretty healthy diet now. I was not eating much of anything at all for a while (scared about it all having to come back out) and lost a lot of weight. I drink 100 ounces of water a day. I am doing everything I should with my diet to help heal this fissure. No beef, nuts, popcorn, etc.

Did your doctor ever suggest a Botox injection to you as an option instead of a sphincterotomy??? It is supposed to loosen the sphincter too but it is not a permanent thing like the sphincterotomy.

Thanks for your help,
ericollin

ericollin

I was also taking a fiber supplement twice a day as well as eating a high fiber diet and avoiding a lot of foods but the fissure would not stay healed due to the spasming of the sphincter muscle. My doctor did offer the botox but I had read alot of articles on how it did not have the long term effect of keeping the fissure from reopening and living in hell again. With the LIS that muscle is permanently relaxed not temporarily relaxed like you get with the botox. My doctor would have done it if I wanted but I decided to go for the surgery and the long-term, permanent effects of that. I feel more comfortable knowing that the muscle will not tighten up as before and risk getting another fissure in the future. I live everyday striving to never get another one of those. Once it has gone chronic and starts to penetrate that muscle as mine did then that area will always and forever be a weak spot so I opted for the permanent solution, LIS. I worried about incontinence in the beginning but if you have an experienced colon/rectal surgeon performing your surgery then you should not have to worry about it either. I was surprised to learn of the amount of people who suffer from fissures and have the LIS. The hospital where I had my surgery told me that I couldn't have a better doctor performing my sphincterotomy and that he performs at least one a week, which probably explains why he was so hard to get in to see and his waiting room was always packed with patients who had nothing but great things to say about him. I honestly believe the key to a successful LIS is a well-skilled surgeon who knows exactly how much to cut in that muscle. Everyone is different so in a way the LIS is a custom surgery not one to be done routinely the same way on everyone. The size of your fissure and how deep it has penetrated the muscle are serious factors in how much the muscle is cut. On the bright side, it is one hell of a diet as you have said you also weren't eating and lost weight. I virtually quit eating altogether except for jello, lettuce, clear broth and Ensure. I was actually afraid I was going to become malnourished and that would cause my surgery to be held up as my first scheduled surgery was actually rescheduled because I had a slight cold and the anesthesiologist did not feel comfortable putting me under. What a disappointment that was. I was sure I would die before the 10 days were up and I could have my surgery which was rescheduled for then, 10 days later. You can try the botox but if you are looking for a lasting, permanent fix, I would go with the surgery. I know how easy it is for me to say that becasue I have already had it done but I do know how you feel, I was there. I agonized for almost 5 months before I could not take it anymore, the pain, the disruption to my life as well as my son and husband. Honestly, ericollin, the surgery saved my life as I did not have one anymore because everything in the world revolved around my butt. It is so nice to not have to think about it anymore and have my life back. Go for it, you will be so much happier and the recovery is a breeze like I mentioned in my other reply to you. I am glad to help, all you have to do is ask and I will answer.

Purpleladyfish,
Thanks for all the details you included in your message. What caused your fissure, if you don't mind me asking? Did your colorectal surgeon say if your tissue down there would be weak forever now because you had a chronic fissure? I read somewhere online (I remember it being a reputable site) that when a fissure has healed that it takes the tissue 3-4 months to get to 40% of original strength and 2-3 years to get to 80% of original strength. It never said whether it gets back to 100% of original strength. Did your doctor say any of this to you??? Do you feel like the tissue is strong yet? Do you still have check-ups with him set-up for the future? How long did it take for you to feel normal again after your surgery?

Are you able to eat pretty much anything you want again? I have lost over 50 pounds since all of this started. I needed to lose some weight but this was not the way I wanted to lose it. I would rather be 100 pounds overweight than have this dumb fissure. People keep saying "Wow you look great!" And I want to say "Well, I don't feel great!" I agree with you about not having a life. I am afraid to leave my house because my butt hurts almost continuously. My husband is sick of my talking and obsessing about my rear-end. I just want my old butt back with the hemorrhoids and all!!!

If you can answer my questions that would be extremely helpful. Any other advice on anything would be appreciated. Also, any other details about the LIS surgery would be appreciated too.


Thanks again,
ericollin

ericollin,

I don't mind your asking. I got my fissure by bearing down too hard to pass stool. I never thought I was constipated as I always had a bm every morning like clockwork. This is when I learned that just because you go everyday it doesn't mean your not constipated. The stool was not as soft as usual and tore me when it passed. I had experienced this when I gave birth to my son 14 years ago but I took stool softeners and fiber then and it healed within a few days. This time I wasn't so lucky. My doctor did mention that the tissue would never be 100% again as my fissure turned chronic and had begun penetrating the sphincter muscle. There is scar tissue at the fissure site after healing as with any wound but like any other tissue wound the area will always be a little weaker because of it. I am finished with my checkups until I need a routine colonoscopy at the age of 50 or if I have any other problems arise then I will call him. It did not take me long to get back to feeling normal after the slight tenderness from the incision went away which took about 3 weeks. I had my surgery on a Friday and went back to work the following Thursday, 6 days later. It was part time for a week because I sit at a computer all day but I had a nice soft pillow that my husband bought me to sit on. My doctor did not allow me to sit directly on my bottom until the fourth day after surgery and then it was sitting to one side, on a pillow for short periods of time throughout the day. This is so you don't pop a stitch from the pressure of sitting. As far as feeling normal having bm's, that was immediate. My very first bm was two days after and I was scared. My husband was actually with me holding my hand reassuring me that the doctor promised it wouldn't hurt. And guess what? It didn't. I was so happy I actually cried. There was slight discomfort in the area of the stitch and incision but it was a tingly, prickling feeling from the area stretching while having the bm. But it went away right after and was nothing compared to the pain of going with the fissure. Stitches dissolve within 10-14 days. Sitz baths 4-5 times a day especially after a bm. The sitz baths are important because they keep the area clean if you have any discharge or bleeding from the incision, which I didn't. Slight discharge the day after when I removed the packing but none after that and never had any bleeding from the incision. Don't be afraid of the word "packing". The packing is not stuffed up inside your anus it is packed outside against the incision area to control discharge, bleeding and swelling. You remove it the next day and take a nice sitz bath to clean the area. Eating is wonderful now. I eat whatever I want to eat but there are some foods that are naturally binding; cheese, dairy and whatever is binding for you personally. Dairy is what I believe got me in trouble and caused the fissure. So I now do fat free or low fat and I don't go overboard with it. The key is maintaining the good eating habits you have developed while trying to heal the darn thing. I have managed to maintain my 62 pound weight loss and credit that to eating healthier. I, too, heard all the "Wow, you look great" "What are you doing to lose weight because I want to try it" comments. I just told everyone that they did not want to lose weight the way I was and just enjoy eating because I'm afraid to. Long wait to see your CRS is a good thing, it means he is in demand and that can only be for one reason, he's good, which is what you want. The surgery itself only took 15 minutes but I was in the OR for 50 minutes. The remaining time was spent getting a flexible sigmoidoscopy to check and make sure everything was fine. This was done after I was put to sleep and before the LIS. Never knew it happened except I signed the consent for it. Went home a few hours later and fell asleep. They numb the area before you leave the OR and it lasts for about 6-8 hours so I only need ed a pain pill late that night when the injection wore off. Took one the next day and used Advil the rest of the time to help with any swelling but really didn't need it. Was afraid to really take the pain pills as they cause constipation and I certainly didn't want that. Sleeping was tricky the first couple of nights because you need to prop your thighs and buttocks up on pillows if your a back sleeper like me but I managed.Honestly, a really bad, skinned knee hurts more and longer than recovering from the LIS. All those horror stories I read on the web from other people really caused me to postpone having the surgery but I reached a breaking point where I couldn't stand living like that anymore and just wanted it over. I told myself that after what I had been living with I could live another week or two in pain knowing that it would eventually be gone and I would be back to normal but the experience was nothing like I had read from other people's experiences. Glad I didn't see their doctors. Just ask your CRS every little thing you can think of no matter how stupid you may think it is because its not stupid, this is your butt, apparently it is the center of your entire nervous system given the amount of pain it causes. A little humor there. Hope this helps and if you have anymore questions just ask.

Purpleladyfish,

I just wanted to thank you for your openess about your condition. I am 1 week post op from having a sphincteroplasty, levatorplasty, and perinealplasty for bowel incontinence that I recieved from a tear with birth trauma. I read your posts and have put a lot of your ideas into my head for my recovery. (your info on how to sleep on your back after the surgery-my hips are killing me because I am on strict bedrest and have only been switching from side to side due to the pain on my bottom when I turn on my back) I just wanted to say thank you for the wealth of info. I did not have the same surgery as a lot of other board members, but I feel that a lot of the same information especially regarding diet, and meds has also helped me. Thank you!

Kel

kel,

Your welcome for the info. I understand the difficulty of sleeping. I, too, had to sleep on my sides for the first couple nights then my husband purchased me a body pillow and I started propping it up under my thighs and boy was I happy. Like you, my hips were killing me from constantly lying on them. The day of the surgery and the next day, I felt like a burger on a grill that needed to be constantly flipped. I hope all is going well with your recovery. You definitely had more procedures performed. If just one piece of info I post on here can help one person then I am happy. I think any rectal problem is just absolutely horrible to experience. I personally feel that the rectal region is the center of our nervous system as the pain affects your entire body and ability to function altogether. For people who have had the honor of never experiencing a problem in that area, they just don't understand. I hope you heal well and are able to get back to enjoying life. I have and everyday I thank my surgeon, literally. If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask, I will try my best to help.

Thank you purpleladyfish,

I am feeling remarkable better. The bm's still hurt, but my stitches are dissolving and I am slowly healing. I still cannot sit on my rear. 10 days post op and it still hurts too much. My hips still hurt also, but part of it is that I had multiple hip surgeries as a child.(I was born with a dislocated hip) I am now alternating 600mgs ibuprofen with darvocet or percocet as needed. I am tired of feeling loopy, so I am trying to stay away from the narcotics if possible. Thanks for the kind words. This is a hard thing to get over alone.

Kelley

1. I had Abnormal Bowel Movement: Both Constipation and Diarrhea (2001-2002). This condition may have been caused by Hypothyroidism.
2. This lead to Hemorrhoids, fistula and chronic anal fissures
3. Sphincterotomy was performed. Gave temporary relief.
4. 1 Month later an Abscess formed.
5. Surgery was performed(after two weeks of antibiotics) to drain the Abcess (2002).
6. Healing was slow. Constant drainage. Gently kept area clean.
7. Started applying Homoeopathic medicine: Pomade Aesculus(life saver…so far). This helped heal and helped control reoccurrence.
8. Hemorrhoids, fistula …. no longer an issue…..could reoccur after bad diet or prolonged negligence….
9. Fissure continues to trouble me every once in a while. Usually opens up when I take ….bad food(eg:spicy food)….when I eat spicy food skin burns after excessive bowel movement.... and fissure opens up a little
10. Prolonged pressure by a hard surface(eg: sitting 12 hours without much physical activity)….also causes fissure to open up
11. I received Pomade Aesculus from family members. My cousin had mild hemorrhoids that healed by pomade aesculus alone

12. Every year I apply about 14-20 tubes of Pomade Aesculus to prevent reoccurance or provide relief when fissure occurs. So far Pomade Aesculus along with diet/posture changes is my temporary solution.
13. Other Homoeopathic medicine I have tried: FP-200 (tablet and ointment) did not work...for me it made the skin hard and felt worse.

14. I am currently in the process of consulting with homeopathic doctors. I figure they have a solution to completely heal fissures from the inside and out