The LemonMan's Diary

Diary

A place for you to keep a record of your healing or surgery.

Return to Diaries




The LemonMan's Diary

Postby LemonMan » 09 Apr 2016, 06:25

Hi All,

Here is my diary. I'm a 49 year old male. 6'4" and average weight. My intention is to post about once a week or so, and hopefully this diary will help me keep motivated in my attempt to heal myself of my chronic anal fissure.

Probably around three years ago I found myself with an anal abscess. I saw two doctors who told me it was probably piles/couldn't find anything wrong with me. I was then referred for a colonoscopy and told that there was nothing wrong with me. Eventually after excruciating pain I managed to get my GP to recognise there was indeed an abscess and he referred me for an MRI - which diagnosed an abscess and put me on the waiting list for surgery. By this time my life was in tatters and I was barely able to function, swallowing ridiculous amounts of pain killers. I felt badly let down by the NHS (although I understand they are under tremendous pressure), so I asked my doctor to recommend a private surgeon. I was referred to a Mr Wilson in Harley street who had me in surgery 48 hours later. He told me the abscess was only a few weeks away from rupturing and causing a fistual, so I'm thankful that didn't happen at least. In all it cost me around £3000 but I'm glad I did it.

It took me about four months to heal, and then I was back to normal. Then came the indigestion. I started suffering from very bad indigestion for probably around six months. It wasn't as bad as the abscess but was enough to be prescribed with permanent medication. This wasn't something I wanted, so I looked to change my diet in order to heal myself. This included a low carb diet, which - you've guessed it - made me constipated, and ended up causing an anterior anal fissure. (I cured the indigestion with copious amounts of yoghurt by the way).

Not knowing what was happening to me I went straight back to Mr Wilson who prescribed Diltiazem. The pharmacist gave me Anoheal and after taking this for a couple of weeks I thought I was healed - so I stopped using it (big mistake). Probably two months later I started getting pain again and went back to see Mr Wilson. He prescribed the same thing and said the fissure looks pretty much the same as it did last time. This time the pharmacy gave me Noezem. Unfortunately I reacted badly to this despite struggling to use it for probably six weeks.

I then contacted Mr Wilson again who told me to get my GP to specifically prescribe Anoheal, which is where I am now.

My fissure has been an odd one (perhaps because it is Anterior?), I certainly did feel a tearing when I was constipated and there was lots of blood, but no real pain. Nothing like the pain a lot of people report. However since then I think my fissure has turned "chronic" - and now I feel a fair amount of pain when I have been sitting down for more than 20 minutes. I feel like it's consuming my life and consequently here I am.

I'm about 5 days into using Anoheal and now my plan is to do the following for the next 8 weeks to see if I get any further improvement. I guess my fear is the fissure is now too chronic for Diltiazem, but what can I do?

Here's my plan:

Diltazem (Anoheal) twice a day, morning and evening
30 minutes swimming (it's the only exercise I can do, as I also have patellar tendonitis - something else I'm working on). I'm hoping increased blood circulation will help.
Multivitamins every day
Movicol everyday
Hot bath, morning and evening
Increase fibre intake with fruit and veg

I'm hoping this will help. If not it will be back to Mr Wilson and probably botox - not something I want to do at this stage.
I also have Marfan's syndrome, just add to the list of reasons to be depressed haha
Still things could be worse, so I'm going to give it my all for the next eight weeks and hope for some improvement of some kind.

If anyone else has any suggestions to add to my regimen, I'm all ears!

Wishing everyone here all the best and relief from this awful condition.

LemonMan
Aug 14: Anal Abscess diagnosed
Dec 15: Anterior Anal Fissure diagnosed
Jan 16: Anoheal - Thought was healed end of Jan
Apr 16: Anoheal - Thought was healed end of May
Sep 16: Fissure back. Started Anoheal again
May 17: Botox and banding - fingers crossed
User avatar
LemonMan
VIP
 
Posts: 162
Topics: 4
Joined: 18 Mar 2016, 06:52
Has thanked: 10 times
Been thanked: 17 times
Gender: Male

Re: The LemonMan's Diary

Postby Ponder » 10 Apr 2016, 15:16

Very interesting. Mine started with LOTS of blood and No pain. I remember checking my wads a paper and not only being surprised at the amount of blood that covered the entire paper but to also see a very small pool of blood sitting in the small of my hand. I was like WTF is that!!!

This would repeat here and there over the weeks. One doctor simply told me not to wipe so hard and take a shower after each time. That was like three years ago. Mine all started after I had my gall bladder removed and I used to go to the toilets like I was squatting 500lbs of weight. I thought not much of it, but merely stepped off the toilet thinking "wow - these episodes are getting harder???"

Eventually a years later, the pain suddenly kicked in. No I am living in hell and the doctor I see is pretty useless.
I've been doing my best to eat clean. I've lost nearly 30kgs now - off all my mood altering drugs. I'm actually quite healthy and level headed other than this now debilitating anal fissure. If it were not for the extreme pain I seem to constantly suffer - I am actually quite thankful for the lesson it has given me.

Anyways - Thanks for the read. I will remember that term "Anterior" - and see what the hospital thinks when I give up on the doc and start having mental episodes up there instead.

Lots of water and walking I find helps in between the agony. Lay down with but up against wall and leg straight up. If unable to bend the knew, just place your ass a few feet from the wall and put your feet up as high as you can ... matter not if your knew are bent.

I switch between the walking, ass up against wall and drinking ... roll around a few times in pain and repeat process -
In between that - your mind starts to get an angle on eating lots of soft fruits - but be wary of eating too much before be as no matter what's in the gut - when it shuts down for the night ... anything in it will draw the water from your gut and bingo - GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR - next morning. Avoid eating anything and ensure you go to bed with a light tummy ... is how it works for me. Not easy though - best to have a herbal tea. (also for me no honey)
BUT - I have no gall bladder so my advice is probably no good.

The hospital sent me home telling me to take Movicol for a couple of months - but my doctor told me not to. I Said I was his youngest patient on the stuff (47 I be) - and that I would be relying on it if I kept taking it. personally -I think the doctor I see is a fool. But I am stuck as he warns me that If I change docs, I will have to start from scratch all over again.

Anyways - I go on too much and have my own thread. Best of luck with your future passings. ;)
Ponder
Salt Bather
 
Posts: 53
Topics: 6
Joined: 04 Mar 2016, 05:10
Has thanked: 12 times
Been thanked: 1 time
Gender: None specified

Re: The LemonMan's Diary

Postby LemonMan » 11 Apr 2016, 05:48

Thanks for the reply Ponder. I've seen a lot of comments on this board about Doctors who fail to recognise the symptoms. When all these problems started I purposely asked to see one of the older Doctors hoping they would have seen the issue many times before (and therefore know what to do) but unfortunately this didn't seem to make any difference. It seems the usual thing is for the Doctor to opt for haemorrhoids, send you on your merry way, and see if you come back. At least that's my experience.

Certainly with my abscess it got to the point where I told the Doctor he was examining me in the wrong way. I had to basically tell him what to do in order to feel the abscess - it was only at this point he took me seriously I think. My GP isn't that bad though, and he's certainly a lot better than some I have seen. I can't imagine how they cope trying to see hundreds of patients every week.

Regarding the fissure, it's good to hear someone else has had the same experience as me. i.e. no initial pain followed by increasing pain over time. This is something I'm going to discuss with my specialist the next time I see him (in a couple of months).

I was planning on posting in a week or so, but I actually do have a few things to report already.

I've joined the local swimming pool! So now I am committed to going as much as possible. If nothing else, at least I will be fitter in a couple of months. I also have access to the Sauna, which I'm thinking can only help.

I've found my fissure! Might sound like an odd thing to say, but until now I have been unable to locate the exact place my fissure is. I do remember being told I have an "very obvious fissure, at the 12 o'clock position" but you could have fooled me - I couldn't see it at all. I've spent hours prodding and poking trying to locate the source of the pain to no avail at all, and then while applying Diltiazem yesterday I suddenly found it.

I feel I have won a physiological battle in the war to defeating this thing. Now I can picture in my mind the exact source of the pain, and for some reason that really helps. I was beginning to question if I had a fissure at all, but now I know for sure. Just gently touching it causes incredible pain. It's amazing how something so small can cause so much pain. I feel I have something to focus my energy on now - which is a good thing.

Diltiazem is causing me itching still! But it's manageable at the moment, so I am sticking with it at the moment.

I'm not sure if having a hot bath is making much of a difference apart from giving me time to relax and reflect. I'm going to stick with it though. I have added yoghurt into my daily routine. It might be just me, but I find probiotic yoghurt really helps with my digestive system.

Thanks for the info on Movicol. I will look into whether people become dependant on it. I might switch to Fybogel - which seemed to have the same effect for me (and tastes a bit better). My Doctor told me it needs to come out "like Mr Whippy" - I must admit I'll never look at another ice cream van the same way again..

Stay positive.

LemonMan
Aug 14: Anal Abscess diagnosed
Dec 15: Anterior Anal Fissure diagnosed
Jan 16: Anoheal - Thought was healed end of Jan
Apr 16: Anoheal - Thought was healed end of May
Sep 16: Fissure back. Started Anoheal again
May 17: Botox and banding - fingers crossed
User avatar
LemonMan
VIP
 
Posts: 162
Topics: 4
Joined: 18 Mar 2016, 06:52
Has thanked: 10 times
Been thanked: 17 times
Gender: Male

Re: The LemonMan's Diary

Postby Ponder » 13 Apr 2016, 05:29

Your welcome and congrats on your small victories. I'm pretty sure mine is internal - my wife helped me to do a visual and we can find nothing on the outside. I'm a little too tired to post tonight - but did see the doc today. He gave me a script for some cream "(Rectogesic - causes headaches or something - but will try when the time calls for it) - name is on the list of colonoscopy (hopefully they can find something as is listed for them to do a visual) - I took photos in this time to show the wads of blood. I felt the need to do something as my doc has me feeling like I'm making all this up.

I also got a referral to a dietitian but I talk more about that in my own thread. Don't want to hijack this one. :)

That's good news about the swimming pool. My budget has me stretched out with my gym, but next time I will look into an all inclusive place that includes a pool. I also do not get a sauna ... I used to at another place and used it regularly!

Again - congratz on the little wins - your right about being positive - Thanks for the boost. :)
Ponder
Salt Bather
 
Posts: 53
Topics: 6
Joined: 04 Mar 2016, 05:10
Has thanked: 12 times
Been thanked: 1 time
Gender: None specified

Re: The LemonMan's Diary

Postby owmybum » 17 Apr 2016, 11:39

I have EDS which is similar to marfans I think??

Make sure you take a high dose slow release vitamin C supplement. This will help your body make much needed collagen to heal the wound.

My fissure took years to heal. Eventually healed with an advancement flap... But after the flap I took the vit c and it helped to heal me up fully.

OMB x
fissure after hem banding and tag removal feb 11
Pelvic floor therapy
Diltiazem
Botox June 13
Nitro
Internal flap July 14
EUA and polyps removed Nov 14
Diagnosed with neuropathy Jan 15
Diagnosed with HS EDS type 3 (causes poor wound healing )
User avatar
owmybum
Moderator
 
Posts: 2850
Topics: 42
Joined: 16 Sep 2012, 16:00
Location: UK
Has thanked: 205 times
Been thanked: 159 times
Gender: Female
Mood: UGH !

Re: The LemonMan's Diary

Postby Ponder » 17 Apr 2016, 14:12

For me - I have to be careful of my kidneys. I have read high doses of Vitamin C can be an issue for those people with low kidney function. Having said that though, I may have to consider upping my dose of Vitamin C. Perhaps a slow release kind gets around such an issue?

Edit - What you say seems to make sense to me. Although I eat pretty clean, I am going to up my Vitamin C levels for sure. Thx for mentioning it.
Ponder
Salt Bather
 
Posts: 53
Topics: 6
Joined: 04 Mar 2016, 05:10
Has thanked: 12 times
Been thanked: 1 time
Gender: None specified

Re: The LemonMan's Diary

Postby LemonMan » 18 Apr 2016, 03:31

Thanks OMB, Yes Marfan's is similar in that it's a connective tissue disorder. Thanks for the info regarding vitamin C. As it happens I was sent a free sample of multivitamins specifically for hair and skin, and the vitamin C content per capsule is 250 RDA. They also say you can take three a day, so makes sense. I will certainly research this subject - anything that helps. I'll be posting a further update soon but I am finding exercise is helping at the moment.

LemonMan
Aug 14: Anal Abscess diagnosed
Dec 15: Anterior Anal Fissure diagnosed
Jan 16: Anoheal - Thought was healed end of Jan
Apr 16: Anoheal - Thought was healed end of May
Sep 16: Fissure back. Started Anoheal again
May 17: Botox and banding - fingers crossed
User avatar
LemonMan
VIP
 
Posts: 162
Topics: 4
Joined: 18 Mar 2016, 06:52
Has thanked: 10 times
Been thanked: 17 times
Gender: Male

Re: The LemonMan's Diary

Postby LemonMan » 18 Apr 2016, 16:13

So here is my second update post. In the last week or so I have been following my regimen - as best I can. I've also moved home which has interrupted my plan a little but not by much. The main things I have been sticking to are Anoheal, Movicol, and exercise. I intend to get back to Hot baths, and multivitamins too - as soon as things settle down (the house is complete disarray at the moment). Well I have to report I seem to have made remarkable progress! Something in my plan is really working, or rather a combination of things seem to be working.

To put things in context a couple of weeks ago I was on a four hour flight praying for it to end due to my discomfort. I then had to attend a friends 40th birthday and the taxi ride was sheer hell. But in the last couple of days I have been pain free! I can hardly believe it. I've gone from thinking about my condition all the time, to wondering why I'm not in pain.

I still am having problems though; Diltiazem is as itchy as hell, at least it started that way. I have been using canestan as an anti-inflamatory and it seems to help a lot. We had some in the medicine cupboard and so I thought I would try it, and it make things bearable. For me Diltiazem really seems to work, so I would rather put up with slight itching than not make any progress. The other thing I am convinced of is the exercise. I'm swimming for 30 minutes a day and pushing myself as hard as I can. As I swim I have think the mantra "fight the fissure" - haha. My view is that if I can get some good cardio exercise in, this will push the blood circulation to the extremities of my body and help me heal. It's my own theory, but hey I believe it. I remember when I was running a lot when I was younger I would heal from superficial injuries quickly. I always put this down to exercising. Don't get me wrong though, I can still 'feel' my fissure - like it's a weak part of my body, it sometimes feels like there is stuff moving around down there too - like a worm under the skin and all sorts of weird sensations.

I'm not counting my chicken's though. I remember being pain free using Diltiazem before, and thinking I was healed I stopped using it. My fissure came back with a vengance a couple of months later, and has been plaguing me all of this year. I read so many people on this forum have a couple of good days, only to fall back to the pain cycle - so I'm praying that I will continue to be pain free for a few more days so I can gain more confidence I'm on the recovery road. One thing is for sure though I will see my eight week plan through to the end, come what may. Anal fissure are sent direct from hell as far as I am concerned.

I really wasn't expecting to report such good news so soon. I'm also mindful that there people here that are really struggling with this. What's working for me might not work for you, and I might also be in a temporary repreive (gosh I hope not). If there is one thing this condition does is make you appreciate life more when you are pain free.

I'm convinced my fissure was at the chronic stage, so if you're there too don't give up - Fight the fissure!

I will report back on progress good or bad in a week or so.

All the best, LemonMan
Aug 14: Anal Abscess diagnosed
Dec 15: Anterior Anal Fissure diagnosed
Jan 16: Anoheal - Thought was healed end of Jan
Apr 16: Anoheal - Thought was healed end of May
Sep 16: Fissure back. Started Anoheal again
May 17: Botox and banding - fingers crossed
User avatar
LemonMan
VIP
 
Posts: 162
Topics: 4
Joined: 18 Mar 2016, 06:52
Has thanked: 10 times
Been thanked: 17 times
Gender: Male

Re: The LemonMan's Diary

Postby Ponder » 24 Apr 2016, 00:02

How's things going. I too have had some relief these last couple of days. SIGH!!! Tomorrow will mark 4 days of no server pain. :) Touch Wood.
Ponder
Salt Bather
 
Posts: 53
Topics: 6
Joined: 04 Mar 2016, 05:10
Has thanked: 12 times
Been thanked: 1 time
Gender: None specified

Re: The LemonMan's Diary

Postby LemonMan » 29 Apr 2016, 09:42

Hi Ponder, and everyone,

LemonMan is back for another exciting instalment of the "Fissure Diaries". Well things aren't going too bad. I was pain free for about five days(!!), and then had a little set back (a slight scratchy feeling stool), and now I'm back to moderately comfortable. It seems to me (reading all the other posts here) it really is a case of two steps forward, one step back (sometimes more) - but with hopefully a general forward motion in the right direction.

I'm still doing my daily routine, and swimming almost every day. However the main thing that I think is helping me is Dlitiazem (Anoheal). I was told it is a calcium channel blocker (whatever that is) and would relax my sphincter and that definitely feels like it's the case. Sometimes I feel I can definitely feel the fissure, and sometimes I can't seem to find it any more, so it's difficult to gauge progress, but it certainly feels more relaxed down there. What I can say is I am in a much better place than a month ago, and for a few days last week I completely forgot about it all together.

I guess my fear is, if after eight weeks I am not fixed, and I stop using Anoheal, will I just revert to my former miserable self? I take as a good sign that I've at least made some progress. I started my plan on the 9th of April, so have been sticking to it for 20 days so far (it seems much longer) only another 40 or so days to go before I book myself in to see the Consultant.

Things have been quite stressful in the last couple of weeks. Moving house for a start has been a massive upheaval and I am only now starting to get things together so it's amazing I have been able to keep my fissure plan going at all. Anyone who has had this condition will tell you it's all they think about though.

I'm no longer having to take Ibuprofen as well (something I forgot about), so my daily routine is currently Diltiazem (morning and evening), Swimming, Movicol, Multivitamins (x2), Yoghurt, Bath (now just once a day). I need to increase my fruit and water intake too.

It's a long game I guess. Will post again in about a week.

Sending positive energy to everyone out there. Good luck with your struggle :-)

LemonMan
Aug 14: Anal Abscess diagnosed
Dec 15: Anterior Anal Fissure diagnosed
Jan 16: Anoheal - Thought was healed end of Jan
Apr 16: Anoheal - Thought was healed end of May
Sep 16: Fissure back. Started Anoheal again
May 17: Botox and banding - fingers crossed
User avatar
LemonMan
VIP
 
Posts: 162
Topics: 4
Joined: 18 Mar 2016, 06:52
Has thanked: 10 times
Been thanked: 17 times
Gender: Male


  • Similar Topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post

Return to Diaries



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 7 guests