by banjobuddy » 07 Feb 2018, 07:03
Hi Missy,
If you're still having problems on and off after 4 years, maybe it's time to seriously think about a LIS. I know it's a huge scary step to take, but the benefits far outweigh the negatives. I'd had anal/rectal issues for nearly twenty years before I took the plunge last April. I did the whole biofeedback thing, tried dietary changes, everything you could think of, but it still didn't change the fact that I had a super tight sphincter, which led to fissures and pain.
My CRS tried to dissuade me from going down the LIS route, insisting that biofeedback was the answer and to relax. In the end, I got so fed up with being fobbed off, I spent an hour in her surgery arguing with her and making a point of stressing how desperate I felt about the whole thing. In the end she relented and agreed to do it. Anyhow, after having a few post operation problems with bleeding (very rare), it eventually stabilised and life is a lot easier now. Like Jim, it's not always perfect, but the comparison is huge and my anxiety levels have dropped enormously. When I do have problems, it's generally of my own making by pigging out on too much junky food. I still take Movicol and probably always will as I am prone to hard bowel motions, but it's a small price to pay. My weight pre-op had dropped to around 8 stone and I was super skinny after having a ridiculously strict diet. I'm now pushing the scales at nearly 10.5 stone and I'm things I haven't eaten for years such as spag bol, lasagne, pot roasts, large slices of fruit pie and other evil things. I still use a little Rectogesic ointment after every bowel movement, but I may have to wean myself off it as my CRS recommends giving it up, so it may become difficult to get from my GP.
The things most people are scared of when considering the operation are:
1) Coping with the pre-op anxiety of going under the knife. No easy way through this other than to just live with the fear and get your op as soon as possible. Also, remember when it's over - it's over!
2) That first bowel motion after the op. Personally, I found that it wasn't too bad at all. I think it probably depends a lot on how bad your fissure is at the time of the op. I also had a fairly low intake of food pre-op. Worst case, you have some pain, but the odds are this will lessen fairly quickly.
3) Incontinence is the one doctors always seem to focus on. Personally, that never really bothered me a great deal. I do find I'm a bit windier, but that maybe due to some of the foods I'm eating now lol! I also find it can take a little longer to clean up after a bowel motion. If you're still using toilet paper, I'd suggest going over to baby's wetwipes - much better.
Most of us want to hear that there's a non-surgical answer and will go through the whole process of trying every crackpot remedy out there. I'd say don't waste any more years feeling awful and suffering from terrible anxiety as I frequently did. Some people will get over it without surgery, but when your quest turns into years, it just isn't worth it.
So in summing up, LIS isn't the complete magic bullet for everyone, but it will undoubtedly make things a LOT better.