by buttproblemz » 01 May 2016, 00:31
I had my procedure done 9 months ago and my life feels very much back to normal. It took 5 months for me to finally not have pain after every bowel movement. For 4 months now, I can honestly say that I've been pain free. If you asked me 5 months ago however, I would've told you that the procedure was a failure, so for anybody going through a slow recovery, the best advice I could give you is to be patient and give it time. Alot of people on this board have reported being pain free within days post OP and even my CRS told me it should only take 7-10 days for me to feel better. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case for me and it's really hard to not become frustrated and discouraged but all you can really do is just give it time.
I still keep my BMs soft. Drink plenty of water, take stool softener, Miarlax and Metamucil, all twice a day. While I don't want to be on Miralax and stool softener forever, for now it has just become part of my daily routine. The Doctor said that there's no harm in prolonged use of it, so I'm in no hurry. I am eyeing the one year anniversary of my procedure as a point where I might try weening myself off.
While I've been pain free for a while now, I do recognize that I am still not 100%. I don't know if it'll ever be the same before I got the fissure. Sometimes the area will get a tiny bit achy if I'm sitting too long, especially on hard surfaces such as a wooden bench. Also, once every couple of weeks I'll notice a spot of blood upon the first wipe after a BM. There's no pain or spasm to accompany it and it appears to be limited to just that BM, with no carry-over to the next BM. While it's not the most encouraging thing to see, it doesn't freak me out anymore because it doesn't seem to lead to any setback.
As far as diet goes. I don't really deprive myself of anything. There are a few foods that I am still timid about eating though. I still don't eat any nuts, with the exception of something that might have a few nuts baked into it like a brownie or banana bread. If it has nuts baked into it, I'm very conscious of it and make sure to chew very thoroughly. I try not to eat popcorn, but if I'm at the movies or something and I don't want to come off as a weirdo, I'll risk it. Again though, I make sure to chew very thoroughly. Lastly, I don't eat anywhere near the amount of meat and dairy as I did pre-fissure. To me, this is not such a bad thing as it feels healthier that way. If I'm in a position where I have to eat a piece of steak or a burger, I try to limit the portion size and again chew very thoroughly.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask. If you're on the fence about the surgery, I would absolutely recommend it. Good luck everyone!