Hi all! Thank for this forum, I have never felt alone in this isolating journey of living with CAF. My story in a nutshell: I had a fissure a year ago, it would start getting better then I would have a set back and it would be back (repeat this for 1 year). A few months ago when I went to my CRS I told her I was tired of feeling like I was living on the margin. Routines around my BMs ruled my life. Even with the fissure though I managed to survive 3 road trips last summer. The latest fissure episode had me feeling particularly down because with that setback I would just lie in the living room while my daughters asked me to play with them. Finally my CRS suggested LIS. I had read about it on this forum, which was much more information that what she offered. I took the plunge and had it done a week ago. Now I am in more pain than I ever was with my fissure. I have been taking the painkillers and alternating with ibuprofen, but still I am in constant pain. The pain is more on my right side, and now it even hurts to walk and move about. I will call my CRS tomorrow for an appointment (my 2-week check up is next Monday) because I am agonizing. I don't know if it's an abscess, an infection, or what. Plus I feel that my skin around the area, even more external than internal, is super sore.

My CRS made this surgery sound like a breeze. She said some patients were back at work in 2 days. She told I needed about a week to recover. I need to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Right now I am just regretting having LIS because with my fissure I was never in this level of pain. Worst of all I feel super guilty because my husband has to take care of our girls, the house, his job, and now me, and I don't see recovery happening soon. Any and all advice is welcome. Again, thank you all for your posts and diaries, since they are the only source of support I've had.

Hi Christie,
I don't have any advice to give other than what you are already doing. Be sure to be your own advocate at your meeting with your CRS. Don't leave the appointment without a plan or even a plan and a backup plan on how you will get this pain resolved once and for all.

I can say that my CRS told me that the average time to be out of pain was 3-5 days, but that some took longer.

If there were any complications you are catching it early which I am sure will be helpful. We are rooting for you and please keep us posted.

Don't feel guilty about your husband! You would do the same for him! You need to take care of yourself. I'm glad for you that he is helping you. Have you any friend or relative that could stay for a few days and give you both a break? This is major surgery, no matter what they tell you.
Are you taking antibiotics?

Thank you Broncosgirl and Scientist2516. What you wrote is encouraging. I will follow your advice and be my best advocate. Also, we don't have any family or friends that could help. You do bring up a good point about how I shouldn't feel guilty. I'll try to keep that in mind, along with positive thoughts.

I'm not on antibiotics, the nurse told me it was standard that they didn't prescribe any for this surgery. I'll post with an update soon. Finger crossed I get to see my CRS ASAP. Thank you for the support.

UPDATE:
I went to my CRS yesterday and it was a nasty abscess. I did as suggested and made sure to be my best advocate. I explained how the pain was tremendous and it was hard to walk and move about. When she checked she found that a piece of carrot (TMI, I know) was lodged in the incision site. The nurse and the CRS were surprised. She then proceeded to numb the area, take out the stitches and drain the abscess. That whole process was very painful, but I breathed through it as best I could. I was glad that I had my husband drive me to the appointment because after the visit I could hardly sit. The CRS told me that she wanted me completely sedated in order to finish draining the abscess and cleaning out the area. Also, she prescribed antibiotics and told to start them right away. The CRS emphasized that I should not consume foods that are not easily digested. I responded with my long list of foods that I have learned to avoid since the fissure, so I now I just have to include raw carrots to the list. So today I was back in the hospital, a little over a week since the LIS. Now to keep the area clean, chew food thoroughly and keep on the antibiotics and pain meds. Hopefully the pain starts subsiding over the coming week. I will update on recovery.

Advice for others: The symptom that many nurses, and even doctors, ask for when trying to figure out if it's an infection is fever. I never had one. Even when I called to make an appointment because of the intense pain the secretary asked if I had a fever, and I said no, and she responded that it was probably fine, that people have different pain thresholds. Don't think that you are being wimpy and that you have to put up with the pain. If it turns out that it's nothing then great, but you may be catching something early and having better chances of treating it quickly.

Thank you for the update! I have been wondering how you were. I am so glad you insisted they take a look, and I hope the worst is over now. I hope that by this time in a few weeks you will be able to say you were glad you had the surgery done

Hi Christie. Thanks for the update. I, too have been wondering how things are going for you. I also developed an abcess at my LIS incision site and had a similar experience to you. It was absolute agony! I called my CRS' office and when he finally called me back and I told him how much pain I was in (and that it was increasing over the days rather than the expected decrease) and I asked him if it could be infected he said he really didn't think so and that it was extremely rare. I think he thought I was just whiny and I keep hearing from him that because I am a redhead I feel more pain! I also was asked about the fever and I also did not have one. I ended up on 3 rounds of very powerful antibiotics before having to have another surgery to unroof the area as it started to form a fistula (was caught at the 'sinus' stage-when there isn't yet another opening). Anyway, I digress. I am so glad to advocated for yourself and got the help you needed. Sometimes the medical system makes me so angry and I get really upset when I hear of someone else getting the run around.

I hope this takes care of it for you but do be vigilant at monitoring it so that it heals properly without forming a fistula. Please keep us updated on how you are doing.

Thanks all! Already today I feel so much better than the previous week. I will be vigilant and continue to monitor for pain, discharge, etc. My CRS told me that it is way better to catch this infections and abscess as soon as possible to avoid further complications. I will update on recovery. At this point in time I'm feeling more hopeful than before. Thank you all for the support!

I'm SO glad they found the infection. My gosh, aren't these people experienced enough to know that you can be infected without running a fever? I also don't know why antibiotics are not routine after anal surgery. It's an area that simply can't be kept sterile. Anyway, good for you, for insisting on being examined.

I had my lis on April 21. I'm
Doing ok. Still a lot of fissure type pain though. I'm
So sorry you got an infection. I pray we both heal quickly!