Savaici wrote:Not true about dilation, jondoe. Do read Suzyljank's posts as to how she had to dilate after her double flap surgery as per her excellent CRS's 'orders' and this is ongoing for her to prevent stenosis.
Also, gradual dilation with gradual increase in the dilators was
the only thing that worked for me (I did not and cannot have surgery). Took quite a long time but I now no longer have the agony of constant spasms.
And most of us on here suffer from a surfeit of "common sense".
Good to know, at the time I was worried that people might make it worse by dilating but as mentioned I'm no doctor-you're right I was just using common sense which can sometimes be incorrect.
I'm really happy to report to everyone here that my AF has healed almost completely, I'd say 99%. I have a small half-inch or so split in the region but the bleeding stopped around Sept 2017 though I still had some pain till early 2018.
Then the pain pretty much ended except for some rare occasions but it was not serious and sometimes barely noticeable. For all intents/purposes, I am fully healed up.
Be forewarned my post is long so skip it if you're don't like to read a wall of text. :)
This was one of the most horrible experiences of my life. I wish I had gotten the surgery at the time but as I mentioned in the post I was in the process of moving, I'm in a new place now.
I was very glad to find this site a couple of years ago and gain from other people's wisdom when I was going through it. It was a scary experience because you think you'll never be well again and the pain was torturous.
I really just wanted to come back today to let those people who are still suffering through this that there's light at the end of the tunnel (pardon the pun). In my case, I ate foods that prevented constipation and yes I did dilate also.
So after I felt I had somewhat healed and the bleeding stopped, I began dilating and at first, it was painful but I found that the area was able to relax more and I think it really helped me to heal more.
About 6 months ago I might've been afraid of tearing the region but today I feel almost as good as new or before I got the AF. But I'm still very careful in how I deal with that area and I always pay attention to my body and never push myself too far.
I wish I didn't have the slit but for now, it seems pointless to get surgery just to get rid of it because of the risk I could make it worse and to have to go through the pain in that area. Since I'm already healed up, why put myself in that situation all over again?
I might do that in the future, I'll consult a surgeon at that point. But for now, I'm fine as I am. Words can't describe the sadness, fear, terror, and pain I went through. I was hoping that one day this experience would be in my rear-view mirror and now it is.
One time when it was still an open wound I foolishly applied Prep H, which left me in a lot of pain. I didn't realize at the time that the prep H was responsible or I would've washed it off sooner.
I used it for the swelling and to aid in the healing but of course, it's a topical and never meant to be put in a wounded area (so it's not the drug's fault, but mine). I learned my lesson. Anyways I took otc pain-killers like Advil and Tylenol which were excellent for dulling and eliminating the pain. Also I think Anusol was much better for me and didn't trigger pain like the Prep H did.
I'm going to pass along some tips that worked for me so that others suffering through it can benefit in some way. So I know some people use toilet-paper for cleaning themselves, I've always used water and made sure the area was thoroughly rinsed. Then I'd take a shower right after without fail every day.
So by keeping the area very clean, I ensured that it didn't get infected. I did experience one infection in 2017, took antibiotics and ofc I was fine. I know my body well enough to know when it was normal AF pain or due to an infection-which is actually even more painful and longer lasting, the area becomes more sensitive.
Then as mentioned above, once the bleeding totally stopped and the pain mostly went away, then I began dilating about a month or two after. I started with something small and slowly used something a little bigger.
So in summary, you can help your AF heal on its own if you adjust your diet to deal with constipation (include more fruits/vegs, legumes), cleanliness-washing religiously/showering daily, using pain meds and then once you feel ready you can do the dilation.
Actually now I hate missing my shower since I like to go to bed feeling clean. Also, I'd advise switching from toilet-paper which can cause AF or worsen it (based on other people's experience) due to the roughness on the skin, to cleaning yourself with water.
I've heard that sitting in a tub of warm water also helps relax the region. But in my experience, it's fine if you don't though I did it in the beginning and it did help soothe the pain but what ended up healing me were the tips I suggested.
Sorry for the long post and any repetition. I barely ever post here but I just wanted to pass on this info and hopefully, at least some of my advice might help someone in the same situation.
Lastly, I'd recommend getting the same surgery I was planning to get if you have a couple of free months to heal up. In fact, I read it had a 97-99% success rate from a different source than what I originally posted.
Of course, any surgery does come with risk and the fear of complications made me think twice, to see if I can fix it on my own, but also I simply didn't have time for it back in 2017.
If I didn't have to move then I would've done it for sure because I was desperate for a solution at the time. Today I'm fine so I don't want to take any unnecessary risks by going under the knife if I don't have to.
So I just want to wish everyone who's going through it all the best and I think if you use my suggestions it might also work for you but you have to be disciplined and stick to it (obviously also consult a medical professional as I'm just a layperson).
I suffered from the AF for about 4 years but now I can finally say thank goodness it's over for me and I can carry on with my life without worrying about it anymore.