I saw the CRS today, after nearly 5 months of waiting, and as predicted, he said I was healed.
Things seemed to be going well on track, as we discussed my history, diet and going for botox again (as it healed me in 2008). Then he did a digital examination. He couldn't see any fissure (but they couldn't back in April either), and said there was no spasming either (which there was in April). So he has discharged me from his care, suggests I stop the diltiazem and movicol immediately and go back on the yucky stuff that is fybrogel (sp?). He did say I have a couple of internal hemmerrhoids, but they should clear up of their own accord.
I asked him what signs I should look out for, to prompt me to go back to the GP and he said 'pain'. I get pain (though not totally agony) if I miss using dilt just once, so whilst I will do what he has suggested, I'm expecting to make an emergency GP appt later this week. (At my surgery, non-emergency appts take 3 weeks!)
I will give the fybrogel a go, but as soon as I get pain/bleeding, I'll go back on the usual routine. (And I do mean any pain. I don't want to wait until the agony returns, especially since I have the right meds here already for my use.)
Anyone got any advice?
I felt really lost, as I couldn't talk myself into treatment, as the CRS was so adament I had healed, that I doubted myself. Now I'm back home, I feel like I should have stood up for myself a bit better. But, as I say, the dilt + movicol routine has made everything manageable (no blood, and only occasional pain if I've eaten something I shouldn't), so maybe I have healed and haven't noticed??

hi bernie, i think healed doesn't mean that the anal wall is strong right away, it takes ard 6 months to regain 40% (i read it somewhere). So, i feel u shld still keep up with ur fissures diet, no sharp fried, spicy stuffs, anywhere it's healthier for you. And u may stop the cream or use it every other day, cos that if is only to loosen up your spasms. But like me, the spasms will reduce gradually when ur fissure is healing. Actually i dun recommend stopping ur laxative so abruptly. I read that you shld slowly reduce the dosage gradually and while doing it, u can replace it with something else, eg prune juice or even nature fiberous food/supplement like magnesium oxide, flaxseed, oats, barley etc.
So there's once i took 10ml lactulose in the morning and prune juice at night. Then i monitor the consistency of my 0stools. Then when i feel that it's constantly soft, i switch 5ml lactulose in the morning, then prune juice at night. Then eventually i drink MORE prune juice in the morning, but only magnesium oxide 400mg at night. So it's all trial and error...
I also have an internal hemorrhoid too, but as my CRS said its small. And he told me my fissure is at 7o'clock while i mostly feel the pain from the left, esp right (i thot i have 3 fissures in total!!). He told me the pile is at the right, thus the pain might be frm the piles instead!
So... am now taking daflon to help my hemorrhoids while i'm healing with my fissure.
Let's dun lose heart here! Press on!