LIS on Wednesday morning (edit)

Fissure story and update on upcoming surgery!!!

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LIS on Wednesday morning (edit)

Postby letsgetthisover » 01 Aug 2016, 14:49

Hello all,

This is my first time posting after lurking for several months and heeding advice from all of you wonderful, miserable long time sufferers!

I have had a fissure since November of '15, approximately five months after giving birth to my son. It has been around 9 months of constant pain and misery, as you sufferers well know... Quality of life has so diminished, it revolves around pain and BMs, and I can hardly remember what pain free life was like.

Two months after getting the anal fissure, it was medically diagnosed as such and I was given an extremely conservative home treatment and sent on my way. When that failed, I tried to eliminate stress and completely shut down my life, hoping extreme rest would help (in addition to baths, coconut oil, Epsom salts, fiber, laxatives, water, and a diet change. There was no change in my symptoms and I tried that for four months.

Being in 8 hours of pain everyday with a baby turned toddler, trying to care for him and support my hubby through his last semester of grad school, and trying to stay positive just was not happening, so I found another CRS and scheduled an appointment. It took a month to get in to her because of how in demand she is, but I finally did. I like her a lot, and she seems to consult people a long time before making a plan. She explained my fissure to me, switched me from fiber pills to the powdered kind (saying it works better in that form) and increased my colace from 1 to 2 daily. She prescribed a compound medication of nifedipine (with lidocaine) and told me to apply a pea sized amount three times daily, which I have been doing for two weeks. After a week of that treatment, I got incredibly constipated (I haven't been that way since the start of this disaster) and my BMs were very hard, large, and dry.

I called her and went in the next day, and after an exam, she said the fissure looked like it was improving but she was very concerned and confused as to why I would be constipated. She asked me to stay on this fiber for a month at least and upped my colace from 2 to 4 daily (which has given me a lot of cramping). I have been doing the new fiber therapy for 1 week and it's not really helping, and my pain is STILL as severe, even if the fissure looks better.

She asked me to come in for my follow up in 4 weeks and at this point, I'm not sure if I can wait that long. I've already been to see her spontaneously one time, and she was very understanding, but asked me to continue this regimen, and I'm worried about nothing changing in these weeks leading up to it. Further still, I'm worried she will say it looks better but the pain won't be lighter in 4 weeks, and I'm terrified to keep doing this for any longer.

I have read about the LIS surgery and have weighed the options, and I'm pretty certain I want to go that route, but my CRS only mentioned in passing that they do that, but didn't suggest it to me. She mentioned she wanted to see what kind of person I was pertaining to the fissure (I assume to see if I responded to the non-surgical treatment) but I just don't know if I can take this anymore.

My son is now 13 months old, and I feel that I have missed out on so much of his babyhood. My husband graduated after a long time of diligent, hard work, and I barely feel like that has processed. I can only process this pain and cry daily. I am missing so much of my life, and getting so depressed, and I feel like I hardly recognize myself.

What I'm wondering now is if anyone else has had to "ask" for the surgery from their CRSs and if anyone has advice for me. Should I stick out these next 4 weeks on nifedipine when it doesn't feel like it's helping? What if the surgery takes a long time to schedule? Please help and share your stories, I am so down and saddened by this fissure and chronic pain! I just want it to be over so I can play with my little boy without grimacing in pain!
Last edited by letsgetthisover on 09 Aug 2016, 00:57, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Considering LIS - I need advice

Postby letsgetthisover » 09 Aug 2016, 00:54

Update:
Met the doctor today for a surgery consultation after yesterday's bout of 11 hours of spasming pain. I tried taking 2 Valium which they prescribed me, and it didn't even put a dent into the pain!
She agreed and recommended the LIS surgery and is squeezing me in on Wednesday morning. I'm hopeful about the surgery, but nervous as heck. She did not give me any prep for the surgery, other than not to eat past midnight tomorrow, and I guess I'm really nervous for how all of this will go down. I hate being prepped for surgery. I hate being alone with doctors and nurses before I go under (broke my leg when I was a kid twenty years ago and I only recall being ripped away from my parents for surgery so now I'm pretty screwed up about hospitals). I want to know what's going to happen before, but I also kind of don't.

I know everyone has different experiences too, but I wish I knew what it was going to be like after.

I am breastfeeding my baby and I suppose I will have to not breastfeed him post surgery due to all the stuff they'll give me, and I'm anxious about that.

Hopefully this goes well. Two more days...
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Re: LIS on Wednesday morning (edit)

Postby sandrasmiles7 » 09 Aug 2016, 09:06

I hope it goes well. I'm scheduled on Friday but might not due it and give it another month of trying the miralax. I have a baby also that I'm breastfeeding and am scared to death
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Re: LIS on Wednesday morning (edit)

Postby Luka » 09 Aug 2016, 09:33

I hope everything goes well with your surgery and that you have a smooth recovery. : ) I'm scheduled for the 26th and am completely freaked out. : ( But I've had this fissure for 3+ years and have finally reached my limit with it, as scared as I am. I have an anxiety disorder and depression, so this is even more difficult for me. I just want to be on the path to healing this thing once and for all and not stuck with pain my whole life.

I understand about hating to be alone with doctors and nurses. I just try to think that they will take care of me and are there to help. I also had a bad experience with hospitals and surgery when I was 8. I had hernia surgery and was completely freaked out. I don't recall them really giving me anything to calm me down before getting to the OR, so I remember everything from then and, especially as a kid, it was extremely scary. Now I'm going to request Versed ("happy juice") in my IV before I go to the OR and get the full anesthesia so I'm hopefully not as freaked out. Hopefully that is also an option for you.

I wish you well with your surgery. Keep us updated when you can and hang in there. I will be rooting for you. : )
January 2013 - Diagnosed with fissure. Eventually turned chronic.
History of IBS and anxiety disorder, along with fear of using bathrooms other than my own caused it.
Tried Diltiazem, but eventually developed a rash.
LIS surgery scheduled August 26th.
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Re: LIS on Wednesday morning (edit)

Postby letsgetthisover » 09 Aug 2016, 15:05

sandrasmiles7 wrote:I hope it goes well. I'm scheduled on Friday but might not due it and give it another month of trying the miralax. I have a baby also that I'm breastfeeding and am scared to death

So sorry to hear another mama is suffering so! I'll let you know how my surgery and recovery goes well, especially with the added component of breastfeeding. My son is 13 months so he isn't nursing for nutrition anymore, just mostly for comfort. He's been stressed lately after seeing me freaked out about the pain so I really want to do all I can to let him nurse as soon as I can. For now, I'm switching him to whole milk in a bottle for a few days while I must take meds. Since he's old enough, we are going the cows milk route and I'm going to pump throughout this thing. But we considered formula too. Maybe you could try formula or cows milk plus pumping depending on your little ones age?
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Re: LIS on Wednesday morning (edit)

Postby letsgetthisover » 09 Aug 2016, 15:11

I so hope your surgery goes well, Luka, I'll be rooting for you too! Thank you for the tip for anxiety, I will see what they can do for me. Enough is enough with fissures. Three years is a long time to struggle with them, so I commend you for your fight and your bravery! I'll be sure and update when I can!

They haven't given me any bowel prep before surgery so I'm kind of wondering how this is all going to go down. I think they didn't because my pain is unreasonable right now.
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Re: LIS on Wednesday morning (edit)

Postby Luka » 10 Aug 2016, 08:26

Good luck with your surgery! You will be in my prayers. Keep us all updated when you are up to it. I wish you the best with everything. : )
January 2013 - Diagnosed with fissure. Eventually turned chronic.
History of IBS and anxiety disorder, along with fear of using bathrooms other than my own caused it.
Tried Diltiazem, but eventually developed a rash.
LIS surgery scheduled August 26th.
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Re: LIS on Wednesday morning (edit)

Postby letsgetthisover » 10 Aug 2016, 20:32

Luka wrote:Good luck with your surgery! You will be in my prayers. Keep us all updated when you are up to it. I wish you the best with everything. : )

I had my surgery and I'm now sitting on my side on the couch with the tv on at home drinking some miralax. The drugs they gave me for the surgery were AMAZING and all the doctors and nurses were incredibly kind, professional, and compassionate. It felt like one minute being take back to the OR, and the next minute, being woken up by a kind nurse and my husband got to be in the room while I was in recovery!
I slowly began feeling again, wiggling my toes, drinking water, and very gradually started to feel some pressure on my bum. My doctor said they just put a dressing on it and between my cheeks... Mostly to protect my clothing. She said I could take it off tonight or tomorrow and then soak for fifteen minutes. I'm anxious about doing that, but it's also uncomfortable. Not pain like our fissures, just uncomfortable and enough for me to want some pain meds, mostly for my fear.
They told me to pump and dump for 24 hrs for my breastfeeding and the pain meds I have can be taken while breastfeeding.

Honestly, the pain meds made me a bit dizzy and nauseated but they kicked right in and I'll soon take one to sleep tonight. I think they caused those side affects mostly due to only eating 7 pretzels in recovery and nothing else since midnight. I just ate some dinner though so hopefully that will help this next pain pill.

It's too soon to tell about the fissure pain as I haven't had my first BM yet, but I'll keep updating. Thanks for the prayers! I prayed for you too!
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Re: LIS on Wednesday morning (edit)

Postby Luka » 11 Aug 2016, 08:39

So happy your surgery went well! Yes, I've heard the drugs are awesome. :) I just want to be drugged out so much that I don't remember a thing during my LIS. I'm glad everything went so smoothly for you. Did they give you any pre-med anxiety meds in your IV before going to the OR?

So you had no prep before surgery? My CRS said I didn't need an enema since I'm in pain and he didn't want to do that to me, but I have to take magnesium citrate the night before, I think. I'm guessing you didn't have to do this.

You will be in my prayers for a smooth recovery. I really hope all goes well and keep us updated when you're up to it. :) Best wishes and rest up!
January 2013 - Diagnosed with fissure. Eventually turned chronic.
History of IBS and anxiety disorder, along with fear of using bathrooms other than my own caused it.
Tried Diltiazem, but eventually developed a rash.
LIS surgery scheduled August 26th.
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Re: LIS on Wednesday morning (edit)

Postby letsgetthisover » 11 Aug 2016, 15:25

Luka wrote:So happy your surgery went well! Yes, I've heard the drugs are awesome. :) I just want to be drugged out so much that I don't remember a thing during my LIS. I'm glad everything went so smoothly for you. Did they give you any pre-med anxiety meds in your IV before going to the OR?

So you had no prep before surgery? My CRS said I didn't need an enema since I'm in pain and he didn't want to do that to me, but I have to take magnesium citrate the night before, I think. I'm guessing you didn't have to do this.

You will be in my prayers for a smooth recovery. I really hope all goes well and keep us updated when you're up to it. :) Best wishes and rest up!


Hey, Luka! So when I got there, I was super anxious, and when I began walking back to the prep room, my nurse was asking me why I was so anxious, and she took the time to talk to me about everything that was going to happen in a kind, compassionate way, and then told me that any of the stuff I was anxious about was going to happen when I wouldn't remember a bit of it. She didn't rush me into the gown and spent time complimenting things like "my veins" for the IV and being a bit humorous with my hubby which put me at ease. Then I saw my doctor who is also incredibly kind, and she playfully said she was going on a hunt for the anesthesiologist and was going to beat him until he came to talk to me before surgery. I have had bad anesthesiologists before, so I was really prepared for another bad one, but he was WONDERFFUL! He came in and explained what he was going to do very in detail with lots of attention to my privacy and comfort. After that, we got the party started on our trip down the hall to the OR. Since everyone was so patient, compassionate, and gentle, I never felt that panicked feeling I normally feel, and I was able to manage my anxiety until I was out without meds, although I'm positive they would have given them to me if I had asked.

My anesthesiologist did the most prep with me, and basically said all of this: "I'm going to give you a shot in your IV in this room before we go that is related to Valium but way more powerful. You can't get this stuff on the streets! I like to call it, a trip to the 60s. And then you will be groggy, and we will take you into the OR. There I will ask you to roll onto your belly onto the table under a nice sheet tent we will hold up for your privacy and we will have you put your hip bones elevated on a pillow a bit. You will have your hands under your head like you are sleeping, and then once you are comfortably situated, I will give you some oxygen through your nose to help you breathe deeply while you sleep. And then I'm going to give you another drug that movie stars pay lots of money for and that will help you go right out, and then you will wake up with a recovery nurse!"

And it went exactly like that! No memory of anything awful. I did not have bowel prep which is pretty common according to my nurse for this procedure, but my doctor had me taking Miralax and colace already. My body was scared of the pain I was in though when I went to the bathroom, so I was not able to make myself go the night before the surgery, but I don't think it mattered as I had barely been eating.

Yesterday after the surgery, I took one of the pain meds they sent me home with and I got pretty dizzy from it, and then conked out. I was uncomfortable, and in a bit of pain, but NOTHING like why fissure pain feels like. I managed to sleep most of that first day, waking enough to joke around with my husband, mother in law, and friend who dropped off a meal. And the distractions helped while I sat/layed on my side on the couch (comfier than the bed!) until the pain mostly began to dull about five hours post surgery. We turned on the tv and ate some dinner and I drank miralax and tried unsuccessfully not to worry about the first BM.

I just had my first BM and was so so scared. It is day 2 (4 days after my last one) and the pain level is NIGHT AND DAY! It was kind of painful during the movement, especially since they had not moved for several days prior, but then I was done and there was no spasming! I dabbed a tiny bit with a wet wipe and then showered off as per the nurse's instructions because it is pretty tender back there. Then I got in the bath where I am now typing this and have been in for thirty minutes. I only feel slightly uncomfortable, back there and I think I might be able to get by with no pain meds when I get out (trying to avoid constipation). Now I'm just trying to get on a good groove with miralax so my stools will be nice and soft (a very difficult thing to do lately) and stay regular, possibly daily (which I have never been before) so as to keep things small.

I had to drink some warm water to help stimulate some movement in my bowels, and it worked like a charm. Fear of it didn't help at all, but what are we all going to do about that? Working our way towards loving the toilet again, I guess.
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