Making an appointment with a crs is a challenge....every supposed crs I get referred to...ends up being a general surgeon.

The colonoscopy....surely a fissure will be seen if I have one I would hope?

I have to agree with you Jsingh. I once read about how colonoscopes and sigmoidscopes, while excellent at viewing the bowel, are a very poor tool for diagnosing problems in the anal canal (hemmies and fissures). Exam under anesthesia (EUA) is the best procedure, and if you have a really great CRS, they will treat you while they have you under. This way they don't flare you up and send you home with the knowledge you probably already have (that you have a fissure) and things being so much worse from being aggravated by the procedure but no means to remedy the pain that follows. That's just my 2 cents...

Great info but please help me.

I cannot just get an appointment with a crs. The last 4 months I have specifically asked for a crs referral, yet, each time it is a general surgeon.

I guess my platinum gold credit card is a joke in Vancouver and I don't qualify.

Okay, I accept defeat.

I suspect that the designations of specialists in our Country is different and does not seem to be so well defined. My surgeon, who I call a CRS, is identified as a general surgeon on his business card (if I remember correctly) yet he comes up as a colorectal surgeon on some websites. He also told me once that the operates on ingrown toenails. I have combed through the college of physicians and surgeons website to find specialists before and all that really matters is what they spend most of their time doing and how many fissures they have operated on. If you are feeling frustrated I suggest that you do what I did when I needed to find a butt surgeon ASAP.... Get on your phone and start calling the Doctor's offices. That is how I found Gentis when I needed emergency surgery (they turned me away in the ER) but Gentis was there for me right away when I needed him. You will find some receptionists that don't even want to talk to patients and some that are very caring and want to provide you with the information you are looking for and nearly all of them will keep telling you that you have to get a referral from your family physician. I have had to do this many times. With our system you have to be the one to take the reigns. It sucks.

When I search for 'colorectal surgeon' all I get is:

https://www.cpsbc.ca/physician_search?f ... de47dc=283

Surely there is more than ONE in Vancouver. 'General surgeon' gives this:

https://www.cpsbc.ca/physician_search?f ... de47dc=283

You can get on the phone and start asking if they treat anal fissures and how long of a wait it is to get in to see them. That is what I would do anyway...

There are dozens of crs surgeons in Vancouver. Gentis wasted 4 months of my time, I think he is on the verge of retirement, nice guy but couldn't remember what he diagnosed for me on previous appointments...said I had a fissure, next appt wouldn't examine me and told me to soak in bleach and come back in 9 weeks. After arguing with him, I just left.

Karimuddin is the best CRS in the area, earliest appt date is February 2016

Hurtin....hang in there buddy. I know how hard it is right now for you. Two quick things...no fixes just ideas. Water has always helped me...can you go to your local ymca, hop in the pool and simply soak for a couple hours each day? Also - pick up the book "You are not your pain". It is written by two people who had severe accidents that left them in significant pain and it discusses strategies for trying to manage pain and stress.
I know these won't cure you...but may help.
Have you told family or friends around you how bad it is? Does someone go with you to your Dr. Appointments? One thing that helped me as much as all the magnesium, hot compresses, fibre and Vaseline was being able to talk about it with my family and let them know how scared I was and how much pain I was in...being able to share these feelings is an important part of the recovery process. If you can find someone near to share with...if you don't have that then use this board as we all do.
As for doctors...I have taken to writing up my history and presenting it to a Dr. So that they know the road I've been down. I have an appointment with a general surgeon here (east coast Canada) - no such thing as a crs out here - as simon said, all that matters is that they have experience in this area.
Another thing that has helped me gauge the development of my experience is keeping a pain journal and feeling journal - I have a sense of my long term progress which is helpful to me personally and is useful for when I need to communicate with the doctor community.
Please know that you are not alone in this...we all care about you and want to hear how you are doing - good or bad.
I wish I could wave the magic wand for all of us...instead I can only tell myself and all who are here that you need to take it minute by minute, moment by moment, step by step....and at some point it will get better. As Winston Churchill said...."if you are going through hell...keep going".

Wishing you and all of us the best,
Canadabum

I tried all what you mention plus more , It seems all the doors are closed but one , is hell . very strict diet with all the precaution I even left my job coz I couldn't handle it anymore due to the sever pain , all the curse come hunt me from head to toe . I have been in tears .. im not sure what I've done to deserve this pain, but I sure do hope it gets better soon. Its becoming so hard to live your every day life with this thing isn't it? constant pain , it feel to me like Im in death row , life is short and living a part of it in a horror is not quite fair for someone who just want to survive and play his role like everybody , what a lovely life ???

Thank you Canadabum....there are several pools in my area, they are BUSY, mostly reserved for doing laps and classes, this town of Vancouver, wow, exploding in size and population, truly a metropolis with suburbs exploding.

Salamon555, do not give up, I feel our mindset our positive mindset is critical to healing. Yes it's depressing can drag us to the depths. I too have stopped working, that alone is stressful.

Canadabum has great suggestions and let's start a daily diary, that is something I wanted to do but have never done it, also, get tested for allergies and food sensitivity, that's my plan, do not give up.

Thanks Hurtinend, obviously nothing much I can do but just to bite the torture.Wherever the river debris is heading, I'm in it. If this damn fissure doesn't kill me, the aftermath surely will.I worry about my family,as this adds more stress to me as well as to them. Sorry about the negativity, but I just want to scream and get all of my frustrations out! Anyway, in this world there are still some sweet people like you who give me a significant support, that shows me some light to get out of the tunnel of pain that I am in now. I thank all of you.

Hey guys i posted in your thread a couple weeks ago and gusse what it gets better!! I am bo where near cured but i am living again my pain went down to only about 2 hours after a bm and just slight discomfort when i sit or stand to much but i think i am on my way here is what i did. Fiber gummies there great tasteing and really help with a bm i aslo take 2 dulcolax and 1 coconut oil i eat oatmeal for lunch fruit for dinner and sometimes a salad with ranch:) but i think the biggest thing that started helping sorry this may be gross but i poop standing up i just hover over the toilet it takes almost all the strain off your bm i literlay started feeling better the next day after started doing this and better each day. I know its weird but give it a try for a couple of days what else do you have to losse trust me i know lol