Ye, Juney, I agree with Chris. When I had mine the GP said what do you want me to do about it, and the nurse said it couldn't be a fistula because I would be in a lot of pain!! It was a fistula, and they are better treated sooner rather than later. GET A SECOND OPINION. Get a third, fourth, however many it takes until someone can tell you whats really going on. Please dont just take their word for it, especially after what Chris has been through with the same people. As she says, you need antibiotics quickly!
I'm so sorry you're having to go through all this, its very scary.

That is really awful to hear. I agree-you should get a second opinion. I don't think she is out of line suggesting debridment but why not try some antibiotics first?

I hope you can take something for the pain.

I don't understand why she didn't notice it wasn't healing before?

thank you all for your advice but i'm not going to the other appt today. i actually do think the CRS knows what she's talking about at this point and i'm willing to give it a try. i don't know why she didn't realize the cause before, but my case is definitely a bit unusual and i don't blame her or my other dr for not figuring things out sooner. there's no point in going and having someone else mess around w/ things down there at this point. i'm going to give this a chance and then go back for a 2nd round in 3 weeks.
i do not think there's an infection, healing wounds usually have a bit of drainage and mucus. i've noticed this on many wounds i've had. i have no other symptoms, and the fissure itself has healed over. as usual i was just letting myself get freaked out.
i think sometimes reading things and getting advice on the board has a tendency to make me (perhaps other people too) worry unneccesarily, expect the worst, and not trust drs. i know a lot of us have had bad experiences, but if we can't trust a specialist who's had years of experience and treated hundreds of these problems, who can we trust? i can always choose to go see someone else anytime in the future, even next week if i decide that or if i'm experiencing other symptoms. i'm definitely proactive about this but do not want to subject myself to any further trauma of the area now. i will give this a chance to work.
again, thanks everyone for your suggestions and advice. i do appreciate it.

Oh Juney - I can totally understand your reluctance to go and see another doc. - every exam hurts and every time you went to new doc. you have to explain everything all over again. But, I do not trust anybody, not even the best of the best - they screw up sometimes too. It is unfortunate, but it is how it is. I personally caught doctors make wrong diagnosis about more than 20 times with me and my family members - my father died in hospital because of malpractice and I am the only person to whom I trust - my gut instincts and trying to be on top of anything that is bothering me at the time. You are just too young to have those experiences but with time you will know , especially when you get kids - you will have to be proactive with doctors and ask for appropriate exams since they do not offer chest x-ray for simple cough with a touch of fever - I insisted and it turned out my baby had pneumonia !!! I can go on and on with my experiences - but the point is dear Juney - you have to take care of yourself since nobody else really give a dam out there - sad but true : ( !!!!
I wish you fast and complete healing !!!

Well, we can only post our experiences and opinions on the board and you are free to do what you wish. I can see that it could cause worry but we are only trying to be supportive. Would you rather us not say anything and not reply to your posts?

Good luck-I do wish you the best and health and healing.

You're right that it's probably better not to worry, but what you have described does indeed sound like a fistula. We haven't seen it, true. We are just responding to your description and trying to keep you from being maltreated.
Fistulas do not always hurt, but they do discharge. While some wounds do drain a bit, so do many infections. Pimples, for instance, are infections and many never drain puss just blood and clear fluid.
And like Fiss says, "experts" are not to be trusted simply because they are "experts." I know well what it takes to be a dr. and I'm not impressed. I also know well Kaiser's business model and let me tell you it is a business--there to make money and not necessarily to care for patients. Plus, I had 4 supposed experts (one head of surgery, 2 CRSs and one GI) at Kaiser looking at my rear telling me it wasn't inffected until it erupted in a giant and obvious abscess. While fistulas aren't life threatening, per se, abscesses can be, and they are closely related. I have a friend who just recently barely escaped dying from an untreated abscess. In fact, she's still in the hospital recovering.
In my opinion, it's better to be informed when what you've described sounds serious.

i am glad and thankful to hear everyone's advice and experiences. and no, lecia, i would not rather have no one reply to my posts. it's hard to describe things and expect people on the internet to help you dianose something. of course it's easy for someone who's never seen it to diagnose it as a much worse case than it perhaps really is. then again, it's true that a lot of bad stuff does come from all these problems and it's good to be prepared i suppose.
i am a very cynical person but for some reason i'm having a tendency towards believing the CRS when she says she does not see a fistula. if she hadn't done the anoscope exam then i'd be less inclined to believe that.
perhaps one day you'll say "i told you so" if i do indeed develop an abcess or fistula, but at this point i'm going to try and stay positive and see what happens with this most recent treatment. i have nothing to lose.
i do sincerely thank everyone for their experiences and opinions. it's ultimately up to me to read the signs of my body and to take necessary action, which i think i have for now.

We'd never say that!!
With luck this cauterization will open things up enough to stop the drainage and encourage healing. Few people are treated with silver nitrate anymore. Let us know how the treatments go and if they work.

Yeah, it's not like we want you to have a fistula. We are only speaking from our experiences with them and with doctors who have blatantly missed these problems.

I am sure you will be the exception. We are just kind of cynical too.

Juney -
How are you feeling today? How is the silver nitrate working?
I know it is frusterating reading everyone' s expiriences sometimes, but everyone is different. We are all rooting for you. The great thing about the board is there are no 2 identical stories. I am glad to talk to you and everyone else here on the board. No one else in the world unsterstands my frustrations better than you guys.
Please keep us updated on your healing. You have been in my thoughts this week!
Jen