Got my call for surgery date today... I'm very nervous and wish it was sooner but it will be October 4th. I appreciate all the good information I have been able to get from others who have posted their experience. Hopefully I will be able to leave my story for others soon :)
I will be having Lis and skin tag removal- not looking forward to the recovery but I am looking forward to healing and getting my life back to normal. Especially with the Holidays right around the corner. It's been too long!!

That's awesome! I know what you mean about wanting to get it done and over with before the holidays. I felt the same way about my little procedure that I told you about, but in the end chickened out and am now delaying and trying to avoid it, even though I'm 100% sure I'm going to have to get it done eventually.
Anyhow thinking back to your previous thread, maybe check with the surgeon on whether you'll be under MAC anesthesia or just conscious sedation ahead of time. That way you can mentally prepare for what to expect when the day rolls around.
Other than that I'm sure you already know oodles more than the typical patient :) Oh yeah, and I'm sure you already know this from your past surgeries, but be sure to grab that painkiller Rx before the procedure so you're all set to go once you're finished in the OR. It's nice that you're getting it done on a Monday. That'll make it easy to ask the surgeon any questions in the immediately following days. Cheers to a new version 2.0 butt for you in just a few weeks!

Hey NG,
I didn't know you cancelled your procedure! Can't say I blame you with all you have went through already this year...
I am so ready to get this over with! I'm nervous but I'm just so fed up. The exam yesterday has caused more swelling on the skin tag and I have been in the baths and ice pack and the heating pad(on low) all day. Just a good reminder of why I need to get rid of it too.
I will not forget about the RX's or asking about the sedation either... I never used pain meds before but like I already told you(lol), this is a whole different story compared to the other surgery's I've had. It would be nice if they could just fix it and we didn't have to use it for 6 weeks until it was healed
I agree about the surgery on a Monday. I picked a Monday on purpose just for that reason. They said Monday or Friday and I thought about having the whole week to ask or be seen if something came up.
Thank you for all the support and good advice and I hope you will stick around until this is over for me. It's really nice to be able to get advice from someone who has been there.

How are things going for you Dawn? Hope you are still staying positive for your upcoming procedure.
I'm going in today to talk to my CRS about the surgery. I'm pretty sure he will agree to do it. I just want to be done with this. Too much time has been wasted wondering if this will ever get better. I now have about 4-5 days of no problems and then it flares up and I'm miserable for a few and then back to no pain. I'm just tired of the yo-yo.
I also just found out that my mother-in-law had LIS for a chronic fissure. And her sister too. I haven't had a chance to ask her about her procedure or the recovery but she told my wife that it was the best thing she could have done and has never had a problem since.
Looking forward to better days.

Hey SC, I'm doing alright considering,lol.
I am trying to stay really positive:) I am nervous but I know what you mean about the highs and lows. I'm ready to get it over with too.
I have also found out that two people I know personally have had this done also. One had it 25 years ago and has did fine ever since and the other had it a couple of years ago and has been fine also. That really helps and surprises me of how common this really is. People just don't really talk about it( I can see why).
But I am glad to hear about your Mother in-law and her Sister too.
Please let me know how your appointment goes and when I have my surgery, I will let you know about the recovery.
Good Luck and Our better days are coming! It may be a little bumpy ride but I believe this is the best we can do to heal. Take care.

Hey Dawn,
Just got back from the CRS. I'm scheduled for this Friday morning so I guess I'm going to go through this before you. Yikes! My CRS never pushed the surgery at all just asked me if I wanted to continue with the Diltiazem. I told him that I was up and down with the ointment and he said that the people who heal with Diltiazem will see a gradual improvement in about 2 weeks and then a steady improvment after that with only minor setbacks. Since I keep going back to square one, he thought I may not heal with Diltiazem. I then asked about the surgery.
I asked all the questions about LIS and he really put my mind at ease. He performs 4-6 LIS operations a month and has for several years. He has only had 2 patients in his career who have had fissures return after the procedure. He did say the recovery time is about 1-2 weeks and the discomfort level will be mild to moderate. He has no concerns for me travelling only 9 days after the procedure. He thinks I will be fine. I am still going to give it a week and see how I am before I decide to take off on an airplane. I'm not that naive. Of course, I am only having LIS, no fissurectomy or tag removals involved. Just the snip or as he explained, he pokes a small hole and nicks the muscle a little.
Anyway, looks like I'm on my way. I will post my experience from the surgery through the healing on this forum for all to see. I think this forum has been invaluable to me during this experience and I really thank all of you for your advice and experiences.
Take care all.

I'm glad to hear that you are going to have the surgery and that it will done by a good experienced surgeon. I am sure that you will be happy you had it done.
I would say that the discomfort level being 'mild to moderate' is a bit optimistic, but everyone heals differently. I would also say that travelling after 9 days might be too soon, but again everyone is different. I healed very well, and I was walking around the block several times after a week, but I wasn't getting on any airplanes.
I don't want to scare you, but I don't want you to think it's like going to the dentist and getting a filling either. It is just a little snip, but it's a little snip in your butt, and it hurts.
I'm the happiest person around since I had LIS. Thank goodness for LIS and a good CRS.

OMG SC,
I thought you may end up getting yours before me when I said that but I didn't think it would be so soon...lol
I'm so happy for you and I will be praying for you and your recovery. You may just be surprised at how fast you recover. I expect the worst when it comes to myself so I'm hoping it'll surprise me,LOL.
My surgeon did say Lis alone is a little quicker then with tag removal, but I have read older threads and tag removal isn't that uncommon with Lis and chronic fissure. Some recovered as fast as the ones who had Lis alone, but we'll see.... I think you will do great.

I agree this forum has been so helpful and I'm excited to see you get this over with. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for your post. God Bless and take care.

Phil,
From what I've read having a hemroidectomy is the worst of all anal surgerys. It amazes me that you did so well with that and the lis. I imagine if you would have had lis alone it would have been a walk in the park compared to the pain you must have felt with both.
It's so good to hear you are doing well. :)

Hi Dawn,
That's very true. I don't know how much easier it would have been for me if I had just the LIS, but I'm sure the difference is significant. I should have pointed that out.
Thanks for the well wishes! I have been following your mess and I'm cheering you on.