Val,
that sounds like exactly what happened to me. I know it is sooooo disappointing. I had spent a year healing mine and had just a little tiny 2mm long patch that had not healed. I can't tell you how much I cried with my head in my husband's lap.
My advice--get surgery as soon as possible. No use letting it get bigger and more painful. Also, not to scare you but to reinforce the necessity of the surgery, if the abscess ruptures into your blood stream, you cold go spetic. They need to take care of this right away. My drs made me wait 2 mos and I got increasingly sicker and more pained each day.
A keyhole deformity is basically where one has a portion of the anal canal that will not quite seal shut. It is open and so makes the pucker look like a keyhole. The problem with this is that it may cause leakage and irritations. I have a bit of this. But it does not go up into the rectum, so it has not caused me any problems, aside from one. I did get soemthing stuck there the other week. That was painful and something to keep in mind, but otherwise no problem.

Good Luck Val. You too Lecia!

Thanks Chris!
I've just phoned the hospital, and the op is scheduled for 10th January. That seems quite a long wait to worry about it, but at least I can prepare myself mentally for it, because at the moment I feel in limbo land and can't come to terms with it- I know I'm a wuss!!

You are not a wuss! You are so tough. You have been through a lot this and you are going to get through this. I know it is scary but it will be an important step in your getting better. I wish you could just do it so you didn't have all this time to think about it though. I find the anticipation is worse than anything.

If you can get through day after day of this you will get through the surgery and recovery.

:sprinkleheart:

Thank-you Lecia
I'm just very blood, hospital and needle phobic-I had one hell of an experience in hospital and it terrified me!But you are so right, the waiting and worrying is the worst part. I'm also scared it might get worse in the next month and then the surgery will be worse.
Your Christmas tree looks amazing-I can never get the hang of dressing a tree ours looks all wonky as if its been on vodka!

What happened to you at the hospital? Or would it be better not to think about it? Will you be going to the same one?

Thanks-I had lots of help with the tree. It was definitely a group effort!

:ctree:

Val, sorry to hear you've got a fistula :(
I'm glad your surgery is scheduled though, you can look forward now.
Has your consultant prescribed anything for the pain?
Thinking of you :)

He said just to take paracetamol and use the diltiazem, but my gp said not to use anything on it while its infected, so I'm totally confused. I've also been on metronidazole for 2 weeks and the consultant gave me another lot to take "if it gets infected again". Eh? I thought the fistula WAS an infection, and couldn't respond to antibiotics anyway! I don't know what to do!

It is so confusing, isn't it? I have one doctor who says take this, one says take that. I have to just rely on my instincts.

If you have antibiotics left from the abcess I would finish them out. Maybe they are worried that an abcess could reoccur. I don't think putting diltiazem will hurt the area so if it makes you more comfortable I would use it. If it seems like it irritates the area maybe you could just use the valium to help your bottom relax.

How is going to the bathroom? What a horrible ordeal but there is light at the end for you. I just know it!

The thing is, if they're experts I think they should all agree on the same thing otherwise it seems like they're just guessing! In fact, if they have never gone through having a fissure, I can't see how they can know how we feel. It reminds me of the teachers at my son's old school-there were a few of them who thought they knew everything about kids, just because they'd got loads of exams, yet they didn't have any children themselves. Our schools here are as bad as our health sevice!
Going to the bathroom is just like when I had the fissure really-HORRIBLE!!Then all morning it aches and throbs every time I sit on it.
I'll give the diltiazem another try-I'm kinda scared to put anything on it really!
I've actually got lidicaine now though, but haven't dare use that either. When's best-before or after going to the bathroom?