Hey MPB! Thanks for the good wishes. I really am delighted to hear you're pretty much back to life pre-fissure - after all you went through, you certainly deserve it! Just remember to make the most of it now!

P&H - these are all questions you should put to your CRS atr your appointment, where hopefully she will be able to put your mind at ease. As for the operation itself, don't let people like me put you off, it has a very high success rate (95%?), and is a relatively minor procedure. Like you, I'm not in great pain any more, but I'm not satisfied to live a 'restricted' life like I'm currently doing, so have decided to try and seek answers, because I'm still not convinced whether my issue is a fissure or Pilonidal sinus (symptoms can be very similar!)..

Katie - what advice do you need, feel free to fire away with any questions,willdo my/our best to answer.

Thanx Mr F, trust me I wake up every morning grateful that I don't have spasms anymore. I love my course that I'm doing. And getting my fitness back. Plus having lost the 8 stone has helped lol. I'm sure you will get this sorted eventually, you have suffered too long to not get a successful outcome.
P&H that makes more sense about why your so concerned especially if you have already had one surgery, also not being in significant pain will change any decision. I agree with Mr F ask your CRS and maybe get a couple of opinions if that's possible.

Thanks so much for your words of encouragement Mr F and MPB. I honestly don't know what I would've done without all the wonderful helpful people on this forum. I'm planning to go see another doctor in San Francisco who does Botox injections as well, and get her opinion on what to do next.

Feeling pretty desperate today, after a rough few days.

I'm still waiting on my referral to the Pilonidal sinus specialist (3 weeks+ now and not a dicky bird!), but I feel symptoms I've experienced these last few days confirm what I've felt all along, that my LIS I had 6 months ago has failed.

Immediately before the bowel movement is initiated I get a tightening/pressure sensation in my sphincter, and then when the stool finally makes its move I've had what I can only describe as a ripping sensation 2 out of the last 3 days. This is followed by that old familiar sensation of burning and bruised soreness for the next few hours coupled with the feeling that I need to go to the toilet again. If I sit (or even move) in the wrong way I can send myself through the roof with the pain..

I've booked an appointment with my GP tomorrow, out of desperation, as I just don't know which way to turn next. Don't want another internal, just want some advice of what the hell he thinks I should do next...

To those reading, sorry for such a 'downer' post, but can't concentrate on anything else today and if nothing else, typing out how I feel right now might help my mental state a little.

P&H I sincerely hope you're faring better than I am right now and that your appointment in SF (if you've had it yet?) went well.

Oh noooo Mr F that's sounds awful....could you keep on at the secretary or admissions I know I phoned twice a day every day....pretty sure I bugged them into seeing me earlier than normal.
It must be such a downheartening experience but unfortunately some LIS's don't always work and I guess if that has happened then another LIS is always an option....or if it's the sinus problem hopefully that will get sorted too
Really good luck

Hugs Mr F

I'm so sorry you're not doing better after the operation. I think what MPB mentioned is a good idea, calling up the clinic may help get your referral speeded up. Do you think taking painkillers for now will help get you through this period?

I'm doing all right, thank you. You can see one of my recent posts for how the latest doctor visit went (no helpful replies to it yet ). It wasn't very productive. She said I have no spasm so suspects a fistula, which I think is rubbish since I have none of the symptoms. Doctors sometimes just like to find reasons to do invasive testing, that's what I feel. I'm seeing a new pelvic physical therapist and she thinks she can help me so I have a bit of optimism for now. I have just recently healed from my skin surgery which took more than 2 months so I would like to avoid scalpels for as long as I can.

Don't give up Mr F, you'll get through this. You can do it. :)

Thanks for your supporting words guys. It can be a lonely place at times dealing with such issues, and yesterday was a bit of a low point for me, so appreciate you stopping by!

Really sorry to hear you didn’t have a great consultation P&H. I know it’s a long shot, and I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy, but have you ruled out Pilonidal Sinus? I appreciate its predominately male condition, but I also have no spasms but that burning sensation after most BM’s?

As it happens I went to my GP this morning and despite my protestations, he insisted on another examination. In the end I figured when you’re already in a lot of pain it can’t get much worse can it? As he parted my bum cheeks I quickly realised how wrong I could be!

He quickly aborted the examination at that point without an internal, saying I had a long and open wound pretty much running from the back of my anus all the way up to just below the top of my bum cleft nr. my Coccyx. The proximity of the bottom of the wound to my anus could make it difficult to distinguish between AF & PS pain, but it could be why I experience the burning that I do, with the action of the BM likely repeatedly opening the lower part of the wound...

I don’t have the PS specialist’s number, and my CRS who I’ve badgered a couple of times to try and get things moving thinks he could be ‘away’. Nevertheless, my GP says he will chase it up on my behalf as ‘this is not something to be left’. So oddly enough I’m feeling much better mentally this afternoon (if not physically! ) because at least I know fr sure now I do have a problem there. My GP even felt this might be the root cause of all my pain now, and that if this gets sorted my ‘AF pain’, as I perceive it, might be gone too!? Dare I dream...?

P&H, I really hope you get some joy with your Physical Therapist, and that she can help you get back on the road to recovery, I'll be keeping an eye out for your progress... MPB, really glad to hear you're pretty much back to normal now, gives us all some hope and inspiration too...!

Take care,
Mr F

Oh my life Mr F that truly sounds excruciating no wonder your in pain....but yes that would also explain why your not having spasms as the cut doesn't go in enough to set the IS muscles off.
On the positive side this sounds like it could be sorted and you could end up pain free. Again I know i don't know much about PS but my friend had a lower leg wound that wouldn't heal and she used high grade manukau honey....now I know it's not the best area and honey didn't do much for my fissure (nothing would have helped because my IS was too tight) but if your having to wait a while it could be worth a try or a bit of googling
Yes I even went to tgis the ther day and with the help of loperamide managed to have 4 cocktails it was nearly like the old days....only I left the desserts alone lol

That sounds like an awful wound! No wonder you're in so much pain all the time. I hope the GP can get your referral moving faster because it really should be treated asap.

I already suffer from one hair follicle condition Mr F, please don't add another to the list. I have hidradenitis which causes random cysts to appear under my skin in the perianal region. If not dealt with promptly with a steroid shot then they get worse. Hence the need for my recent surgery. I've become very familiar with what my skin looks down there (more than I ever thought I would), so I'm confident it's not a PS. I'll let you know how the PT goes.

After my surgery I had some success with healing my wound which was taking its own time by using Curad silver ointment. That may be something you can try for the PS if it's available there, but do check with your doctor.

Thanks for the tips guys! I've heard about manuka honey's healing properties before MPB. I once got an infection on a skin graft site, that left the upper part of my leg looking like yoghurt, yet they cleared it up within a week using silver nitrate, so I know fullwell the recuperating power of silver! I'll probably just manage things as they are for the moment though, my GP even warned me off using Rectogesic, in case some of it got in the wound and infected it...

Sorry to hear that P&H, that sounds pretty tough too! I never even knew about any of these conditions 18 months ago.., but good you can rule out PS! I've now got a consultation appointment with the PS Specialist, though unfortunately its a long wait - the 14th November was the earliest he could do! Actually tell a lie, I was offered a cancellation on the 2nd November, but as luck would have it, its my sister's Graduation Ceremony that day! Sods Law and all that...

Great to hear you're enjoying life again, MPB, I bet after the 4th cocktail you weren't even thinking about that dessert anymore... hic!