Hello! I was a member on here years ago (2010) as mmb0423. I can't log into that account anymore

but had a horrible fissure, used the nitro cream, and had botox shots at the time to try to help with the pain from the fissure. Botox was the best option for me then, because I was still planning on more children. Since 2010, the fissure has been an off and on problem. Most of the time it was fine, every now and then I would retear, but the pain was never as bad as it was in 2010. Suddenly, this July I retore and the pain was unbearable. I've had an external skin tag since the initial problems in 2010 (which was a result of the fissure healing and tearing over and over), and that area was also inflamed like a hemorrhoid. The skin tag area was also causing a LOT of discomfort. On top of those two problems I was also having an issue with a polyp (again from the fissure closing and opening) on the inside that would come out when I would go to the bathroom, and I would have to gently push it back in. This was all pretty much excruciating. I called my CRS from 2010, 3 days after the pain started being so out of control, and they made an appointment for the following week. When I saw the CRS he confirmed everything I thought fissure, skin tag hemorrhoid thing, and there was no way we were checking for the other thing so he just took my word on that. He told me the only option he thought would actually take care of the pain was the LIS surgery. I was super DUPER scared of that surgery. I have been dealing with this fissure for years, and have not read any super positive stories about the surgery. I cried and cried when he told me that was the best option. I wanted to call and cancel everyday until the surgery. I hoped the pain would spontaneously go away and I could just ignore it for a little longer. But it didn't! So, late July I went in for the surgery. That morning I was in a lot of pain. I think because of nerves I had to go to the bathroom a lot, which is never good for someone with a fissure. When they rolled me back for surgery I could hardly sit still in the bed. 30ish minutes later I woke up in recovery, and was pleasantly surprised to feel nothing back there. Obviously I was numb from injections, but it was a relief to feel nothing after 3 weeks of misery. While in recovery I was told everything went perfectly they removed the skin tag hemorrhoid on the outside, did the LIS conservatively on the butt muscle, and removed a pretty good sized polyp that was coming out. Relief! It was over with! I went home and rested for the afternoon, but that evening was my kiddos meet your teacher night so I didn't get to rest for long. I talked to my CRS about this before surgery and was willing to miss it if necessary, but he told me there was a good chance I would be ok to go just to avoid sitting while I was there. I took two Norcos before we left, and made it through the entire evening which ended up being three hours at the school with no pain. Came home and relaxed the rest of the night! Other than a small discomfort when moving from the sitting to the standing position and vice versa I was feeling pretty good. I took a stool softener with every pain pill, and always take 1/2 magnesium pills to help me go and keep things soft. I also sat on a pillow anytime I was sitting. Next day still felt pretty good but was super nervous about going to the bathroom. I finally went mid day that day, and it wasn't bad at all. Like if the fissure pain was a 10 going after the fissure was a 0-1. Then I went three more times that day and it was never bad! I was nervous about wiping so I was just super careful, and followed each BM with a sitz bath. I did the same for day 3! I was also still taking the Norco on day 3, but decided I needed to only take at night because it made me so tired. So day 4 I started rotating tylenol and ibuprofen. I kept up with the sitz baths 3ish times a day and kept rotating the medicines more as needed during the rest of that first week. Week 2 took at least 1 bath a day and only took ibuprofen as needed. I did have some drainage during the first two weeks. I kept a little gauze close to the area, and changed it several times a day. At the end of week two I felt completely normal. I wasn't having any pain whatsoever. I'm now 4 weeks out and it was the best decision ever! I went through the whole experience and never have felt any pain or discomfort that was more than a 1. I put off having this surgery FOREVER because I was so scared, and now I just feel dumb for waiting so long. I wish there were more positive stories for people considering the surgery to read, but the miracle is that once your butt doesn't hurt all the time you stop thinking about it all the time! I'm not naive to think that I will never have fissure trouble again (I pray I don't) , but to go from three of the worst weeks of pain to this normalcy I would do it all again! Just wanted to post a positive story for someone to read when they are debating the surgery like I did!