Hey All,
I was going to write about this earlier but my five and a half month old had other plans for me at the time! Now that hubby is trying to put him to bed, I have a bit more time on my hands.
First off, the CRS was really nice. He was patient and compassionate and didn't rush me and my thousand questions. I was happy to overhear a conversation earlier between his receptionist and a patient who was trying to book an early surgery. The receptionist said that an earlier surgery couldn't be booked because the doctor wouldn't have extra time to ensure the procedure was done carefully. She said that most surgeons would go ahead and book in the time that was available, but this doctor refused to rush a procedure.
I was so nervous and tense during the exam that I think the surgeon thought I was in more pain than I really am! During the visual exam, he said he couldn't actually see a skin tag. The physical exam was brief because I was waaaay too nervous and he was being cautious. In any case, he felt the examination was "unremarkable." All in all, he feels the AF isn't chronic and that I should continue with the diltiazem. I asked about nefedipine--which he routinely prescribes--and he gave me a prescription for it upon completion of the diltiazem. I'm really curious to see if it works! By the way, the prescription for the nefedipine was pre-printed on his prescription pad! He must see a lot of AFs!
He told me to stop using the vitamin E (he said it wasn't necessary) and that KY jelly was okay to use for lubrication. In terms of stool softeners, he believes in natural methods: healthy food with fibre and lots of fluids. That's it! He even told me to cut back to one little glass of prune juice daily (lately I've been having a third of a cup in the morning and a third of a cup at night). He also told me to exercise! He said stomach exercises were especially good. I guess the exercise ensures a healthy digestive system. Oh yes, and I definitely shouldn't strain!
In general, right now, he doesn't think I need surgery. I go back in October and based on how I'm doing we'll discuss surgery as a possibility.
That's about it. We'll see how things go!
--Merita