Jax,
Yes the sphincter pressure is relaxed with LIS and at its weakest in the first few months following surgery. It does strengthen up over the course of the year however not to the stage that it was before surgery. What this means though is the chances of a recurrence/re-tear are highly unlikely.
Diltiazem is a channel blocker which temporarily relaxes the sphincter but not to the same degree as surgery. Also between applications its effectiveness can wear off allowing the sphincter to spasm again.
If your symptoms are improving with diliazem then I would stick with it unless your quality of life is on the decline and you feel you have exhausted all of your options. Your diet is ideal but be careful not to overdo it on the fibre or your stools may start to bulk up and you may experience a lot of gas!!!
With regards to your fear of LIS this is only natural but you have nothing to fear – it really is a stroll in the park and my recovery was a breeze (read my daily updates above)
Unfortunately the incision will be the same size regardless of your fissure as this is just the entry point for the CRS to access your sphincter.
Davo

Davo, glad to hear you are doing so well! I too am healing nicely, today being four weeks out. No pain either during or after a BM, which to me is remarkable. I did have a Maxwell Street Polish Sausage sandwich today, but I've mostly stuck to my diet and my pre-surgery routine. I've been trying to incorporate veggies higher in fiber in hopes that I will one day discontinue the Metamucil. Taking it slow though. I seriously do NOT want to go back through that pain again.
Anyway, keep up the progress. Oh yes, pizza porn. The best one I've had here in the Chicago area is something called a Barbeque Pizza. All kinds of meats (Italian Sausage, Pepperoni, Ham, Ground Beef) and cheese like normal, but with BBQ sauce replacing the traditional pizza sauce. Oh, this puppy will knock your socks off!
Another good one, served at Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinders is like a Pizza Pot Pie. It's served in a large bowl, and it is basically a pizza crust, top and bottom, with traditional pizza ingredients inside. It is also excellent.
Well, that's it for this visit. Have a good one.

Hi Ras,
I am currently at 18 days Post-LIS and everything seems to be going well so far. Certainly BM and Fissure pain issues are a thing of the past now. The scalpel incision point is healing a bit slower however it no longer causes me any discomfort and i only get a very small amount of pinkish blood if i clean too vigourously. I do still get some very slight soiling on the pads that i continue to use each day but this is no more than two small drops - I am lead to believe this stops over time.
I still take 1 sachet of movicol each day and one stool softener.
As for my diet... well..... i am still being strict-ish with myself but cant help having little indulgences every now and then. I have not touched steak, pizza or indian food yet but i was out for a three course dinner & half a bottle of red on Saturday evening which caused me no problems.
Your Pizza Porn sounds bliss - we just can't compete with you guys across the pond when it comes to pizza. One of the highlights of my year is to visit NYC at Christmas and to sample the pizza.... ohhhh blisss.... i must stop having these thoughts during the workign day!!!
Davo

Davo, you have to make it to Chicago one day. Chicago pizza is different than they do it in NYC, and in this man's opinion, far better. We have everything from the thinnest of thin crust to thick crust pan pizza and even double crust stuffed pizza. We also have better hot dogs (Vienna), Polish Sausage (Slotkowski or Boback's) and Italian Beef (Portillo's, Max's, or Al's). Plus, Chicago is the destination for the world's best slab of Baby Back Ribs. My personal favorite is Hecky's, just north of the city, in Evanston. And, if steak is your pleasure, it doesn't get any better than Gibson's. Yes, Chicago is definitely a culinary paradise!
Heal well my friend.

Ras,
If you were female i would think you were trying to seduce me :D
I love pizza and would consider a trip to Chicago just based upon your last post alone! I dont touch pepproni but are pretty much open to trying anything else. I quite like the Italian style pizza's too but they are no match for the deep pan American style. My lunchtime pastrami sandwich seems pretty lame now we are talking about pizza!
I love the way this thread has gone from discussing LIS to a fully blown pizza fest.... BRILLIANT!
Davo

rasmith3530 wrote:Davo, glad to hear you are doing so well! I too am healing nicely, today being four weeks out. No pain either during or after a BM, which to me is remarkable. I did have a Maxwell Street Polish Sausage sandwich today, but I've mostly stuck to my diet and my pre-surgery routine. I've been trying to incorporate veggies higher in fiber in hopes that I will one day discontinue the Metamucil. Taking it slow though. I seriously do NOT want to go back through that pain again.
Anyway, keep up the progress. Oh yes, pizza porn. The best one I've had here in the Chicago area is something called a Barbeque Pizza. All kinds of meats (Italian Sausage, Pepperoni, Ham, Ground Beef) and cheese like normal, but with BBQ sauce replacing the traditional pizza sauce. Oh, this puppy will knock your socks off!
Another good one, served at Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinders is like a Pizza Pot Pie. It's served in a large bowl, and it is basically a pizza crust, top and bottom, with traditional pizza ingredients inside. It is also excellent.
Well, that's it for this visit. Have a good one.

Rob, when I was in Chicago visiting my son (who was a student there, but has since moved back to Calif.), he lived in an apartment bldg. on State and Chestnut - and there was a great pizza place near by. Also, "Tempo" restaurant (open 24/7, IIRC) served some fabulous avocado/bacon burgers. We tried a few other restaurants, too. --- Chicago is definitely the place to find wonderful food.

rasmith3530 wrote:Davo, you have to make it to Chicago one day. Chicago pizza is different than they do it in NYC, and in this man's opinion, far better. We have everything from the thinnest of thin crust to thick crust pan pizza and even double crust stuffed pizza. We also have better hot dogs (Vienna), Polish Sausage (Slotkowski or Boback's) and Italian Beef (Portillo's, Max's, or Al's). Plus, Chicago is the destination for the world's best slab of Baby Back Ribs. My personal favorite is Hecky's, just north of the city, in Evanston. And, if steak is your pleasure, it doesn't get any better than Gibson's. Yes, Chicago is definitely a culinary paradise!
Heal well my friend.

I went to Portillo's! Loved it, too! --- I'm only sorry I didn't get a t-shirt there, darn it. I'll have to go back, one of these days.

Davo wrote:Ras,
If you were female i would think you were trying to seduce me :D
I love pizza and would consider a trip to Chicago just based upon your last post alone! I dont touch pepproni but are pretty much open to trying anything else. I quite like the Italian style pizza's too but they are no match for the deep pan American style. My lunchtime pastrami sandwich seems pretty lame now we are talking about pizza!
I love the way this thread has gone from discussing LIS to a fully blown pizza fest.... BRILLIANT!
Davo

LOL, I love it that we feel good enough to talk about food we like (and can eat now! - even if only in careful portions).
Here's to good food, pizza, and pain-free bottoms!

Great to hear your recovery is going so well Davo.
I have 1 week to go before my 8 weeks of Rectogesic comes to an end. Still worried about having a BM without the cream, but I have to give it a go sometime. Not sure if I should carry on with Movicol for a while or stop that at the same time as the cream. Really don't want another tear after being pain free for the last 6 weeks.
Tom
PS: Lucky you living in Covent Garden.

Sweet,
If you like deep dish pizza, you should try Zachary's in the Berkeley (also one in Oakland). It's like a cross between deep dish pizza and pie. Hard to describe. One piece will stuff you silly!
Tom, you can always try using some vaseline before a BM when you stop the rectogesic. I wouldn't stop the movical and the cream at the same time. Just in case, IMO.
-Tanya