Newbie here, so glad to have found you.
I'm a 45yo cis mom of two teenagers. I've had a cranky fissure for the last couple years, but am pretty sure I've had it lurking around for most of my life and thought it was hemorrhoids.
The last 6 months I had a pretty bad flare up and 3 months ago it got so bad I couldn't function, so got in for surgery. --Thanks Covid and general state of the world for spiking everyone's anxiety and making all of us clench our teeth, shoulders, and apparently pelvises even more, right? I have a friend who is a PT specializing in pelvic pain and after talking to him it all makes sense. Yes, it IS related to stress, everyone. You are not wrong!

Anyhoo. I am currently 5 days post-A.L.Sphincterotomy, and am worried about my pain getting worse, not better. I know everyone's experience is different, but I could use some reassurance.

My first few days post-surgery were awesome, I felt so good! Even the scary first BM was manageable with sitz and Advil. Surgeon gave me Oxycodone but I thought I was such a bada** I didn't even need it. HAHA, well I sure needed it today!

The last two days (day 4 and 5 after surgery) my BMs have been soft and slide right on out (I can tell things are somewhat more "loose" down there and am also taking stool softener and Mirilax) but increasingly painful, with the last one having stabbing pain that lasted two hours afterward. AW HELL NO.
--I can't tell if it's surgery or fissure pain, it just felt all too familiar. My surgeon told me she thought I'd have immediate relief, and I did; for three days. I have some seeping, very light pink, no big deal, and in between BMs I'm just a little tired and sore. No other symptoms and swelling has gone down.

Guys, is this normal? What is happening? Why is it getting worse instead of better? I'm feeling discouraged. I can't do this again. Should I hang in there? Call my doc? Take all the Oxy? (I don't want to get constipated)
I'm in Washington State so I'm tempted to get some edibles and just float on out but I have to mom a little still. I just want some popcorn and some nice Prosecco without fear and I'm so tired of my bathtub and SO tired of being afraid of pain all the time.
Guys. Is this increase of pain after surgery normal in the first week or so?

Thank you and I love you so much already.
-Jo

updating and answering my own post, I guess. 9 days out. I had a checkup and was told my fissure was still there, but everything was healing just fine. She reassured me that it is a very painful time but to hang in there and both the surgery site and fissure are contributing. Kept better track of rotating Advil and Tylenol religiously. Kept taking both stool softeners. Today, pain free bms. I also have been eating a ton of fresh watermelon, berries and fruit.

So to answer my question; yes, this is normal, yes it gets better. Hope this helps someone else out.

Hey Joanna, wondering how you're doing now two and a half weeks out?

Hi there,
I am doing great. The first week and a half were a nightmare. Then suddenly I turned a corner as both the fissure and the incision healed at the same time. I am 4 weeks out, had my follow up, and am pain free. As long as I am careful to eat right and not get constipated, everything is much much easier to handle. I'm so glad I made the decision to go ahead, I have my life back again. I hope this helps someone else know that it is ROUGH but you will get through.
Thanks!

Hi Joanna...if you don't mind ..who was your surgeon?
I'm located close to you..thanks

Dr. Disher at The Vancouver Clinic. Not great bedside, but gets it done.

Still taking forever to heal.... definitely stress related though. Much better than having a fissure!

Thanks

Ha, when they offered me pain killers post LIS surgery and mentioned they could cause constipation I said no thanks. For one, there was no way the pain of the surgery would be worse than the fissure I endured for years (it wasn't even close). Two, the last thing I needed was constipation. I needed to keep the bowels moving. My post op was a breeze. Never had any complications or pain. I had one BM a couple weeks after I was healed with blood in the toilet. That was a few months ago. Since then it's been all pain free and normal. CRS said fissure was completely healed when I saw him 3 weeks after the surgery.