Someone please talk to me.

Fissurectomy/possible sphincterotomy scheduled

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Someone please talk to me.

Postby Scared21yearold » 07 Dec 2013, 12:06

Hello all,


I am a 21 year old male who has been suffering from an anal fissure for the past 9 months. A little background about myself:
I developed this fissure one morning after a hard/large stool and I won't ever forget the feeling of tearing/burning as I was passing it in the process. It was horrible. I had to jump in the shower right away to relieve the discomfort/pain. Thinking it was hemorrhoids because I've had them before, I thought nothing of it and waited a month and a half before even thinking about going to the doctor. A month and a half later, I decided that I needed to get checked out because I noticed 2 tiny skin tags near the opening by my tailbone so I went to my GP. During this time, I had mucus discharge and it was very worrying. She performed a digital rectal exam and everything looked okay to her...I didn't buy it though because I had constant pain/discomfort with mucus discharge so I did some research and scheduled an appointment with a local CRS. Long story short, my experience was horrible with him. I went to him 2 times and was prescribed Diltiazem 2% ointment. After 3 months of creams, high fiber diet, and drinking lots of water each day, nothing has helped. I have felt A LOT better in the past 3 or 4 months since this all started, but I have one problem that keeps occuring: It is hard for me to keep clean after a bowel movement. I have to use moistened toilet paper with warm water and have to use half a roll, if not more, toilet paper after each movement. I am for the most part regular and keep my stools relatively soft, but keeping clean has been an issue for me. I would have to go in the shower afterwards to finally get everything clean down there. I have not been in excruciating pain for the past 3 or 4 months. What troubles me the most is the fact that I cannot clean up fast after a bowel movement. I recently switched to a different CRS who is very reputable in the area and have recieved a second opinion from a Chief Colo-rectal surgeon based out of Great Neck, NY. Turns out, I do in fact need a fissurectomy and POSSIBLE sphincterotomy, along with an internal hemorrhoid to be zapped out. I am EXTREMELY nervous about this procedure being done because of all of the horror stories that I have read on the internet. Sorry to keep this post long, but has ANYONE out there had a similar experience that I have had? From what I know, the built up scar tissue is the main problem why it's taking me "a longer than normal" time to clean up after a bowel movement. Some fecal matter is getting trapped from what I understand which causes slight leakage. I am just nervous that by having this surgery, it'll make matter worse. The fecal discharge isn't THAT bad but it's enough to make me feel uncomfortable. I haven't used a public bathroom in months because of the fact that I need warm water/sometimes a shower after a bowel movement.

I am scheduled for surgery for next Friday and could really use some peace of mind. Being a 21 year old full time college student who works too, it is very troubling for me. I am scared, nervous, and anxious about the whole procedure. If someone could talk to me, it would be greatly appreciated. I will update you all during my surgery and let you know how I am doing when I am recovering.


Thanks so much in advance,
a very scared 21 year old :(
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Re: Someone please talk to me.

Postby whoknew » 07 Dec 2013, 12:23

Hi Scared 21 year old,

I'm new to this whole thing so I understand your fears. There are a lot of people on this forum who have been through it before, and I've found some comfort in their posts. Dig around a bit and you'll probably find some poor soul has been through what you're going through now.

In my current condition, I'm not able to leave the bed for 8 hours after a bm and I'm thinking about having the lis sometime before the 20th, when my doc goes on vacation for two weeks. It must feel good knowing you have a definite plan of action to take care of yourself.

I'm sorry I don't have advice on your specific question, but I just wanted you to know I heard you ask it, and I hope you find the answer.

Take care!
Beatrix
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Re: Someone please talk to me.

Postby rio » 07 Dec 2013, 15:11

Hi scared! I hear you are dealing with problems for 9 months now and I understand how difficult it is for you. It is normal to be afraid of the operation, but I read many success stories here and on the other forums. People like me usually post a lot about troubles, because we are in need for comfort, but many members just stop writing, I suppose from a simple reason they are cured or at least much better. So have in mind that many get relief with this operation. I read about how LIS brigs immediate relief to some patients. If you are determined to go for it try not to worry to much and it will add to your recovery if you relax. Good luck. and a hug for courage. :smilyhug:
Disabling burning, drilling pain in anal area for almost a year, started after UT infection. Small anal fissure diagnosed, turned out it is probably not the cause of pain, MRI shows no inflammation or fistula. Grateful to forum members for support.
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Re: Someone please talk to me.

Postby Scared21yearold » 07 Dec 2013, 21:35

Thanks guys. I'm just a little fearful of the recovery process since I heard it's a little rough sometimes. What's killing me is that I'm not really in excruciating pain but I guess there needs to be some pain in order to make everything all better...I received that second opinion yesterday btw, and the chief CRS thinks I should go through with it. He told me Im setting myself up for more issues if I DONT have it done(infection, fistula/etc). I guess there's no turning back at this point...only moving forward! I go in for surgery Friday, the 13th. I'm hoping its my surgeon's lucky day. Thanks again for the replies though...if anyone else has any experience about my symptoms, I would love to hear them. Thanks again!!
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Re: Someone please talk to me.

Postby vdb324 » 08 Dec 2013, 21:38

Hi! I am also not excruciating pain. It's enough to be bothersome and have me not want to deal with it the rest of my life, though, especially at a young age like you. I think the risks are something to consider. For example, I had my fissure for nine months, and I developed a skin tag. A skin tag is pretty minor on the scale compared to things like fistulas/infections, though. Best of luck to you with your procedure!
Feb. 2013 - Developed AF
July 2013 - Diagnosed AF;nifidepine lidocaine treatment
Oct. 2013 - 1st round of Botox & skin tag removal
Dec. 2013 - 2nd Botox
March 2014 - Spinchterotomy
June 2015 - Diagnosed with Pelvic Floor Dysfunction/Vulvodynia
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Re: Someone please talk to me.

Postby Scared21yearold » 09 Dec 2013, 08:14

Hi vdb324!

I too have 2 tiny skin tags since the development of this fissure...Weirdly enough, I think they shrunk a lot because I can hardly see them anymore...has this happened to anyone else? Is it possible that with time, they go away? I know one is still there but I can hardly notice it...anyways...4 more days until the big day. Does anyone have any recommendations on what I should eat the day before? I'm planning on eating normally until dinner time on Thursday. I'm thinking a salad and/or something light...
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Re: Someone please talk to me.

Postby boodles » 09 Dec 2013, 15:52

For me, the LIS has helped tremendously. I don't think my fissure would have ever healed without it. I was very scared of the procedure, I had never had anything operated on and of course I was afraid of losing control of my bowels. But it turned out fine. I was awake for the operation and chatting with the anesthesiologist. Now, a year and a half later, I have been able to go to the bathroom fine. Only a few times have I had big stools that could re-tear, then I take some senosides to soften them and I still haven't had any problems. Full recovery took me about 4 months, where the area wasn't sensitive or leaking a little bit. But since then I have been fine. Every case is different but I would recommend the LIS to anyone whose doctor says they should have it.
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Re: Someone please talk to me.

Postby SomeDude » 09 Dec 2013, 22:31

What has worked for me and you can try is an enema, get a rectal Syringe ( http://www.amazon.com/Faultless-Goodhea ... B001F60SNC ) they're cheap 5-10$ at a local drug store. You can't clean up enough after you have a BM, water will wash you out, be careful when inserting of course (sometimes I had to use a drop of liquid soap to get the syringe in. This will keep your anus clean and you will not have the irritation and pain associated with a BM. Again this worked for me, and last year around this time I couldn't even walk, now I can function normally so that's a good thing... Of course be careful if you have an open fissure as if you push water out too hard that could cause you to tear the fissure more, so just a little water to start with, to keep anus clean, than you'll work out what works for you
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Re: Someone please talk to me.

Postby MattMecham » 09 Dec 2013, 23:22

Hello there,

I understand your fear -- it took my three years of agony before I bit the bullet and had LIS. I made the mistake of researching it too much. I mean, there are people out there who have had bad experiences, and they make a website about it, and the story spreads. I allowed the fear and panic initiated by fear-mongers to keep me from making one of the best decisions of my life, that is, to have LIS. I can truthfully say that from the minute I woke up after surgery, I have not had even one second of pain from the fissure, and that was almost three years ago. That is not true for every single person that has LIS, but for the vast majority of people, LIS is a Godsend. As far as keeping clean -- not a problem. I don't see how LIS is going to make cleanup any worse for you, from how you have thus far described the process. The only difference that I think there might be is that you will most likely not have painful BMs. I'm not a doctor, but I'd encourage you to get LIS if other methods you have tried are not working, and the pain is keeping you from leading a normal life.
I, too, am very active. I work out six days a week. For three years, when I had the fissure, my muscle shrank away because it hurt too much to lift weights. Now, almost three years AFTER the LIS, I am dead lifting over 300 lbs in my working sets, doing a lot of HIIT, and some boxing. Lots of other weightlifting, too (old school Arnold-style stuff). I never even get a whimper from the fissure site.
Semper Fi,

Matt
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Re: Someone please talk to me.

Postby Scared21yearold » 10 Dec 2013, 20:00

Thanks so much for all of the information and your experiences so far...I am very familiar with what fissure pain/sensitivity feels like....Does the recovery period feel like normal fissure pain, or is it way worse? Like I said, I haven't had much pain from this fissure in the past 2-4 months. The only reason why it's recommended for me is because I have excessive scar tissue that's making "clean up" more difficult after I have a BM, and it could turn into a fistula/get infected in the future if I DON'T have the procedure done. The surgeon explained to me that the reason why I am not experiencing pain as of right now is because the nerve endings are covered by the scar tissue that had formed over time...I do however, have the sensation that something is stuck in my rectum whenever I get gas down there sometimes. It feels like a dull pressure. Has anyone else had this? Thanks again for all of your replies and putting my mind at ease...I'm glad that there's a place on the internet where people can connect about this issue we're all having.
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