Well, it could be say that I now understand where the phrase, "A pain in the butt," comes from.
In retrospect, I've been dealing with AF for years, but I thought they were hemorrhoids.
Let's start in the summer, when I had a really bad run of constipation due to stress, which caused some pretty bad food choices. I then traveled, and during that time my stomach was so distended, I had to appetite. Fortunately, I bought Citrucel, and began the process of cleaning myself out.
But months later, I'm still struggling. Going through my cabinet there are tubes of: Hydrocortisone 10%, Preparation H, (2 kinds). I also take Citrucel, but somewhat irregularly.
Sept 30: I go to the colorectal surgeon at USC. I am in pain, but like everyone else here, I've managed. Now, it's just not feasible that this will be how I'll spend my life.
He's a bit odd. Like, you don't necessarily shake hands with someone whose fingers are up your arse, so I find him a bit cold. But maybe that's because of his job --I don't know. He gave me an exam, and it turns out that I have AF. He prescribes some ointment to be made at a compounding pharmacy, and asks me to come back in 6 weeks.
October 2: I finally get the ointment. It took 2 days for the compounding pharmacy to make it. I've started taking Citrucel 2x a day, evening and morning.
October 3 - 9 I've been using this ointment, and the area feels raw, sore, and hot. The only thing that brings me relief is sitting on ice packs.
October 9: I wake up feeling really good, not really noticing my bottom. I have a soft stool, and still I feel okay. I decide to take a Sitz bath, and that's when everything just goes to hell.
Is it the position I'm in...am I actually stretching the tissue area to sit for so long, in that position? Should I take a bath? I put the dreaded ointment on, and also put a dab of aloe cream. I go to sit in bed with an ice pack, and answer emails.
I'm lost. I don't know what to do. I feel awful most of the time.