Hello all-
I know things are fine but I am simply overwhelmed physically & emotionally so I am seeking out your experiences and advice.

I am day 11 out of a simple/superficial fistulotomy. After this procedure, I had to move within the week to another state to begin clinical rotations that started today. We moved Thursday/Friday last week.. 1 week after surgery. By Saturday I felt so set back as I was in so much discomfort between lifting/moving items and sitting for 10 hrs in the Uhaul. Today was my 1st day on clinicals, and because I work in a medical setting with patients I can't take the Norco. Its been so busy I just got Tylenol tonight for tomorrow because I didn't have time to get to a store. Today being on my feet all day was rough, I was pretty uncomfortable by the day's end.

My question/advice I need:
1) What ups and downs have you had when you thought you were heading quickly towards healing that disappointed you?

2) Did you look at your wound? I finally took a peek today and then cried. Still a small incision hole (or what I joked now a giant fistula), but everything looks healthy... But it still looks strange to me... I also had a anal tag excision. I just want to look normal or know its normal... ugh.

3) I still haven't been able to find the right balance diet wise because of the move and working now... I eat well, but my digestions is still off.. I feel bloated, rumbly and so on. Nothing major, but I'm afraid to stop taking the Colace until I am more settled. What experiences did you have?

Thanks guys, I could really use the support. I feel like I am running the end of a marathon every day with all that has gone on.

Hi Manitourose ... glad to hear you had the procedure and things can get to healing.... sorry things are bumpy right now for you but it will get better. Are you doing sitz baths? I used epsom salt in my water when doing a sitz bath and also in the bath each nite. it really soothes and even without the salts just the warm water helped relieve discomfort.

My ups and downs were more mental for me i think .. scared that the surgery would not work or i would need another .. also i found it very hard not having anyone around me to talk to who could say oh i know what you mean or thats normal cuz as you know not too many know of these things. Looking back now though i must say that healing was easier then i thought it was going to be.

I was terrified to look at my wound as i have read on here that it really looks worse then it is being that its an open gash left to heal from the inside out but i got out the mirror and looked and had the same reaction you did ... my hubby was used to seeing it so he was like oh its not that bad but to me it as like this will NEVER heal but it did.

I adjusted my diet to better suit a healthy bowel movement. I had or have IBS and always had stomach problems and would go to the washroom like 4-6 times a day sometimes more but once all this started i was told that softer stool was the key to lessen the stress on the rectum... they say drink lots of water, eat lots of fruits and veggies and i must admit the water thing is true cuz if i have a day that i dont drink my 8 cups of water i have to strain to get my stool out... I also started eating more probiotic yogort, tomatoes everyday and these few changes have really helped me get control of my issues. I was also a very big cola drinker (2 Ltrs a day) and now i cant finish a can of pop. getting into a routine is a key i think when it comes to healthy bowel movements if i sway from my daily routine i pay the price lol.

sorry if i am long winded but i really try to give as much info as possible cuz I have been there in your shoes and the feeling of being alone is felt by most of us who have been or are going through these issues. If i can help you any more just let me know, i will do my best.

I hope things settle for you and your studies continue to go well..... you are on the right road even if its hard to see the light at the end ... you will get there .. I did it and so will you... :)

Thanks so much for your response. It means a lot to know you shared some of the same experiences and its so helpful to hear. Especially the incision part. Same here, my fiance sees it and doesn't think its a big deal.

I love the baths, they help SO MUCH. I just wish when I got uncomfortable today I could have hopped in because it really relaxes my muscles.

I'm trying to increase my water. I eat really healthy in general, but you mentioned yogurt and I think I will have a late evening snack of that.

Thanks again. It really helped to hear!!

I'm in month 4 of recovery. I'm now in a new city, yet another move for my clinical rotations (my last one!). This one is more stressful. I am fully healed and you can barely tell I had surgery. Sometimes though like the past few days I get a tiny bit of discomfort or ache, or maybe I am anxious and worried and just tighten my muscles. I freak out a bit that m fistula is reoccurring. So that's where I am at.
I still use stool softener on occasion, fiber supplements and probiotics if I can't get enough water and fiber in my diet. Still trying to take more baths than showers. I hope I am doing everything right. From the research I read recurrence is more frequent in more complex and higher fistulas. Mine was a very low and simple track. I never recall how it originally occurred and there was no abscess upon seeing the CRS. So fingers crossed I'm paranoid! :)

How is everyone doing?

Hi manitourose .. Glad to hear all is going well with u ... I still have the fears of the fistula coming back or the abscess but I'm back to normal since my fistulotomy and seton... I freak if I don't have a bm everyday I take softeners if I don't to make sure I don't have a hard time pushing or big solid stool ... I hear that sometimes the pushing can put a lot of stress on that area so I do my best to keep things flowing and soft ... One thing I find weird is that on rainy days or damp days my butt aches lol kinda like arthritis lol ... Probably sounds weird and maybe just in mind lol.... Being through this kind of thing makes us more sensitive to even a twitch down there and makes us think oh god what now lol ... Hopefully it just stays to us worrying for nothing lol

Dewilly, Thanks for the response it was soooooo reassuring. Things seemed to settle down. I've been under tremendous stress with my clinical and here comes the hemorrhoid inflammation. Ugh, frustrating. They have cleaned up the tag so nicely and I felt NORMAL. I'm a mid 36 yr old woman, who just well.. wants to feel lovely. So back to really focusing on my health, water, diet, stress relief and HOPE this hemmie goes back to where it came from! :)

Hope that you're doing well, Manitourose!!

Thanks for the support! I saw a new CRS in the new city I am in (though I'm out of town in a small city for 2 months... -chaos!!)... I may still pick a new CRS, but this one had good reviews. She said it was a fissure (a deep one) and shocked I felt nothing and grade II internal hemorrhoids. Gave me some internal cream I have been given previously for the hemorrhoids (that ended up giving me a UTI when I did use it 2x a day last time) and cream for the anal fissure.

I think most shocked was her student in fellowship as I described my previous anal fistula and that I developed it unsuspecting, with no known abscess or pain. I told him my fistula surgeon said it wasn't uncommon and he developed gave me the look of "I need to go re-read the literature!". :)

I suppose all in all everything is fine. I do eat well, healthy weight, water.. so on.. I guess the only component I know that causes me issues all around is stress.

Any suggestions in this area of things that have helped others? I've worked on it for years but can't seem to kick chaos that keeps happening or the anxiety disorder I have. It comes and goes.

Manitourose, I'm sorry for all of your trauma! I'm dealing with a very painful fissure as well as rectocele and cystocele. I'm wondering how you handle being on your feet all day with the fissure? For me, it is a daily bleeding issue as well as quite painful. I've been under extreme stress (moving across the country tomorrow, starting a new job on my feet but I NEED it for insurance), and I can't imagine that is helpful. I think the baths have helped a bit...I also have prescription diltiazem but I find it really irritates me and I can't sense any improvement. I'm wondering if you would consider surgery for your fissure at this point? I will definitely want to do so if this doesn't heal by the time my insurance kicks in in February. I'm 41, in good shape (but have had to cut back on exercise), and this is really a buzz kill!