by anothersufferer » 30 Dec 2014, 15:54
Hello again Owmybum, yes three of the Botox procedures worked for a while. The fourth went wrong, and the spasms went from10 out of 10, to 20 out of 10. And all us AF sufferers know what those spasms are like. And when it went wrong, that particular surgeon told me the only way forward was pain management. You and I know that we can only take pain control that does not cause constipation .. So that wasn't the answer, and I wasn't happy with that decision, asked to be referred to St Mark's. I had even contemplated flying to the USA to see Dr Feingold, who does the Kenalog procedure, but obviously that needed big cash outlay (a second mortgage no doubt) and in all honesty, on a bad day, I would not have been able to get there. but the lady surgeon I am now seeing at St Mark's is great. I had another procedure on December 23rd. She used Botox (different brand to the last one), and also used a steroid injection which is what Kenalog is. Also examined me to see if I would be a candidate for LIS but I am not. Apparently men have long sphincter muscles, women short ones which is why there is reluctance to do this procedure on women. More chance of incontinence. My fissure was found to be "very big", and much too early for me to know whether what has been done on December 23 will be successful. Will have to wait a few months. However, if I am unlucky enough that it doesn't put me to rights, I was told "they would not give up on me", which I felt the previous guy did. St Mark's is a very busy hospital, waiting times for appointments quite long .. But it is the specialist colorectal hospital, so as far as I am concerned, worth waiting for.