Update.
Well, have had an improvement in my pain levels..... Not massive, but enough to be able to start thinking I may get my life back. I'm not sure what is giving the most relief, as I've started a couple of things at the same time.
I have had 2 sessions of acupuncture. She uses red light therapy on me as well, and I have managed to up my gabapentin to 300mg 2 times a day. On a good day this is really helping take my neuropathic pain down a notch.
I make a conscious effort to remind myself that the horrible burning pain is not a wound or fissure... It's nerve damage. This has helped to settle my mind somewhat that I'm not constantly re tearing all the time.
It's still pretty painful to sit...... But I'm hoping this will get better as things go along.
I haven't heard anything yet about the nerve stimulation... But I will get on about that and see if pester power will hurry things up.

OMB x

Glad you are getting some relief! Hope it continues!
I am ok today but yesterday was not a good day. I had a lot of pain, level 5, and it hurt when I had BM's. I do not remember it hurting like this when I had the fissure. It hurt like hell after for hours. Of course, I am terrified of another fissure. My CRS just looked a few weeks ago and has said that the fissure is healed.
I am trying to do the same as you and tell myself that it is not a fissure but nerve pain. Damn though, nerve pain can be really bad! It seems to hurt just when my anus is opening to go. It sort of pinches and hurts. The it stops and I may or may not have burning on and off. I only do the electrical therapy when I go to physical therapy twice a week but I find that it really helps. That and ice!! Which I don't always remember to do.
I'm off of work right now but am starting to think that I will need a lot more time than I originally thought. I cannot believe how slow this is to heal. And just when I think I am doing better, something changes.
Ughh, anyway good to hear you are having some pain relief!

Hi, I'm coming up on 2 years since my flap surgery. It's been a journey. I was told it would take 2 years for things to settle down in that area and I can honestly tell you that my surgeon had it pretty right. It has all come in stages. After surgery it took months for things to get comfortable but then I'd have days where things burned or ached and then it would go away for a while. After 6 months the discomfort was less but not gone, then another 6 months passed and it got better. It gets better a little at a time. I really can't complain now. I do pretty well. I'd say the most discomfort I have is from where the donor tissues was taken. If you don't clean that area really well it can feel uncomfortable but once you clean it off things are fine. I think I have the most trouble with the dosage of miralax, I keep having to lower the dose and just when I think I have it right I don't. Because I had two flaps done I take extra care but other than that I'm glad I did the surgery and gave it time. I do continue to do dilation but not everyday anymore. I hope you continue to see improvement and will someday be able to put this journey behind you. All the best Suzy.

Glad to hear things are looking up OMB.

Just wondering, did you experience any constipation on the Gabapentin?

Jlm1...... Yes.. It's so hard when one day can be so much worse than the next. There's never any rhyme or reason to it.

Suzy... Did you get awful burning pain during your recovery? I am 6 months in today.... And the pain I get from the fissure site I got directly after surgery is the one that is causing me so many problems.

Msimon... No... I don't believe the gabapentin is constipating to me.. But I take movicol every day.

OMB x

Hi Owmybum. I had burning for quite a while but it was managable. Then I went through a period where it would go away for weeks and then come back, this went on for over a year. I think it's just part of recovery but I did discover that anything that got on the donor sites would make it burn like the devil. If you have a bm and clean up wasn't as good as you thought it was or if you have any kind of discharge, even the kind you don't notice this will make it burn. I started putting a little aquaphor on the donor sites and in just a few days the burning went away. I don't use it much anymore unless I'm have many bms in a day. Time helped the most and everyone recovers at a different rate. After everything I've been through I'm very mindful of my butt. I don't think that will ever go away. Suzy

OMB - so glad to hear you are having some improvement!! It really lifted my heart to know there is some good things happening for you!

Glad things are improving, OMB. What a frightful ride AFs, etc, are!!

I saw my pelvic floor specialist today. She took some readings and couldn't believe how weak my pelvic muscles were. The reading was very low.
She has set up my pelvic toner machine and I'm to do 30 mins a day with this. I go back in July for a re evaluation.

She couldn't believe I was not soiling myself the reading was so low.

OMB

Yes Sav..... It's a living nightmare!

How are you? How is your pain?