Canadabum,

Thank you and the same to you

Thank you to the creators and moderators and all the contributors on this board, you are bright souls.

Sorry to hear things are still so bad. Take a look at this list. There are several CRS at the bottom of the list in Vancouver, as well as one in New West at the top:

http://cscrs.ca/colon-and-rectal-surgeons-directory/

If I were you, I would call each and every one of them and find out how long the wait is to see them and, most importantly, if they do surgery for AFs. Then pick one and take it to your GP and get a referral to that specific CRS. I have done this many times with specialists. It is your right to see the Doctor you want. I would be not be taking no for an answer and even more so, make them address a degree of urgency in the referral letter. Wait times are highly dependent on what your GP indicates in the referral letter. You need to be honest with them and tell them this has literally taken your life away. Best of luck!

thank you msimon,

I will do this right away. I have not pushed hard enough for better care. My family doc is sympathetic and I'm sure he would refer me to the crs I choose. I've been terrified at the thought of this surgery, but I am desperate, it's time to go the next step, nothing else has worked.

I know how you feel. I was crying and shaking all the way to the OR. It is not an easy decision to make but you have to step back and look at the quality of life you have, as well as those around you. Some Doctors don't take AFs seriously as they are not life-threatening but I consider that they are as they cause suicidal-pain. I seriously considered ending my life over it. In the end, I did the surgery for my family. They needed to have me back to who I was and who I needed to be.

If you have a supportive Doctor, that is a good degree of the battle won there. What they write in that referral letter is really important. Let them know you had to quit your job because of this (you did right?) and that you are in so much pain you cannot function normally and that this is urgent. You also may not want the new CRS to know you have been rejected elsewhere. It's like the old boy's club out there and one Doctor doesn't want to touch something that another one didn't deem a big enough problem to treat. I think it makes it easier for them to reject you. Sad as that is, it is something I have learned through experience.

Things might be tough to move on until after New Year's as many Specialist's offices shut down over the X-mas break. Also, I don't know what your financial situation is but there are many people out there that take a short-term bill like you mentioned so they can get back to functioning again. If you are not able to earn an income due to this, the sooner you get it fixed and can work again will actually mean less financial loss in the long-run (A short-term deficit that you could recover from when you are fully functioning again-like an investment, really). Just some of my personal thoughts on the matter...

was on disability for many months, it finally ran out and I gave up the fight. Have not worked for 7 months, combination of daily pain and deep depression. Was so depressed I chose not to seek help, actually hoping I would crash as far as possible. tried a natural clinic that claims to cure fissures and hems, didn't work for me.

Time is now, money running out. Roller coaster- today is the rare good day, minimal pain, who knows why. I write daily diaries of every detail of food, drink, activities.....nothing makes sense with this evil.

I hoped that I wouldn't wake up from the surgery. It was that bad. Hang in there. But you've got to try! There is a rather simple cure out there, you just have to get access to it. Once you do, it will be night and day. Just keep envisioning how you want things to be. I know it sounds hokey but it can be yours. I've had to be very pushy to get my healthcare. It's sad but you've got to fight for it in this country.

My dad was a family doctor, he retired 25 years ago, I cannot believe how much things have changed here in the last few decades. Back then, it was easy to get specialist care within days of needing it.

Part of me fears that surgery won't work, but at this point, I have nothing to lose, it can't get any worse.

Hurtinend, how are you?

not good

family doc against surgery, working to get a referral to a real crs. In the end. I may have to pay privately. Vancouver is an incredible place, but if you need a specialist doctor you have to wait forever.

Started yet another new regime.....inserting rectal syringe filled with homemade saline solution of water, salt and baking soda.....hmmmmmmmm, less pain today. Theory is that the area us inflamed, must be cleansed internally, heck the old school may help here, but far too soon to say, although 5 minutes after the cleansing....I feel better.

My family doc was also against surgery but the thing is, she did not really know what was wrong with me. I was told by another doc to go to emerg dept and wait it out. At the time I did not realize that a CRS or a general surgeon would be on call and an anoscope would be used to take a good look. That could have been explained to me as I thought it would be just another dr. telling me the same old thing--fissures/hems. I instead waited for the appoint with a CRS. Looking back, maybe I should have gone to emerg dept but I could not withstand a 9-10 hour wait as is often the case here, while in such pain. Sadly waiting in emerg in this city is the only way to get in "quickly". A two minute look by the CRS and he found the culprit (deep abscess) and I wished that someone had taken a look long before. I suffered for months and months on end. Have you been examined with an anoscope?