Bum and brain healed

Fistula Success Story

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Bum and brain healed

Postby Benny Lee » 16 Apr 2018, 03:14

Hi all

I am (or was until this post) one of those people who get healed and then go away and never write about their experiences again. But I just thought I'd post a quick summary of what happened to me. Some of my past posts were when I was in the thick of chronic and acute pain, and something of a breakdown. Now I'm better.

To cut a long story short:

I had a fissure for years, without always knowing what it was.
The fissure got infected, without a doc diagnosing properly. I believe this was because I was always 'at it' with over the counter creams, and pile suppositories, and despite showering every day, it was a dirty business.
I got a fistula, which was so confusing and upsetting, I lost my marbles for a bit.
I had to wait months for a correct diagnosis (a colorectal surgeon thought it was 1-2 fissures, then, finally! A student of his correctly diagnosed it, to his embarrassment).
I went on antidepressants - sertraline - which was so difficult initially, my butt pains became a secondary problem.
I had to manage my fistula conservatively. Cleaning, tissues (to a minor extent), sitting on cushions at work. Gradually consuming less and less Movicol daily. Overall the pain was far lower than fissure.
I went in for day surgery. The surgeons explained what they'd do if it was a a more complex fistula (steton etc.)
I woke up 90 mins later, and it had been a superficial fistula.
I kept the wound clean for weeks. And 90% of the healing took place really quickly. Which was great.
I had about a year and three months of full recovery time. Beyond the first month, it was just occasional stinging if my stools were too liquid and (once) if I sat awkwardly. But all bearable both mentally and physically.
So for the last year bowel movements have always been soft - something I wondered the setraline was doing (a side-effect, again fortuitous).
As of a week ago, I've weaned myself (with my doctor's guidance) off the sertraline.
Stools remain soft. I sometimes wonder if the very slight incision into the sphincter muscle in my fistulotomy has blessed me with looser stools for life? Or if it's just my fibre-rich diet. Though I can eat white bread and red meat with impunity it seems.
Suffice to say: I'm a happy bunny, bum- and brain-wise!
The bizarre thing is: my excruciating fissure which caused me so much misery, I didn't get surgical treatment for in time. So it got infected and became a fistula. Which actually turned out to be not such a bad thing. A superficial fistula has been my (excuse me) back door out of the whole sorry saga.
My point here being: don't be scared of a fistulotomy. Surgeons seem to like the 'challenge' of them. Most are pretty easy to solve. And a superficial fistula is so so preferable to a fissure.
If I still had a fissure I would definitely get an operation. I could have handled a degree more discomfort/recovery, which I gather you'd get.
My fissures, and fistula, are no more, and it feels great! Hats off the the human body's capacity to heal! Good luck, and, I believe, like most lucky beneficiaries of surgery, you will become someone who leaves forums like this behind. Which, for all their superb and caring community support, are, I'm sure, only too happy to be left behind. Again: good luck!
Benny Lee
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Re: Bum and brain healed

Postby Dimitri71 » 17 Apr 2018, 02:07

Great story, Benny Lee, thanks for sharing!
Dimitri71
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