lars, i will definitely say to adjust feeling pain free in rather six to eight months.
i don't want to get you down but i don't want you to feel more sad because you are not pain-free after 12 days.
i would say things are going to be better in 6-8 weeks and then you will have more normalcy in 6-8 months.....a good year is probably best to determine how well you've come along.
don't despair.

I absolutely agree !
Lars - buddy - you had this for such a long time and than fossurectomy with LIS - your doctor was way off with his timing ! If you do not believe me, go and Google "fissurectomy" and read medical papers and statistics. For fissurectomy the place needs about 12 weeks to heal !!!! And that is average which means that some people need maybe 24 weeks ! So, you really need to try to relax and not put a date on your healing process.
The only thing that worries me is that you are not having soaks : (. Can you buy a big plastic basin of some kind and fill it with water in the shower stall and sit in it ??? It will help you so much with muscle
relaxing and blood circulation and healing ! I stopped my soaks after 6 weeks and my CRS told me to continue with them for the next 4 weeks - that is how important they are !
My doctor also told me not expect to be close to normal before the January so, really, your 12 day mark means nothing at this point ! When do you have post op. exam scheduled ?
And yes, try to keep your BM nice and soft - but not runny since it can cause some burning too.
Happy Healing Lars
You will heal !!!!!

Well said, Fiss!!

hot baths are SOOOO important i can't stress it enough. i hope you find some way to get in a few hot baths every day lars, i'm surprised your dr didn't encourage this. buy a big basin or bowl or something to soak your butt in, especially after each BM. that's crucial i believe. i wouldn't be able to function without my hot soak after BM every morning.
i'm not surprised your dr gave you such a ridiculous time period. drs tend to do that. i'm lucky to have found an understanding surgeon this time, who never makes me feel rushed to heal. sometimes his reassurance makes all the difference when i feel panicky. my previous surgeon gave me "time limits" and when i met and then exceeded those it only made me more depressed. i'm sorry to say, but your dr is way out of line in telling you you'll be pain free in 2 weeks. with the surgery you had, that's ridiculous. at 2 weeks i was still in pretty severe pain during BM and definitely still having significant pain throughout the day. tomorrow will be my 5 week mark and i still have pain, but it has decreased each week and i believe within a few more weeks i'll be feeling pretty good. i believe the 12 weeks that fissy quotes is much more realistic.
you have 3 months off work right? relax, take it easy, take as many hot baths as possible and treat yourself right during this healing time. it will get better, but it is very slow. like watching grass grow i always say! :)

i agree with you. I come home from work and soak, then eat lunch and back to work. Soaking is real important.
i agree with juney. My doctor told me tops 3 weeks. My surgery was back in July. As Juney mentioned you have signficant pain throughout the day but will decrease. I think the docs really dont know or know but dont want to tell you. My surgeon almost gave up on me and wanted to refer me to a wound specialist. I said i was very disapointed and i didnt want him to give up on me. Every doctor i go to gives up on me. I get really tired of hunting doctors.
He is trying to still heal me but he doesnt look me in the eye anymore. I went to the wound specialist and stood in the waiting room Friday. All i saw was Gulf war people with wounds and people who had other type of wounds and it freaked me out. I went up to the window and said i will reschedule. I was afraid they were going to scrub down there or something. Just had a bad feeling. I am going back to my surgeon next Friday for a check up. The surgeon has also shaved me down there which has speed up healing. Just thought i was add that in there for kicks!
Just my take
Bernard

try a "sits bath". You place it on top of the tolet and soak. Women use it after child births.

Yes, thanks Bernard for reminding us of that idea too !!! But I think big basin will give him lots more of nice warm water and he can sit more comfortably - I know sitz-baths made me uncomfortable since they made more pressure that way on my pelvic floor - but if that is the only option - better that than nothing !!!
Hope you are doing at least a little bit better Bernard

Fiss,
I switched to the big tub after Lecia's suggestion. I, like you, thinks it puts less pressure on the butt.
Cheryl

Hey Bernard,
Thanks for sharing your insight into all of this. Healing takes a long time in the anorectal region. My CRS told me recovery from a hemorrhoidectomy was 2 weeks and I knew she was lying to my face. I am glad your CRS is thinking about wound healing and how to help that. Maybe a hyperbaric treatment.? Maybe a visit to a nutritionist or something to help you stress-wise?
Lars, things take time and I am not sure what your expectations were but you really are right where we would expect you to be. I am glad you have seen improvement but don't fret if every day is not better than the day before. That is just not going to happen with this kind of surgery. But over the course of weeks you wlll see you are not where you used to be. Maybe keep a pain journal so you can see that you are getting better. Hang in there!

Lars, is there any reason why you aren't, or weren't, taking the sitz baths? They were a godsend to me after my LIS surgery, and while I was in the hospital they had me take three hot whirlpool baths. It was part of post-op.
If I hadn't taken the baths after each BM that first week or so, I would have suffered a lot more....