So I'm sure some of you must have experienced this...
Lately, I haven't felt like hanging out with friends...and not sure when I will. On the one hand, I don't want to broadcast to the whole world that I've got an AF...but on the other hand I don't want people to think I'm just blowing them off.
Or...when I do go out, I don't want to drink (or not much at least) which a lot of my social life had revolved around... which again leads to questions of "what's wrong with you?"
How do you respond to this? My excuse of "just not feeling well" is wearing thin. I was toying with the idea of telling people I have an ulcer in my lower intestine...I told some people I was having "digestive issues"...I'm looking for something vague, maybe not a complete lie...

That's a great question! I will be curious to see what people come up because it is a toughie.
I usually just say "pelvic problems" because it is pretty all-encompassing and as a female noone wants to ask you any details after you say that!

I actually told my friends and even directed one to watch the surgery on proctosite-which I regretted because she didnt think it was a big deal...

ive basically "blurted" it out several times,at work,out with friends whenever,i dont care...its funny cause people laugh at it at 1st,then later in the week they are serious in asking me about it and are actually supportive,i even had one girl[who is attractive] call my cell and tell me her brother had one for a long time.unfortunetly my fiance didnt take to kindly of other girls calling my phone,i says its part of a " personal support group" that didnt work either..anyway i was quiet at 1st,then i felt like the more peole i told the better i would feel,i almost felt like i was hiding something from people by not telling,like i say,people are actually very encouraging and supportive

once u start telling your friends you'll be surprised to know that some of them have had this problem.
most of my friends started eating lots of fiber after seeing my plight. so u r doing some social service by telling others about it

Well, I haven't particularly advertised my fissure to my friends, but they do know that I am somehow "sick". I had some problems with hyperthyroidism so a couple of them just understand that I have problems in general (haha).
I couldn't hide it from my most intimate best friend.. I didn't outright say "umm I have a fissure in the bum", I sort of just explained to him that when I was travelling, I had some problems with eating the wrong food, and after a while it starting hurting when I went to the washroom, etc... So it's sort of like a cut, and it takes ages to heal... etc etc.. And I explained how painful it can be and how I need to regulate my diet. To my other best friend I just briefly described how sometimes I have "problems" with going to the washroom/sometimes I have pain, and she didn't ask too much more.
If you say that, they don't really know what kind of pain or whether it's problems having a BM or just going regular pee. I'm a somewhat private person so I don't like telling everyone hehe.
My family knows, I don't really care about that - but for anyone else, I'd just say I have some problems going to the bathroom, I'm a stupid superficial 'young person' who isn't too proud of her fissure so I sort of cover it up with my words. Either way, it sure does help to tell at least some of the people you're close to - now my best bud is always forcing me to eat healthy whenever he calls me :) its helpful!

At first I told no one, but later I told just about all my close friends. They were supportive. And like some of you, I even discoved family and friends who had suffered with AF, too.
But it is embarrassing, and I were as young as you, Sunshine, I know I would be hesitant to bring it up, too.