Hello, everyone, I'm new..
I have been reading your posts and have to chime in. Just for a bit of background, I'm a 41 year old female, generally very healthy, but have always had IBS, which I assume led to the fissure.
I only suffered with this for 3 weeks before I called a CRS (after having gone to the Prompt Care) and set up an appointment. I demanded the LIS surgery just last Friday, even though my deductible is $6,000 - I absolutely REFUSED to have my life taken over by this any longer. Money can be made up, living like this was unacceptable. How can you plan anything? Enjoy anything?
I actually said to the doc, "surgery or death - and if you won't give me the operation, I'll find someone who will - it's either that or I'm gonna throw myself in front of a train, you don't want that on your head now do you?" (I always have my humor - LOL) After a few minutes he acquiesced and before i knew it I was having pre-op stuff set up and they said "how about in 4 days?" I said "can you make it any sooner?"
I just was NOT going to pussyfoot around with more creams, baths, etc. I researched on the net and just figured too many times the patients ended up feeling not much better and/or ended up having surgery anyway, why screw around?

By Monday I was doing the prep (not as bad as expected) and was wheeled into surgery Tuesday morning. I can honestly say that for me this had been a cakewalk..barely any pain and I'm only on Day 2. Had my first BM's this morning, no problems. The whole thing was a breeze (for me).
To anyone scared of it, please don't be, get your life back - I certainly feel for you all. It is NO way to live ...'cause it's NOT living, it's merely existing. Bless you all for helping me just by reading your posts, etc. It did help to know I wasn't the only one, because no one can even begin to comprehend the pain, unless they've experienced it firsthand. They should give anal fissures to serial killers, etc or anyone they want to talk or confess a crime...they'd be singing like a canary in no time!!

That is an amazing story, we need more success stories like that! Thank you for coming here and telling it, it will surely be a great encouragement for many people, now and in the future!
Love how you reasoned out getting the surgery and not wasting time trying to heal with more conservative means. Just remember, though, not everyone has that kind of courage, though I hope in reading this post many people straddling the fence will gain some!
Are you in the US? I just wonder if people on NHS and similar programs in Canada and Europe would have that option, to demand the LIS, even through suicidal threat (awkward laugh, there.. :) )
Stay in touch and let us know how your recovery goes, it is still quite early for you!

Thanks, Sidra, for your post. So many new members lately! How about wishing AF's on politicians we don't like?????????

Thanks for the reply! Yes, I am in the U.S. Midwest, so I don't know how it works with people on NHS. I really don't know the protocol. My deductible is so high because I bought private health insurance for a pretty low monthly rate back in January, somewhat assuming I wouldn't be needing it for anything like a surgery so soon (should have known better, lol).
Anyway, yes, I hope my story helps someone. I'm sure I'll offend someone here, but I honestly don't understand the massive trepidation and fear in getting the surgery. It's a 40-minute Day Surgery, not the Whipple Procedure like my mom has had or even the hysterectomy that I had (with glee) just to be out of some endometriosis pain. Other than the small possibility of incontinence, what is anyone so scared of? I honestly don't understand? I figured if the absolute WORST happened, I guess I'd buy stock in Depends and wear a diaper... and I'm a world traveler who has ridden camels past the Pyramids in Egypt and climbed Macchu Pichu (not someone to stay around the house - and planned on doing more of the same, diaper or no diaper) and would STILL think incontinence the lesser of the two evils - better than being in constant extreme pain in my book. And maybe I'm a fast healer, but I feel great on day 2, no pain meds other than a few ibuprofen. Just don't understand why anyone would NOT demand the surgery if they are in the pain I experienced (and I didn't even have the spasms really). Sorry if I offend anyone, just trying to help, honestly.
Think of it this way...Just think of ALL he life-saving intricate surgeries that are done everyday...this is minor surgery and nothing to be so scared of that you would live in this pain if you thought a tiny incision would make you feel worlds better. That's why they invented General Anesthesia and pain medication - this isn't the Civil War era where whiskey is your only option to kill the pain pre and post- op....To me it's an absolute no-brainer and I didn't even think for a nano-second about "surgery vs. no surgery" after everything I had read. The doc did say my fissure was one of the bigger ones he has seen...maybe I'm healing so fast because I DIDN'T wait years to have this done?...just a thought for any newer people out there. Thoughts on this theory anyone?
Truly hope my experience will help anyone out there...again, I wouldn't wish the pain/loss of freedom and enjoyment on anyone (well, OK, maybe I can think of a few people that are deserving..lol) Any questions welcome!

Maybe everyone needs to go see your doctor! :) Consider yourself VERY fortunate (maybe go play the lottery!) because sadly, the results are usually not as rosy as yours have been so far! We have had a few here that did not heal at all after LIS, and a number that,while they healed, took a long time. My recovery took 1 1/2 weeks, though my CRS advised to give it 2-3 weeks. I did have the spasms, and fortunately, they were gone immediately after the surgery, but the anal pain in general took several days to calm down.
I am a little miffed in that you seem to be indicating you have healed, which shouldn't happen for at least another four weeks and probably longer. As LIS involves making a small incision into the sphincter to relax it and allow for more adequate -and healing -- blood flow to the fissure site, there is no direct procedure to the fissure itself. Unless one has a fissurectomy. Of course, I have no clue what all the surgeon may have done to you in addition to LIS. Simply, my point being, your fissure is still there and hasn't healed yet and shouldn't for another few weeks. Bummer, I know!
Also, LIS is not always a day surgery, mine involved an overnight hospitalization. I still don't know why that varies from practice to practice, but it does, and may be related to the type anesthesia used (I had GA).
I think what I am trying to say is, I am hesitant in being overly optimistic about *anyone* having the wonderful results you have had so quickly, and would not want to have others think your truly spectacular outcome is the norm. It's just not prudent...but i do agree the risk of incontinence is too small to allow oneself to continue to suffer, and even if someone else has a slower, more painful recovery, at least it is a *recovery* -- they were proactive and in all likelihood will see their fissure heal whereas before LIS it simply wasn't gonna happen!
If I sound like a stick in the mud, it's because I only offer you a word of caution -- do take it easy for at least a week or more, don't sit directly on your tail for a few days if you can avoid it and keep that healing time-frame in mind. Rest while you can!
But your post are WONDERFUL and given that some people actually suffer with AF for years, maybe indeed reading it may help move someone to the OR a bit faster and end their own nightmare!
Keep healing and keep us informed on your progress!

Sidra,
Thank you for sharing your story. My fissure has only been symptomatic for about a month so far but I'm getting to the point where I can't bear it anymore and am close to scheduling LIS surgery. I do have the spasms (at least that's what I think it is) and it's difficult to bear. Every bowel movement fills me with terror because I know the pain it will cause both during and for hours afterward. Reading about your experience is encouraging.
If I could ask you one thing: were you having any problems with hard stools prior to surgery? The reason I ask is that in thinking through the surgery or not question, one of the things I'm wondering is what happens if my stools are still hard (or alternatively too watery) following surgery. Would that cause the surgical incision to have trouble healing, or perhaps still prevent the fissure from healing? I guess what I'm saying is, I don't want to have surgery just to fix the sphincter muscle tension problem, only to leave the stool hardness/wateriness part of the problem unsolved.
If you could shed any light on the kinds of problems that led to your fissure in the first place, and whether that has changed after surgery, it would be much appreciated. Also, following surgery, are you able to pretty much pass any kind of stool without the terrible pain, or are there still ones that hurt badly? Thanks again.

Thanks again everyone for the replies...yes, I do know that so far I have been extremely lucky and in fact did buy a Mega Millions ticket on the way TO the surgery (haven't checked it yet, need to do that, it's in the car!) because I figured I was due some good karma.
The doc did tell me to expect a 2 week recovery time, so I am forcing myself not to do too much. I know not enough time has passed for the fissure to actually be "healed" per se, and actually I'm a bit concerned that I'm NOT in more pain..like "did he really DO anything?" I really didn't have the spasms but maybe twice, and really, that is when I decided that I was probably getting worse instead of better and went pro-active.
Kim, yes I agree, all these surgeons seem to have quite different ideas...I did go under General Anesthesia, but did not stay overnight and was home in a few hours. I have no problems with GA (like it never happened), so I'm lucky there. Also, do you think it's possible that the sooner this is done, the better?..think about it, none of the constant healing, re-tearing, scar tissure...healing, re-tearing, more scar tissue...and on and on..which I would assume could only damage things and make getting better more difficult with each vicious cycle? Almost like maybe my tissue in there can heal faster/feels better because it hasn't been through hell for so much time- and time and time again?
Neuropathic Guy - I don't really know for sure what caused this..I've always had IBS and alternating between loose stools and a little constipation..I DO know that I've probably spent 5X more time in the bathroom than anyone I've ever been around. I just figure that as much as i'm in there, one day it just happened when I strained for the umpteenth time one fateful day...I got better for a week and a half with a liquidy diet and stool softeners, but it came back and that was all I needed to feel to say "enough, this will probably ALWAYS come back eventually if i don't have the LIS" and I just didn't want to live always waiting for the other shoe to drop... I was prepared to deal with ANY pain for even up to a month (like I had read online) as long as I thought that eventually I could basically put this behind me (no pun intended).
Boy, I sure can relate to being filled with absolute terror before a bowel movement (and I have like 3 per morning due to my IBS)..I almost passed out 2X from the pain, seriously..I was putting towels in my mouth to bite on, hanging onto the towel bar, etc, and still was coming out of there in a literal cold sweat, practically hyperventilating, and then was in searing pain for the next 5-6 hours.. ruined a little vacation to Northern Michigan for sure.Right now I'm taking Miralax so the stools I have passed are pretty soft/a little bit watery..I plan on taking it for a VERY long time!!

Yes, i DO think the sooner the better, Sidra! Absolutely. And your healing may indeed be quicker than 4 weeks because of all the things you mentioned, "re-tearing, scar tissure...healing, re-tearing, more scar tissue...and on and on..." You will not have those effect to overcome in healing, hopefully! Exactly. the longer an AF lingers, the harder it is to heal!!
Oh, and do stay on your AF diet for as long as you can tolerate it!
So happy we were able to bring up this point!

2 week recovery????!!!! That sounds amazing, maybe giving me hope! Unfortunatly living in Scotland with the NHs (which is a good service but.) I don't have the luxury of demanding surgery :( :( :( I have had to endure months of first a mis diagnosis which lasted several weeks of sheer torture and only been given Anusol!!! WTF! It actually took me 3 doctor visits before they even attempted looking there, was passed of as piles! Then my good GP thought it may be a fissure ( diagnosed over the phone with me sobbing from my desk at work) and was told to pick up a prescription for GTN ( having no info on what the hell a fissure was) with high hopes for me to rub this magic cream on and it to be all better. Imagine my frustration when all it did was give me a bloody sore head, feel sick and make me dizzy! Then after more weeks of waiting I saw a surgeon on the 23rd of June hoping he would fix me only to ( after an excrutiating internal examination) to give me yet another cream Diltiazem to use for 8 weeks, a pat on the head and 'we'll send an appointment out in 3 months' . Away home with yet more hope and now in twice amount of pain, no information, everything I found out was on the net and almost self diagnosed myself. Three weeks later no better and I went to my fav GP who sent me up to hospital and the performed the Botox procedure under GA, next day doped to my eyeballs on tramodal and morphine I was discharged with a bag of Tramodol, movical and more bloody cream to use for 6 weeks. And now I sit here almost 4 weeks later in just as much if not more pain than at the beginning with another appointment in 6 weeks.
So it's times like this when j wish to god I had the money to go private cause I feel like topping myself and they wonder why??!!
So I am so glad you have had such a great experience, well not great but you know what I mean, it kind of gives me a little chink of light XXXXXXXX

Sidra,
Thank you, it actually sounds like we've had very similar experiences. My fissure first reared its ugly head in early May of this year, but disappeared (or at least stopped hurting) after about a week of me taking stool softeners and eating salads. I thought it was gone, but then in July it came back with a vengeance.
I have a borderline panick attack, complete with the profuse sweating and hot flushed feeling in my head, during every bowel movement. I usually wait for my wife to leave the house before going in case I have to yell. I also have to go #2 several times a day, usually 4-5 times on average, which makes is that much more terrifying.
Thanks again, and best of luck to you during the healing process, I can only hope to follow in your footsteps soon!