Hey there,
Wish I didn't have to make this post, but the forum has been quite a help. About two years ago I had my first AF. I'm not sure what caused it, but I suspect it was just my diet. It healed up in about a week or two, and I'd had some intermittent problems since then but nothing significant. Until about two or three weeks ago. The fissure returned, and again I suspect it was because of my diet. This fissure started to heal up after about a week, but I had to go out of town. I suppose I jumped back to "normal" food too soon, because it returned with a vengeance. It's been about a week now that it's been defining my life.
I've had three different kinds of fractures (one wrist, two leg) and each was a very unique, very awful kind of pain. When I was a kid I had an ulcer that felt like someone was actually stabbing me in the side. I had a couple of cracked ribs once that made every breath send lightning bolts through my chest, while laughing, coughing, or sneezing would nearly leave me unconscious.
I can honestly say that the AF is the worst pain I've ever experienced. It has damn near completely drained me, physically and emotionally. When this first started again (before I went out of town) I only had one or two times where the pain continued to linger for a long time after a BM. Since then, the pain is largely confined to the time when I'm having a BM. I'll have some discomfort while just sitting around or whatever, but no real pain to speak of. That being said, the pain looms just out of sight, and my nerves are a bit shot. Even if I'm not in pain now, I know it's only a matter of time until it comes back. I feel like I'm seeing the world through pain-tinted glasses, and even things that normally relax me I can barely enjoy.
I think (hope?) that I have started to see some improvement, but I can't be sure. Here are the steps I've taken to try to help... I gladly welcome any suggestions or advice.
1) High Fiber Diet: Fiber One cereal and bars; apples; broccoli/carrot/cauliflower soup with chicken-broth base.
2) Benefiber: 3xdaily. I'm not sure if this is actually helping. In fact, I'm not even sure if it's the kind of fiber (insoluble) that would help with this, but I'm taking it anyway.
3) Water: Drinking lots and lots of water.
4) Baths: Sitting in 2-4 warm/hot baths a day, for about 10-20 minutes each.
5) Miralax: I just started taking this yesterday. Haven't had a BM today at all, which has me a little nervous.
6) Stool Softener: I was taking the maximum dose of Equate brand stool softener (Docusate sodium) until I started Miralax yesterday. Should I be taking both?
7) I haven't seen a doctor yet. I don't have one that I feel comfortable with and, more importantly, one that I feel would take this matter seriously. A friend just recommended someone, though, and I think I may make an appointment. (Fine way to meet a doctor, though. "Hey Doc, nice to meet you! Here, take a look at my @$$, would ya?") He's a PCP, but I think he also has surgical experience... better than nothing, I guess.
Any help is much appreciated.

Glad you found the site, it's a lifesaver! You'll get lots of info and advice here that you'll never get from any doctor, they just cannot understand the pain or the unpredictable nature of an af.
As I said in a different thread last week, 2 years ago I remember a guy on here saying that he had been SHOT in the past - and that his af pain was worse...and again, I for one believe it.
Keep taking the Miralax, it's a big part of living with this (before and after surgery). Even after LIS I still take it religiously every night.
Keep reading back threads also, plenty of good and informative stories from us old-timers.

this is what my Doctor told me to do, and it has worked to help heal my AF.....
1- NO warm baths, or sitz baths. take short showers
2- one table spoon of fiber supplement at night before bed
3- stool softener, I take colace 2 pills a day
4- Nifedipine ointment
5- DIET, this is key...Don't eat these items
- NO milk, yogurt, ice cream,
- NO caffeine (coffee, tea, softdrinks)
decaf tea is ok
- NO chocoalte
- NO citrus fruits or juices
- NO red meat (chicken is ok, in small
portions)
- NO nuts (peanut butter is ok)
my diet for the past 12 weeks has been a lot of chicken noodle soup, eggs (scrambled or boiled), rice, soy milk, peanut butter, yams, and lots of water....
all of the above have made a HUGE difference...i would recommend following this plan. hope this helps!