Hello all,
Like everyone here my anal hell began in 2005, after several weeks of all the creams/meds etc it actually healed up and with a few Metamucil drinks here and there stayed calm until Aug 28, 2011. I would have blood here and there but usually no pain and it would go away after I started making sure I didnt forget old Metamucil. I would be able to function, fairly well.
Then after feeling like I had diarrea all the time I decided in the last week of August to stop Metamucil for a few days and start probiotics. We went out of town to Ohio from Atlanta and I forgot to bring Meta with me. Well after a few days of eating out and NOT drinking enough water (I try to drink at least 2 ltrs or more a day) I knew there was a problem saturday night (after having white castles) and by my drive back Sunday Aug 28th, the nightmare of my anal fissure began. As a side note, I named my fissures "Carrie" and my wife doesnt want to see me remake Star Wars with my Iphone camera.
So began from then til now, crying, pooping glass, burning skin, depression, self hate constant dread of the next BM that has been my life. Went to my regular doctor, cream and supp. I asked about surgery, he told me it was all about diet and NO ONE gets surgery for fissures. (and overall this is one great doctor)
2 days later, at a GI specailist, cream/med.
Week later, unbearable pain (you all can relate, most people can not) they referred me to a CRS. I worked through all the pain, even having my butt feel like it was trying to cramp into it self. Went to him, seems like a great doc, that was last week. After trying the nitro (no headache but it burned so much I could not sleep) and sitz baths which I freaking hate I went back to him yesterday. We scheduled the LIS next friday (he of course acts like its not big deal, 3-4 days off, does these all the time, we can knock it out at lunch) of course that makes me feel more calm, but I took off 9 days from work and figure I will just have to take it easy after that, I cant stay off too long, so fingers crossed)
In 2005 I thought about the surgery "butt" talked myself out of it. Now I am starting to have second thoughts, but I think I will go through with it. I read all the messages on here that say "wish I had done it sooner" and I want my life back, 24 days of just making it through the day sucks. Plus, as I told my wife, I have never had pain that made me think about suicide, but this pain does. I would never do it, but its scary that it puts you in such a dark place so fast and if your having one of those good days cause its been like 12 hours since you took a crap and you start to feel normal, then you crap and it starts all over again. Its like the movie Groundhogs day over and over. I work at Home Depot so I stand all day, everyone says, you need to lay down. People dont understand, you are uncomfortable in every position. USE a doughnut, you dont understand, all pressure hurts! Most of the last 3 weeks I have not slept but an hour or so and some nights never went to sleep. I guess exhaustion sets in every 3-5 days and I actually got about 6 hours sleep.
Anyway, I am rambling, just had to get if off my chest, I feel for all you and would never wish this on anyone. That being said, does anyone else feel like their butthole is in a knot when it spasms, so hard all you can do is squeeze your cheeks and hold on?
LIS, I gotta stay with it. I keep thinking, I am 41, this pain is not going to be easier if it goes away and comes back in a week, month, year, 10 years!! I have no idea how I will cope with this if I am even older! But I am fearful if the nefipine works I will want to delay it. I am just so tired of being in pain, I have hardly left my house except for work and I just get through that. The stool softner I am trying, well I hope it works (Kroger brand) and I am really tired of Fiber. As a side note, here is my review of "Fiber One Brownies." - congratulations, you just ate fiber today. End review.
Oh well, thanks for reading, sorry so long and I will update you on my LIS adventure, I am praying that I get my life back in the next few months. I am overweight too and this stops me from working out, fear of pooping is helping me lose weight though!
Have a good day, I have to go, as the spasm has started and I feel like my butt is gonna turn inside out.
Tony
PS. I had this surgery scheduled in a week after deciding, when you look at the posts from other countrys about having to wait months and people still support goverment healthcare, it amazes me.

Hey Tony,
I'm with you on the Government Health Care Not something I want!
Good Luck with you LIS. We are the same age BTW. I couldn't imagine living with a fissure for years. I had mine for 8 months before having the surgery. I had a great experience and life did nothing but get better! My suggestion is don't back out as hard as it is... I was shocked with how I had pictured things to be and how they actually were. I thought I just wouldn't be able to handle it and I would be in horrific pain. It really is manageable and yeah you will be sore but it all gradually gets better in a couple of weeks. The key is keeping a good diet, soft poops, baths and just taking it easy during the recovery. There's tons of good info in here that will give you somewhat of an idea of what to expect. I hate to say this but I also learned from the mistakes of others who were kind enough to post when a boo boo set them back. I avoided anything that gave anyone else a problem and took the great advice of the ones who had gone before me and used it...
Take care Tony! Keep us posted :)

pss... My spasms were the same as you described the whole 8 months before my surgery. You just brought back a horrible memory for me
LIS is gonna take care of that! Get ready for some good sleep!

thanks for writing me, I feel like its the right thing to do, but I am sooo scared, I have never had any surgery and I am so tired of the pain. My son watched me cry for what took 12 hours when we were driving from Cincinnati to Atlanta, I kept trying to explain how I was ok, in between bouts of tears and making my wife pull over so I could walk, its a nightmare. This time its hard to drive, that wasnt the case last time. I always tell people that dont understand, sometimes the blood is like a crime scence and if my wife goes missing they are gonna think I flushed her. Everytime I wait for the guys from CSI to show up.
I have read the LIS posting to overload, what kind of things should I avoid? My dr didnt say much about Miralax, he said its a laxative, but seems like everyone here takes it.
The spasms are un-real...walking seems to be the only thing, but hours of walking in the middle of the night gets tiring after a while. Thanks again Dawn. I figure about 90% of the people are here seem to be happy they did it, the 10% that are having complications I pray is even smaller percentage when you figure some people never post after having it done. So fingers crossed maybe relief is in sight 2-6 weeks from now!

Your Welcome Tony!
There's really nothing to the surgery. It's very quick! I was under MAC anesthesia. I didn't feel a thing, and was numb most of the day. I took a vicodin right after surgery and set the timer( I beleive every 4 hours) to make sure I took them the first couple of days. The second night, I slept right through without the pain meds and didn't use them anymore....The first few days things are pretty sore and there's some pressure like you need to have a bm, but it really is manageable. There's a few things I highly recommend that worked well for me-1) no setting on you bottom even though it's numb and you probably can, it's still swollen and I don't think any extra pressure helps with healing. 2) Take the pain meds at least the first 2 days and up the stool softener while your on them. 3) Keep a soft high fiber diet, don't change anything that has worked before the surgery with your diet that made soft, regular bm's. 4) Baths as soon as you are advised by your CRS- take as many as you can to keep things clean. It helps with the healing and keeping clean.
My CRS said Miralax is a laxative too. That's kind of a gamble I've taken on my own because it works so well...
I totally understand your fear and I will never forget the pain of the fissure! But believe me when I say- even though I was sore for a couple of weeks, I was so Happy I had the surgery! Even the next day when I had the first bm was much better than the day before with my fissure!
I also want to mention this- it may or may not happen. It's pretty rare but did kind of freak me out until I had read fissys post-op experience and calling my CRS. I did have spasms post-op for a few days. This can happen sometimes, so don't think the surgery didn't work. I went into panic. I think I spent a day freaking out, but then called my CRS who called in Valium to my local pharmacy. This can happen sometimes when the butt is cut. It just kind of freaks out. I've heard it usually happens when there are multiple cuts or more commonly with hem surgeries. I had a skin tag removed also. Most don't have a problem with this. I think Alx was another boaride who had the same thing happen. I just wanted to mention this. I'm not trying to freak you out, but feel like it may save you from panic if it happened. Believe me the valium took care of it instantly for me. It was a very temporary experience for me and I was only given a 2 week prescription and didn't need it that long or the dose that was allowed to be taken. I basically used it before BM's to help me relax mentally because the fear of the fissure lingers much longer than the healing. This may not be a problem at ll for you though! There have been many other folks on here who had the tag removed with LIS and didn't have the same problem.
I totally believe that most folks will never post in a forum like this who have this surgery and do well. I found this place before my LIS and got so much info and support I never could have found anywhere else. I'm still so grateful. I decided to stay to be one of the rare people who had a positive experience that was pretty uneventful... I've seen so many folks just like me who have come and gone on here who had good- normal recoveries. Folks who have bumpier recoveries are usually going to post and need support much more often and longer than others would. I actually know two people who had this surgery and did fine. They never posted in a forum. That helped me put perspective on this and statistically this surgery has great success. It's not a quick fix and we have to do out part , but it does work! Give your self a couple of weeks of rest and extra care and I would almost guarantee you will be thanking God you go it!
Hang in there! There really is a light at the end of the tunnel! It want be too much longer and you will be another LIS vet with a new butt!