Goma, thank you! I had a good visit, and I like the doctor.
I'm set up to have an LIS and fissurectomy on Monday. I posted about it in the surgery section (I think that's where I put it . . . )
But thank you! I hope you feel better, soon. I hope and pray we all feel better.

Hang in there Davo and Goma,
I look forward to my next appointment and the doctor saying it's almost healed. At this rate I really don't expect it to be healed for a couple months. SO far so good though.
And then when you are healed, don't forget how fragile that skin will always be.
It'll be grand though! When we can stop with the medicated topicals.
-woi

Hi Workingonit,
I dont know what stage you're currently at but for me I noticed very little change until after about seven weeks.
Then things started to happen and i could visibly see the fissure reducing in size. My pain score is now about 1 out of 10 each day so its not technically pain but rather just a very minor annoyance, a bit like an itch i guess.
Currently my BM's at worst give me a very mild tingling sensation but on most days i feel very little or nothing.
So if your fissure is deep like mine you may think the GTN (Nitro) is not working however it is, you just cant see anything because the bulk of the fissure is internal then all of a sudden after a few hiccups things improve rapidly once it gets nearer the end.
However i seemed to have hit some sort of plateau at the moment as i seem stuck at the 'Almost Healed' stage - it is a long, long horrible journey but i feel i am starting to get my life back. This morning i was late for my train and ran (not jogged) through the London underground for about five minutes - this is something i could not have attempted seven weeks ago (at best i was walking like a penguin trying not to disturb the fissure!!)
As for the fragile skin once healed, well i will not be returning to my old ways of junk food and alcohol in a hurry. Once (and if) i get confirmation that i have healed from my doctor I intend to carry on with the fissure diet for a further 5-6 weeks to ensure adequate healing (My CRS said the recurrence rate would be considerably reduced if people did not rush back to their old ways so soon). After the 5-6 weeks then i intend to start eating normal food again whilst maintaining a high fibre breakfast and lunch with lots of water. If i am still ok then i will reduce the medications and softeners.
My father had a fissue 15 years ago which was healed by giving him a colostomy bag and putting his butt out of action for 2 months. He has had no recurrences whatsoever and his diet is certainly not high in water or fibre.
Anyway i will keep you posted on my progress and hopefully i can avoid Botox!!
Davo

Hi, Davo -
I'm glad you're improving! That's great news - and I know that's where we all want to be - on the road to getting better.
Keep us posted!

Hi Davo,
You sound great!
I am at the forever almost healed stage to. I don't think mine was ever deep, I can't bring myself to look, I just judge by feel. Mine has just been around for a long time, and there is a little scar tissue too. So not really straight forward. I plan to get another referal from my GP when I see her in a couple weeks if I don't feel further along, because I don't feel confident with the CRS I have now.
Thanks for the info about your dad. I wondered if that was ever done to heal an AF. The universe would be a very unfair place if your dad got another AF after all that (touch wood).
My mom had an AF a couple years ago, that took months to heal. She was all set to tell the doc to go ahead with the botox, when he said wait a sec, it's almost healed.
Those are the words I long to hear at my next appointment which isn't til the end of Feb. So I have a ways to go yet. It's been about 7 weeks for me too since I saw the CRS. Don't know how long I had it before that. Off and on for at least 6 months though. It seems longer.
Anyways, thanks for the encouragement!
-woi

Davo: We are so happy for you! Hang in there son..
As for inspiration - never forget the horrible, heart wrenching, excruciating pain that we experience when these were just beginning!
This should make us aware to keep our eating regime and drinking plenty liquids and fiber and making sure our stools stay soft from now on
I know this has been a life changing event and for the rest of my life I will follow this.. Hugs to all..
God bless each and everyone and heal us all..