> 3 months post-op Botox w/Fissurectomy

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3 weeks post-op fissurectomy with botox - 4 week update

Postby sailorgal » 12 Feb 2012, 08:41

Hi AF-friends
I am 2 days shy of being 3 weeks post-op fissurectomy with Botox - feeling a bit in the minority considering the popularity of those who get LIS on this site. I had a 2 week post-op follow up last monday where the surgeon said I was still really swollen and inflamed down there. She warned me that my recovery might be a little slow because once she was inside during the surgery, there was a lot of infected scar tissue she had to remove and the fissure was so deep that she ended up sewing it up. And apparently the reason for the continued swollen-inflamed state of things down there was because I had a minor setback the week before when I missed a bowel movement one day (despite taking 1-3 colace, miralax & metamucil daily) - got concerned so the next morning i took milk of magnesia - bad move, bcz then I had diahrea 4 x in the following 24-hrs which irritated the tissue. She stressed the importance of getting my stool back to a solid, soft consistency (no duh, was working on that since the diahrea) and urged me to back off all the softening agents, but keep the metamucil fiber pills (with lots of water), which i gradually did thru the rest of the week. However, now that my stool has resumed a solid consistency for the first time since the surgery - i am having as much pain during and after as right after surgery (not spasms like before the surgery, just searing-sharp-tearing pain) and have continued to bleed with every BM too - taking up to 6-8 hot sitz baths a day to manage and returned to half days at work last week. Has anyone else encountered this? continued bleeding and pain 3 weeks out?
thanks in advance :)
Last edited by sailorgal on 21 Feb 2012, 07:25, edited 2 times in total.
sailorgal
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Re: > 3 months post-op Botox w/Fissurectomy

Postby workingonit » 14 Feb 2012, 16:29

Hey Sailorgal,
Are you doing any better?
Did you talk to your doc?
Sounds like you had a lot cut away, and a setback too, so 3 weeks isn't that long really.
I had a small tag removed over a year ago and I remember it took 10 days to heal and another 3 months before I could wipe without wincing.
So long as you are slowly improving... But it doesn't hurt to talk to your doc if you are worried.
Hope things are improving for you and the meditation is helping!
-Tanya
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topsy-turvy

Postby sailorgal » 16 Feb 2012, 11:24

Hi Tanya,
The roller coaster has continued this week. Monday's goal was to get thru my 4+morning routine of multiple hot baths, meditation, etc in time for a morning work shift 9am-1pm. Went through it, but no BM - i think bcz the body just knows. My affirmation during the baths was "I trust in my body's healing and function" - bcz I was concerned if I would have to go while at work.
Tuesday morning - BM came and was huge, still soft (but I don't think soft enough) - slightly less pain and blood during it, but the crescendos of pain after has rivaled the worst of my pain before and after the surgery. I fortunately or not so much had my 2nd (3 week) follow up with my CRS at 1pm in mid-height of pain episode, could barely walk, weeping, focussing on my breath - couldn't sit or stand in the waiting room so they put me in one of the rooms to lie down while we waited for her bcz she was running late from surgeries that morning. The visit was uneventful - she took a peak and said (like on the prior 2 visits) "you're still really inflamed and angry down there" - couldn't do much of an exam. agreed that i do need to go back on stool softeners despite her wanting me to come of of them and to still use vicodin as needed for pain control. my return visit is in a month. and that was it - ended that appointment feeling discouraged and frusterated like the others. Was pretty emotionally wiped out the rest of the day, but got thru an evenign shift of 4 hrs. Been making adjustments to my stool softeners/etc and the pain with and after bowel movements is variable - last night uncomfortable, but only needed 2 hot baths and no vicodin. this morning, pain is worse again - had an annual physical with my internist and she was surprised to still see me in this much pain after the procedure and recommended I seek a 2nd opinion and to inquire with my original CRS if I should be put on antibiotics for a possible infection . . . so that's where i'm at. cleared my day until I have to work tonight, I should be feeling better by then. the journey continues. i have a vacation to mexico in a week and a half - and my original vision of being completely healed by then is waning, I'm having some concerns has to how to manage my symptoms there if they are not much different from the last few days. there's no way to know, just taking each day and finding as many moments as I can to smile and laugh.
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Re: > 3 months post-op Botox w/Fissurectomy

Postby workingonit » 16 Feb 2012, 14:12

That's what I was wondering, If your CRS isn't really looking in, how does she know there isn't infection?
I didn't want to freak you out though.
Your GP sounds like a good one.
I'm so sorry it's been so hellish for you.
I totally agree that you need a second opinion. Your CRS sounds useless.
You're in the States aren't you? So you can just look up someone in the book and call them without a referral. Then keep calling til there is a cancellation in the schedule and they can see you sooner.
Try using a website like ratemds.com to find someone with good reviews.
Hope it's a good day for you today and I'm glad you are back on the softeners. Do you take miralax? People here swear it's better than the others. I can't say personally. I use metamucil and prune juice with a dash of olive oil and magnesium (does that not sound disgusting!)
:)
-Tanya
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4th week update:

Postby sailorgal » 21 Feb 2012, 07:39

Week number 4 has had some ups and downs - as posted in my last update. But, things have been looking up the last 4 days. I am feeling encouraged since I have scheduled my second opinion (March 8th) and will take Tanya's advice to call to try to get in earlier if there are cancellations (I'm away next week). After inquiring with my surgeon's office regarding my general practitioner's inquiry about possibly being put on antibiotics for a possible infection - the nurse (politely) gave me the run around that if I don't have a fever then I don't have an infection. I (also politely) reminded her that I didn't have a fever going in to the surgery, but that my surgeon reported removing a lot of infected, pusy scar tissue - so, it is possible to have a local infection without it going systemic to create a fever. She said she would take the inquiry to my surgeon. I received a voicemail back later that my surgeon said if I wanted to take antibiotics, I could. Long story short, I filled the prescription, but after researching the side effects and having a short conversation with my surgeon, I decided to not prophylactically go on them.
The symptoms have overall gotten better the last few days. The symptoms when I go are not much different - However, the pain has not crescendoed to debilitating-vicodin-needing levels and I have been able to do a little more. So, who knows, I may have turned a corner - still keeping up with all my diet changes, fiber pills, 1-2 stool softeners/day, 1 dose of Miralax if/when I don't go for a day, prunes, vitamins, acupuncture, ibuprofen as needed, finished my chinese herbs, multiple hot baths (altho the number has decreased from 6 to 3 per day). I am still surprised at how intense and "tight-tearing" the pain is when I go even though my stool is now super super barely-formed soft, and smaller now - but I am thankful that the pain is not lasting as long (and I'm having almost no blood with BMs). We shall see . . .
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Re: > 3 months post-op Botox w/Fissurectomy

Postby workingonit » 21 Feb 2012, 09:56

Hey Sailorgal,
I'm sending healing thoughts. Really hoping you are turning the corner!
-Tanya
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Re: > 3 months post-op Botox w/Fissurectomy

Postby Guest » 21 Feb 2012, 10:20

With Tanya... Sending healing thoughts too..
Your decision on the antibiotics is probably the smart one to make at this point. Without a proper exam to document an infection, the risk with antibiotics is that you get constipated or get diarrhea, or worse still, a C. Diff. infection resulting from the antibiotic itself (I've been in
that hell myself before).
It sounds like you've gotten at least some mild improvement, which is really great news, even if it doesn't feel like it right now. If antibiotics do enter the picture, I would suggest taking huge doses of probiotics to counteract the disruption to your bowel ecology.
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Re: > 3 months post-op Botox w/Fissurectomy

Postby MelissaB » 21 Feb 2012, 13:33

Bless your heart. I think it is a good decision that you are going for a 2nd opinion. I hope they can get you in sooner.
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Re: > 3 months post-op Botox w/Fissurectomy

Postby sailorgal » 23 Feb 2012, 08:08

Thanks everyone for the healing thoughts, and sending them back to you too!
Tried to get in this week, but the recommended CRS is away on holiday this week and I'm away on holiday next week.
Pain is still variable this week, but I was able to go 4 days without vicodin - this morning is a little bit more uncomfortable - taking my 2nd post BM hot sitz . . . ahh the AF-healing dance continues.
my spirits have been up more lately: went to half of 2 dance classes (ballet barre and contemporary warm-up). have decided ballet is not so good as that dance style promotes muscle tensioning in the gluts which started to create some discomfort, so kept things soft and flowy; contemporary felt better because it promotes relaxation, flowy movements. tai-chi has also been comfortable as that promotes effortless movement without stress/tension.
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Re: > 3 months post-op Botox w/Fissurectomy

Postby workingonit » 23 Feb 2012, 10:00

Always good to bring back some normalcy to life!
I have always wanted to try tai-chi. I will start asking around here for a good class.
Too bad CRSs need holidays too eh?
-Tanya
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