Tanya,
Oh great news about the referral. The best doctors always have the long wait times.
I had another thought about AFs flaring around period time. Do you find your anxiety/stress level higher during your period? Just wondering if increased tension is also contributing.
I'm still trying to find a diet/supplement combination that works with my excessively sensitive GI tract. In order to do enough to get that first morning visit to the bathroom soft enough, it leaves me having to spend the better part of the day in the bathroom, going repeatedly, with lots of cramping and increasingly looser stools, and fissure wear and tear becomes a big problem.
But, the good news is I'm still getting the best pain relief to date from the Bee Magic cream... LOVE that stuff.

jr,
I had no idea honey had analgesic properties.
It must smell nice too!
Does eating honey have any health benefits?
Have you tried aloe vera, the drinkable kind?
Period-wise, I do think it's as much to do with increased anxiety as it is with swollen tissues.
Also, I was watching an emotional show on the canadian health care system before bed last night. Tonight I will watch something light and fluffy! lol
-Tanya

Tanya...
Yes, it has analgesic properties, antibacterial properties (which based on our discussion about bacteria before really is what got me using it) , and it also has wound healing properties in interesting ways. It not only speeds wound healing but it also clears the wound of debris and also of non healing tissue, giving healthier tissue a chance to grow in a healthier environment.
Manuka honey in particular does have many health benefits when taken internally. You want at least a UMF factor of 16 or higher. It doesn't taste anything like the honey we buy in stores. I've grown to like the taste a lot. I don't use the same honey for consumption that I use on my fissure. Wedderspoons is my go to brand for consumption. Medihoney and Bee Magic are my fissure products. I haven't had this much pain relief in ages, and am prett convinced if I can just get this wild colon of mine under better control I will start seeing even more progress.
I found this awesome DVD that I play every night that has all but cured my problems getting to sleep. It's a video of these monks who live in silence and what their life is like. The visuals are lovely and I turn the sound way down ((most of the video is silent, but there are some lovely bells and some bits of chanting)) and it is so peaceful and relaxing I wander off into quiet and peaceful sleep. It's called Into Great Silence.