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Hi Everyone

Postby StayingPositive » 20 Dec 2012, 16:58

Hi There,
I've been reading this forum for a few days now... and boy do I feel like a whiner. I'm a healthy 43 Y/O man. I had my first anal fissure "episode" about a week ago. The usual thing: pain... oh wait... more pain... hang on a sec... oh yes... new adventures in pain! It's only been a few days for me - I can't imagine how some of you manage, you have my undying admiration! I haven't gotten out of my PJ's for the last 5 days!
I'm hoping that what I have is an "acute" AF which is supposed to heal in 4-6 weeks... however, after 8 days with NO improvement, I'm starting to get pretty scared (did I mention that I'm a whiner!). I'm doing all the usual things: baths, high fibre, laxitives, a cream of lidocaine and one of those Calcium blocker thingies (sorry to get technical there); and about an elephant-weight of Tylenol (paracetamol for those foreigners). No noticeable improvement - although my stool is starting to soften. There's nothing like red-hot poker pain to encourage constipation.
I don't know what I expect here. Some re-assurance? Or some hope? Or maybe just someone to go through the journey with me? (my wife is as supportive as she can be, but she's busy, and we lead busy lives). Right now, all I can see is months or years of excruciating pain followed by painful surgery with a so-so success rate. I know I haven't really given it a chance yet, but it's such a scary life-changing moment going from healthy to... AAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!! (that was me trying to poop and screaming like a little girl).
Feel free to diss me for being a wuss-bag (I know most of you have it a lot worse), but I couldn't help making myself known... you may become my only truly understanding friends in the weeks or months to come...
Cheers...
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Re: Hi Everyone

Postby Lauren12 » 20 Dec 2012, 18:14

Welcome to the forum StayingPositive and sorry you had cause to come here.
With regard to healing, I know a couple of people in r/l who got a fissure just once - one healed in two weeks and the other took 10 weeks to heal - and they never experienced a fissure again! So this does happen and yes, fissures are very painful. Lots of nerve endings in that area! It doesn't mean they won't heal.
I think in the main, the people who seek out a forum are those at the less rapidly healing and trouble-free end of the spectrum, so the people here probably aren't representative of the whole population of people who develop anal fissures.
If I remember, the calcium channel blocker creams take 6 to 12 weeks to be effective if they're going to work and for a proportion of people they do. Beyond that, if you're still not cured, there are other treatments, so lots of hope. I suffered anal fissure pain for two and a half years, but the surgeons I saw seemed intent on trying all the conservative treatments first, which didn't work for me. When I finally had the lateral internal sphincterotomy operation, I was cured! That was 20 months ago and I'm leading a normal life now. I wished I'd had the operation sooner!
So take hope - there are lots of things that can be done, and this may all clear up for you soon anyway.
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Re: Hi Everyone

Postby owmybum » 21 Dec 2012, 04:17

Hi,
Firstly you are NOT a wuss bag at all. The pain from a fissure can bring the toughest of us to our knees, coupled with the fact that you have scared your self reading posts on here and thinking the worst. The good news is that it is early days for you and by keeping doing what you are doing already you have a really good chance of healing on your own.
Try not to worry.. You can get through this.
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Re: Hi Everyone

Postby StayingPositive » 21 Dec 2012, 09:09

Thanks... I really feel that I shouldn't be here (yet :( ). But I appreciate the feedback. There's just such a dearth of good info out there (this forum is the best I've found!!). I read that if you don't start to heal in the first few days, you're in trouble - and certainly after 10 days (yes, I know...) things seem to be worsening. I guess I'm just scared - but it's great to know that you folks are out there and that there's hope. :)
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Re: Hi Everyone

Postby jr2 » 21 Dec 2012, 10:23

Keep in mind that forums like these have active members who are dealing with this problem as something more chronic and long term. Honestly, most people in their life will develop a fissure, it will heal, and they go on their way. You are not a wuss for being here or for sharing that the level of pain this affliction causes is excruciating. It is very very painful. We've had forum members say their treatment for cancer wasn't this bad. It is also often dismissed by doctors in terms of the level of pain it causes, as if it just a mid annoyance.
It sounds like you are doing all the right things to catch this early in the acute stage. Try not to let yourself focus on the negatives and the worry. The increased stress and worry will only work against your healing. There is no reason to think you won't heal. There is every reason to think you will.
And we're here any time you want to vent.
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Re: Hi Everyone

Postby ryrylou » 21 Dec 2012, 19:46

Welcome to the club and sorry you had to join us! lol This forum was amazing for me once I was diagnosed with my chronic fissure. No one knows what this pain feels like unless you have gone through it, and you are not a wuss. My CR surgeon said anal fissure pain is in the top 10 worst pains to deal with. You can got lots of good tips here as well as support knowing others who know what the pain is like. There are success stories as well. I had the LIS surgery 3 weeks ago and have been doing amazing. After 6 months of pain during and after every BM and now having 3 weeks of zero fissure pain has been unbelievable. Hope things get better for you soon!
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