Hi everybody, just had another very painful BM & came online looking for a miracle cure ( joke ) I've had pain down there for as long as I can remember, my first memory of bum pain goes back to about the age of 3 ( I'm 62 now ), I always thought I had hemorrhoids, internal &/or external... but going to the GP last year I found out after a lot pulling about & a camera pushed up the back passage that I had AF. Was told to have surgery but as I was off to India for 6 months decided to wait till I got back. Been back nearly 5 months now & the pain has come back with a vengeance so it looks like I must have surgery, was kinda hoping after such a good diet in India that it had healed. ( no such luck ).
Not looking forward to surgery & don't like hospitals either... great to find this forum, keep up the good work... thanks

stantheman, I also believe for years that what was experiencing was hems, because after I had my first child 29 years ago, the doctor told me that the pain I was having in my bum was hems.
Things got better as the years go, with flare ups once in a wild, until now, when I was properly diagnosed with fissure no hem, is been 11 months now and I am like you, scare of the outcome of surgery even when I have already three major surgeries and one minor.
But none of them has been in my bum. :D
With trial and error and lost of good information here in this forum I have found a way to cope with the fissure and life a normal life.
I hope you find something that will work for you too.