A very bummed out lady...

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A very bummed out lady...

Postby hootinannie » 19 Aug 2013, 18:43

Glad to have found this forum, it’s amazing. I really hope and pray every day that we all get well. Here is my story, and some questions.
I started to have pain following a particularly hard BM in December 2012. I recognized the symptoms of a fissure, having had one some 20 years ago after childbirth. I promptly got a referral to a clinic that only does bums. Dr. told me I had a fissure and hemorrhoids and gave me nitro ointment and instructed me to make sure that when I applied it, I put my whole finger up there. He also recommended several sources of soluble fiber and plenty of water. After a few treatments, I promptly developed spasms which as you all know are just horrible, I could use descriptions such as “shards of glass” but you all know the pain. The doctor had me come back for 5 five-minute appointments where he would prescribe painkilling anal bullets that were only made in the pharmacy in his building (nowhere else in the world…go figure), and tell me to keep doing what I was doing, even though it wasn’t working. Then I’d go to the pharmacy to get them and they would never have the ingredients to make them up. I decided this doctor was a bit of a quack and gave up on him.

I’d get all dressed for work (a new job none-the-less), have one bm and walk out with my eye makeup running down my face and sweat stains all over my clothes . I lost 9 pounds between February and June.
I researched and got referred to another very well-known colo-rectal surgeon, with great credentials. That was 7 weeks ago. He took me off the nitro cream, put me on Nifedipine (no “full finger” insertion required, he actually was shocked that this had been suggested to me) and 6 weeks of Flagyl antibiotics. He gave me strict instructions not to drink alcohol, coffee or tea, chocolate, dairy products or citrus AND no hot baths! I’ve followed his instructions to the letter but would probably say I’m only 20% better, mostly because the Flagyl seemed to make my bowel movements more normal, less runny. I’m thinking of giving up the cream, I don’t think it is doing me any good. I’m still crying every day on the toilet, lots of blood, even though my stool is quite soft.
Will this ever end? I’m so depressed and have never suffered this much in my life. My life revolves around the pain and the locations of the nearest toilets. And can someone please tell me why travelling in the car makes it 10x worse? Is the bumping around? I swear, I can hardly do any driving anymore! And is there such a thing as a colo-rectal surgeon with some compassion? The two I’ve seen have made me feel horrible about myself…
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Re: A very bummed out lady...

Postby marg6043 » 19 Aug 2013, 19:11

hootinannie, life with a fissure is not an easy one, is always surrounded by pain, hopelessness and more pain.
But things get better, right now you think that this is not going to happen, but it does.
If you are having irritation after your BMs many people find that using Vaseline to lubricate the area before the BM help a lot.
Regardless of what the doctor told you about hot baths, many people find relief also with sitz baths, I did.
I also had to give up dairies and Coffee while I was healing, but now that I have been healed naturally after a year I am back drinking coffee.
If the cream is going to help, it will be in the first few weeks after the fissure, then they actually do not work, I found that out the hard way and after 4 months I developed a rash.
I just used baby desitin, baby wipes and many other things to see what worked the best, at the end desitin, vaseline and Carlson vitamin E suppositories did the trick.
Read the success stories forum they have plenty of ideas of how people have healed either naturally like me or with the help of surgery.
I hope you find something that works for you, a routine that is comfortable is a plus and you have to stick with it for a long time.
And if things do not improve is always surgery to help you heal.
I wish you the best.
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Re: A very bummed out lady...

Postby Please go-away! » 19 Aug 2013, 19:57

Hi hootinannie. Love the name, Welcome to our Bum Club.
The shard's of glass sensation will diminish, in time believe me.
It has for a lot of us, including me..there was time's I couldn't move, I would role on the ground after a BM with intense pain.
Calling any one , my sister's, poor soles..they had to hear me cry on the phone.
It will over time, calm down , down there. Try to keep your BM very smooth, and thin, Miralax or Canadian one is Restoralax, work's by collecting water into the colon, gentler.
Read up on it with one of the post's around here...OK take care.
we are here for ya...Image 
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Re: A very bummed out lady...

Postby Just 'Pain' Tired » 20 Aug 2013, 00:00

Sorry you're having such a hard time!!!  It can be just horrendous!  Driving has always been a problem for me.  Just sitting seems to put strain on the fissure.  I keep a thick foam seat in my car to ease the pain/discomfort.  As I have improved it is less of an issue.  Because sitting has been part of my problem and retears, I believe, I consider myself 'sitting disabled.'  Earlier on I avoided sitting completely.  Now, after weeks of healing, I sit part-time.  I stood for 3-hours during my daughter's college graduation...the seats were hard and unbearable! I found sitz baths to be super important to easing the spams after BM's.  I don't know how I could have survived without them!  I like the water quite hot (just below scalding) and it has helped a lot!!  I also have benefitted from the ointments and still use them months into this.  While there is no need for the 'full finger,' it may be helpful/necessary to get the ointment 'up in there.'  Some people use applicators or Q-tips.  I use a finger cot, put a small amount of ointment just up in a little ways.  Up to the first knuckle.  If your fissure is long/deep you will need to get the ointment inside in order to benefit (from what I understand).  It's important to lie on your left side, kind of tucked (or upper leg bent a little), relax, relax, relax and then just use whatever to get that ointment to it's target. That will help the nifedipine (or diltiazem) do it's thing.  I also really benefit from using a heating pad to calm the nasty spasms.  It does concern me that you are 'bleeding a lot.'  I hope you can find good quality care to assess your particular problem(s) and help you understand the options.  I really did not want to try surgery, but it has taken a ton of patience (and tolerating pain) to be doing reasonably well (not resolved or 'great'--check out my 'pain levels during natural healing' under Success Stories).  Glad you have joined this forum and sending positive thoughts for improvement your way.  Image
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Re: A very bummed out lady...

Postby Guest » 20 Aug 2013, 13:04

Hello hootinannie;
Glad you found our secret hiding place for fissure sufferers. Sorry your in the throes of this battle but hang tight and better less painful days are just ahead.
Hit and miss hit and miss is what its all about in dealing with these fissures. Whether your trying to find the right compassionate CRS or the right soothing creams or the right diet, its all about trial and error.
These errors will become less and less as you come into places like this forum and learn more about what works and what does not. Patience in the mean time is your best friend as some days we are literally at our wits end about what to do.
With finding the right doc is all about who you know and referrals. We hope your recent referral works out for you.
Yes this will end for you hootinannie. I use to ask myself the same question for about two decades of on again off again fissures. The car rides are much worse for some probably due to the location of the tear and its constant aggravation from the slightest of movements that also can trigger the spasms.
No hot baths huh. Well at least you can take them nice and warm which will actually help with the healing and spasming and pain. We hope the best for you in the upcoming weeks.
GL to you.
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Re: A very bummed out lady...

Postby hootinannie » 20 Aug 2013, 21:12

Thank you all, this is a wonderful forum! It's the first place I look in the morning and the last at night. Giving me hope! Thank you so much. BTW, the heating pad really helps with the spasms. I had been using ice, but thanks for the advice, something to be grateful for. Baby steps!
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Re: A very bummed out lady...

Postby Just 'Pain' Tired » 21 Aug 2013, 00:04

Hi Hoot!  So glad you got some relief from the heating pad.  I still put it on every night when I go to bed.  Remember that increasing blood flow is important to the healing process.  That's what the ointments help with along with the warm/hot baths, etc.  I think for the AF itself the heat might feel too warm, but for the spasms the more heat the merrier.  You have to find what works for you!  Our water heater broke down this last weekend and I really missed the hot water!Image   Adding to the sitz from the little bit I could microwave just wasn't the same.  It reminded me that the heat is both comforting and healing.  Image
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Re: A very bummed out lady...

Postby Please go-away! » 21 Aug 2013, 19:13

hay hooti..I just thought of something els..now I know you might not have IBS. This is what I do for my IBS as well as ease a BM.
I not only start with Soluble and end with insoluble food's. Remember soluble food's plump up with water collected from the colon, so eat many small meal's. Even soluble BM's, although soft can become larger if eaten too much, to soon.
So try to space out your meal's and I hope you find a good Doctor..Image 
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