My doctor has referred me to a surgeon. I haven't made the appointment. I haven't read one thing to make me think it's a good idea. Does anyone have a good surgery recovery story to tell??

I'm 3 days post surgery and feel better then before. I not only had the LIS surgery but also a fissurectomy. It's hard to tell so early but I'm hoping for success. I've had this condition for 4 years and had blamed it on hemmy's. I had a really bad bowel movement in late August and never recovered. I'm an athlete and have a high pain tolerance but this was beyond my capability. I missed a ton of work and had a colonoscopy to make sure nothing else was wrong with my bowels. On Tuesday I had the surgery and right after I woke I only felt a little discomfort. I had my first bowel movement the following day and it was fine. Only took one pain pill on the first day. I'm off work for at least 4 weeks and plan to take it very easy for at least the first couple weeks. I have to say that it is very, VERY important to insure soft stools before and after surgery.., it has a lot to do why I feel so good. I start my day with a bowl of Bran Flakes and a Boost drink. I've had roasted veggies for my main meals with either chicken or fish. I find I can cheat a bit in between but I end the day with another bowl of Bran Flakes. For fluids, I've stopped drinking everything except water and I'm averaging about 6-8 bottles a day. Water is very important to keep the stools soft. This works for me(so far) and may not work for you. For example, fruit is a good source of fiber and helps many people with this condition but for me I found it burned and I cut it out of my diet before surgery and the burning went down. I'm hoping to keep my diet up for at least a few months before I start experimenting again, I'm so scared of certain foods! Being an athlete I was dehydrated a lot and I think that had a lot to do with the hard stools that caused this problem. I swear that I will always have a bottle of water at hand.
Obviously it's too early to tell if surgery was a success, but I don't regret having it and I'm hoping I have a good recovery. If your problem was similar to mine as it affected your life and your way of living then I would get as much help as possible. I take everything on here with a grain of salt as most people that have problems with the surgery will be the first ones on the computer to complain. Remember, no surgery has a 100% effective rate, but I'll take 80% any day and I will continue trying anything to solve this problem. Hope this helped and I'll keep you updated if you want, I wish I had someone to talk to while dealing with this.

please do keep me posted--I have been suffering....if surgery is my answer then I am all for it. I so agree about the water. Thank you for sharing. you would think I was the first person on the planet with this problem. The first doctor said I looked "normal" and couldn't understand why I yelped when she stuck her finger in my butt. She sent me to the er. The also did an anal and didn't understand my pain....so they did a ct--however could not inflate balloon with out me coming off the table. I waited awhile before trying another doctor. I really think the er probing made it much worse. It's just scary.

Well I'm entering day 5 post op and have to say it has been a pleasant surprise. Before surgery I searched the net for info on my condition and was taken back by all the bad news on the net. It scared the crap out of me. The day of the surgery I was scared shitless:) I was so worried about what was about to happen and I thought I was going to have a long recovery and if it didn't work I'd be at square one again. Well I still don't know if it is going to work but with each day I have gotten a little better. Is there still blood, yes. Is there still pain, yes. Is it as bad as before. noooooooooo! That alone is an improvement. The pain before surgery was a throbbing, burning pain after bowel movements that wouldn't allow me to carry on with everyday activities. The pain during a bowel movement was like death.., I actually passed out once. Now it is a dull pain with a sharp sting every once in a while, very manageable. During a bowel movement it is a little uncomfortable but nothing like before and it feels like I have more room and it can stretch more. I feel like I could work and carry on with activities but I'm going to take the doctors advice and relax and let it heal over the next month. My spirits have been lifted and hopefully there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I feel like things are taking a turn for the better after 2 months of hell and I couldn't be happier.

Hi I'm almost 5mths post LIS, fissurectomy & tag removal & I've no pain whatsoever. It was best decision I ever made I was really nervous too but the pain from AF is so bad it takes over your life & you'll get to stage where you just want it sorted. I had Botox done twice, it did help but unfortunately it didn't cure me. You'll have some uncomfortable pain for a while after surgery but nothing like pre surgery. Keep up with water intake & take stool softeners if needed. I wish you luck in your decision :)

Hey, if your doctor has suggested a referral to a surgeon then I would see what they say. I won't go into detail but I have had to have 4 operations and am still not right. However there are people who have recovered such as Davo, I would check out some of his posts. I think everybody is different and thats what makes it so difficult to treat. Surgery is a frightening prospect, I know that I was very nervous about the most recent in September but thats natural. Some people just need that extra bit of help and if you find the right surgeon then the risk is much lower. I wish you all the best for your decision, make sure you read the success stories on here and not just cases like mine!!!! It's as much a psychological hurdle aswell as physical. Do research and write down any questions you have for the surgeon. I found this was a good approach then you can work through all the risks and possibilities and find the best solution for you :)

thanks so much! Writing questions down is a great idea--of course, he will hear my concerns. At this point, I feel as though I should make a daily list of "must do's" for myself. That's good though. Becoming more aware of my nutrition is one plus from this nightmare. I pray healing for ALL of uS!!!! I'm going to check out Davo now. ty again--