Realistically how long should LIS pain last?

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Realistically how long should LIS pain last?

Postby NeuropathicGuy » 27 May 2010, 11:46

So I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record here, but realistically, how long is the pain from LIS supposed to last? I mean the actual pain -- whether it is dull soreness, sharp pains, stinging, anything that one would consider pain rather than simply discomfort.
I know most people go back to work within a couple of weeks, and I'm supposed to go back to the office next week, but I still have some pain, especially when sitting. It's pretty tolerable pain, but is definitely annoying and makes me wonder if it's normal to have it so long after surgery. It's been nearly 1 month since LIS and 2 weeks since abscess incision and drainage.
I know I've asked in the past how long it takes to feel normal after LIS, and understand that it can take months. But for the purposes of this question, I'm only wondering about the actual pain part. I don't take painkillers these days but am thinking about taking some OTC ones like Tylenol or ibuprofen once in a while. Has anyone had to take painkillers one month after LIS?
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Re: Realistically how long should LIS pain last?

Postby Fissulyna » 27 May 2010, 12:40

As a second broken record LMAO , I will answer to you that first - there is no definite answer to that since we are all different and have different healing rates and different pain tolerance and different pain intensity when it is there.
I have a feeling that your actual question is "AM I "abnormal" case" ???
My answer is : " NO" !!!!!!
Regarding pain meds and Tylenol and Ibu. - are you kidding me LMAO - are you really asking if it is OK to take them LOL ??? If you can tolerate the Ibu. , actually it can only help with the healing since it will keep inflammation at bay !!!
Yes - I was taking Tylenol (I can not tolerate Ibuprofen : ((((), one "almost whole month" after the both LIS surgeries as needed Image
Happy work days Image
PS: I really demand ; ) that you replace "almost the month" with "ONLY the month" post op. LOL
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Re: Realistically how long should LIS pain last?

Postby NeuropathicGuy » 27 May 2010, 12:53

lol actually I think my real question is: "does the fact that I still have pain mean something terrible is going to happen to me?" Image I don't think I'd be this worried if I didn't have that abscess complication. That left me kind of "gun shy" and unsure of when I'm out of the woods. Every time I get pain or see some discharge my mind sparks up and goes "OMG!".
I tolerate ibuprofen okay as long as I take it with food and only have small amounts (say 400 mg or less). I'm thinking I may need to take a little before driving to and from work. Hopefully there are others who have needed occasional ibuprofen or Tylenol one month (or even more) after LIS, I'd hate to be the only "weak one" who did :)
You know, I think that second abscess surgery set me back a little bit on the healing curve too. I just dunno how far back.
Anyhow thanks for the response as always. It's been nearly a full month -- oops I mean ONLY one month haha -- after LIS, hopefully I see more improvement over the next month.
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Re: Realistically how long should LIS pain last?

Postby Fissulyna » 27 May 2010, 13:01

Hey buddy - I knew what was bothering you and of course we are always "watching" the gremlin in the butt and what next it can have in stake for us Image . Your worries are normal and in place since you did have infection - who would not worry ??? And, of course that it did prolong the recovery ! But still - believe it or not - you are AHEAD of many members we had here before and try to keep in mind that fact ; ))) !
When do you have your next check-up ??? Image
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Re: Realistically how long should LIS pain last?

Postby NeuropathicGuy » 27 May 2010, 13:42

Next checkup is on June 7th. Truth be told, if I didn't have the infection, and my butt felt the way it does right now, I probably wouldn't be so worried. Maybe just minorly worried :) But as it stands, I've been looking at my butt in the mirror A LOT to see if anything weird is going on lol... So far the area just seems a little bit pinkish, and is a little bit tender, but no huge bump like I had with the abscess, and much less discharge. And since I never looked at my anus ever -- not even once -- before surgery, I don't know what it looked like before, maybe the pinkness is normal hahaha Image
Glad to hear the olive oil is still working for you btw. You're still headed up to see your Butt Rescuer next week right?
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Re: Realistically how long should LIS pain last?

Postby Fissulyna » 27 May 2010, 20:39

Oh - now that is GREAT news NP (KTW!!!!!!!) "Bumpy" is under control by all means now than !!!!!
Glad to hear I have new fateful "Butt Watcher" member in my club Image - we are getting steady increase in numbers now LOL
If you want to know how healthy and perfect anus looks like - you are actually seeing it every time you are changing diapers Image - but do not expect that perfection from your butt LOL - it went through some events that no human's butt should go :( - so it will carry some scars with a pride Image
Oh yeah - I am not 100 % LOL (99 kind of), and I am curious what he thinks and I want to have BIG "reserve" of the other butt smears - just in case ; )) , and of course because I plan to travel - I would feel safer having "Nitro mousse in my purse " LMAO - I will start to Rap some butt songs maaaaaaan Image
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Re: Realistically how long should LIS pain last?

Postby NeuropathicGuy » 27 May 2010, 20:56

Hey Fissy, well I still have a bump, just a much smaller one. When I had to go in for the abscess surgery, I had a much bigger bump that was noticeably hard.
The actual remaining pain and discomfort is just annoying, but not too bad. I can live with it.
What bothers me the most now is that the entire anus area seems to be kind of red and irritated. Looks a little puffy and mildly swollen. It seems like 2 weeks since the abscess surgery should be enough for any swelling to subside already, doesn't it?
I know what you mean about having a reserve. In the beginning of my fissure saga, I kept stocking up on nitroglycerin. That was before I realized it doesn't have a very long shelf life lol. So I ended up throwing a lot of it out. I still have a few refills in the system just in case though :)
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Re: Realistically how long should LIS pain last?

Postby Fissulyna » 27 May 2010, 21:09

Oh - it is ABSOLUTELY normal for some swelling to be still there !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am not telling this just to comfort you - I swear - you know that I do not tell things just to say something Image
When I had my first LIS and went to SF CRS for a second opinion about a "handiwork" - she told me that final result will not be known till 4-5 mos post op untill all swelling is gone !!!!!!!!!!! That area is soooo super "touchy" that it needs a LOT of time to calm down completely ! Also - your final status of a sphincter will not be known untill 6 mos down the road either !!!!
Bumpy will probably maybe even be there as a skin-tag at the end or a tiny bump of scar tissue forever - who cares - right : ))) ??????????
I actually think that going to work will help you with time passing much faster : ))) and just try to NOT sit too much ! Is there any possibility to have some kind of "shelf" installed in the office so you can stand as airport people do ??? Your company will have to accommodate , you know , by law !!!!
AND - if you feel some spasm -like pain, you know that you can still use creams if needed ??? I did use Nifed. after my second LIS since it went into spasms occasionally .
I will ask for BOTH creams LOL - I do not plan to pay for 25 $ copay twice or go more times than necessary !!!!; )
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Re: Realistically how long should LIS pain last?

Postby NeuropathicGuy » 28 May 2010, 00:03

Well Fissy, times like this something you said about "jinxing" yourself on this site comes to mind. I think I spoke waaaay too soon jinxed myself :(
I had 6 BMs today, and had the final one just after I posted my message above saying the pain wasn't that bad. Well that last BM turned out to be a very watery one (guess I ate something that upset my stomach), and after I had it, the pain on the LIS/abscess side went way up several notches!!! Now that side of my rectum (feels like it's from inside) has a very irritated kind of itching feeling all of the time and also sharp shooting/pulsing pains 50% of the time. WHAT THE YOU-KNOW-WHAT.
It's the most irritation and most pain I've had in many days. Feels very, very similar to when I went in with the abscess problem, except I still don't see a huge bump. I know it's not the original fissure because it's on the opposite side, so I must have angered something inside the rectum near one of the incision sites, or it's infected again!
That's the last time I'm going to post that the pain isn't that bad at all lol. From now one, I will always say that the pain is terrible :)
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Re: Realistically how long should LIS pain last?

Postby NeuropathicGuy » 28 May 2010, 01:33

OK I know this is going to sound nuts, but here's what I'm thinking may have happened:
1. I was developing a small abscess again inside the rectum, near where the first abscess got drained.
2. All the BMs today caused the abscess to burst. Since it burst during a BM and I took a sitz bath right away, the drainage of pus was not evident to me. The abscess bursting left an open wound which is causing the current pain.
I say this because I just took another sitz bath, and when I sat down and swished some water around my butt, I saw what looked like a very soft and super tiny piece of skin float out. It did not look like stool and disintegrated when I tried to pick it up (gross, I know) from the water. I'm guessing maybe that was the material that was covering the abscess?
Also, the pain I'm having right now feels like a very mild version of what it felt like after the CRS tried to drain my abscess in her office 2 weeks ago. Similar sensation, just not as intense.
The alternate hypothesis would be that I just irritated the surgery area with an acidic watery BM, but somehow with my luck I doubt it's something that simple.
I did some reading and it seems that allowing abscesses to burst on their own increases the odds that a fistula will form. Great. Some of the websites talked about perianal gangrene forming, too, which has got my mind wandering because my entire anal area (not just the surgical site) has looked kind of pinkish for a while.
Well, just had to vent (again). Hopefully things feel normal in the morning. If something takes another turn for the worst, first thing I'm going to do is go out to the closest 7-11 and buy a damn lottery ticket!
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