by backagain » 05 Dec 2013, 16:46
I have been suffering with a fissure on and off for three years. The first year was just here and there and it would heal. The second year it was more frequent, but again, bearable. The past year has been awful. I am a 26 year old female and my quality of life is terrible when this thing is acting up. I can't run or exercise and every day of work (mostly spent at a computer) is excruciating. Last November I had a botox injection (after all the useless creams of course). I also do not have hard stools or constipation or diarrhea, so really don't know why I have this issue in the first place. The botox made it much, much worse. I think from the stretching involved in the procedure. After the botox, I developed a large and uncomfortable skin tag. I could feel the botox "working" in that the area was noticeably more relaxed, but it didn't heal. So, I gutted it out and waited until the summer to have another round of botox and a fissurectomy. I had that procedure in July and it wasn't bad. I felt better after 3-4 days of pain and then was probably 99% healed after a month. So, August, September, October, and November passed and I had my life back. I could run and lead a normal life without pain. Then, a week ago, my fissure came back. Same place. It's bad. I literally can't believe it's happening again. I saw my doctor. He thinks the botox has worn off and that's probably why it's back, which tells him that it heals when the muscle is relaxed and that I really need the LIS procedure done to heal it for good. I'm so nervous and have avoided this for so long because I'm afraid of incontinence. I'm just looking for opinions of people who have actually had it done (good and bad). I'd really like to hear from women and specifically young women. One thing my doctor told me is that it's not an ideal procedure for a woman of childbearing age because I could be fine after the procedure and if/when I have kids later, I could be at an increased risk for incontinence following a delivery because of the already weakened muscle. I just don't know what to do. I know I need the surgery to not have a fissure, but I have to think a fissure is better than wearing a diaper or farting in meetings all the time. I just don't know why there isn't a better option. Help please. I'm so discouraged and frustrated.