So I think I might have OD'd on fiber. Too many rye crackers yesterday combined with the fact that I started taking max doses of Benefiber= ouch. Benefiber seems to have a more subtle effect than Metamucil, which I can't take because it tears me up. So I didn't think I could hurt myself with the Benefiber but I might have been wrong. Last night I had crazy crampy gassy achy pain--it was rectal/vaginal/perineal all at the same time; I could hardly walk. This morning I felt a little better but I had a bigger BM thanks to all the fiber and of course there was a little blood on the TP and pain afterwards. It wasn't even that big of a BM! I can't pass anything very big these days without tearing. I think my butt must be hella tight.
So this morning I sat on my microwaveable heating pad as I was driving the kids to school--that helped and I feel OK at the moment. I took a couple of Aleve anyway and I'm headed straight to the bath for at least an hour with a big cup of chamomile tea. Times like these I'm so glad I'm a stay at home mom, at least I can't get fired for sitting in the bath half the day.
I think the human butt needs a redesign! Who wants to sign my petition? Why shouldn't BOTH sphincters be under voluntary control? Why? This is dumb. A cut anywhere else on the body heals within days as long as you're not diabetic. Dumb, dumb, dumb.
Ok, I'm finished with my rant. Two weeks to go before I see the CRS. I live in fear of that appointment. I think I'd rather be alone in a room with a large spider. But I need this fixed so I can move on...if it's even fixable. My worst fear is that I've let it go too long and now I'm such a mess I'm doomed to live with it forever, which I probably am to some extent.

Hey I know what you mean about OD'ing on fiber. Early in my fissure saga, I was eating up to 50 grams a day. That kept me regular (if "regular" means pooping every other hour) and made my stools soft, but they were also enormous and the quantity was outta control! At the time my butt was so tight too that I had trouble just passing gas (it even hurt my ass to just urinate).
I think we've all been there with the hopelessness -- you're definitely not alone there. A fissure is a really hard thing to deal with. When mine was really bad, I often wondered if I should ask for a colostomy just so I'd never have to poop again. Now in retrospect it seems silly to even think such a thing, but at the time it made perfect sense because it was a means of escaping the pain. You just feel like you're never going to be pain free again. But the vast majority of people do eventually get on with their lives again, so in the long run you'll get the figured out, believe me :)
BTW you said "hella" -- are you from Northern California?

Not California--the Western side of Michigan. Straight across the lake from Chicago. Michigan's a really cool state--not Detroit, not Lansing, and not so much where I live either--but the northern part is just kick ass.

That's too bad alpine. I'll sign your petition!
I'm feeling frustrated with the up and down nature of this butt problem myself today.
I have my first CRS appt in exactly two weeks too. I hate it. I usually beg for them to get the anuscope out of my ass before they want to. If they wait too long I start yelling - it's all for their own good, because I am pretty sure my overly-active sphincter is going to shoot it out at a speed that might kill them if they are in the way. Maybe take out an eye. So I'll think about you on that day, and we can report whether we injured our CRS's or whether we let them live...
Have you been to Mackinaw (sp?) Island? I was there when I was a kid, and I still remember it...

Oh Bumbutt, you've just confirmed my suspicion that Feb. 22nd is going to be one of the worst days of my life, to date. I haven't yet had the pleasure of the scope and I am not looking forward to it. But, I'll be thinking of you knowing that you're experiencing the same thing, so we're not alone.
I want this fixed in a hurry and I hope that I never have to see a CRS again.
I haven't been to Mackinaw yet. I'm from Indiana originally and I've been in MI almost ten years. We've been as far north as Petoskey (awesome!).

Although, in reading some old postings...it seems that it's just a difference between CRS's whether or not they will use that scope on someone who has an active fissure. Many don't because it can further aggravate things.
What type of doctor have you been seeing Bumbutt?

Sorry about the re-tear, Alpine. Your so right- we should have control over both the sphincters! It is dumb!!
My CRS who did my surgery didn't use a scope. I had a CRS who wanted to before her and I wouldn't let him. He offered to do it in the hospital under sedation though. Still I never did one and she saw the fissure. She just gently went in a little. Still hurt but nothing like the totally going inside.

Don't worry Alpine - I've only seen a GP, and they didn't know I had a fissure until they used the anuscope. You're right, if you see a CRS and you tell them you have an active fissure they will most likely not use an anuscope (from what I've read). Especially if you say you would rather not. In all honesty, it really didn't hurt either - but I just hate the whole thing... The GP used lidocaine before using the anoscope, which I'm not sure how much good it does when applied 5 seconds before, but she apparently used it for some reason. I wish I could just take a pill the moment I walk in the door. Couldn't they do that?!
Like you said - the whole thing is a necessity - to find out what is going on and to deal with it.
If the CRS's are nice, I say we let them live...
I was a young kid when we went to Mackinaw, but I was so impressed how they don't use any cars there. Later on in life, I moved to Wisconsin (for 10 years, to go to school etc), and have done some canoeing in ... is it the Porcupine Mountains Park? That was some time ago too. But it was just great.

Darn cat, I lost my entire message! Well the gist of it was, since they aren't going to hand me a pill when I walk in the door, maybe I should bring a flask full of whiskey. Nothing takes away butt pain likes Famous Grouse. No one should have to deal with this stuff sober.
I've never been to the Porcupine Mountains...but last summer in northern MI, I saw an actual porcupine (and NOT the kind we poop out everday)! What a trip! Someday, if I live through all of this, I'll see more of the world.

That's funny - I was thinking the same thing - except I was thinking Calvados, which is a little sweeter. Bailey's is good, but not nearly as strong as I want it to be!
You'll live through it, as long as that picture in your avatar isn't real! Yikes! Did you make that (i mean the picture)?