Oh well, don't you just love AFs?
I've been pain free for a couple of weeks and life was great! But I had an extremely stressful week last week (thankfully, the stress "culprit" JUST went away for good, let me put this way :)) and this caused a retear last Wednesday. At first the retear wasn't too bad, but this morning, while still under stress, I had 2 pretty painful BMs, the last one with spasms, something I hadn't had in several weeks! :( The pain lasted "only" a couple of hours and disabled me for "only" 30 minutes, but I know that things are much more sensitive now.
To make matters worse, I have an international trip that would be a really big deal to cancel in 11 days. I'm not worried about my stay proper since I'm going to visit family and they are fully aware and prepared for my condition (with all the right food and all the "accessories", including a bathroom all for me :)). What I'm worried about is the trip proper and the prospect of multiple BMs in a plane during a 10-12 hour trip, especially after this retear.
Anyone has ideas/tips? I'm applying nifedipine, which worked great for me, and hopefully I'll recover some in the next 10 days, but I wonder if anyone had some tips for long international trips with AFs? I don't want to cancel this, and hopefully things will get better...

I do a lot of transatlantic travel and to be honest I don't find the journey particularly difficult. I don't drink alcohol any more even if it is free (tough habit to break), I drink tons of water and take an aisle seat for frequent trips to the bathroom but only for peeing. It took me a while to realise most plane food is pretty shitty at best, so I try not to eat. Let's face it you're not burning up many calories up there so enjoy the ride and relax and fill up on good quality food on arrival.

ukguy, thanks for the answer. My real concern is that I have 3BM/day (now that I'm eating a ton of fibers) and they all happen between 6PM-9AM, exactly when the trip will happen - I have a somewhat complex cleaning routine + the nifedipine, but I guess this can be somewhat adapted.
I thought about not eating the day before, or during the trip like you mentioned. I also thought about emptying myself with an enema or glycerin suppository prior to the trip, but I think this is too radical.
Maybe it won't be a big deal like you mention :-)

If it were me, I would use an enema before the flight. Fleet makes a cleansing enema called "Fleet Naturals" that is all natural with aloe. It is safe for daily use and is much less harsh than a saline enema. It's not used for constipation (like a saline enema), but it can be used to gently clean you out.

i was kind of thinking along the same lines as thisfissurecankissmybutt... a way to clean yourself out before, and i wonder if you're able to sleep through the airplane ride? Maybe your doctor could give you a few valium, which will both make you sleepy and make the trip more comfortable by helping your muscles relax.

My doctor gave me Xanax, which has been incredibly effective in the past to control anxiety during plane trips (I"m also not a great flyer, kind of hate planes). I can't sleep through long flights, especially not with my 2-year old coming along :(.
The enema is a good idea, but I've never used it and I'm kind of scared of trying it so close to the trip. All I tried before was glycerin (which is similar), and it worked wonders to empty me, however it left my rectum irritated for 2-3 days.
An alternative is to cut back on food and fibers in the morning of the trip, so I'd go 80% liquid with a very light lunch and breakfast. I'm okay having 1 or 2 BMs during the trip - usually my pain comes after the 3rd in a 12 hour period.

I'm sorry to hear about the setback, Dan. Unfortunately, I've been in a similar situation before with my AF acting up right before a plane trip.
My suggestion would be to eat very light during these days leading up to your trip (cereal, melons, soup). I would also do daily walks, take plenty of sitz baths, and start taking a stool softener like Miralax if you're not already. Hopefully you can heal yourself as much as possible before you leave.
For your plane trip, I would pack some alcohol-free baby wipes (to avoid the sandpaper toilet paper the airlines provide), some pain killers (to help in case you get uncomfortable during that long flight), and bring your own seat cushion too (I personally use one called the "Seat Solution" and it works great for taking pressure off your AF while traveling!)

Wouldn't using an enema or glycerin suppository prior to the trip cause more BM's? I'm not sure that is the best approach. Seems risky as this could irritate you more and your trip is right around the corner. I would just cut back on the food intake and eat "smooth" food that comes out easy. As an example, you could try eating a small bowl of cream of wheat for breakfast, canned vegetable soup for lunch, etc. The goal is less BM's and very smooth ones when you do go.

Firecracker,
Yeah, I fear the same thing you mentioned. When I used glycerin, I certainly had some burning and irritation (although it worked GREAT and was essential in that one instance).
I'll keep teh enema idea in mind, but i think that your suggestion, which is similar to ukguy's, is probably better for my specific case. A light meal will help cut 1 BM at least, which should be enough to take the 10-12 hour flight...

Just wanted to give an update to the great people in this forum... I decided to go for the trip (~16 hours counting connection flights and airport waits) and arrived safely at my destination!
So hereґs what I did... I was super anxious the day before the trip and I got a bit constipated. I ended up using half of a liquid glycerin suppository (the LIQUID fleet one that comes in a syringe of sorts) and this really solved the constipation problem without much burning.
I ate very light foods on the day of the trip. But I realized that I should really have done that the day BEFORE of the trip, since I did have to go to the bathroom twice at the airport (prior to departing and after arriving) - I suppose I was actually eliminating what I ate the day before. I had some blood and a little of pain at the airport, which is REALLY embarassing when you are not home, but the pain subsided quickly after 1 tylenol.
I also stood in the plane for 5 minutes or so every hour, and this helped. Taking 0.5mg of xanax, which is the minimum dose, was also very helpful.
The only problem is that day after I arrived, I had a somewhat hard stool that set me back a little, but it wasnґt really that bad. After eliminating this abnormal stool, my stools are back to soft and easy, and I had no blood in my last big BM!
So the bottom line (no pun intended!) is: if you are thinking of a long plane flight to a relaxing destination, go for it - take the appropriate measures but go for it :o