Im a few weeks into this and it was rough at first, but felt I was doing well the past week. No blood for nearly 7 days and seemed to be improving. Yesterday I started seeing a small amount of blood but things still seemed ok. This morning I had a hard stool that I ended up having to push out. I knew it would be bloody and it was. Did I just undo all the healing of the last week? How will this thing ever heal?

I'm feeling discouraged and like I should just sign up for LIS now.

From what the guys on the forum say it is a long road. I was doing well until yesterday hard stool and I'm now in pain. I don't seem to get bleeding but I get a lot of discomfort which now will last for days from one hard stool even when I get it soft next day. I'm hoping a new diet will help cutting out grains, potatoes and few other things.

Keep going and take a look round the forum for tips it's a wealth of information

The road is long, indeed SueMac, so we need to persevere and try many things until we find the right path. We cannot give up! I agree that LIS may sound like an easy way out, but it isn;t. I would recommend LIS only to people who are in so much pain that their life evolves around this thing. Otherwise, please try conservative measures, our bodies have the capabilities to heal provided we give them what they need. Finding what they need is the hardest path, i admit.

Abu it is as different people have different things that work. I'm trying different peoples ideas and seeing what helps me. But it takes time and patience. I don't know when a LIS is recommended but I would say many on those site seem to heal without it. What's hard is that I'm told my fissure is healed but yet I get pain after a hard stool which lasts for several days.
Bloodybum I'm hoping you are on a fast road to recovery from this with some conservative measures.

Thanks. I'm already on diltiazem and doing the sitz baths and lidocane cream and miralax. Trying to get plenty of fiber - oatmeal & fruit are staples for me now. Even though I work from home on a laptop I've had to take a lot of time off because sitting or standing for more than a few minutes hurts like hell for hours after most BMs. It's been like three weeks like that, so I feel like I'm going to have no choice if it's not substantially better in another couple weeks.

If plenty of fiber doesn't work, try the opposite approach. Many people here found relief by eating as little fiber as possible.

Agree with Abu. My pt therapist has advised no grains or potatoes, tomatoes and peppers at all due to my constipation caused by my underactive thyroid. I've only been doing this a few days, it's hard I ate a lot of grains but ive been in pain in and off for five years and I want it to end for good. For me if my stool is soft I can get back to no pain. and I've been told my fissure is healed. Doctors all tell me fibre fibre fibre so this has taken a while to get my head round.

SueMac, keep doing this diet and it will become easier with time, trust me. I went through the same and know the feeling.
I am now grain free for 3 years and also sugar free. I have no desire to eat either of them.
So it is entirely possible :)

Thanks Abu. What do you eat for breakfast? I'm on smoothies but be good to have alternative of solid food some days. I also find I starving mid morning!! I eat meat so bacon is an option for me.
so you really think this has made a big difference to your life and health?
Do you eat lentils and soy as these are on the banned list for thyroid?
Also do you eat dairy?
Sorry you'll wish you never replied!!!

Nice one :)
For breakfast I alternate between omelet with onions, some liver pate, sardines or mackerel, salad with somon, homemade yogurt, beuf salad, white rice with raw milk, etc. No lentils or soy ever. The only legumes I eat regularly are peas and sometimes, rarely, white navy beans soaked for 48h in water. Diary is my friend, I eat tons ever day: raw milk, yogurt, heavy cream, butter. The only diary I avoid is cheese, all kinds of it, because it tends to harden stool for me. But we are all so different. Try to see how you feel with diary. Let me know if you have other questions.