by StarrySky » 07 Jun 2020, 13:31
Hi everyone,
I am 36/f and am having the LIS + possible fissure cauterization surgery on June 10th. I've been suffering with at least two fissures since November. My problem is a really tight muscle which apparently has been preventing the fissures from healing plus causing new ones. I've tried Diltiazem and Nifedipine, but they didn't help enough to heal them. I was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago and got fissures during my chemo treatment (which was AWFUL). Those healed, but the problem returned a few months later after I went on vacation last year and strained a bit. I have no issues with constipation normally and eat a very healthy diet full of veggies and fruits. I think the issue with getting these current fissures to heal is due to them being on the inside more, whereas the ones I had during chemo were more on the outside.
I'm very scared about the recovery. I worry about being in more pain than I am now. My pain threshold is not very high. My pain was actually pretty much non-existent last week (go figure) and had me considering cancelling the surgery, but then I got more pain this weekend due to a slightly larger BM. I could still feel the fissures even without that much pain, if that makes sense. Even when I don't have much pain, the muscle is clenched so tight. I can't even get the ointments in there decently. It doesn't matter how soft my stool is, it just seems to keep re-tearing. : ( Needless to say, I am tired of this roller coaster ride and just want to heal and be done with it. This is really affecting my quality of life.
I would really appreciate any advice anyone has who has been through this. I'm just terrified of all this. I have a great surgeon to do it (CRS with 30+ years experience who deals exclusively with these issues), so that is not a problem. I just am so scared about the pain and bowel management afterward. My CRS said recovery is a week to two weeks. Is that about right? I don't have to worry about going back to work, thankfully, since I work at home and can work when I feel up to it.
I've read so much conflicting information on the recovery. Some people seem to not experience much pain and are fine within a week or two, while others are in a ton of severe pain for a week or more. That really scares me.
Thanks so much and hope everyone is doing well. I will try to keep everyone up to date.