Hi Diamond,
It's been good reading your post and to catch up a little on here. Having followed your progression for such a long time, you really do sound like you are doing so well but it must be frustrating that it's taking time to get that final healing and yes, if there is anything minor left to deal with, I don't doubt that you will overcome that too - You have been through so much that I'm sure nothing will be as bad as it ever was. Do you take lots of Zinc in your diet or a supplement? That's fantastic for general immunity and wound healing and it's the one vitamin I swear by!...
Please don't put that baby plan on hold for too long! Try to continue your life as normal - the last thing you want is to look back with regrets that you didn't accomplish what you really wanted to in your life, so if you're feeling strong - go for it girl! It'll be OK and yes, given your history, you have a strong case for a C-section! and I don't blame you in the least for making that decision!!!
I have never heard of the scd diet either I must confess but yes, I'm another that can relate to the after-cleaning thing!! Oh the joys.....In fact I'm trying to figure out if it's something that most people might actually get but never normally notice because they are probably less bum obsessed and less meticulous about the cleaning up regime! I attribute my issue to the wonderful internal piles that got worse after all my anal issues and truly believe they "catch" a little debris in their fleshy creases at times. I don't get this if I am able to have a good shower after a BM but now & again if I'm caught out and away from home, it tends to happen more. Lovely! Worse are the looser stools for causing this issue. I don't get it if my stools are more formed, which makes sense.....After all your surgery, I think the soreness & the bleeding are still pretty normal unfortunately. It takes a long time to feel completely better after anal surgery and I don't believe we ever completely get back to normal without some strange sensations and reminders of it all at times, but you do sound like you are almost there! - Keep your chin up my lovely and just remember exactly how far you've come xx

Hi Diamond

How r u its been a while and i am trying to catch up how ru how ru feeling is nurse still visiting you for ur nitrate treatments hope u all healed

ETO - how ru buddy sorry didn't get chance to login for a long time i have been healed good no prob. Thanks to all of you here with all the support.

Just an update so I "think" I'm all healed. Had an MRI a month ago and kept having to move my appointment with my surgeon. Finally made it in to see her and she seemed to think everything is okay now - there's still a scar/mark/sensitive area (not sure what to call it?) which sometimes slightly bleeds after a rough BM but there's no discharge. I still have to re-clean but I was told that is normal, and not to worry too much about it. Overall, life is almost back to normal except that I find I fixate so much on the area that I constantly clean and I get all anxious with BMs away from home! No more nurse visits - I asked the doc if it's still an open wound and she said no, it's all skin. She said I don't need to come back in unless something changes or happens. The MRI had a few inconclusive results but overall it showed that the tract is now gone. Fingers crossed this is it :)

Great news diamond
Good to hear from you
Think I'm in the same boat as you living quite normal now but I am stuck in an afternoon bm mode
And still clean up an hour or so later bit of an ache Nos and then but not to bad think I have an area which gets sore maybe the scar '
Here's to a great future for all of us '

Good to hear from you Richi as well! I figured it can only get better from here :)
Sometimes I find that the clean up and soreness is something we notice more just because we are more fixated on the area than people who haven't gone through this ordeal!

Hi I was just wandering I just had my 4th surgery I have been dealing with this for a year, I had a seton, a lift, a fistulotomy, a mushroom drain which i still have until next week and 2 weeks ago the advance flap because all else failed. I seen my Dr 2 days ago and he said so far it looks good, but I am still leary I guess because I have been through so much in the past year. Glad to hear you are doing well.

Hi TLL - how are things? Please hang in there - it has to eventually work out. Hope you're doing better, and healing okay. Fill us in when you can.

In my case - I think this is probably the "best" I'll be ..Life is back to "normal" except for a couple of extra cleanups after BMs and having baby wipes with me constantly! But compared to what I was living for a few years, I'm fine :)

Hi I seen my Dr and yes the advance flap also failed still have a drain in wants to keep it in for another month and he is going to have to do another advance flap, but this time he wants to put a postage size piece of mesh between the layers he said the fistula itself is getting smaller, but the cavity is still fairly large and he thought it would have been smaller, so he says it will eventually heal its just going to take time. Glad to hear your doing good.

Sometimes it does take stages I guess.. I had 3 surgeries, before it got to the "best" state it's been in so far. I still had tiny amounts of blood after a BM sometimes but overall it's healed. I wish you a speedy recovery! Hopefully it works out for you - hang in there! Just think - it can't get any worse :)

Hi Everyone - It's been ages since I've been on here but just wanted to provide and update and let people know that there is light at the end of the tunnel. I am now as healed as I will ever be - I need to re-clean after a BM and very rarely there is a tiny amount of blood when I wipe. But all of that is trivial compared to what I was dealing with before. Now the big news - I am pregnant! So for those ladies out there who have had to put life plans on hold due to this ordeal, life will move on and get back to normal. It was planned but very happy it's happened as I had to put this on hold for about 4 years due to the fistula and surgeries. Hope you're all doing okay - feel free to reach out to me if you ever have any questions!