Kenalog Procedure

Kenalog Injection & Cauterization

A place for you to keep a record of your healing or surgery.

Return to Diaries



Re: Feingold Kenalog Procedure

Postby helpme » 20 Dec 2015, 22:52

Day 13: The same as yesterday.

Food Eaten: Beef Kebab, Berries, Scrambled Egg, Quesadilla, Margarita
Meds Taken: Advil, Colace, Miralax
Number of Sitz Baths: 0
Bowel Movement: 1, mini; 1, regular
Gas: Barely any
Pain: 0
Blood: None
Last edited by helpme on 23 Dec 2015, 21:52, edited 1 time in total.
helpme
Salt Bather
 
Posts: 34
Topics: 2
Joined: 11 Nov 2015, 23:14
Has thanked: 9 times
Been thanked: 4 times
Gender: None specified

Re: Feingold Kenalog Procedure

Postby helpme » 21 Dec 2015, 23:41

Day 14 and two-week summary: Not much new to report today. My stool was less soft today, and I could feel it more when passing. It's probably because I skipped a Miralax dose two days ago. Now that's it's been two weeks, I feel like I'm past the initial recovery phase and since the last few days have been pretty similar, I'm going to stop posting daily and instead only post when something changes and also in a few months when I can actually report on whether the surgery worked. I emailed Feingold about exercise, and he said it was fine as long as I didn't put any direct pressure on the area (i.e. no bike riding or rowing), but he said going for a run would be fine. I don't think I'd feel comfortable doing any lifting though.

For anyone considering the procedure: I was really, really scared of what the recovery would be like. I'm sure it's worse for some people, but it was honestly pretty easy for me. I'm being careful about what I eat and still on softeners but those things were enough to avoid any major pain. I didn't experience anything above a 2 the entire time. There was no throbbing pain. I didn't feel foggy. I didn't feel unable to move around within my house. The first three days I felt I had to sit or lie down in special positions and move slowly, but it's not like I couldn't walk or sit. I had a lot of flexibility with my job, and it is true that you want to be near your own bathroom for about 10 days, but going back less than a week after the procedure was fine. After 10 days I was also not oozing or bleeding at all (and after 5 days I was barely oozing or bleeding at all).

Food Eaten: Chicken Soup, Lambchops
Meds Taken: Advil, Colace, Miralax
Number of Sitz Baths: 0
Bowel Movement: 1, mini; 1, regular
Gas: Barely any
Pain: 1
Blood: None
Last edited by helpme on 23 Dec 2015, 21:31, edited 1 time in total.
helpme
Salt Bather
 
Posts: 34
Topics: 2
Joined: 11 Nov 2015, 23:14
Has thanked: 9 times
Been thanked: 4 times
Gender: None specified

Re: Feingold Kenalog Procedure

Postby Canadabum » 23 Dec 2015, 00:07

Helpme -

Thanks a ton for keeping us posted on your progress -- very informative and helpful. So glad that you are progressing so well....awesome news!!

Best,
Canadabum
User avatar
Canadabum
Moderator
 
Posts: 607
Topics: 19
Joined: 12 Apr 2015, 21:01
Has thanked: 179 times
Been thanked: 123 times
Gender: Male

Re: Feingold Kenalog Procedure

Postby helpme » 23 Dec 2015, 21:57

So I know it's only been two days since my last post but today has been kind of unusual. My stools are still soft but bigger and there's been a little streaking of blood. I've also had 3-4 bowel movements today and a lot of gas. I took a sitz bath and my once daily pain medicine, but it looks like either (1) skipping the Miralax dose when I was away from my home, (2) not having as much control over my meals and eating larger meals that I had less control over and drinking less water, or (3) the alcoholic beverage had a pretty big impact. Still no pain above a 1 but I'm happy I'm back to my regular diet.
helpme
Salt Bather
 
Posts: 34
Topics: 2
Joined: 11 Nov 2015, 23:14
Has thanked: 9 times
Been thanked: 4 times
Gender: None specified

Re: Feingold Kenalog Procedure

Postby Hafzaal » 27 Dec 2015, 12:17

Hi, I'm not sure if you went through insurance or not but was wondering if you know how much this procedure costs for someone coming from another country? Thanks.
Hafzaal
Salt Bather
 
Posts: 66
Topics: 7
Joined: 22 Sep 2015, 12:55
Has thanked: 0 time
Been thanked: 2 times
Gender: None specified

Re: Feingold Kenalog Procedure

Postby helpme » 27 Dec 2015, 14:19

Hafzaal, I don't know the answer, yet. I did go through insurance so the cost to me should end up being quite low. When they send me the bill/claim (I haven't received it, yet), I will be able to see what the insurer paid for the procedure and post it here for you to get an idea.

As you may know, the American health care and insurance system can work in mysterious ways that result in different prices being charged to different people. Whatever I post will be my specific insurer's contracted price for the procedure, but the price may be different to a different insurer or individual. An insurer's contracted price is generally lower than what they would charge to an uninsured individual (yes, you read that right). But some doctors and hospitals will allow you to "negotiate" the price so that you get the same contracted price as they give the insurance companies (I'm not sure if they ever go lower than their contracted prices for individuals). Hope that is helpful.
helpme
Salt Bather
 
Posts: 34
Topics: 2
Joined: 11 Nov 2015, 23:14
Has thanked: 9 times
Been thanked: 4 times
Gender: None specified

Re: Feingold Kenalog Procedure

Postby helpme » 01 Jan 2016, 16:16

Just an update on what I've been taking and eating and how I feel. I've stopped taking the pain medication almost completely. I have been able to figure out that what was causing the painful bowel movement I wrote about before was overeating/dietary choice. I'm not taking Miralax daily anymore, but I still take the Colace. My bowel movements have been regular but larger (still soft), and sometimes I have to strain a little, which is always concerning. Pain is still not above a 3, but it also feels different from the fissure pain. It's not in the same location, and I guess it's more like a general feeling of stretching. Now that we're past the holidays, I'm going back to diet vigilance. I don't plan to do soup all the time, but I do think eating softer/pureed foods really helped me avoid most of the recovery pain, and I do think I need to eat smaller meals to avoid straining. I still take sitz baths after a bowel movement if I had to strain. And I've resumed exercise without a problem.
helpme
Salt Bather
 
Posts: 34
Topics: 2
Joined: 11 Nov 2015, 23:14
Has thanked: 9 times
Been thanked: 4 times
Gender: None specified

Re: Feingold Kenalog Procedure

Postby helpme » 11 Jan 2016, 19:51

I had my follow-up appointment with Dr. Feingold today. It was very short. He just asked how I was doing without doing an exam since is his experience the exam tends to retraumatize the area.

I continue to feel good about my recovery, but I don't think I'm completely healed yet. There's no bleeding or incontinence but as I mentioned before, there's a feeling of "stretching" when I have bowel movements that I feel around my entire anus and not much at all where my fissure used to be. Anticipating the feeling doesn't scare me, and it doesn't last long. Maybe about ten seconds of a kind of burn/stinging sensation afterward. Feingold told me to start using Diltiazem again to help with the healing and that if all pain has not disappeared in two months to come back and see him. He also told me to keep doing hot baths and alcohol-free wipes.

My stools are soft, which is why I'm surprised by the feeling of "stretching." And portion control seems to have resolved a lot of my constipation problems. I guess we'll see how the next couple of months feel.
Last edited by helpme on 08 Jun 2016, 14:22, edited 1 time in total.
helpme
Salt Bather
 
Posts: 34
Topics: 2
Joined: 11 Nov 2015, 23:14
Has thanked: 9 times
Been thanked: 4 times
Gender: None specified

Re: Feingold Kenalog Procedure

Postby over10yearsnow » 17 Feb 2016, 17:47

Wow thank you for this detailed diary. It's very encouraging to hear, and so pleased you are heading in the right direction.

What's the latest news? Are you still doing ok?

Also did you find out what the cost to your insurer was?

Thanks :)
over10yearsnow
Salt Bather
 
Posts: 31
Topics: 7
Joined: 11 Feb 2016, 22:12
Has thanked: 7 times
Been thanked: 2 times
Gender: None specified

Re: Feingold Kenalog Procedure

Postby helpme » 18 Feb 2016, 11:33

Here's some more information. I've been meaning to update but have been distracted.

First about cost: The pre-insurance bill that I received from Columbia Doctors comes out to $3600 for 4 "surgical procedures" and 1 "diagnostic service." The surgical procedures were charged at $1100, $900, $900, and $600. The diagnostic procedure was charged at $100. My insurance took care of all of it but $100. This is the only bill I've received so I don't know if there was a separate hospital room bill or anesthesia bill with additional charges that was taken care of by the insurance company.

From my discharge form, I have the following listed as the procedures performed: exam under anesthesia, skin tag excision, and Kenalog injection. It's hard to figure out exactly how the charges correspond to the four amounts above, but it seems like the procedure would be less expensive for someone who did not also have to have a skin tag removed.

As for my progress, I'm not sure how to categorize it. My non-expert conclusion is that the procedure resolved my chronic fissure (I rarely have pain from it), but I think the dilation might have caused a small fissure on the other side? It's my best guess. I'm still regularly using Colace, Miralax, wet wipes, and sitz baths. I've returned to a totally normal diet though and with those aides have not had a problem with bowel movements except for once. And I believe the one time was the result of alcohol consumption. Taking probiotics also definitely made the situation worse.

I have had a daily bowel movement since December, and it hasn't solved the problem. I'll update again next time I see Feingold or when/if I feel fully cured.
Last edited by helpme on 08 Jun 2016, 14:24, edited 1 time in total.
helpme
Salt Bather
 
Posts: 34
Topics: 2
Joined: 11 Nov 2015, 23:14
Has thanked: 9 times
Been thanked: 4 times
Gender: None specified


  • Similar Topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post

Return to Diaries



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests