Hi everyone,
Sorry I've been MIA so much lately. I think of you all often, though I seem to be forgetting about my rear end. I'm certainly talking and writing much less about it. I did want to make a post, partly to remind myself in the future, but also to add 2 more of my cents to our collective AF pool, that the arse takes a LONG time to fully heal, but healing DOES happen.
I am 7 mos post-LIS and I don't think I'm quite fully healed. I'm living fairly normally, though every now and then I get sore and think that life will not be worth living if I don't get a nice hot bath in a few hours. The fissure pain is mostly gone. I still do get erratic stinging on a daily basis. I am not sure why most of the time. For the most part though, the stinging isn't bad. Sometimes it feels like very abraided and irritated skin in the patch where I had the fissure, kinda like a carpet burn on my hiney. Other times it feels like I've had a minor retear. Most of the time, I forget that there is still something minorly wrong. I'm not sure if there is just a little left to heal and if that might be causing the lingering bit of problems. (Jen, the incision area does occasionally sting even now, like once a week.)
I still watch what I eat, though i have started eating normally again, which for me meant very healthy to begin with. I have been eating occasional red meat, but mostly fish, grains and veg. I do let myself have cake and ice cream and pie. I'm glad it is apple season again. i can eat raw apples this year. Last year they were too solid and the parts that didn't mush up fully in my intestines came out in painful little lumps. I have cut down on the super doses of fiber. I'm now getting 15-25/day.
I still take 500-1000mg of mag. day. the usus is 500, but I take 1000 if I have eaten a lot or heavy dense foods.
Spic foods are a big NONO. the last spicy dinner I ate cause burning for a week.
I still use my nitro/nifedinpine. I stocked up pre-LIS, realized I needed them again around month 3. They're almost gone now, so I'm going to get a refill.
I can not sit in one position for lengthly periods of time. I get pain where the fissure was and also pain in my hip. I am not sure what causes the pain in my hip, but it basically radiates around the ridges of the pelvic bone into my tailbone. When those muscles are sore, my anus feels sore too. That is when it stings and burns the worst.
In August, when a good portion of the residual pain went away, I suddenly started having normal bm again. They were like pre-fissure bm. Don't know which one cause the other.
I'm hoping that in the next 7 mos, I'll be better. The residual sorenesses are slowly, slowly going away. Did I say slowly? I think that is the key. In my experience, this are takes a long time to heal--it is constantly reinjured, constantly irritate by sitting an walking, constantly mired with poo--basically subject to all the worst conditions for a healing wound. I don't say that to be discouraging. In fact, I say that for just the opposite reason. KEEP PLUGGING AWAY. Even if one day seems bad, keep on the diet, the creams, etc....
My friends, if you'll remind me that I wrote this when I come back and am worried because I am having a bad day, I would appreciate it.

Thanks so much for posting that, BG. It is very timely as so many of us wonder why is it taking so long to heal but you have shown us that it does happen slowly but surely and that it isn't an overnight success for the most part. I am so happy that you are feeling close to your pre-fissure days and that your mind is free to roam to other things now.

Yes, we'll dig this up again and again as long as it takes!

hi buttgirl,
you sound like you are making real good progress.
my CRS said taht if i did have an LIS that it would be like 2 years to feel absolutely back to normal.
he also mentioned that a turning point would probably be around 6-8 months from surgery so it sounds like you are there....
at a positive turning point and you will only get better!!!!
congratulations!
keep up the good work and take it day by day and just know that you are healing in good time.

Thanks for sharing BG!!! It is nice to hear good stories like that! I am so happy you are having pre fissure BM's after everything you have been through! Thats great!

Has the fissure healed completely?did u get it checked?it is sad u r still feeling the pain but u r getting better.
u will get through this.

Thanks for sharing buttgirl, happy that things are getting better - slowly... Nice to read the happy ending stories as well.
Corsica

:D hi Chris,

glad you're doing ok and everything seems to be healing nicely. I totally agree with you this wretched thing does take time. My surgery was in january and i get flare ups every now and again - sometimes i wonder if it is just a year or two of healing or whether it will be this way forever
Are you having the tests for the pain in your hip?

:hi: Chris,
I am glad you stopped to write an update, it is encouraging and also reminds us be patient and things will improve with time. My hemmie surgery - fissure fiasco started 7 months ago and although I still have relapses, they are getting fewer and farther between.
Thanks BG!

Jo