Hi all,
Its been a while since I posted, I had to wait 2 months from referral to get in to see the CRS again after having been released as a patient in Feb., but I saw him this morning. The good news is that I haven't had any pain when passing stools for the past three weeks, it kind of (hopefully!!!) feels like the fissure healing has turned a good corner, but the bad news is that I ran out of nitro paste and the nurse didn't return my call for a re-fill so I haven't been using it for the past two weeks. Possibly as a result of this, I have been having random and intermittent spasms that have caused some cramping in my lower back and bum area, which I have been treating with hot soaks and heating pad as Advil or Aleve don't seem to help it.
Anyway, this morning the Doc tried to do a digital exam but I was too spastic or tight for him to do it without pain. He gave me a new prescription for nitro paste with three refills and said that sometimes the body can get used to spasming and it just forgets how to stop and that hopefully going back on the paste might break the cycle. He also mentioned botox as an option but said that he definitely wouldn't recommend surgery as I do seem to be slowly healing. Because I am graduating and moving away to accept a postdoctoral fellowship, he thought I might want to wait on the botox and get a doctor in my new town to do it. Because he couldn't get his finger in, he has scheduled me for a flexible sigmoidoscopy in six weeks just to make sure it is still just the fissure and nothing else going on.
I am really freaked out about any scoping. If you remember from my earlier posts, the reason I have the fissure is because of a poorly inserted or removed scope. I woke up from my colonoscopy last may with this fissure (I had never had one before and I have been trying to heal this one ever since.) Is it possible to insert a scope without re-activating the fissure? How does the doc handle this? Is it normal for a CRS to want to do a scope to check on things? I have no symptoms of ill health, so I doubt it is anything but the fissure. Six years ago I had a sigmoidoscopy and they didn't sedate me, it was really uncomfortable then and I had no fissure, I can't imagine how it would feel now with how spasmy I have been. This sigmoidoscopy is also scheduled just a few weeks after I am having knee surgery, so I won't be in the best place physically at that point.
So thats my update. . .I'd appreciate any comments especially about the scope procedure and my fears surrounding that.
Thanks!
Susie

I don't see what good a scope is going to do since you already had one and you don't have any other symptoms. I don't see why he cant' just proceed with a round of botox to get you through until you get settled to your new place. Or if you want to get back on the cream and do that until you get situated that would work too. But I wouldn't see the point of doing this and would ask him what the goal is and what his concerns are. But on the bright side it does sound like the cream does work for you.

I've had 2 flex sigs. The first one from my company doc (not a CRS, just a generalist) was pretty uncomfortable for me. The second one from a GI doc wasn't too bad. I kind of agree with what Tootie said above.

Hi,
Since the appointment, I have been thinking the same thing. I don't think a scope is necessary and I really don't want to have it done. Part of me thinks that he wants to do one because he has never seen inside me as my original colonoscopy was done by another doctor and I was only referred to him after I got an abscess from the fissure, had that drained in the ER, and got terribly sick with diarrhea from the antibiotics they put me on.
When they call to give me an appointment, I am tempted to say I don't want the scope. Can anyone think of a good reason for me to have a scope?
Susie

Maybe just for their own protection so they have covered all possibilities??( I think surgeons like operating!!
Would it be possible to have an MRI instead of the scope? I dont want another op so my CRS is ordering an MRI, just to make sure there is nothing sinister going on.

I also do not see the reason for scoping since you had quiet a FEW and they never showed anything . The only thing that he will look for , in my opinion, is inflammation and that can be seen only with scope (MRI detects inflammation only when it is soooooo advanced , that it is done actually before the surgery to decide how much of the guts should be removed). So, for anything else , MRI will give sufficient results. If you never had a scope, I would urge you to have one, but since you had one so recently - I really do not see why he would like to do one. Yes, the only reason is "self-protection" , but he has to have your interest in mind since you developed fissure DUE to scoping !!!!
I would do what Lecia suggested - use creams or ask for Botox - she is so right, why would you wait for transfer ???? Botox will give you relief for about 3 months and will give you time to settle down in new place and find new CRS ! You will also have your cream to use if it stops working sooner And, at the end, if nothing works there is the LIS ...
I hope you will heal completely and soon

O..M..G..!!!! ARGGGHHH!! Why do you think my CRS has put me down for an MRI, Fiss???He told me that he was looking to make sure there was no inflammation, or fistula, or anything sinister, but if its only major inflammation that they can detect, I'm now wondering why he's bothering to waste NHS money in sending me for something so expensive. Do you think he's thinking its something worse???

What is a scope?
Good luck Susie :)

No Val dont think that I am under the impression MRI does pick up fistula and other sinster goings on !
Corsi - A scope - flexible sigmoidoscopy ..
Tough call, Susie !
You can always do the scope at another time, surely ?

i had an mri back in th end of march this year after having surgery for perianal/ perineum abscess and fistula, and removal of polyops, and hemmies,
the mri shows up any fistula channels that might have developed after any sort of anal surgery, also they can show up any infections deep inside without have to go under intrusive anal surgery, the also can show up hemmies, that are larger and very inflamed,,
mri is given to save scopes etc and it also helps the crs to no where to go should the mri pick up something, rather than poking and probing around in your butt, trying to find somthing, specialy if a person has had 1 or more surgeries already in thaat area.
of course mri are also used to let us no and crs nothing is there, again saving awful anal probing etc,
in all mri can save a person going under g/a for no reason, and it also helps save time for the crs team should surgey is need ssince they no exactaly where to go, this cutting the length of time some is under g/a and cutting down on anal probing