Newbie...my long and painful story...

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Newbie...my long and painful story...

Postby scaredy_butt » 31 May 2010, 01:54

Hi everyone-
First I have to say how happy I am to have happened upon this forum. Let me tell you a bit about myself and my issues...
I am 30 (yikes, it's my birthday today, so that's the first time I have written that)! I have suffered with constipation for almost as long as I can remember. When I was about 15 or 16, I remember things started to get worse, and there would be blood on the toilet paper. I remember once, when I was 17, there was so much blood that the toilet water was bright red! I was in college, living with 2 other girls, and wasn't comfortable telling anyone, so I pretended it never happened. Now, as you all know, these things don't go away on their own! Fast forward to today, and I am still dealing with these issues. I finally got fed up and saw a surgeon in 2004. He thought I had hemmorhoids and did a Sigmoidoscopy, and removed 2 external skin tags with cautery. He didn't use ANY analgesic, and let me tell you, I was writhing around on the bed in tears, grabbing the side bars of the stretcher so hard my knuckles were turning white. Of course, no one knew I had fissures, so they probably all thought I was being a big baby. Needless to say, the problem didn't get any better. In 2006, I was referred to a different surgeon who decided I needed a colonoscopy. There was still no mention of fissures. I was terrified after my first experience, but this time I had conscious sedation and don't remember a thing. Apparently she banded some internal hemmorhoids, but wouldn't remove the external skin tag that had returned. Again the problem remained. In 2008, I went to yet another surgeon, who took one look "down there" and said, "You have anal fissures, I am not even going to do an rectal exam because it would be too painful." Thank heavens! He prescribed me some Diltiazem cream to apply 4 times a day for 6 weeks. I tried diligently at first to apply as directed, but it burned when I put it on, and I started getting headaches, so I never did complete the 6 weeks. We had moved to a new city so I never went back to see him. However, I have since gone back to the Dr. and have been referred back to this same surgeon. I see him on June 8th. I am so so so sick of the pain and the bleeding. I want relief so bad, but I am terrified that if I have the sphincterotomy, that I will be incontinent. I am a nurse, and I have seen my fair share of incontinence, and I want nothing to do with it.
I currently have I think 3 or 4 external skin tags, and I bet there are the same # of fissures. I wish I hadn't let it go this long, but I was so embarrassed to talk about it. Sometimes the toilet water is red still, and sometimes there is just blood on the toilet paper. For the past 2 or 3 weeks, there hasn't been any blood, but I notice that I can feel my anus twitching (you know how your eye twitches sometimes?) I'm wondering if that has anything to do with it? Could the muscle be relaxing on it's own?
I am anemic from all the bleeding and even my ferritin is in my boots (I've used up all my iron stores!), and I'm supposed to be taking iron supplements, but guess what? They make me constipated! I have tried all the metamucil supplements etc, but find that when I take more fiber, my stools are bulkier, thicker and cause more pain and bleeding. I find the constipated little rabbit poop far more tolerable, but every so often I will go 3 or 4 days without a BM and then when I do have one it is big and hard. It doesn't usually bleed that much but I will usually have another 1 or 2 softer BM's that same day which will bleed like crazy and leave my bum so swollen, throbbing and burning. It will usually feel like that until the next day. I also find that after a BM, I "leak" a little bit, but it's not stool. It's like mucous mixed with stool. Had anyone else experienced that? I sometimes wear a pad after a BM because I am self conscious that I might be stinky. While I am swollen, I can't have sex because it is too painful on my perineum. I am so tired of this I can't even explain, but I'm sure you understand. I can't believe I have gone into such detail here, but I really feel like you guys will understand. I hope I haven't grossed you out too much! I am so happy to read all the positive results from LIS, I feel like it is my only option since this has been going on for so long, I don't think anything else will work with such old chronic fissures. I am concerned about the pain afterwards, but mostly about the incontinence issue. I have 2 small children, 4 years and 8 months and we likely will not be having anymore, so I feel like now is the time to fix this.
Sorry to have babbled on for so long...I am now going to go and read some more of your success stories LOL. I will post again after my Dr.s appt and let you all know what he says. Thank you all for being here. You don't know what weight has been lifted by finding people to talk to who actually understand. My husband is very supportive, but he just doesn't "get it."
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Re: Newbie...my long and painful story...

Postby BR1979 » 31 May 2010, 04:18

Hello! Im a newbie here too..Youґll find more experienced people to ask about LIS.
Wish you recover well
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Re: Newbie...my long and painful story...

Postby cherylk » 31 May 2010, 05:27

Scraredy,
What a clever name! Boy, you've been through a lot. I just wanted to say welcome. I'm sure you will get lots of feedback on which to ruminate! Only we who have "been there" can understand. My husband was sympathetic, but it does get old hearing about another's butt issues. That's why this forum is so great!! :)
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Re: Newbie...my long and painful story...

Postby NeuropathicGuy » 01 Jun 2010, 13:05

Hey Scaredy Butt! When it comes to fissures, it definitely takes one (victim) to know one. I think a lot of us can relate to many parts of your story. But the fact that you are anemic from the bleeding sounds like some serious stuff!
Have you been screened for any bleeding disorders at all? Fissures can cause bleeding (mine actually was quite a heavy bleeder and would often fill the toilet bowl with blood until I got it under control), but it seems like it would have to be pretty severe to cause anemia. Of course women tend to become anemic quicker due to menstrual bleeding, but still, if you're considering surgery, it may not be a bad idea to get screened first. There are a couple of simple blood tests, Prothrombin Time and Partial Thromboplastin Time, that can give you an idea of whether your bleeding is within normal parameters. Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis can also cause anemia but they *should* have caught some sign of those during the colonoscopy.
I'm actually the opposite of you: before my fissure, I had never been constipated in my life. In fact, my irritable bowel syndrome caused me to have many loose poops a day. But after several poops, I would get similar symptoms as you: bleeding, plus a swollen, tender, throbbing butt. I don't think I ever leaked afterwards. If it's stool, maybe it's just the skin tags making the anus hard to clean, thus leaving stains later. But since you said it's more mucus-like, I think sometimes irritable bowel syndrome can cause mild mucus discharge. Also, not to freak you out, but anal abscesses can cause mucus discharge too. But normally that would be all the time, not just after bowel movements. I think someone would have to scope the area (anuscopy should be sufficient) to get a better idea of exactly what it is. When my fissure was totally killing me, I couldn't tolerate an anuscopy at all, but it was fine after I was after conscious sedation.
Also, one thing I didn't read in your post (or maybe I overlooked it): are you taking any stool softeners right now? They're a staple of the fissure diet.
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