So I have been "lurking" around for the past few months, mostly because I really didn't have much to say, and also a little bit because I forgot my password. I have mostly been interested in reading about the people who have had LIS recently to see how their surgeries and recoveries have gone.
I was doing pretty good for a few months and thought maybe I didn't need surgery but, as everyone has said, it just seems to keep coming back. For me, it isn't the pain that bothers me so much, maybe it's because I have had this problem for so long that I am just used to it. The most bothersome thing for me is the bleeding. Some days it's worse than others of course, but I have been anemic for years, my iron stores right now are at 12 (15 being the lowest end of normal), so I went ahead and booked myself for LIS on January 25th of next year (my husbands 31st birthday, haha). It was actually kind of ironic because I had seen the surgeon in July but we somehow got our wires crossed and my file got misplaced so I wasn't called for surgery until October. At that time, I was just returning to work after a year of MAT leave so I needed to wait until I got back into the swing of things with work and childcare etc. So anyways, a few weeks ago I was looking for the phone number of the Dr.'s office to call and book surgery, when the phone rang and low and behold it was the Dr.'s office calling me to see if I was ready to set a date! I take this as a sign that I need to have the surgery and that everything will work out just fine. My husband is on holidays for 4 days after my surgery so I will help with the kids and stuff for a few days.
I guess this is all I have to say for now, I will keep reading the updates from the people who have had LIS recently, and as soon as I can after surgery, I will post my own story, hopefully a good one. Fingers crossed!

Hey there,
just wanted to say Good Luck w/ your surgery! It is kind of ironic that you decided to book your surgery and the office called:) Take care and keep us posted. I'm sure you will do great.
Dawn

good luck scaredy_butt.
i love canadians so with that said, you will do fine.
did u set a date?

Scaredy_butt, sounds like it was meant to be eh? :) We'll be thinking of you come January. Please post any questions you have before and after surgery and we'd be happy to help!

ah, i see that it is jan 25!!! and for sentimental reasons
it's funny scaredy_butt 'cos the CRS gave me 3 dates to chose from: jan 19, feb 11, and march 11. and of course, the one that jumped out was jan 19 because it was my neice's birthday! LOL.
well, the other reason to pick that date is to hopefully settle this odd thing.
i hate to say it but i function pretty damn well most of the time and i would really hate for any of that to change on account of doing this.
i think the most change would come from the skin tag removal for me. what worries me is that the first CRS advised not to get it removed but at the time he saw it, it was just a little baby.
i doesn't bother me per say that it's something different to look at if you ever stop in to see my ass, but just for the reason that it is an oddity and something that should not be there that could possibly one day turn into something else. too bad it doesn't turn into a rich prince if you kiss it!
anyway, we'll be in good company.
i have a follow-up appt with the CRS to address some pre-op questions and after reading some posts lately, now i will add what kind of packaging do i get down there when i am sent home. i found that posting to be very concerning on some level.
let's have a great day and i have to try to focus somehow as i have a final exam tonight for linear algebra. ugh.

SB - Good for you! I've had such a positive LIS experience (hope I don't jinx it by saying this repeatedly here) and funny the same thing happened to me when I called my CRS' office, he actually answered the phone! Now when on earth does the surgeon answer the phone!?!? I had originally tried to hold out for January too trying to get past Christmas and my DD's birthday party, but just couldn't hold on. And I'm so glad I did it now. I have to remind myself to rest still, I've felt 100% for a few days now and I'm 13 days post open LIS.
Happyass - yes find out what packing you'll have and be sure to look for it post op!!! I didn't and never knew when it came out.

Happyass- It sounds like we are in the same boat. My fissure doesn't really hold me back from doing anything. I function well too. I've had this problem so long I think I have just gotten used to it. And like I said, I don't get the debilitating pain with mine. Just a lot of bleeding. And I'm sick of it. I have 2 or 3 skin tags too which will be removed and I am excited about that. I feel like an alien or something, and though not many people are ever looking at my butt, it's still embarassing. I am looking forward to the sugery actually, but I am terrified that I will have some permanent incontinence or that I will be one of those people who get up from sitting and angel gas or something. Ugh. From reading the posts here though that doesn't seem to be what happens, at least not permanently so I'm going to just go with it and hope for the best. I have to travel back to my hometown for surgery though because that's where I was living when I first saw the surgeon so we will be staying with my parents for a few days after surgery which might be difficult. Don't get me wrong, my parents are wonderful, but I think I might just rather be in my own house, my own bed and my own bathroom if embarassing things are happening to me downtown! Oh well.
Cagirl- I'm so glad you are feeling better and that you have had such a great recovery! I am hoping mine will be similar! Thanks for all your posts too, they really helped me decide to just bite the bullet and get the damn LIS over with!

Good luck scaredy-butt!

wishing you all the best and a speedy recovery!

have a great day today scaredy-butt and try to relax.
hope you have everything you need at home for post-op recovery.
here's to it all going smoothly and successfully. i will keep you in my prayers today and tomorrow to help you be as calm as possible and come out in great condition.
i didn't see others write about having a prescription for toradol along with their pain killers other than callmecrazy, but hopefully your CRS will give you that along with your pain killers. it is supposed to be an anti-inflammatory along with relieving pain as well - on top of your other pain killer.
i bought generic brand Depends diapers but really i never had any accidents or leakage that ever went on to the diaper. i stopped wearing them yesterday. bought them just in case. under $10.00 i believe for 18.
although the surgery center did give me lots of gauze squares (i think 4x4) - i am just 1/2 way through since i use 2 at a time - i also bought some (as I didn't know they would be sending me home with some) as well as absorbent cotton in a roll.
i prefer the feeling of the absorbent cotton - which i decided to try out last night - because it is so much softer than the tiny, griddle-like structures of the gauze pads. i am just saying this because if you are having more than 1 skin tag removed, you may want to have something much softer to put between your butt cheeks as it is draining and healing.
if your procedure experience is going to be anything like Dawn's or mine, you will be in for a treat as it is nothing as bad as your mind could have imagined.
**
also, Kim gave me a good idea when he came out of his procedure, he was feeling 'like a bomb' went off in his bum so they gave him some more pain meds via the IV and that helped him.
even if you feel a bit of anything down there, ask them for a bit of whatever they have (they will ask if you are feeling any post-op pain) and they will give you some to take the edge off. for me, they gave my fentanyl - i only asked for it because i did feel "something" but i wouldn't even call it pain.
i just wanted to make sure i left the surgery site feeling nothing! although the fentanyl didn't numb whatever feeling i had down there, i got what i could and i took it.
**
try and have a good nite's rest. if you can tonight, take a nice warm/hot bath in epsom salts, like a candle, and put some soothing music on to help transition you into sleep.
have all your clothes ready to go tomorrow. suggest taking something loose with you to change into on your way home.
best of luck!
hugs,
happy