Hi, I'm new, and angry.
I've had an anal fissure for a little over a year now, and I'm very unhappy about it because I'm only 19, I feel like I shouldn't be having to deal with this :(
I never had any pain until this December, and even that was only annoying at best. Until then, I would have a mild amount of blood on the toilet paper a couple times of week, always painless. When I looked in the mirror I could see the tear, mocking me almost. For how visible it is i'm surprised it doesn't hurt more. I probably developed the fissure from pooping too much and wiping myself too hard with rough cheap toilet paper. My dad told me that he has experienced some blood on the TP from time to time, but never with my frequency.
I went to a doctor for the first time earlier this month (I know, I should have gone a year ago) and he looked at the thing for about 3 seconds before just confirming what I already knew. He told me that I shouldn't be worried about it unless it hurts me, gave me the contact information of a colorectal surgeon, and some steroid cream for my bum which I have yet to use. It doesn't hurt unless I have large bowel movements, and when it does it is never *too* painful.
I guess what I'm worried about is what happens next with my beloved fissure. Will it get more and more severe? Will I be limping around in pain, scared to death of the next time I have to poop? At this point I can assume the thing is chronic because I've had the visible tear for over a year, but what do i do?
I've never attempted any form of treatment other than putting some tea tree oil/vitamin E cream on the fissure (been doing this everyday for about 2 weeks now) and it has reduced the frequency of bleeding from 4-5 times a week to about 2 times per week. Despite this, there has been no visible reduction in the size of the fissure. I eat a good diet, no read meat, lots of stool softening salad and fruits, and no sweets, sodas, or fast food.
Should I call up the surgeon and try and get the LIS? Or should I try some other forms of treatment first? I'm worried that this thing will get severe, and I'm too damn young to be waddling around like a fool worried about the vicious nonhealing wound in my anus.
Any advice for me??
Thanks