Hi Sweet,
I am at a similar stage to you in the fact that my fissure was diagnosed around October last year. At the time the pain was unbearable, i would take sick days at the drop of a hat, BM's were like being stabbed in the butt with an extremely sharp knife and the spasms would be really painful and last for around 5 hours. I couldn't walk, sit, stand and on my worst day i had to sit on the floor outside the offices on my way to work i was in such pain.
For me any cream containing Hydrocortisone burns like hell and i have to immediately wash it straight off (this is common i am told). I have been on GTN (Nitro) for five weeks now and this has relieved a significant amount of the pain however i had a re-tear after a heavy night on the alcohol on New Years Eve (Big misake). My pain level is now around a 2 out of 10.
This Friday is 6 weeks since i started on the GTN and if it has not healed by then i have to re-visit the CRS. He told me that if i come back the next step is to put me to sleep and take a look inside with the camera to ensure nothing else is going on and then it will be botox injections (which i really dont want).
I was really hoping that i would be healed but as its Monday and the six week mark is Friday I just cant see it happening to be honest.
This fissure has ruined my Christmas & birthday and it has forced me to cancel a holiday. I am trying to plan my wedding this year but we cant get excited about it as this fissure is ruling our lives at the moment. I dont want the wedding to be remembered by drinking water, taking baths, monitoring BM's and eating a plate of veg at the reception!! Plus i dont want to be sipping water whilst getting toasted by the guests!
Personally i have decided to try and push my CRS for LIS as i just want this whole saga over and done with so i can get on with my life but i dont think i will get the CRS option!
Anyway thats my morning rant out the way :-)

Oh, Davo . . . I know EXACTLY what you're going through! I really appreciate your response - because it helps to talk with people out there who are going through this, too, and who can relate to the pain, fear, isolation, depression, and all the grief that an AF can cause.
Gosh, I am at the same place as you, I know. My appt. with my cr is tomorrow morning, and I've debated cancelling (to give myself more time to heal) or just going in to let him see if I've improved. I really want to give myself more time . . . and I'm on the fence about this. Personally, I don't want the LIS - it's just a bit too invasive, and I would hope I wouldn't be incontinent or have whatever other risks may be involved - but, I realize that there are people out there who are glad they had the surgery.
I had a colonoscopy three years ago, and it was fine. (That was about 2-3 months after my first fissure episode.) But do I worry about this? Yes, though I've tried not to.
Since your pain level is down, it seems like your fissure might be trying to heal . . . I know that fissures can sometimes take a long while to heal.
BTW, this thing has taken control of my life, too -- Thanksgiving and Christmas were holidays I forced myself through, and my b.d. (early January - I felt like I couldn't eat my cake), too. I really started changing my diet after Christmas - and I'm hoping that I can heal and get strong, and, that this whole episode will go away.
Congrats on your wedding, btw - but just like you, we have a family wedding this year - and I have events I need to help plan, and I will also need to dance with the groom (my son). The wedding is out of town, and we were all supposed to visit the wedding site last month, but I couldn't go -- I couldn't sit in the car for the 3-4 hr. trip up there. I haven't felt like dealing with any of it, but I will need to, at one point or another.
Thanks for sharing that info about the Hydrocortisone cream -- I know that after I put it on the other day, I started to burn (there is alcohol in the base of the formula) - but I wasn't sure that cream did it, or not. Yesterday I had some burning and tenderness, but I used the nitro, which does seem to work better than anything else.
Again, thank you for your response. It's something that I can hang onto, while going through this nightmare, myself. Please let me know how you do with your crs. --- I haven't decided whether or not to go tomorrow . . .
I don't know . . .

Sweet Bugaboo .. if the doc that is treating you is gentle, I'd go and of course tell him/her about how ur hurting and they will be careful - but if he/she is one of those brutal/militaristic/treat you like a place mat type :( then i'd cancel.. God be with you sweetie..

Aw, thank you, grannymaria!
My gosh, I really appreciate your (and everyone's) support! Honestly, there are times I've been soooo down about this - but it really helps to be able to talk with everyone here.
I had my morning b.m. - and it was fine, with just a bit of leftover discomfort. I'm thinking I'll give myself a bit more time to heal . . .
It's hard to know what to do. My doc seems gentle enough, but I don't think these doctors always know the right thing to do. He's the one who prescribed the Hydrocortisone, and I think it irritates the area.
So, I just keep hoping this will go away, away, away, away!