Hi all
I know someone else posted about this previously but I just wanted to ask some further questions regarding the same topic. .
Initially I suffered the whole pooping out glass feeling and bright red blood on the TP (I've had my fissure for 3-4 months but started doing something about it 2 months ago). I then started to watch what I ate etc and also kept a food/poo diary haha. One day things just started to look up, I had no pain or blood for about a week and began introducing normal foods back into my diet without it affecting me. Then 2 weeks ago I STUPIDLY ate popcorn when I went to see Avengers >.< Found a couple of drops of bright red blood on the TP. Since then, I've been a bit more careful about food but not as pedantic as when things were god awful. Now, I have no pain or bit of a bite when pooing but every now and then I see a pale red/pink dot or two on the TP. Are these re-tears each time? The blood isn't that bright red that I used to see when things were bad.
Would you say I'm slowly healing? My sentinel pile has shrunk considerably and doesn't bother me at all now. So keep it up or consider surgery etc? I read on the forum that the chances of healing an AF without surgery are close to impossible and that has really discouraged me :(

HI,
I don't know where you read that about healing chances and surgery. That just isn't so.
Every situation is different. If you get a lot of spasms, then yes, surgery is likely your quickest way to heal. But otherwise, it is quite normal to heal without it.
And there are other options to surgery as well, like dilation and botox. Even with surgery though, it is still a long road to full recovery and takes a lot of patience.
Set back where you see a bit of blood again, are normal. So long as you feel better than the last set back you are still on the path to healing.
It will take months to a year or more for the skin there to be as strong or nearly as strong as it was before the tear. So you will need to be careful for a long time. IMO, plan to have a high fiber and more water diet for the rest of your life. Think of it as a wake up call to a life style change.
I am so glad you are feeling so much better! That's awesome!
-Tanya

Thanks, Tanya! Your words are always so encouraging. I've never had a spasm of any sort which is good!
Unfortunately I went to a wedding last night with a giant 6 course meal. It was delicious but I had a feeling I would pay for it this morning...which was the case :( I took stool softeners last night and drank prune juice but alas, a retear this morning! the sight of bright red blood on the TP is always so discouraging! But the last time I had a re-tear, there as a loooot more blood and I still managed to begin healing relatively quickly when I got serious about my diet so that keeps me going.
I'm going back on a fully healthy diet as of today - I started to steer away from it when I was doing really well - stupid Living with an AF really is a life long commitment!
I hope everything is going well with you?

I'm getting there, very very slowly :roll:
:)
thanks for asking!
-Tanya