On the positive side, I believe my fissure has healed. No blood for a month, no pain with BMs, no ripping or tearing, insides feel firm and healed. I've also lost 15lbs on my liquid diet and I am back to my mid-20s weight of 200lbs
However. Bear with me.
About a month ago I went out with my wife and sat in a booth to eat. I must have been sitting the wrong way because the next day I woke up and the upper left part of my rectum was swollen and tender. I assumed that I irritated the internal sphincter muscle which was already trigger-happy from the fissure. This is also where I believe the fissure is/was.
In the past month the swelling goes down a bit with some nifedipine and hot baths, but has basically stayed the same, very tender and sometimes hard as a rock. My wife did an exam the day after the booth-incident, ( this is what strong marriages are based on) and nothing was out of the ordinary except that on the upper left side of my anus, not inside but close the hole, was a white, pimply-looking thing. It didn't hurt. No sign of infection, nothing.
This past weekend I still assumed it was the internal muscle and figured maybe the nifidipine was just exacerbating the problem by bringing too much blood to the muscle, engorging it and not allowing it to go down. So I vowed Sunday that I would stop using the ointment.
Monday I get up to go to work, skip the nifidipine, and put some vaseline on externally to help the swollen skin around my theoretically swollen muscle. By noon, the swelling is down 75% but I notice that now the "white spot"my wife had noticed before has become red and swollen, not huge like a cyst or boil or thrombosed roid but visible, with a dark red line in it, surrounded by a small patch of red skin, and is now oozing a slightly yellow pus and blood. My wife inspects it, cleans it, dresses it. A decent amount of pus came out that evening, followed by blood, then a mix, then pus etc etc. The pus is more like phlegm or mucous and it smells, (yes i went that far) exactly like the phlegm you have when you have a chest cold.
Since then, the oozing has continued. Tends to be rusty color so I am assuming its blood mixed with pus. The pain comes and goes. Right now it's here and letting itself be known. My BMs are fine. No blood or pus. Just this damn thing that is no longer a raised bump but flatter, the dark red line is smaller, but it hurts like hell and is still weeping.
I made a quick appt with my general surgeon for tomorrow to see if this has anything to do with my fissure. Ive been researching, and it looks like it may be the surface point of a fistula (yeah me), a perianal abscess, or an external thrombosed roid.
Does this sound familiar to anyone?

I am new here, and will be absolutely no help to you except to sympathize so much--it sounds awful and I hope it clears soon. Props to the wife for being willing and able to help out. I'm glad your poops are good--we have to hold onto any bright spots we can, right? Hang in there. Let us know what it is when you find out?

Hi sorry you're suffering. What you describes could be an abscess or a fistula. Your surgeon should be able to tell you which it is. If you have a fistula you may require surgery to fix it. If it's an abscess sometimes they drain it and start you on a course of antibiotics. I hope whatever it turns out to be it goes away quickly for you. Try to keep positive thoughts. All the best Suzy

It does not sound like a thrombosis external hemorrhoid to me (I've had one of those once). However, it does sound like a fistula. I had a fissure that healed as a superficial fistula. My CRS said it was because my sphincter was so tight the fissure couldn't heal correctly. In any case, I had surgery to repair the superficial fistula and LIS to loosen the sphincter muscle. All things considered, the surgery was a breeze.
It is my understanding that if it is a fistula, surgery is your only option. However, if the fistula is superficial, it really is an easy fix, according to my CRS.
Hopefully, I am wrong and it's just a simple abscess that requires draining and a round of antibiotics.
Good luck!

HoserBum, sorry to hear that you are having problems, for what I have read on other members experiences with abscess and fistulas it sounds like that is what you got there, luckily for you it is draining on its own, but you have to be careful it doesn't get infected.
lucky you that you will see a doctor soon and he will be able to treat you accordingly.

Hoserbum,
Also sorry to hear one thing after another....pretty much me last year! Having also suffered an abscess and fistula, it sounds pretty similar...mine started with an abscess that popped and then developed a fistula tract, which then continued to pus on & off. Sorry to say that surgical intervention is the only long-term solution to a fistula but the huge positive is is that it is nowhere near as painful as a fissure can be and surgery is hugely successful and recovery not that bad at all (if that's what you're facing of course!)...The smell you describe is symptomatic of a fistula and you need to get to your CRS to get it assessed as soon as possible. You may be put on anti-biotics if an infection is suspected but it's easily sorted. All the best to you in getting it all sorted :)

Would join with the chorus above, and say that the best thing you are doing is seeing your doctor for what sounds like a fistula, Hoserbum.
Hope it will all soon be sorted, and we are here for you!

Perianal Abccess!!
Went to surgeon today, who took one look, diagnosed and had me in an OR within 45 mins. The numbing needle was something I could live 150 years and be happy never to have to endure again, but otherwise it seemed ok.
In recovery mode now. Guazed and padded. Some impressive bleeding and some nice burning but I can feel a difference already.
Have a follow-up at 3pm tmmrw to remove dressings and see what the next little bit holds in store.
Mostly relieved just to have an answer.
Thanks all you guys for feedback and thoughts.

That's actually the best news you could have hoped for HoserBum!
If it's a stand-alone abscess, once it's drained and dressed and healed, hopefully it'll be a one off for you and life will return to normal! and it won't take that long either....Fingers crossed that's it and you won't have to contend with any fistula now (50% of abscesses do form fistulas, the other lucky 50% will walk away pretty much recovered) So glad you've had this sorted and hoping that resolves the issue!.....

Just a quick question to all who have this: How long should I expect the oozing to continue? Still have some pus and occasional blood.
No signs of infection. BMs perfect. No fever, nothing. Just the oozing. My surgeon said I should be ok in 2-3 days but I thought that was a bit optimistic. It's been three days since the drainage.