by Luka » 17 Apr 2013, 13:07
Thank you jr2 for that valuable information. I feel a lot more hopeful after reading what you said. : ) I know I've read the same online from a few CRS's about chronic fissures and how they will eventually heal even if you don't get the surgery. It's just a matter of time and how well you take care of yourself (good diet, good bowel habits, etc.). It is great to have surgery as an option, though, especially for those that have a lot of horrible pain daily.
As I've said before on this forum, I currently don't have health insurance and can't afford surgery right now, so I'm doing my best to be patient and let mine heal on its own. And, to be honest, surgery scares the heck out of me. After reading peoples' experiences on this forum about it, I'm skeptical about getting it for myself. You never know what might happen and the recovery process really scares me. I could be lucky and have very little pain afterward, but then again, I could be unlucky and have a ton of horrible pain, possibly a lot more than I have now. I just don't want to take that chance right now since my pain is currently manageable.
I know it's a very slow process, but since I don't have much pain now (just aches and occasional stinging after some bowel movements that can last a few hours), I'm willing to see how I do without surgery. Diltiazem has helped a lot, too, to relax the muscle. Of course, if I had excruciating pain on a regular basis (like I did in the beginning of my fissure, although it was off and on), I would obviously feel differently and want to get the surgery right away.
January 2013 - Diagnosed with fissure. Eventually turned chronic.
History of IBS and anxiety disorder, along with fear of using bathrooms other than my own caused it.
Tried Diltiazem, but eventually developed a rash.
LIS surgery scheduled August 26th.