Today my chronic fissure was confirmed 100% healed. Here's my story......
I'd been dealing with my chronic fissure for 1 year and 5 months to be precise.
It started at the beginning of December 2011, I was in sheer knife-stabbing agony with it until the end of January 2012, when I was admitted for an emergency appointment. Following an immediately scheduled Examination Under Anaesthetic (EUA) the fissure was diagnosed and I was put on a 7 week course of Diltiazem cream.
In the meantime, I acquired an abscess & a fistula, which took a lot of focus off the fissure and I underwent a simple Fistulomy to treat the Fistula in June 2012 (another story but with a very happy & successful ending).....
Prior to the Fistula op, and some time in March 2012, I came off the Diltiazem and the difference in the way I physically felt was unbelievable. My pain levels were hugely decreased and although I continued to have some spasms and a feeling of pressure in the anal area for a couple of months after, everything was manageable. I felt I was getting my life back on track.
Just to add that I have suffered huge stress-related issues with the fissure to the extent I was prescribed AD's because I wasn't coping and hit rock bottom mentally. These also played a major role in my healing, "lifting" my moods back to a level where I gained renewed strength and more determination than ever to beat this thing. They are not for everyone, but they worked for me.
Following the Fistulomy, I was pretty much focused on the Fistula recovery - Incidentally, and for anyone who is wondering, this had NO link at all to the fissure. It was a totally separate and unfortunate occurence.
I healed extremely well from the Fistula surgery. It took about 4-6 months for complete healing and to the point I would never have known I had suffered a Fistula.
The Fistulomy was performed under GA and it was also revealed at that time that I had two small internal piles.
In the meantime, the fissure continued to heal, slowly but surely, week by week.
Things got better & better. I was having no pain with BM's, I never bled although I continued to get mild twinging from the fissure site - just a gentle reminder that it was not quite healed and for me, a valuable warning to ensure that I continued with all the good dietary and toilet habits that I had learned through the whole thing and NEVER ever to strain or push again during a BM. I did however start to experience a whole new change of symptoms - feelings of general soreness, itchiness and "pricking" sensations, which I initially assumed were related somehow to the fissure as the main sensations were coming from the fissure site. These were not major, infact nothing compared to that original fissure pain but enough for me to feel the need to go back to my CRS today for an update.
The "twinges" from the fissure I was experiencing finally stopped.
In the meantime, I drew my own conclusions on those sensations and with a lot of valuable information acquired on this very site and a lot of internet research, I self-diagnosed my internal Sentinel pile, which was never particularly visible! I would never ever recommend anyone self-diagnosing anything but with the amount of knowledge I feel I have acquired over the last few months and the fact I now know my bottom so well, I just knew and sensed that I was correct in my thinking!
This morning, I saw my CRS. He performed a thorough internal investigation, which unlike previously, was painless.
He confirmed that the sensations I have been feeling were a result of minor scar tissue and the formation of the classic Sentinel pile! The fissure was 100% healed and the piles have shrunk hugely. He was beaming and so was I!!! He said he never wanted to see me again in the nicest possible way!
Going forward, he had two pieces of very important advice:
1) Never allow your body to get constipated. Continue always & forever with good diet habits and never ever force a BM. Do whatever you need to do essentially to keep those stools soft!
2) If I ever had a recurrence of major fissure pain, he advised me to get straight to a GP for Nitro/ Diltiazem and use it religiously for 6 weeks but he did stress that if I followed the above step, a recurrence was not likely.
So this is my story and I now have hopefully the final hurdle to overcome - the reminder of the fissure! - The classic Sentinel pile - but, my CRS did advise that even that with time, this would very possibly shrink and become less bothersome. He strongly advised me that he would NEVER consider removing it and was also against any form of pile-banding because these can create further issues in such a delicate area.
To anyone dealing with a chronic fissure, never ever give up hope!
Chronic fissures heal and even if you do have to take the surgery route, you will get there.
We are all so unique and heal in our own way and in our time, but have faith in your bodies' healing powers.
Positivity, patience and inner strength are key in the recovery process.
Please feel free to PM me if you ever need to.......
My fissure might be healed but I will always be around to help anyone suffering.
