Over 8 months of healing and retorn yesterday... LIS?

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Over 8 months of healing and retorn yesterday... LIS?

Postby CrayonOfDarkness » 27 Aug 2013, 14:10

I've been absent on here for a while because I've been busy with grad school all summer, and seemingly healing for the past 8 months! Not a single retear in all that time. Now I'm starting school again tomorrow and I start my first clinic (I'm in speech-language pathology) soon and my fissure suddenly re-tore yesterday. Now I can't even pee without bleeding like crazy. :(
I'm hoping to get an appointment with a proctologist or other. I feel hopeless about recovering naturally, even though I previously thought it was possible. I can't go another year+ and then have another retear all over again, so frustrating!
For those of you that have had surgery successfully, about how long did it take to heal? I mean, how long before you could do everything like normal without pain meds, etc. I might need to take this semester off because it's way too busy/demanding to have even a week off of school. Urrrgh.
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Re: Over 8 months of healing and retorn yesterday... LIS?

Postby resume » 27 Aug 2013, 18:01

I'm so sorry that you retore! I know how frustrating that is! I would strongly recommend seeing a CRS if possible. I was misdiagnosed 5 times before finally seeing my CRS and getting a proper diagnosis.
I had LIS/fissurectomy and I was healed in about 4 weeks. The area was still a little "raw" but the pain was gone. I'd say the pain was gone in the third week. I only had slight burning and itching with bowel movements at that time. My CRS told me that even though the pain goes away it doesn't mean that the area is healed. It can take 6 weeks to a few months to completely heal.
I took pain meds (Norcos) for the first week but to be honest I don't think I needed them for that long. I would've been fine with Aleve. I stopped taking any stool softeners about 6 weeks after surgery. Right now - 7 weeks after surgery - everything is pretty much back to normal. I still drink a lot of water but I can eat what I want and not have any issues. It's wonderful! The only time I have issues is when I have 3 or more bowel movements in a day the area gets irritated and burns a little bit like I ate something spicy, but it only lasts for a few minutes.
I'm so sorry you are still dealing with this. Good luck to you CrayonOfDarkness! :)
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Re: Over 8 months of healing and retorn yesterday... LIS?

Postby CrayonOfDarkness » 27 Aug 2013, 18:52

Hey Resume,
I'm sorry too! Ugh. I didn't think it would happen to me when I've been so careful, but I guess it happens to about everyone. I'm trying to get referred to one, but my doctor failed to call me back today with the referral. I'm sure I'll get her to call me back tomorrow though.
I'm so glad to hear that you healed so quickly. My pain has been nearly gone for months, and it's very strange for it to have suddenly erupted. It's only mildly painful, but that's probably due to squatting and knowing how to breathe properly, etc. I've been taking stool softeners (Miralax) for months and months too. Oh well. I have to face it. It's just a bummer to be about to start school tomorrow and having to send all these dire emails to my supervisors and professors to say that I have to withdraw. There's no way I can have the surgery and keep everything up.
Thanks for your kind words! and I hope I do have some luck, I need some!
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Re: Over 8 months of healing and retorn yesterday... LIS?

Postby resume » 27 Aug 2013, 20:00

Yeah what bad timing. Although I don't think it's ever a good time! I wouldn't give up completely. I was able to go back to work in a week. Hopefully your doctor will be able to lead you in the right direction. Hang in there! There is light at the end of the tunnel! :)
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Re: Over 8 months of healing and retorn yesterday... LIS?

Postby daffodil_in_pain » 27 Aug 2013, 21:40

Hey CrayonofDarkness, I am sorry to hear about the recurrence. I am also a graduate student, and had been in the midst of a clinical rotation when I re-tore, after being healed for just a month or so. I gather it is the change of routines (meals + BMs even though I try very hard to maintain regularity), plus the added stress.
I too, felt that I needed 'definitive treatment' (as per my CRS), as I still had many more months of clinicals.. I reasoned that if I can re-tear so quickly, I can re-tear anytime, and anytime is certainly not acceptable within my school schedule.
Also, any muscle including the anal sphincter under constant work/contraction undergoes hypertrophy, which will just intensify the daily painful spasm. I also imagine that maybe a longer/deeper cut will have to be performed in an LIS to achieve the same degree of muscle relaxation.. which would have implications for the recovery trajectory post-LIS, as well as risk for incontinence. I hope that makes sense.
A good, experienced CRS is therefore critical because they are the ones judging how much of the sphincter to cut. Pls don't cut yourself short and take any general surgeon. Perhaps you could ask around your contacts (and their contacts) for recommendations. Good luck!
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Re: Over 8 months of healing and retorn yesterday... LIS?

Postby CrayonOfDarkness » 28 Aug 2013, 08:44

Good thing I read this!
My doctor *finally* referred me to a surgeon when I called, but not a proctologist or CRS as I requested; instead she referred me to a general surgeon that specializes in breast surgery.
>.<
So frustrating! Now I have to call back and be more annoying about it. I definitely don't want some surgeon who only knows how to remove breasts or something. It just seems impossible to get a good referral. Even if I find one that I want, how can I be referred to them when it's my doctor who does the referring? (Or can you ask to be referred to a particular one?)
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Re: Over 8 months of healing and retorn yesterday... LIS?

Postby daffodil_in_pain » 28 Aug 2013, 09:29

Ok, so things are probably different where you are and where I am (Singapore). I was fortunate to have a college master who had the right connections (my CRS was the head of colorectal surgery in a large busy tertiary hospital) - he squeezed me in his surgery list within 2 days of my cry for help.
Yes I would push for a CRS, even though theoretically all surgeons received the same training. Things get a little rusty when you don't practise, and I certainly would feel more comfortable and safe in the hands of a CRS who does the LIS on a consistent basis than a breast surgeon whose last encounter with LIS may be months ago??!!
Maybe someone here living in your area could help recommend..?
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Re: Over 8 months of healing and retorn yesterday... LIS?

Postby CrayonOfDarkness » 28 Aug 2013, 09:34

Update:
Using that handy CRS research website posted on here, I found a CRS that specializes in fissures and made an appointment for Sept. 9th. Phew! My doctor's secretary was rude to me when I called her back, but at least I didn't have to call her back again about it since I was able to make an appointment with the CRS.
Hopefully then I can the surgery soon... Countdown until then I guess.
daffodil-- do you have to withdraw from your program for the semester also? How did you handle that? I tore initially during the semester almost a year ago, but the semester was almost over and I wasn't to start clinic until this Fall (like next week in fact), so I figured that I could get it healed on my own by then.
Also, you're totally right that it's better to do it right the first time and see someone competent. I definitely don't want it cut in a way that doesn't heal it, and then have to do it again or something. I've changed my life around in every way that I possibly can, without any supreme success, so I imagine if it could heal then I could keep it healed -- but only if it heals in the first place!
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Re: Over 8 months of healing and retorn yesterday... LIS?

Postby CrayonOfDarkness » 28 Aug 2013, 09:35

Oops, didn't see your message that you just posted... That's so fortunate that you could have the surgery so fast! I'm afraid that I will have my appointment and then my next appointment will be weeks from that, but there isn't anything I can do about it. I'm not sure how many LIS surgeries this CRS has performed, but at the top of her special interests is anal fissures, so I expect I should be in good hands (no pun intended).
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Re: Over 8 months of healing and retorn yesterday... LIS?

Postby daffodil_in_pain » 28 Aug 2013, 09:47

Heya, glad to hear that you have got things sorted. No I did not withdraw. I am
supposed to start a 4-week elective posting this week, but the program director was kind enough to allow me to start next week (11 days after LIS) for a shortened 3-week elective. I did miss a week of the core posting last week due to the extreme pain (I was completely incapacitated for up to 10 hours after my BM daily), so am waiting to hear if the school wants me to do a make up week during the year end break.
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