LIS Success story right here

LIS surgery, 29 SWF

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LIS Success story right here

Postby caesar717 » 04 May 2014, 20:15

I am so glad that I found this forum! It’s been a great source of strength for me during this journey. You all are so strong J
So here I am to share my AF experience. I’m a healthy 29-year old white female, 155 lbs, 5’4”. No health issues, except a hypothyroid (treated with Synthroid).
I guess the problem had been building up for a few months; I had an IUD removed in October 2013. I had the IUD removed due to excessive weight gain (30 pounds in 12 months), cystic acne, and abnormal mood swings (exhaustion, fatigue, tiredness, and loss of sex drive). Since getting the IUD removed and put back on Beyaz, I have been diagnosed with ADHD, and put on 20 mg of Adderall a day. I also work out five or six times a week, and I have completely changed my diet—no more processed carbs or refined sugars for this girl, and I don’t drink nearly as much as I used to. I’ve lost 35 pounds in four months through diet and exercise—the healthy way! While I work ten+ hours a day at a desk job in a stressful, high-energy environment, I always find time for zumba, yoga, and my daily walk/jog, as well as at least six hours of sleep a night. Little did I know what was coming down the pike.
During the fall of 2013, I had some painful bowel movements and bloody stools (hard and loose), but I thought those were a result of drinking too much alcohol or bad meals. I also connected it to the return of my regular period.
I broke up with my boyfriend the first week of March 2014—what a bummer! Instead of wallowing, I threw myself even hard into my diet and exercise. That’s when the burning and the itching started. It felt like there was a fire in the hole CONSTANTLY. On a scale of 1 to 10, it was a six, but it would only last a couple of hours and then dissipate. It felt even better when I could just lie on my stomach. Naturally, I assumed it was something I ate that needed to work its way out of my system, so I gave it more time and no more thought. I blamed it on the stress of my new singledom, stress at work, and crappy food.
By the second week of March, the anal itching and burning and pain were searing—now it was definitely a seven. I was still having regular BMs followed by severe cramping and pain. It was like going to the bathroom and having a Molotov cocktail explode in my bum. My diet had been excellent, but I’d been partying a bit, so I chalked it up to too much booze. Thought I’d drink more water and let the alcohol get out of my system. My butt hurt so much, I’d literally be crying at home, and I could barely get through my dance class or yoga! Yoga isn’t supposed to hurt!
The third week of March was the week before my period, so I just blamed the pain (now an eight) on Shark Week. I talked to my girlfriend, a CrossFitter, and she said it was probably hemorrhoids and I should get some Colace, Tucks wipes, and Prep H. All of the symptoms I had, she could identify with ‘roids. I was desperate and nearly crying out in the open at work from pain, so I took her advice eagerly. Things improved, if only for one day, then got infinitely worse. I couldn’t even lie down without the burning, the itching, the dampness, the screaming… I felt like my body was pulling itself in two and I was pulling my cheeks apart for air constantly! (Not a good look, btdubs.)
By the end of March, I was in such physical pain that I could barely get out of bed in the morning. Every time I had a BM, it was like shards of glass were coming out of my rear. I didn’t get it—I’d lost most of the excess weight, I was eating well, I was sleeping better, and my anxiety/OCD/ADHD were under control for the first time since college. What in the bloody hell was going on? Nothing worked—not IB-profen, not the Tucks, and certainly not Preparation H.
I am a young woman, and this is not a subject that you want to talk about, with anyone! Not your mom, not your doc, not your friend, not your boss... no one! You keep the pain and shame inside, and the stress makes it even worse. I wish that I had put my pride aside sooner and asked for help when this all started. No one should be embarrassed by this, even though I know why you are!
One day, I was home teleworking, and howling in tears from the pain. Literally, clawing the floor and ripping out my hair and screaming through my tears. My dogs looked at me and I knew I had to go to my GP immediately. Luckily, they were able to see me that afternoon and after a quick exam with the RN, she thought I had internal hemorrhoids and needed to see a CRS/surgeon ASAP. The pain of the physical exam, with the insertion of the finger… I wanted to die in the room. I cried and wailed and screamed for the ten seconds she was in there. I literally thought she had shoved a Swiss army knife up there and popped a button and opened all the blades at once. She also thought I could take a steroid suppository until I got into the CRS, but the thought of putting something up there made me want to die!
I went to my CRS that afternoon, and after a quick, 30-second rectal exam and two-minute discussion, he diagnosed me with a chronic anal fissure, caused by a too-small sphincter. This problem had been building for a while and I guess at some point, I just went one dump too far. He says there was nothing I could have done to prevent it, short of coming in and having a preemptive sphincterotomy. It was going to tear, and boy, did it tear. He gave me two options: try the cream for a few weeks and see if it works and come back and probably have surgery anyway, or surgery. I chose surgery, clearly.
It was such a relief to have a diagnosis and amazing doctor! My doc was funny and had a sense of humor about it, but he was serious about the procedure and treatment. He didn’t baby me, and I appreciate the fact that he supported my quick recovery. The man knew what he was doing, and I am lucky I found him. They put me on an amazing cream for my tush (nifedipine/lido) and Percocet/Vicodin to mitigate the pain until my surgery. They told me to take Colace/Dulcolax and Mirolax or Metamucil, and drink tons of water. No more Motrin.
I saw my CRS on a Tuesday and the surgery was scheduled for Friday. My work was amazing and gave me telework until I felt well enough to come back into the office.
The Wednesday morning before my LIS was the worst; I wanted to get in one more day at the office for the week, so I was up by 6:30 am and in the shower. Well, the pain of the fissure was so blinding and terrible that I sat down in my shower to catch my breath, and I passed out! I only woke up after I leaned forward, bumping my nose and forehead on the faucet! Needless to say, I asked for telework from my office, they granted it, and I asked my father to come pick me up and take me to my parents’ house. I was so scared because I’ve never blacked out from pain before (I don’t remember any of my five concussions), and the pain was an infinity plus one out of ten.
By Thursday, all of the necessary pre-op tests and paperwork had been done, and Friday I went in at 9:30 am all by my lonesome and popped out again at noon. I was a bit sore and drugged up from the anesthesia, but in good spirits when I went home with my dad to watch Disney movies. I was even hungry for the first time in a long time that evening—I had a gyro and fries with wine to get things moving. I was taking Dulcolax and Metamucil, and Percocet for pain. Obviously, I bled and had some drainage, but I had maternity pads and Tucks, so everything was clean and dry.
Friday was fine—just a bit sore after surgery—and I was sore on Saturday morning, but I had a BM (with the help of Dulcolax, no lie). It’s amazing—the pain was gone! I expected to be more sore, to have more swelling… to have dreadful BMs, but everything was okay! Going from being in so much pain that I wanted to die to a dull ache that was ebbing was PHENOMENAL. I even ran errands with my parents on Saturday. I was eating and drinking normally, except much more water. My mom really just wanted to get real food in me. I took the Percocet on Saturday and Sunday, but by Sunday evening it was backing me up and interfering with my sleep, so I transitioned to straight IB-profen on Monday. (Note to self: Percocet and Vicodin are awful and I will never take them for pain again.
Monday morning teleworking was hell because I was coming off of the Percocet and hadn’t had a BM in 24 hours. I cut off the Perc, had a good smoothie, and three Colace. I had a BM within two hours and I was sore for the rest of the day, but I was okay. With the Motrin, the pain was minimal. I even went to zumba that evening—it felt good to be up and moving, and I felt like the blood rush to the area facilitated some healing! It was good for my energy.
I was taking Metamucil, but it backed me up to hell and tasted horrific. (NOT TO MENTION THE HEART BURN/ACID REFLUX, GOOD LORD. NEVER AGAIN.) I called my nutritionist, and she recommended that I continue to put Standard Process Whole Food Fiber in my daily fruit smoothies (just fruit and 100% fruit juice). I asked her about Miralax, and she said that would make things too loose, so she recommended an apple or a banana a day, followed with lots of water. The key here is really water and diet! I was already eating a high-fiber diet with a good balance of proteins and fats, so adding more fiber would just make things more constipated. My CRS agreed with her, so now I am taking a mild Gastro-Fiber supplement, a probiotic, and the Whole Food Fiber in my shakes.
As soon as I stopped taking the dang Percocet and Vicodin and just took Motrin, the swelling went down, the pain was manageable, and I could sleep again.
I know everyone’s recovery is different, but I am happy that I went back to my normal schedule as soon as I could. I took it easy for three or four days, but after that, I was ready to return to my old routine. I tried really hard not to touch my butt—no doggy style for awhile! (I mean, I touch my tush when I apply the angel cream, I’m just not anal about it.) My diet was already excellent, so I just forced myself to drink more water (which wasn’t even hard, because I love seltzer and that makes it go down easy). I continue to take Colace or Duloclax twice a day for smooth BMs, and I wipe with Tucks to stay clean. I still am working through the magical butt cream and take Motrin for the (minimal) pain and swelling.
I went right back to exercise, and that helped so much! Zumba and especially yoga made me feel so good. Even walking two-three miles three or four times a week keeps you fit and your mind clear and your body balanced. Even if you don’t go to classes, just get up and walk—your butt will thank you!
I maintained all of my mediations during my recovery, and that helped, too. My mind stayed on track. I didn’t let myself become a couch potato—I read, I caught up on the news, and I looked forward to healing. I kept myself focused on my health—including my diet and exercise. This was not a setback—now I could get even healthier.
I went back to work on Wednesday, five days post-surgery. Even though it’s a normal desk job, now I take ten or fifteen minute breaks once every couple of hours to keep things percolating. I was even able to move apartments the Friday after my surgery—with minimal pain and swelling, and lots of help from my friends and family.
Some people might think I forced my recovery too quickly, but I am not in pain anymore, and my BMs are becoming more and more regular. For me, it was important to maintain my diet, exercise, and routine. My butt needed to get used to it, too! It’s wedding season and summer is coming. I’m so happy that I won’t have to live with the excruciating pain anymore. I can live my life again, no matter how cliché it sounds!
I had my first post-op appointment after three weeks; I’m made so much progress! My doctor told me that A) I only talked baseball pre- and post- surgery (LOL, not shocked); B) my ass is in great shape; C) it was a deep, severe fissure for someone of my age and stature. All of the doctors, nurses, and med students were impressed. Oh, and I signed a waiver so they could film it and put it on YouTube slash film strips, which I thought was AWESOME (uh, that’s why we have TEACHING HOSPITALS!); C) no home birth for me if I ever get knocked up, scheduled C-section all the way; and D) I need to wait three more months for anal sex. LOL. (Dago, please. It's now an exit only forever and always.) OH, AND I HAVE A SCAR IN THE SHAPE OF A THUNDERBOLT ON MY BUTT IT IS AWESOME-- I AM THE HARRY POTTER OF ANAL FISSURE SURGERY. My doc took a pic and I sent it to my mom and dad,; they are so proud! My doctor wasn’t concerned since I am so young and healthy, and my lifestyle was already good, so he really just wanted a quick check. (Not going to lie, I didn’t say no to more of this amazing compound butt cream. It’s a god-send in a tube.)

I called it anal reconstructive surgery to be humorous. I’m nearly 30, so I guess I needed a new butt, right? I had to have a sense of humor about it. My doc sure did. He made some good jokes about how I got myself into this situation (was it *really* an exit only, missy?), and he told me to stop being so uptight, or I’d tear myself another new one. He is glad that we caught it early in its development—it was a large, deep fissure for someone so young, and had I put it off even more, I would have made it so much worse (deeper, larger, infected… blah!). But now we’ve fixed it and I don’t have to worry about it ever again (probably, knock on wood).
I just want to tell anyone who is thinking about getting the surgery—DO IT. JUST GET IT DONE. You won’t regret it for a moment! The longer you live your life in pain, the more you waste. Just see it done—we are all here for you, and we’ve all been there and done that, and don’t want to see you suffer.
And for everyone in recovery—take your time, at your own pace, and you’ll get there. Life is an adventure! At least we can enjoy it now!
If you need a rec for a doc in the DC-Baltimore area, shoot me a DM!
Oh, and now I am an evangelist for this surgery—everyone should have health insurance, NO ONE SHOULD LIVE IN PAIN, and no one should be ashamed of an anal fissure, because everybody poops.
caesar717
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Re: Success story right here

Postby Scientist2516 » 04 May 2014, 21:43

Caesar, you are awesome. Thanks so much for telling us your story. You have a great spirit and a great sense of humour.
You are right, nobody should have to live with a fissure. In fact, you cannot live a normal life with an active fissure.
Take care of yourself, and stay healthy.
Nifedipine/lidocaine, no help
Diltiazem, effective, but caused major rash
Nitroglycerine, effective.
Topical estrogen for final healing.
Gentle heat to bottom - pain relief, muscle relaxant
Kondremul mineral oil
Time - lots of time.
Status - Healed!
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Re: Success story right here

Postby Jbl22424 » 04 May 2014, 22:44

What a great story, thanks for sharing! Can I ask why he recommended a c-section? Was it for your case specifically so as not to tear a new fissure or is it just because he recommends c-sections after LIS?
Developed fissure from constipation due to breastfeeding 7 weeks after delivery (Jan 2014)
Nifedepine
Colace
Magnesium
Miralax - godsend
Nitro - some improvement
LIS (May 2014) - cured for 3 months then setback
Diltiazem
Feeling better for now
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