Hey everyone!
so i recently got diagnosed with an AF <thankfully it's rather mild> and i quite naturally want it to heal as fast as possible so the whole thing can be over and done with. I know the board has a search feature and i've tried looking all this stuff up but still please feel free to answer any question with a link to a thread i might have missed. anyway, for info sake, i'm a 30yo dude at 240 pounds and moderately active physically speaking. doc says it's a mild one that will most likely heal on its own and not need surgery.

* is physical exercise advisable? like, okay, bikeriding sounds like a definite bad idea if you've got a fissure, but how about lifting weights?

* i see on the board that sitting down too much is probably not a great idea... but i'm screwed, my job is a sit-down one... is there any sort of sitting position that's less harmful to one's anus? maybe leaning more on one cheeck or something.

* how long does a fissure typically take to heal to the point of thing being as they were before the fissue was a thing? like, to the point of, i don't know, having it not be an issue? that does happen, right? guise? please tell me that happens

Hi Torco, welcome to the forum.
I'm sorry you have a fissure, glad it seems to be a mild one.

- Physical exercise - in moderation, but if it starts to hurt, stop right away. I would NOT lift weights. Too much pressure on the abdomen, and could aggravate the fissure. Like straining on the toilet, this is something that could do you bad damage. Personally, I find swimming to be great, running not so great, but there's a lot of individual variation.

- Sitting down is bad for some people, fine for others. For me it used to be fine, but right now I'm having some trouble. Again, it's a matter of finding a comfortable position for you. I've read that you should not use doughnut cushions, because of pressure from the inside. There are various cushions and supports you could use - ask your doctor or nurse. Or just a soft cushion could be enough. I found using a hot water bottle as a cushion (not too hot!) to be great. Very soothing, helped the healing.

- As far as I know the main thing is to avoid pain, because pain can trigger spasms, and the spasms in turn are very painful, so you get a sort of positive feedback. And the spasms and tightness can inhibit healing. So avoiding pain is very important, but how you do that varies a lot from person to person.

- how long does it take to heal? Totally depends on how bad it is, how quickly you started treatment, how successful you are at managing your stools (keep them soft) and whether the medication you use is effective on you. Are you using a cream such as nitroglycerine, diltiazem or nifedipine? If you are, and it seems ineffective, talk to your doctor about switching.

I would say, if there is no progress within 3 weeks, get looked at again, and reassess the situation. Healing can be a very roller-coaster experience with good days and bad days. Personally I felt as though it was 2 steps forward, one step back, and that went on for months. I'm mostly better now. Just don't let the bad days depress you too much. This is horrible, but you'll get through it. It sounds as though you have an excellent chance of healing fully in a few weeks.

Good luck and keep us posted!