Hi all,

I have now been suffering with a AF for 8 months. I had one around 6 years ago but it healed after using Diltiazem.
However the Diltiazem and every other cream the Doctor has given me this time has not worked.

On the 2nd Jan 2015 i had botox injections under general anasethetic, it is now 22nd Feb 2015 and there has been no improvement, no healing, infact the pain has seemed to intensified a little after the botox. To me the pain feels higher up inside me? Since the botox, i no longer get the spasms, it is just an intense sore/burning sensation that floors me! After a BM i tend to spend the rest of the day on the sofa as movement isn't easy.

Anyway! on the 3rd Feb i had an appointment with a CRS ( this was a different CRS to the one that performed the botox)
I really wanted some help/support with the level of pain i was going through ( paracetamol, ibuprofen) wasn't touching it.
He examined me, fairly roughly I have to say! He said that the fissure wasn't healing and that I would now have to wait 4 months for tests ( Andoanal Ultrasound and Ano Rectal Physiology) I presumed this was to measure how strong my muscles are down there before considering the next surgery. This was not the news I was expecting, I was in a mess infront of him, I was sobbing, as I just wanted help with the pain and he was offering me no help or solutions! He said we need to do these tests as the next surgery (LIS) could make things worse! I said I can't imagine things being worse and he said 'believe me they could be, you could be incontinent and have this pain'. I came out of that appointment very dispondent and thinking that i don't know how i can go another 4 months with his pain! I finally managed to get an appoitment woth my GP and she gave me Amiltriptyline ( 2 at night and cocodamol, 2x4 times a day) both of these have had no affect and i am still in pain. I use Laxido every night which helps to get my stools soft.

I am in the uk, so all this was through the NHS. I decided to look into going privately for these tests and was told that it would be around £600 and the wait would be a month. I was prepared to go for that. However! Since I left that appointment with the unhelpful CRS i emailed the consultants secretary continually for a week saying PLEASE help me with this pain, I am considering going to A&E as it is so bad. After a week the secretary finally said 'we are confused here as to why 2 CRS's are involved' the CRS that did the botox and the CRS who saw me post op. I didn't know, i just went to the appointments i was told to go to, these CRS's work together so i didn't see a issue.

Anyway after a week of emailing, the secretary finally sent all my emails to the CRS who did my botox and knew more of my background! The secretary rang and said the CRS will see you next week....thankgod! Some good news at last!
I saw the CRS last friday, he said 'so, still having your problems with your bottom?' I said YES! So he said ok, we will have you in and do the LIS, I said what about the tests the other CRS had said I need, This CRS said, you don't need those besides they would be very painful for you to go through! He said we can judge how tight your muscle is up to 90% just by inserting a finger, he suggested the other CRS was being extremely cautious and perhaps was afraid of being sued incase things went wrong! They keep asking me if I have had children and I say no, they seemed obsessed with it, any ideas why anyone?

I can understand the need for tests but to be honest I really don't want to go through the extra pain of having them done! I just want my life back now, this pain has ruined it for nearly a year! So I am going for it and i'm going to have the LIS. The CRS said we could potentially have you in next week and get it done. Great i thought BUT I am due to go on a short break, which involves a 2 hour car journey to the airport and about a hours flight, plus walking around a city when I get there, it is my mum 60th birthday and we are going with my aunty and cousin. The CRS is suggesting the OP on the Friday and we are going on the short break on the sat, the next day! I explained this to the CRS and he didn't think it would be a problem. He said he had carried out the same procedure on his colleague and that his colleague was skiing the next day! I do have faith in this CRS, he is a lovely man but really?

I am concerned that I will be in too much pain after the surgery to cope with going away? I mean I was concerned about going away due to the fissure pain but will the pain from the surgery be less than the pain from the fissure?

I don't want to let my mum down by not going away but I am concerned about how much discomfort i will be in. I am just wondering if any of you that have been through the LIS surgery can advise me as to if they think i'll be able to go away or not this soon after surgery? We are just going for 2 nights. Any advice would be really appreciated! Thanks guys!!

By the way, I am fairly new to this forum, can you tell me how I know if someone has replied to my post without having to go in and find my post and look? Thanks!

Hope you surgery went well! Probably too late to advice on the feelings after LIS surgery, as you might already have one.

Please post update whenever your are healed or not.