At the time of the tests and examinations I had last year, the CRS wasn't sure what was wrong with me. There was a suspicion that I had UC or Crohn's, because of a stool sample that showed a higher-than-normal calprotectin level (340). But more recently the doctors have preferred to say that I suffer from anal fissures, because of the difficulty of making a firm diagnosis of anything else. The fissures are there, after all, and can be seen, while their cause is still up for speculation.

It's all a bit Kafkaesque, or Groundhog Day-ish. The doctors keep going over the same ground, and so do I.

I think that, given my circumstances, I would prefer to get away without Botox or LIS. But as you say, I do need to find something that helps soon.

All best,

Dave