This is my first post, I have been a silent observer for a few months now of this forum- it has been nice to know that others have been through the same hell that I have gone through. Long story short, I have spent the past 2 years battling a stubborn fissure (just found out I actually had 2). I should also note that I have an irrational fear of anything near or touching my anus so this has been a physical and mental struggle. I have tried everything including any topical cream under the sun, hydrocortisone suppositories, compound suppositories, procto-foam, analpram and most recent was the lidocaine/nitroglycerin ointment. Due to my phobia, whenever I would see an improvement and be almost healed I would slack on treatment and then the fissure would just return a few weeks later even worse. I also made the mistake of only doing a sitz bath after a BM, I did not realize that's it's not just for cleansing but also to bring blood circulation to the area. After seeing my second gastroenterologist and seeing no improvement with the lido/nitro ointment, he referred me to a surgeon. I had an absolute meltdown. I am 24 years old, I didn't think this should be happening to me this young. I kept this secret from everyone except my mother because I was so embarrassed. During the consultation with the rectal surgeon I cried the entire time. I was at the end of my rope and when I found out I needed a spinchteroteomy and risked incontinence I was had constant anxiety. I thought the next option was botox, but she explained to me that most fissures return after the botox has worn off so I shouldn't bother.
My dear parents drove 8 hours to be with me before and after the surgery. In and out it took about 3 hours, but the next 24 hours were agony. My surgeon said I would only experience a little soreness afterwards but this was no walk in the park. I was numb for about an hour after surgery. Once the numbing wore off I felt some pain but it was dull. About 2 hours after I began to experience anal spasms. I had never had these before and they started off happening every few minutes and pretty soon it was 30 seconds. It happened whenever I thought about them, when anyone made a sudden movement, when the channel on the TV changed, when one of my parents asked me about them- it was AWFUL. Not only were they extremely painful but the stress of not knowing when the next one would occur put me over the edge. We called the surgeon and she said in 15 years she had never heard of this happening. I took my prescribed pain meds but they didn't help. I tried bathing in warm water and they calmed down in the water but when I would get out they would start back up. There was gauze backed around my butt and also inside my rectum, we began to think that this may have been the cause. I spent the rest of the day trying to remove the gauze but the pain was too much. The only time they didn't happen was when I was pacing back and forth, every time I tried to relax they would occur. I ended up taking 2 Benedryl in order to knock myself out and was able to sleep for most of the night. First thing in the morning I had my first BM (less painful than a BM with a fissure!) and the rest of the gauze finally came out and the spasms subsided. So on Day 2 I experienced way less painful spasms and less frequent but was still in some pain. I was able to go out to lunch and do a bit of walking around the city.
Since then I have been taking 3 sitz baths a day, I started an antibiotic before surgery and haven't taken any more prescribed pain meds (they make me nauseous), just extra strength tylenol. I also have a cream I'm putting on twice a day and sticking some gauze in my crack. I am still taking stool softeners and fiber supplements. I feel a little bit of pain but it's definitely manageable and pain after a BM but none during. I plan on going back to work tomorrow.
My surgeon made this procedure and recovery seem like a breeze, I definitely was not prepared for the pain I experienced after the first 24 hours. But I'm feeling okay now, I just didn't expect to still be in pain but based on other stories in this forum, it could be way worse for me. I know this surgery was the right choice for me and I probably should have done it sooner but fear held me back from the proper treatment.
Does anyone have any other recovery advice? I'm trying to move on with my life as quickly as possible!