YOu know, I was thinking. I wonder if the 5 weeks appointment is just like the "final one" and maybe they will give me a quick follow up one with my post-surgery directions. Maybe?
Thanks for the info on the sitting. That is good to know.
I still am not sure exactly what procedure he is doing on the fistula. I think it said fistulotomy on my paperwork, but then the nurse said something about fibrin (I can't remember if she said plug or glue), and he told my dad he is going to have to sew me back up. I guess whatever he found during the colonoscopy or during the muscle test, made him go a different route than leaving the wound open.

Hey Summer - I have read that sometimes surgeons have to change strategies once they get a better look at a fistula while the patient is under, so I imagine that your surgeon is leaving his options open. I remember Val was told she was going to have a seton placed, but in the end actually had a fistulotomy. It's possible that 5 weeks might be the final follow-up. I'm sure you will be able to call your surgeons office a day or two after your surgery to get your appointments sorted. I was able to chat with my surgeon's secretary two days after my surgery, just not immediately after popping a painkiller - that was sleepy time!

BTW - I thought you deserve your very own thread. You've got well-wishes for your surgery tomorrow on it too - so just remember, as another boardie kindly put it when she was reassuring me, you've got angels on your shoulder tomorrow. :D

You are the best Hope! Thanks for the extra boost to my spirit (and I said more over on the thread you started). It's really nice to know I have many nice people pulling for me. Hopefully it won't be as bad as my head imagines!! Hope to talk to you guys soon!

Hey Summer,
they don't always know where the fistula is exactly until they "go in there"! They make whatever decision they need to once they know what they are dealing with.
I hope everything goes well for you - it's never as bad as what our heads imagine! A good imagination isn't really an assett at a time like this!
Best of luck!

DAY 25 POST FISTULA OP:
Hey everyone sorry about the "m.i.a." (haiatus) that I've been on, I've been trying to enjoy the long weekend and have done a lot of driving and have been busy. I guess that's a good thing right?
Well I had my follow up, and good news, nothing really bad. The doctor just told me I need to stretch it even more than what I have been. I've just been stretching holding the cheecks and spreading, but the doctor told me to hold the skin close to fistula wound, and now it opens up much more.
About the fast food, the doctor said no, don't test it. He said dairy is fine as long as it doesn't give me gas. When I told him about the whole wheat pizza his eyes lit up, he loved the idea. He said I can start lifting weights again, but only at about 90% effort.
He said I have to still eat healthy for at least another month. He said it a month I should be healed.
My fistula wound still looks endless but I can't see in that far.
I can say I'm happy that it's doing okay and hasn't gotten worse. I do feel like complaining about it, but that won't do anyone any good, we can't help it

Hey Adam,
Good to hear from you! And it sounds like you are doing pretty good considering!
Your pizza does sound good! Maybe you could put the recipe in the diet, supplements thread one day when you have some free time?!
You have had such a good attitude about this whole ordeal! Feel free to vent though, if you ever need to.
It won't be long and this all will be nothing but a memory( in my case a memory to eat better for the rest of my life,LOL)!
Take care Buddy!

YAY Adam!! Congratulations on having a life and on your good follow-up! It sounds like you are healing very well. My doctor pulled my wound open quite a lot during my first follow up and I gave a few yelps. He told me that's how I should be doing it to myself - I wanted to point out that my first surgery was done by the Marquis de Sade's evil twin brother and that killed any masochistic tendencies I may have had! But I followed his instructions and pulled the wound a lot and the wound now just looks like a raw ditch. There hasn't been any pus for quite a while now and it doesn't hurt much anymore (just a raw feeling sometimes). It sounds like your wound is healing very well.
I would love to get your pizza recipe! When you mentioned it, I got really hungry! Maybe if you've got some time you can post it under "Diet Tips", as Dawn suggests.
I also agree with Dawn that you are certainly entitled to complain! You have kept your own spirits up while helping others, like me, keep ours up too. The month will fly by (mostly because it's the end of summer!) and you'll be fully healed in no time! :D

Thanks you guys, like true friends, you always cheer me up. Sorry if I seemed a bit depressed in that post but I had a really bad day but at least it wasn't butt-related. Just a lot of things didn't go right this weekend but I still had fun. To think things would go easy for me after what I've been and we all have been through!
I honestly believe things happen for a reason, like that movie "The Adjustment Bureau" that came out in theatres early this year with Matt Damon in it, where people from another planet basically do things like make you forget your keys, make you stop at red lights, or anything to make you avoid things that aren't set out in your future, things that we may even want.
Thanks for the compliments on the pizza guys I will post the recipe right now!
And hopetoheal or dawn, I know it was one of you who said they have eggs for brekky, can you tell me how you cook them? I haven't had eggs since the problem started :( I know I can boil them but I remember seeing you scrambled them. Do you use veggie oil or butter in the pan? Thanks guys I love you all :)

Hey Adam - you're an awesome guy! We love you too. I'm sure there are aliens controlling my life sometimes! That works out well very often, but I'm also sure they mess with me too. :D I'm glad your frustrations were not butt-related, though. Just regular old day-to-day annoying things are a nice change of pace, even if they do get on our nerves!

Your pizza recipe is awesome! Thanks! I sometimes have scrambled eggs for brekky (I love a big truck driver's breakfast!). I just put some milk in a bowl with 2 or 3 eggs and whip it up real good. A little bit of veggie oil on the pan and there you have it. Soon I will be making omlettes, like a Western, with mushrooms and green pepper and maybe even a little bit of cheese. I don't eat boiled eggs yet because I read that they can be constipating. I have the scrambled eggs with wholewheat toast, and recently I tried some turkey bacon, which was much tastier than I thought it would be.

I'm so glad you still had fun this weekend. I hope you're having a great day!