My Fissure / Surgery Experience

My fissure/s started over 6 years ago.. they were a result of terrible eating habits (poor foods, skipping meals etc,) mostly relating to stress. This inevitably caused constipation and irregular BM's, and obviously my Fissure.

For about a year I suffered without knowing what was wrong.. I'd get the frequent bleeding and excruciating pain with BM's.. and this godforsaking ITCH!! Not to mention the spasms - they were like a knife spearing up my bum without warning! Once it became unbearable, i sought my GP's opinion.. who 'without warning' stuck her finger up my butt to investigate :shock: ... "Oh yes, you have an Anal fissure dear" she claimed.. Here's me thinking 'good, she knows what it is, easy fixed...' How very wrong I was!

She sent me on my way with a messy handwritten shopping list:
1. Rectogesic
2. metamucil
3. Salt
4. FRUITS & VEGIES

Unfortunately the Rectogesic gave me incredible migranes, and when read the 'possible' side effect of this stuff i freaked!
Metamucil certainly helped, as did all the high fibre foods, and the salt baths after every BM soothed the pain.. However it never really healed itself like it was 'supposed' to :no:

I continued like this for I don't know how many years, but looking back I have no idea how i managed the pain.. somedays were sore ... some days were so unbearable i would nearly scratch the toilet wall in agony.. I learnt new positions to sit on the toilet (somehow thinking a new angle may ease the exit pain!!) I used squeeze my nose to try and distract myself from the pain.. I even practiced new breathing techniques to help relax.. all of which i am still unsure if they actually did anything...

I saw several different GP's in the final two years who all said the same thing, 'You need Surgery' All i could think was how the hell was my ass gonna mend itself after surgery if it couldnt mend it now???

So i avoided the doctors for a couple more years and retreated back to my unusual pain management techniques in the toilet..

Three weeks ago (Oct 2006) I gave in and saw a surgeon.. he took one look at my weary butt and said, 'No problems.. we can have this fixed in a jiffy!' I asked about pain and recovery time and he told me I would feel immediate relief, and recovery would be a couple of days I was considering at the time asking him if he'd actually had the procedure.. but kept silent and very hopeful!

The very next week I was in the hospital having my drip injected into my hand, wearing nothing but a gown with my bum hanging out and I found myself apologising to the poor surgeon who had to operate on my butt.. just as I was being gassed up, she replied "Don't worry, I love anal surgery!" and with that I was out cold.

When I woke, i just felt natious from the anaesthetic.. and panicking for fear of tearing my fissure again when I vomitted.. this never happened.
To my surprise, i had no pain, certainly some discomfort and tenderness.. but the spasms, they were gone!

I was hurried out of the hospital the next day and given Coloxyl tablets (dieretics/laxatives), Sorbitol (Stool softener) and pain killers. My biggest fear was my first BM which I hadnt had at that stage. I went straight back to my mother in laws and wanted to sleep, however, the dieuretics kicked in.. I went from the toilet, to the salt bath, to the toilet, to the saltbath, repeating this process for about 6 hours, and still feeling drowsy from the anaesthetic :| I was not impressed.. although the first 3 BM's didnt hurt as they were like water... after the 3rd, it started to burn..

My hubby picked me up and we finally went home.. i vaguely remember nearly crapping myself on the way home ran straight in the door, ran for the toilet, then ran for the salt bath.. I cried all night with my poor burning ass.. Unluckilly for me this carried on for about 3 days.. until on another fissure group, someone said 'stop taking the dieuretics, too many runny BM's can be just as bad a s a firm stool!' :shock: Holy goly, why hadnt i thought of that?

So immediatley i was off the dieruetic/laxatives and onto the metamucil and stuck with my 'Sorbital' Stool softener.. Instant success.. the next morning my BM was soft and fluffy It only got better from there, (apart from the yeast infection i got there from all the moisture... but that was easily cleared up by some Canasten cream)

All up I had 1.5 weeks off of work. It has now been 14 days since my surgery and I am great! Every BM is pain free, still itches every so often but especially during the BM.. i'm unsure if thats the infection or just something I will always have?? Time will soon tell.

Having the sphincter muscle cut has definitely helped relax my spasms, i still get them but nothing like before..

In my experience I would recommend the surgery if you have tried 'everything' else.. I certainly believed for 6 years that my body could heal itself.. unfortunately in my case I was wrong..

It is still early days for me, and I am really hoping that this is the last I ever see of my fissure.. I am so careful with diet, with lifting, and going to the toilet.. definitely no straining!

I will continue to post on my progress, but I hope my experience can help you in your decisions.

Goodluck
Cheryl

Hi again, Cheryl,
I am glad (and inspired!!) that your surgery has gone so well. Your post did get me thinking about something, and since you've had AF on and off for 6 years, perhaps you have some thoughts on the following:
If the spasms are the primary reason why an AF doesn't heal, it seems to me that just having one or two (weak to moderate) spasms each day wouldn't be too much of a healing hindrance? If I can reduce my suffering to one or two so-so spasm a day, do you think I'd be on the right path to healing? If you want to move this to some other thread, feel free, as I know I *am* a bit off topic here...

Thanks,
Hugh

ithurtstosit wrote:If the spasms are the primary reason why an AF doesn't heal, it seems to me that just having one or two (weak to moderate) spasms each day wouldn't be too much of a healing hindrance? If I can reduce my suffering to one or two so-so spasm a day, do you think I'd be on the right path to healing?

It think it depends on how 'severe' your spasms are.. I get a couple throughout the day, but they are no where near like the shards of glass they used to be.. I'm no expert on the spasm thing, but I always thought that the main reason of all my re-tears happened was when I had a firm stool or had severe constipation. The spasms were very painful, but im not sure if they actually caused the tears?

I think the only way to get rid of the spasms is to get the sphincter muscle to relax.. I know that cream "rectogesic" is supposed to do this, but unfortunately I couldnt use that (Side effects)
Are you using a glyceryl trinitrate ointment - the Dr's say if you use this combined with a Fissure Diet, healing should take 6 weeks.. I have heard that has worked for some, but not others... Something to think about though.

I think the best path to healing the fissures comes from ensuring the BM's are always soft and fluffy... and 'regular', but everyone is different.
Unfortunately in my case I could not heal it with diet alone..
since my surgery I am using a stool softener, some fibre supplement, and a great variety of fruits and wholmeal foods.. always being careful not to have TOO much fibre though, because I have also found that it can cause BM to be the right softness, but too BIG! Oh the things we have to find out the hard way!!

I hope this has sort of answered your question..

I would think that after your surgery you shouldn't be getting *any* spasms(??)

I agree that too much fiber can be bad, which is one reason why I am not so rigid with my fruit/veggy diet anymore. I use a lower-fiber cereal at breakfast, now, too.

Hugh

ithurtstosit wrote:I would think that after your surgery you shouldn't be getting *any* spasms(??)

I guess its a fine line on how much of the muscle to cut when they're doing the sphincterectomy, if they cut too much we'll lose control of our BM's or if they cut too little we still get our spasms..

My spasms are not as bad as they used to be, i suppose i'd prefer this than to not make it to the toilet in time :pale:

You certainly deserve to break free of those spasms. Since it hasn't been that long, I'm sure you'll be there soon!

While I hope to avoid the surgery, if I do wind up back on the OR table, I bet it'll be because I saw what a success your experience (will have) turned out to be!!

Hugh

Cheryl wrote:It has now been 14 days since my surgery and I am great! Every BM is pain free, still itches every so often but especially during the BM.. i'm unsure if thats the infection or just something I will always have?? Time will soon tell.

Cheryl do you still get your itch? I have massive problems with the itching, and without sounding too gross, although it hurts like hell, sometimes having a BM relieves the itch for just a few seconds and then it comes back - man it is soooo horrible. Then I wondered if maybe i have a yeast infection? Another sufferer said itching can be related to healing - but im definitely sure mine is not healing, it still hurts just way too much. :lol!: I should have made my username itchybum :lol!: atleast I can laugh about it!!

OH YES do I have an itch - its awful! The worst part is I have to work in an office full of people who im sure have cottoned on that something is up!!
My GP said I had a yeast infection, but that was well over a week ago - and I have been applying the canasten cream - but the itch still persists.. perhaps it is a healing itch??
I think I will make that my next research topic on the net - there must be something we can do about it.. will keep you posted on what I find out itchybum :lol!: