I found your information on anal fissures quite helpful. I am using my friends computer, so I would appreciate you not using names of either where I'm sending it from or my name. Please feel free to use the information I'm telling you.
Your information from Patient 1 was very reassuring for me. I had anal fissure surgery 13 days ago. I have recovered quite well I think. The details that Patient 1 gave helped me to realize that things were healing the way they were suppose to. The doctor who did the surgery certainly didn't prepare me for the after effects of the surgery. It was certainly an experience. I will briefly give you an account.
I have had this anal fissure for approximately 2 years, with it worsening over the last year. It is a very painful experience. It is also at times embarrassing. I went to my family doctor to establish why I was bleeding after bowel movements and why it was so painful. At first, I was told that it was probably hemmoroids. I was given some steroid suppositories, they did not rectify the problem. The next course of action was to see a specialist. I did. He suggested that I try to heal the fissure on my own first. He rated the fissure a 7 out of 10. So I new the fissure was bad. I did not want to have surgery so I tried to follow his advice. The sitz bath was prescribed. In addition, I was to purchase Finger Cots (looks like mini condoms) and some Xylocaine jelly. Before each bowel movement I was to put some jelly on the finger cots and put inside the bowel and massage the area to try to relax the sphincter. This seemed to make things better, easy to cope, but it did not get rid of the fissure. I tried this for 6 weeks. This was difficult to do at work. After another visit to the doctors office surgery was scheduled.
I am a grade 8 teacher and was at least relieved that I would have the summer to recover. The surgery was scheduled for July 8 at 11 am. The idea of surgery of the anus scared me to death. I have had other surgeries and have not been as frightened, I guess it is because this is a private area. At the end of April I had surgery on my sinuses after spending the entire year with sinus infections. I took eight series of antibiotics in a row. I believe this had something to do with the anal fissure getting worse. The antibiotics took there toll on my entire system, therefore the bowels were not functioning properly.
The day of the surgery arrived, I was petrified. I did not have to do any pre-cleaning of the bowels, this was a relieve. I waited in my hospital gown for two hours prior to surgery, this was agonzing. It gave me too much time to worry about what was about to happen to my world. When the nurse came to get me to take me to surgery she told me that I would walk to the surgery suite. I guess as a result of cutbacks. This was a strange experience. I walked into the room and was asked to climb up on the table and relax. Sure that's easy for the nurses to say. The guy who was to knock was fantastic and made me feel more at ease. He got right to it and that's the last I remember prior to the surgery.
In the recovery room, I awoke in pain and crying. The crying is common for me after being put under, but the pain was something else. So the nurse gave me Morphine, that helped. After about 45 min I was taken up to another recovery room where I was to be until I was able to urinate. This I thought would be no problem but it was. I guess the drugs in your system have a strange affect. After I had urinated then I was told that the nurse had to take out some draining tubes. Boy, was that uncomfortable, but bearable. I then went home, walking like I had a pickle in my butt.
Recovery was at first a frustrating because I didn't know what to expect. My butt was black and blue and was pretty scary to look at. I know it's weird to thing about looking at it, but believe you want to to know what they did to you to create that kind of pain. Pain killers helped but the biggest help was to have supportful friends and family. The first day after surgery I did go in-line skating, it was easier to skate then to walk. I am very athletic and felt like I needed to exercise to get the toxins from the surgery out of my body, in addition to get rid of the gas (they blew air inside during surgery).
The next big step was bowel movement number one. This happened two days after surgery. I was told to keep a high fiber diet which I did. The first bowel movement was excruciating! It bleed and also some packing that the doctor put in had to come out. I was out when this happened, but I was prepared. I went white and felt very faint and of course was in a lot of pain. I took pain killers and went home to have a sitz bath. The sitz bath was a big help.
After about five days, I started to feel normal. I had drainage and bleeding which at first scared me because I thought something was wrong, but I called the doctor's office and the nurses assured that this was all part of the process. This is the point where I stopped worrying and just let the process take over. It would have been helpful to know what was normal before the operation, that is why I am writing to you. I wish I had read your work before surgery. Perhaps my experience will help someone.
On day 13 I have very little pain and discomfort. I only have a little pain with bowel movements and some itching. Certainly no where near the pain of the initial fissure, so an successful surgery. Relieve. I see the surgeon next Friday but I feel the worst is over now.
Last modified: 20 July 96, back to home page.