So, here I am, just five days out from my surgery. Honestly, I’m losing my mind—I'm feeling absolutely trashed and I am counting down the seconds until this is over because, well, let's just say things are incredibly uncomfortable down there right now. On top of the physical pain, I've got a million other things swirling around my head, mostly worrying about the baby. I'm just praying they can handle being without their pacifier for a couple of days and won't end up resenting me for it once we're home. Ugh, man, I just need to get through next week already.
Heading into surgery in week 3. I’ll be stuck in the hospital for three days, but I'll be sure to check back in once I'm dealing with the recovery from the Rib removal
I knew a woman during her pregnancy who was absolutely miserable because she couldn't deal with the constant constipation. Seriously, watch what you're eating while you're taking this stuff; it can really mess with your digestion.
Richard Cooper7 said:Look, I’m one of those lucky people stuck with these bumps too, so I have a question. I know you aren't supposed to touch alcohol—especially dark red wine or hard liquor—but I was wondering if there’s absolutely any type of alcohol that’s okay to have? It’s not like I’m an alcoholic or anything, just asking for informational purposes!
I’ve cut it out of my life completely, though I don't think having a little here or there is going to kill you. Anyway, I was at Gojevic's office today. I'm heading in for surgery soon on my famous fistulas. Once I check in with the anesthesiologist, we'll nail down a date for the procedure. I actually survived my colonoscopy while totally knocked out in the infectious disease ward—honestly, I highly recommend that crew, they were awesome.
I don't think there's any specific alcohol I'd recommend, but honestly, I'm not an expert—you should probably check with a doctor first. On a different note, I actually had to undergo a colonoscopy myself recently. I only made it through because they put me under, thank God! Now I'm heading back for more tests before my surgery, and I'm just praying I can get this whole thing resolved soon. If you ever find yourself needing a colonoscopy, I highly recommend the crew over at the infectious disease clinic; they are absolutely top-notch.
Thanks, Ivan. I’ve got a colonoscopy scheduled for Monday, and then I have to head back to see Dr. Gojevic. Honestly, I’m going to beg him to just perform the surgery already—I can't keep living like this. Those one or two days where I actually felt okay were just a fluke; it doesn't mean anything when you end up back in a complete coma state like this. I'm also getting back to work soon, and there's really no point in putting this off any longer. You just can't function at the office when you're feeling like this.
I just got back from my appointment with Dr. Gojevic, and we’ve decided to put the surgery on hold for now. Still, I can't dodge the colonoscopy forever—it's happening one way or another. Yesterday was actually a total win because he didn't even try to perform the exam, which was a relief, but today? God, today is absolute torture. My backside has been killing me since I woke up; it's enough to drive anyone insane. I really hope the rest of you guys are doing better than I am. As for me, I'm off to scout for some kind of painless scope option.
Look, I don't think you can just suddenly bleed out from nothing, but bleeding can get pretty heavy sometimes, and if that happens, you seriously need to get to a doctor ASAP. You’ve got to fix your diet—that’s the biggest thing right here. Now, I consider myself quite the foodie, but I had to stop going overboard with the prosciutto, those greasy sandwiches, Mexican food, and all that stuff. Every now and then I'll try a little something, but you really have to be disciplined. And make sure you drink some Ensure; it’s actually super healthy and works wonders at softening things up, if you know what I mean.
So, my whole situation is this fistula—basically an unnatural tunnel connecting my colon to the skin. It all started after I dealt with an abscess, which was basically just a nasty sore near my butt, and honestly, it’s all because of the hemorrhoids and fissures I’ve been battling for years. Things really went south after I had my baby. Hope that makes sense, but yeah, it's pretty much a total disaster. I was at the clinic today for an X-ray to see how deep this connection goes, but the doctor wasn't even sure, so now she wants me to get a pelvic MRI. Instead of actually enjoying my maternity leave, I’m stuck dealing with this constant nightmare down there. Robin King2 was spot on when they said that a few years ago, I would have never dreamed of talking about this out of pure embarrassment. But now that I realize just how many people are struggling with the exact same thing, it feels a lot better knowing you can swap stories and maybe pick up some decent advice. My primary care physician is honestly useless; she actually told me I was the first patient she’d ever seen with this! Can you believe that? The woman has zero experience with this stuff, so I’ve basically had to navigate the whole mess on my own. As long as she hands over the referral, I guess I’m on my own to figure out the rest, though I can't even bring myself to be truly angry at her. At the end of the day, I think the most critical thing for those of us dealing with this is fixing our diet. Dry, processed food is absolute death for digestion. For the longest time, I lived on nothing but that crap because it’s impossible to eat properly when you're at work—we don't have a kitchen, you're grinding all day, etc...
I’m pretty sure your TH levels have definitely dropped since you were last checked, but you’ll know for sure once the doctor goes over the results at your follow-up. As for me, I’m starting the whole prep process tomorrow—all those tests before the colonoscopy and surgery. Honestly, just thinking about it gives me the chills... brrr!
Look, I actually went along with my mom when she had this done, and let me tell you, she said it was absolutely terrifying. Honestly, the whole thing freaks me out so much—not just because of her horrible experience, but because this damn thing already hurts like hell. Now they want to shove a colonoscope in there without any anesthesia? I’m not sure I’d even survive that.
dustyowl29 said:I’ve been on therapy for a week now but there’s absolutely zero progress, everything is just the same... I have a follow-up in another week, and I’m going to tell the doctor to fix this damn thing however he can because I can’t get anything done like this.. I seriously can't live with this little nub sticking out..
Hang in there, man. It takes time for things to actually heal. I spent ages dealing with my own issues long before all this crap started. Just make sure you don't end up with more shit piled onto your plate like I did.
Ronald Lopez3 said:Can you actually get a fistula surgery on a Rib under general anesthesia?
Yeah, I can, but here’s the thing—I’m breastfeeding right now. It makes staying at the hospital for more than two hours a massive headache, let alone being stuck there for two days. Honestly, just dealing with the pain for the last five months has been enough to break me. That’s why I’ve been hunting for a private clinic where I can get this done quickly. To make matters worse, during my last check-up, Dr. Gojevic gave me some "great" news: he says I need a colonoscopy. My absolute worst nightmare. I’ve been trying to keep my spirits up by reading about everyone's experiences here on the forum; hopefully, I can pull through this. I’m going to look for a place that offers short-term general anesthesia if possible. I don't care what it costs, I'll pay whatever it takes to get it over with.
Dr. Gojevic is fine—I've been seeing him at Rib for two years now—but honestly, I really wish his exams weren't so painful. I actually went to the Sun clinic to see Prof. Chavcic, and man, that guy is incredible. The exam $100 was completely painless because they use a ton of anesthetic there. It feels like the folks over at Rib are either cheap or just don't bother using it at all. Unfortunately, they can't perform the fistula surgery I need, but they do handle hemorrhoid ligations, though I'm not sure what the cost is. He actually advised me against getting the surgery done under local anesthesia like Dr. Filati does for $833, because it’s so critical that you're totally relaxed so the procedure is done right; otherwise, you're just looking at a repeat performance. You really need general anesthesia. I’d love to go that route, but as things stand, nope—back to Gojevic I go. Anyway, my experience at the Sun clinic was great. I highly recommend the professor; he truly has "golden hands."
I don't find this funny at all. I actually want to know a bit about the doctors I might end up trusting with my life. I’m planning on heading out to the Sun, and we'll see what happens from there—I might even make the trip to see him, depending on how much the procedure costs, especially since I'm looking at a pretty intense surgery.
Don't be lazy with me! I actually went out of my way to dig into Dr. Filati, and honestly? It’s not looking great. Word is he doesn't have much actual clinical experience under his belt, and he gives off this vibe that he's just in it for the money—like he’ll push for surgery even when it’s totally unnecessary. I actually had two well-known people confirm this to me after they went to him for a consultation. I did hear about a really solid proctologist over at the Sun clinic, though. I'm going to try to get an appointment scheduled for next week, so we'll see how that goes.
Everything comes with a price! Has anyone here ever dealt with a perianal fistula? I've been struggling with this for about four months now, and honestly, the pain is just brutal. I've been going back and forth for checkups, and my doctor is finally recommending surgery. I’m a bit nervous about how the whole thing actually goes down—especially since he mentioned I'll likely need chemo treatments afterward, which is definitely weighing on my mind.