Fistulotomy/fistula pain review

9/24- pain near anus, felt like a thrombosed hemorrhoid. Pain 3/10. Little did I know it was not a hemorrhoid but a perianal abscess right at 4 o'clock.

9/25-9/28- pain/pressure gradually increasing of what I thought was a hemorrhoid. Pain 10/10 night of the 28th. My god man. Couldn't sit, couldn't stand, couldn't get any relief from the pressure. I couldn't believe how uncomfortable I was. I layed on my side with an ice pack on me arse hole. Epsom salt baths, lidocaine, steroid cream. Nothing could touch the pain.

9/29- pain back down 2/10. Abcess ruptured over night. Realizing this was an abscess (after reading nearly every reddit post about hemorrhoids and abscesses) I had a minor emotional breakdown. I was feeling better physically so I regrouped. Went to the ER and had exploratory surgery and a Seton placed after a CT scan of the pelvis with contrast.

9/30- pain 3/10. Seton surgery was a breeze because of all the good drugs they gave me an the nerve blockers and local anesthetic. Felt no pain this day, just uncomfortable nature of the forbidden earring (loop out the arsehole)

10/1- pain 4/10. Lots of drainage but very manageable, was staying up on my Tylenol. I never took the opiates for fear of constipation. I have ibs-d so can't take stool softeners. That night pain 8/10 from the contracting sphincter muscle. Couldn't stop it and couldn't sleep that night. For the next few days I took Tylenol pm to help me fall asleep which did help.

10/2-11/20- daily pain of 3/10. More discomfort at times. Started going back to the gym. I irritated the seton a couple times. Took lots of epsom salt baths and that helped settle the area. I used Dr butlers fissure cream every day on the seton and changed the dressing (a folded up Kleenex) every time I went pee. I am male so was pretty easy to do so.

11/21- intersphinteric fistulotomy "lay open fistulotomy" Pain- 0/10. Was very doped up and given nerve blockers and went home in a good disposition. I have a internal hemorrhoid that prolapses and it was discussed but ultimately was left until I heal. I didn't take the opiates they gave me to take home.

11/22- the internal hemorrhoid prolapsed during my first BM and that was a 10/10 pain getting it to go back in. Had to get into the shower to get it to retract. Hot searing stinging pain. I fell to my knees and sobbed on the ground. It was fucking gnarly.

11/23- bm pain 9/10 no pain otherwise

11/24-11/26- bm pain 9/10 no pain otherwise

11/27- bm pain went to 8/10

11/28- bm pain 7/10

11/29- bm pain 4/10 pretty easy at this point.

12/2 today I feel like alot if healing has occurred. I have a wound check 12/9. Ultimately very happy with the progress.