Could this be Crohn's?

[lovethebops]

I have been treating an anal fissure for about 2 months now. I waited 6 months before seeking treatment, thinking they were hemmroids, and treating the pain as such, hoping it would go away on its own, because I was too embaressed to go to the DR, over a pain in my 'butt' hole. Finally, it got so bad, that I went to the Drs, and a surgeon looked at it and determined it a bad fissure, and I got started on treatment for that(this was in the beginning of Jan) which included nytroglycerin ointment, muscle relaxers, stool softners, and a high fiber diet. In the beginning of Feb I was checked again and the surgeon said the fissure was looking as though it was healing. A few days after that, I caught a really bad cold and had major coughing fits. Since I was having muscle spasms from the fissure, I assumed I had pulled a muscle when a bulge appeared near my anus. It did not get better for about 3 1/2 weeks, and finally went to the walk in clinic to see what this bulge was that was becoming more painful and changing shape. Diagnosed as a Peri-anal abscess right away, and 2 days later I had it cut open and drained in the ER (still draining 9 days later). a few days after the operation, I saw the surgeon again, and he mentioned Crohn's affecting my lower rectum/anus area....but he said in all probability, this was all a fluke, and he didn't believe I had it, but we would discuss it further at my next visit, which is the day after tomorrow.

A little background: I have always had problems with my stomach, I get nausea a lot, and I have weak stomach. At age 10, I was diagnosed with lactose intolerance. I had a kidney stone, out of the blue in Jan.'08 (7 weeks after the birth of my second dd). I do not have the other symptoms common to Crohn's, such as frequent diarreah, bloody stool, severe stomach cramps, and so on...just these odd problems that happen to happen with my anus, which happen to overlap one another..(on a side note, because I was diagnosed Percoset for the pain after the ER operation, I have suffered terrible constipation from it, which caused my healing fissure to back track some, but it is not hurting AS bad..)

I don't know a whole lot about Crohn's, but what I have read has scared the poop out of me! I am afraid that is what I have and I feel that researching it on the internet has made my anxiety over it worse. I am hoping someone will read this and weigh in on my situation. I don't know what to ask when I see my dr. Wed., but I DON'T want him to tell me I have Crohn's, it seems awful-but then again all I have endured over the last 8 months has been pretty awful, so I guess what's the big deal if they do say that is what caused these odd problems. I am 25, and I have been otherwise healthy, but my body has been out of whack since I had my 2 girls, one in 2005, one in 2007. Could having babies have brought on Crohn's? I don't know, I just don't know where to begin

[coughting]

You need to see a gastroenterologist.  I have chrons and had a fistula, not a fissure.  You GI dr. should be able to run tests including a blood test that will show if you have the gene for chrons.  If it is chrons you need to be treated now.  The sooner you seek treatment, the quicker it will go into remission.

The surgeon you spoke of, is he a bariatric surgeon, if not and you need surgery, please find one that does laproscopic surgery.  That way if at all possible you can have lapo.  

I had a bowel resection because of the fistula and was the bariatric surgeon was very skilled in lapo surgery.  I was back at work 2 weeks after the surgery.  So far my chrons is in remission.  Just hoping it stays that way.  I am on maintance meds to keep it in remission.

Good luck and let me know how you are doing.