Some whine with my cheese

[DianaCox]

I’m pretty sure I have another anal fissure. I’m just miserable. And I’ve been having really bad heel pain in one foot - I assume plantar fasciitis. Two minor sources of pain, but are really fucking with me. The fissure is making me have to poop a small amount about 10-15 times/day (basically the tiniest amount of poop or slight bit of gas sets my rectum off), and even though my poop is barely formed and soft (not diarrhea or hard), it is excruciating every time.

I have OTC 5% lidocaine ointment but no applicator, and my smallest finger is too big to get even a little of the ointment up there without agony. So I just ordered another tube of stupidly expensive lidocaine ointment from Amazon, because it comes with an applicator tip. And same day delivery.

The other part of the fissure treatment is nifedipine ointment. That’s prescription only. Since I haven’t had a fissure in at least 10 years (knock wood), even if I could find the old tube, it probably wasn’t still good. I sent a message to my PCP who has not seen me for this problem, telling him this is not my first rodeo, so I didn’t feel I needed to be seen, but to PLEASE call in a script for the nifedipine, and that if it didn’t get better, I’d ask for a referral to a colorectal surgeon. It’s Sunday so I’m not expecting to get that script until tomorrow.

Typing this from my hot tub, which is doing double duty as a sitz bath and for soaking my bad heel.

Stupid relatively minor inconveniences that make me unable to leave the house.

Whine over. For now.

 

[Larra]

For the plantar fasciitis (assuming that's what it is, which we don't really know) there are exercises that might help, and sometimes different shoes. I had this many, many years ago, and a podiatrist recommended Birkenstocks, which made a big difference. And look-alikes won't do the trick, according to podiatrist. Best to get this under control and avoid surgery.
You already know what to do for the fissure, I just hope you can get the nifedipine fast and feel better soon.

 

[southernlady]

I’m sorry you are dealing with pain in two areas, one’s bad enough to sap your energy.

Get better quickly

 

[Munchkin]

What a pain in the ass. Literally. I second the shoes. Birks and New Balance work. Hope you get better fast!

 

[hilary1617]

I'm so sorry. Anal fissures are horrible. I recommend Botox. It really does wonders.

 

[Georgepds]

So two modest recommendations for planter fascists

1. roll a tennis ball with the bad foot
2. get an high arch shoe insert ( get one for both feet so you don’t walk crooked)

A foot Doc will make you the insert for an MD price, but you can get the same effect with one purchased on line

Here's the good news... it can go away on its own

HTH

 

[hilary1617]

Another recommendation for plantar fasciitis, orthofeet.com. They sell the most comfortable shoes ever, with orthotic insoles, plus they have have separate arch inserts that you can add for $9. Even my style-conscious 15 year old daughter with perfectly normal feet won't wear another brand of shoes because they are that supportive and comfortable.

 

[DianaCox]

Thanks for the suggestions!! I’ve had plantar fasciitis before, but not on my heel. I need to stop walking barefoot in the house, though I’ve been wearing a CopperFit compression support sock. I will look into the shoes!

Getting the nifedipine ointment turned into a ridiculous and frustrating hassle.

I didn’t get a message or call back from my PCP on Monday morning, but I had a TeleHealth appointment with my GI doc coincidentally scheduled. He said he would have it called in, though he couldn’t find a nifedipine ointment, just oral pills (for heart issues). I told him no, I already have low blood pressure. He said how about a different formulation of a different heart med, and I said call them both in - to the Walgreens, not Walmart, because my Part D plan changed.

They called it into the Walmart of course. Hours later, I found that out when I called Walgreens and they didn’t have it, so I called Walmart. Not only that, but they didn’t have either medication. I had to get Walgreens to call them to get the script transferred.

Does it end there? NOOOO. Hours later, in the evening, with no call from Walmart, I call again, and they have neither preformulated medication either. So I have to wait until they can figure out how to get it made up.

Tuesday morning, I call a compounding pharmacy near me, and yes they can make it. But when I tell them to call Walgreens to get the script transferred to them, Walgreens can’t or won’t transfer it, as it has now been sent to THEIR compounding pharmacy. A few irate phone calls later, it gets transferred, but then I had to get my GI doc’s office (I love the doc, but HATE his incompetent and unresponsive staff! They NEVER answer their phones, let it go to vmail, and get back “whenever”) to call the compounding pharmacy, because the GI doc wrote to administer 5 g per dose, which is 10x too much and he couldn’t dispense as written!! Finally late Tuesday afternoon I had my nifedipine compounded in an ointment with lidocaine.

But is that the end of it?? NOOOO!! How do you get ointment up inside a throbbing asshole with a fissure?? Putting it on a finger is excruciating. Sunday, I had sent Charles to the Walgreens to buy anything with an anal applicator tip, but of course it didn’t fit the tube of lidocaine I had. I ordered some expensive lidocaine ointment from Amazon that came with an applicator tip, but it wasn’t very good. And of course when I finally got the nifedipine ointment, it didn’t fit anyway. So I ordered some expensive applicators from Amazon, which promised next day delivery, yesterday. It MAY get here by 10 pm TOMORROW.

So in the meantime, I have a few small syringes (which I save for giving the cats oral meds) that I carefully suck the ointment up into (it’s not easy), and then I have to have Charles shoot it up my butt (poor Charles! poor me having to have him do it!), after pushing it part way up there at just the right angle so I don’t scream.

Good times.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

After reading this, I took an oxycodone.

 

[DianaCox]

I’ve been wanting to take an oxy, but can’t risk making it even harder to poop.

I bought one pair of the shoes hilary1617 suggested, but I’m not sure they were the right kind for my issues. Will have to call them in the morning. But they were cute …

 

[Spiky Bugger]

I’ve been wanting to take an oxy, but can’t risk making it even harder to poop.

I bought one pair of the shoes hilary1617 suggested, but I’m not sure they were the right kind for my issues. Will have to call them in the morning. But they were cute …

My sister swore by Vionix (?), which might have morphed into Orthofeet. I had a pair that I killed by walking on some super adhesive when our flooring was being installed. I got some custom-made orthotics from my podiatrist. My medical insurance paid for the orthotics. They are inside a pair of Easy Spirit shoes. But I‘m too lazy to move them from one pair of shoes to another. And too cheap to actually PAY for a pair of custom orthotics. So I may find less-custom orthotics.

 

[southernlady]

My sister swore by Vionix (?), which might have morphed into Orthofeet. I had a pair that I killed by walking on some super adhesive when our flooring was being installed. I got some custom-made orthotics from my podiatrist. My medical insurance paid for the orthotics. They are inside a pair of Easy Spirit shoes. But I‘m too lazy to move them from one pair of shoes to another. And too cheap to actually PAY for a pair of custom orthotics. So I may find less-custom orthotics.

BTW, standard Medicare won’t cover custom orthotics. Neither will any of the Med Sup plans. The Advantage plans MIGHT. Charles has flat feet, he’s suppose to get them. But we found that the high end Dr. Scholl’s work just as well.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

BTW, standard Medicare won’t cover custom orthotics. Neither will any of the Med Sup plans. The Advantage plans MIGHT. Charles has flat feet, he’s suppose to get them. But we found that the high end Dr. Scholl’s work just as well.

I have come to accept, and occasionally do guilt over the fact, that MrSue’s former employer & union have negotiated one helluva Medicare Advantage PPO policy for us. My recent surgery co-pay is $0, as are all office visits. My orthotics, along with other durable medical equipment, are also covered at 100%.

And, as if that weren’t enough, we pay $0 toward that policy because he is granted $1996.58/mo toward our policy, and it apparently it costs less than that. AND quarterly, his former employer reimburses him for what Medicare deducts from my SS check. MrSue doesn’t yet collect SS, so the former employer pays directly for all of MrSue’s insurance(s) out of that huge monthly allowance allotted to retirees who, in his case, were 55 and had 30 years of service.

He reminds me that THIS was the trade-off for his working, for less money, in Civil Service rather than bigger pay checks in Private Industry. So we could have had more cash…which we would have blown. But we are better off with what we have.

 

[Georgepds]

Re " I had to get my GI doc’s office (I love the doc, but HATE his incompetent and unresponsive staff! "

My case is just the opposite... forgetful doc.. responsive efficient staff. e.g. he knew enough to order a sleep test.. forgot to review it.. till I reminded him

Re "when I tell them to call Walgreens to get the script transferred to them, Walgreens can’t or won’t transfer it, as it has now been sent to THEIR compounding pharmacy"

Bummer... it's always been my working strategy to call the pharmacy where I want the order to go to ( on the principal of similar interest.. I want their meds they want my business)

 

[JackieOnLine]

I’ve been wanting to take an oxy, but can’t risk making it even harder to poop.

I am so sorry to hear you are having these issues and hope they are both resolved soon. OMG! I hope you don't need surgery but if that's what it takes! it must be horrible to not be able to take an opiod for this.



I had plantar fasciitis years ago and the foot doctor was no help whatsoever. mine went away, but at some point I started using orthotics for my flat feet just for general foot pain and do to this day.

He reminds me that THIS was the trade-off for his working, for less money, in Civil Service rather than bigger pay checks in Private Industry. So we could have had more cash…which we would have blown. But we are better off with what we have.

you guys are SO smart!