My pre and post haemorrhoidectomy experience

martinblogg · Newbie Joined: 03 May 2008 Posts: 7

I had my op on 23 April 2008. I live in the UK.

My GP has since told me I had 6 large haemorrhoids, internal and external, some were tied and some were cut away. This sounds quite severe - I had haemorrhoids on and off for about 16 years - but in the last year it was the bleeding I couldn't stand. I never really had the pain one associates with them. My worst day was sitting on the toilet, tightening and lossening my rear muscles, and hearing blood squirting down the pan like a cow was being milked. That really made me determined to sort myself out.

Six years ago I had injections over the course of 5 months which worked, but the bleeding returned just over a year ago. I then had banding but this did not work so I opted for surgery.

Boy did I give myself a false assurance after the op. I woke up an hour after being wheeled down to theatre and felt no pain or discomfort immediately afterwards. I ate a meal within 20 mins of going back to the ward (around 5 pm), but I can only conclude that as well as the general anaesthetic there probably was an injection into my rear because I had NO discomfort.

I drank a whole jug of water to ensure I peed and was allowed home at 8pm. I walked around the ward, got myself dressed, all probably under the effects of painkillers, or injections that I had no clue about, because I didn't notice any pain at all. For my return home I was given a meagre 30 cocodamol painkillers (just about a weeks worth), 1 bottle of liquid laxative, 1 box of powder laxative (about two weeks supply of laxative in total), and only two gauze pads for seepage.

That night I couldn't sleep well and wanted desparately to go to the loo but could only manage a very small and 'tight' fart. I eventually got to sleep in around 5 am and slept the whole of the next day. I got the shivers and felt sick but wasn't. A hot water bottle cured my shakes. It was probably down to the general anaesthetic. I started taking the painkillers as soon as I was home, 8 a day so the supply soon ran out and I had to visit my GP for more. I had told myself that the relative lack of pain and discomfort was going to pass and I would feel pain soon. The two pads the hospital gave me were quickly used so my wife bought some basic sanitary pads for women which I used. These seemed to work but I gave them up after four days because they irritated my flesh around the back passage.

The second day I was more lucid. I wanted to go to the loo but still couldn't. Every time I walked I could feel tight pulling in my rear, and sitting down numbed any pain which was relieving. However I may have sat too long because the day after I was up and down with what I call a 'nervy' pain, one that makes you half crazy because you just want to be still but can't.

I have a little boy coming up to 4 years old and when I sat on the loo he started making noise the other side of the toilet door and banging on it. I couldn't stand it, not with this 'nervy pain' and jumped off the seat, opened the door and shouted at him, holding his shoulders. This made me cry which in turn set him off. I never launch myself at him like this under normal circumstances, and as for crying, twell the pain just gets to you.

I eventually passed a motion on the third day and with the pain this involved I actually shouted on the toilet 'come out you bastard !'. I had never experienced pain like this. I think my neighbour heard me in his garden but never mind. The first motion was enough, although it felt like my insides had come out through me, I couldn't do anything else. A quick wipe and wash with soap and water and I was done. After this, I went twice a day for the next three days, every time getting easier and less painful. One morning after I had 'nipped off' I suddenly had excrutiating burning around my rear muscle. I jumped into the bath and played an upturned shower onto my behind and this was very relieving. I have done this now for four days and it seems to help immediately after passing the motion. There is a little blood when I pass the motion and wash myself, but I have been told this is quite normal.

I had another moment with my little boy when I was laying in the bath one morning. He came to me, laid his hand on my chest and asked me, 'Are you allright Daddy?' This just set me off into tears again. He knows I am home because I have been into hospital, and he knows my bum has been the problem, I just can't believe he has the emotional side at his age.

Now on my 10th day after op, I am back into my usual rhythm of going once a day, after waking, albeit I have to go as soon as the urge hits because I can not hold it. I do however get a severe ache within by buttocks which I have to endure for about 4 - 5 hours. This is the third day of this, but it is annoying more than anything because I just want to sit still but can't. By afternoon / evening I feel completely normal, so I think I am well on the way to recovery. I just have the horror of looking forward to the next days motions / ache and recovery. I hope this will pass within a day or too more.

I can only put this down to bruising. The back of my hand is still yellow where a needle was inserted for the op, so I can only imagine what bruising I must have elsewhere.

I am due back to work on Wednesday, but as I have a desk job as an accountant I really do not know whether I will be asking my GP for another sick note or not at the moment. I just can't envisage myself sitting still on an office chair and concentrating enough to do meaningful work for my clients. I do still have 5 days until then so it may still be possible.

I went for a walk along the beach two days ago and I realised that sitting around for days has made me a little weak. I need to get my strength up again for the summer - I have a garden to look after and the new kitchen extension needs finishing.

I hope that this all makes sense and isn't too rambling. It has been good to put down my experiences and hopefully others can relate to it.

All this said I am glad that I have had the operation.

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martinblogg · Newbie Joined: 03 May 2008 Posts: 7

I am now at day 15 and things are much better now.

The ache I had after passing a motion lessened in intensity and duration so that after about a further 3 days it was only with me for an hour or so.

The crazy thing was the day before I was due to return to work, I got very little of this ache, but yesterday, when I was supposed to go back I got it really bad because I could not stop going to the loo. In a space of 24 hours I must have gone 10 times, each time passing a small motion - not diarrhoea.

I think this must be down to the laxative, I stopped taking painkillers on Monday at lunchtime, but kept the laxatives up until the morning after which was probably a mistake. It just shows what a constipating effect the pain killers must have had! I felt washed out.

Needless to say I was not up to work yesterday, with a very sore bum, so I went to see my GP and talked things through. He was happy and said that any pain I was having was either down to bruising still (in his own words I had a lot of work done down there), or the tied haemorrhoids were now dying off.

He prescribed anusol suppositries should the pain remain, but I decided I would leave this because I have never really got on with shoving things like that up me, and I wagered that the discomfort was manageable and bearable without them. I have been given one more weeks sick note.

Again I am glad I had the operation. I am pooing better than I have done for years, in quantity and consistency. In fact the other day I passed one motion which must have been a foot long! It is also great to feel that I am smooth when I wipe - no more horrid bumps and tags.

martinblogg · Newbie Joined: 03 May 2008 Posts: 7

Its 3 weeks today since my operation and I went back to work today.

The weather was lovely at the weekend and I spent two whole days in the garden painting the summerhouse and shed, and generally tidying up.

I have had no more of the 'ache' for the last 4 days, which I got after going to the toilet, and this has been a godsend. I have however been going a little more often than I was, but it is mainly form a fear of farting and following through. The last stage of healing for me seems to be getting back the sense of when I can pass wind when to go to the loo properly.

Because of this I feared today at work, anticipating several visits, but I got through the whole day without needing the loo. I went after getting up this morning before work but no more since. My desk chair isn't the most comfortable so I got up and walked around a few times. I am also conscious not to lift too many heavy files at once which I was always doing - I'll wait until my six weeks 'full healing time' is up for that.

I started driving after 2 weeks. The most I could manage then was about 15 minutes in the seat before I got uncomfortable, but now it seems normal and I could sit there for hours.

I feel so much better, a little tired admittedly after a whole day at work, but I would class myself as 90 - 95% recovered. I seem to have progressed more in one week than the previous two.

Just waiting now for my 6 week appointment for check up.

I wish everyone out there who is having or has had the operation recently all the best of luck. There are days when you just want to curl up and die, but tell yourself they will get better.

martinblogg · Newbie Joined: 03 May 2008 Posts: 7

Hi everybody again.

All hasn't turned out so well since what I thought would be my last post.

On Wednesday, exactly 4 weeks after the op I was very uncomfortable at work. I could not sit still and kept getting up and walking around. It was two hours before I could concentrate and sit, and that was after taking two of my cocodamin tablets which eased the discomfort.

My bottom was so sore. It has been a bit for a few days.

The past 7 days I have had a problem where I go for a BM in the morning then I feel like I need to go again and do, sometimes 2 - 3 times in an hour, and then again later in the day. The following visits are usually wind with a little solid matter. I also feel like I am trying to pass flesh.

I called for an appointment with my GP and I saw him Friday. He examined me and stuck his finger up. My god I hate that feeling when the digit is up there! He told me there is nothing sinister and that I look like he would expect at 4 weeks post op.

The problem is I have a fissure where he thinks a h'roid has fallen away. I also have a couple of (his words) 'tiny' external h'roids which he believes will fall away and disappear! I was also sore and inflamed around another area where he said there may have originally been h'roids.

It is the tiny h'roids that are apparently making me feel like going so much.

Anyway he told me to use some HC anusol cream to ease the soreness and this he says will solve the problem. I have used it today and it has seemed to help - I haven't been diving off too the loo and the soreness was a little better.

Well OK I suppose the fissure and sore area will heal but I hope to hell he is right with the h'roids. I really do not relish the prospect of future treatments for something I thought would no longer be there!

Needless to say I have been a bit down this week. Here's hoping that by the time of my 6 week hospital check up (when will I get the appointment through?) that things would have improved.

martinblogg · Newbie Joined: 03 May 2008 Posts: 7

It will be 7 weeks since my op by the end of today and my hospital check up appointment is tomorrow.

Since my last post the sore area has gone and I don't think I can feel any tiny 'roids, at least external. I guess I'll wait until tomorrow and see what the surgeon says.

I have still had the problem with running to the loo though. I do however now feel like my old self again apart from this (hopefully) last set back. Last week I had diarrhoea one day and that gave me a sore bum. I wondered if I might have an infection in an area that couldn't heal, because I found a little white discharge that night in my underwear. Maybe that was just conjecture trying to rationalise what I was experiencing, I don't know. It also had a lot to do with me reading on a forum that someone had a wound that would not heal because it had dirt in it and was eventually scraped clean. That sounds awfully painful.

There is still a sensation in my muscle that it hasn't fully healed but it is not an ache or a pain any more. I read the other day somewhere of a doctor who says healing takes from 6 weeks to 2 months, I can well believe this now.

I know I must have been preoccupied by all this recently because last week I changed a clients appointment to Thursday thinking my hospital was Tuesday. On Tuesday I put my jacket on, got ready for the journey, looked at my letter again and realised it was for Thursday. So today I've got to call my client and rearrange again! God I felt an idiot.

However yesterday I did notice that my BM's were a lot more controlled and the feeling whilst I went was 'different'. This morning I have been once when I got up from bed, and I don't seem to feel as if I need to go again yet. Perhaps its psychological?

martinblogg · Newbie Joined: 03 May 2008 Posts: 7

Well I've been back for my check up and I have been formally discharged from hospital.

The surgeon examined me for all of 5 seconds and said I was healing well.

I said I felt as if I hadn't completely healed and he explained it would take between 2 and 3 MONTHS before I should expect to be and feeling completely as I did before the operation.

As for my GP telling me I had tiny haemorrhoids, these are in fact skin tags of the old external 'roids and are now about 3mm long. He said these would indeed disappear.

Regarding my frequent toilet trips he was not concerned and said it will all settle down by the end of the 3 months.

So we shall see and I promise to let you all know on or before the 23 July anniversary how things worked out.

My pre and post haemorrhoidectomy experience

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