Bouskill
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Joined: 28 Jan 2008
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 Posted: 01/28/08 - 15:57 Post subject: Recovery from Hemorrhoid surgery |
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| I wish I had found this forum prior to my surgery on Jan 11th. 17 days later, I am almost better but it has been a dreadful recovery. I learned, after I ended up back in hospital for 2 days, that my surgeon had performed this surgery of 2 of us the same day, for internal hemorrhoids, we both had a spinal anesthesia and we both ended up back in emergency on day 3 post op. Coincidence, I think not! I believe the spinal caused me to have bladder urine retention which also put a lot of pressure on my rectum. I could not pee or have a BM although the pain was beyond excrutiating. The surgeon had not allowed me to have either a sitz bath or a warm water bath for fear I would pop my stitches so other than a hot shower to try to get some relief from the pain of not urinating (or urinating in little drabs and dribbles while in the shower) I had to resort to major dosed of morphine to get through the agony. Early morning day 3, I couldn't even pee in the shower so off to emerge I went where they catheterized me for hours, removed the catheter for about 6 hours and then re-inserted it for about another 8 hours because they couls not reduce my swelling. They made me eat, take more pain meds plus Extra strength Tylenol and drink litres and litres of fluids. They gave me stool softeners, Lactulose, Metamucil and Milk of Magnesia and told me that when I went home (now day 5) that I could now go in the warm baths. The surgeon told me to poop in the bathtub because the stitches had done their job and if they popped, no problem anymore. He suggested that infection should not be a problem at this stage and to shower afterwards using a peroxide liquid to help keep my disinfected. He really enforced the idea of taking more meds than before, even though they constipate because of the fear of my rectum closing in on itself. Firm poops are necessary. By days 6, I had my first "real" BM and OH MY GOD I thought I was going to die. I was saying hail Mary's and I'm not even Catholic. Thank goodness I was in the bathtub because I would never have been able to sit down for that and the pain had me sobbing. Funny thing is that I wasn't constipated, I was just exercising my rectal muscles so the spasms that accompanied, were horrific. This I want to die process lasted about 4 days after which time, every day seemed to bring less and less pain. By day 15, I cut out the pain meds but am still taking 1 stool softener a day and the metamucil and drinking enormous amounts of fluids (at least 12 glasses daily) and that seems to make a big difference. I can still barely sit to have a BM and keep a little plastic tub handy in the event the pain is too much to allow me to sit. I'm trying not to worry about the hygene or the appearance of my butt while it's healing. I have a slight sciatica and pressure pain on the bottom of both heels which I maintain has something to do with the spinal having gone wrong somehow. During my recovery after emerge, I also put A535 rub on my lower back due to radiating pain and I used ice packs on my butt to try to keep any swelling down to a minimum. It was a bit tricky to find the balance between hot and cold, eating enough but not too much to permit easier BMs and trying to get past the idea that I am not a wimp. My goal is to drive my car 2 days from now so that I can get back to my on the road sales job, but I confess, I am a bit worried as just the pain from sitting in the passenger seat has been almost unbearable. If I had known before surgery, what I know now, I would NOT have had it done and I am usually good about tolerance to pain. I've had other surgeries and nothing comes close to touching the misery of this one. |
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