26 days post hemorrhoidectomy

Hi skysquid,
First I am really sorry that this is happening to you. Second I just want to tell you that we will give you our support as much as we can.
I just want to ask you if you are using any Laxatives?
When is you next doctor appointment?

I am not taking any because with my IBS I go really often anyway. I will only take it if I have to take the vicodin but I am trying to get through this on tylenol since the vicodin constipated me really bad.

I am supposed to see my surgeon in like 2-3 weeks but I might go sooner when I can get a ride. My mother has to go to the ER for her kidney stones :\

Terrified my next bowel movement will rip apart my last stitch or something.. I don't know what will happen if I lose that last stitch so soon.

I am also having a hard time keeping the area clean. I clean it and put gauze on it but.. now this is gross.. I sniff the gauze to see if it smells bad or not and it does now no matter what I do. Hoping I don't get an infection or already have one. Is a little bitty bit of white discharge normal?

Today will be day 6 for me and I hope it gets better soon :-(

I've been drinking peppermint tea and some chamomile blend with ginger and licorice to help my stomach come down. It is not helping as much as it used to but the extra fluid can't hurt. I have only eaten a cup or so of oatmeal, some rice, some chickpeas, a bit of a protein drink and some cereal out of the box since.. wednesday? I seriously need to eat but it is so difficult.

I just had more diarrhea and I feel more will be following. It is not so bad because I don't bleed with diarrhea but I know having a firm, soft stool (Bristol Stool Chart Type 4) is essential to proper recovery. I took the other half of my vicodin from yesterday and hope I don't get constipated.

Trying to numb my sort anus with a baggy full of ice. I cleaned myself the best I could but I feel that it is not enough and I have begun putting gauze on the area to keep it dry and prevent further infection?

I feel so weak.. I can barely type this out. I hope this gets better soon and that my last stitch hangs around til at least friday.. and that I don't get constipated and only have soft stools.

Praying that I do not get a fissure or have to have an open wound that scars like crazy. I still have a skin tag BUT THERE IS NO WAY I AM GOING THROUGH THIS AGAIN. No way.

Hi skysquid,
If this doesn't go away in few days, I think you will need to see your surgeon much sooner. I also read somewhere that peppermint tea is good for IBS. How long have you been drinking it?
And also I don't understand why your parents are not supportive. It seams to me that you are in much pain.
I hope that you will get better soon.

Sorry for posting again so soon.. I just need to vent and you are the only ones who have been through this (and much worse) so I am venting here.

My lump of flesh was small about 3-4 years ago and then I made the mistake of taking 5 Bentyl's on an empty stomach and was pooping out pure stomach acid for HOURS and hours. I drank so much water to prevent damage to my insides that by the end of my ordeal I was honestly passing PURE WATER THROUGH MY BUTT. Clear, odorless water. My chunk swelled up larger than a quarter and looked like a pink balloon. When it finally shrank back down it was much larger and hard to keep clean. Was often sore and throbbing but looking back it was not that bad... not like this.

This is even worse than pooping straight stomach acid for 6 hours on end. At least I didn't have to worry about stitches, wounds, etc.

My IBS was so bad I had to drop out of highschool and I am trying to get my life on track right now but this surgery is definitely going to set me back. I'd like to move out because my home life is pretty awful (mother is a hoarder with a lot of health issues but refuses to eat healthy and instead eats nothing but chocolate, fast food and pepsi. all while saying changing her diet wont solve her problems but I know it'd help?)

All my friends think I am stupid for getting this done when it wasn't a super serious hemorrhoid and I have to agree but it doesn't make me feel any better right now. I was going to cancel but my mother and boyfriend convinced me to do it and said my fears were unfounded EVEN THOUGH IT ALL HAPPENED TO ME :-( so far. I hope the rest of my worries are just paranoia and I don't develop a fissure and so on.. or a wound that wont heal. I pray I don't need more surgery.

My parents don't really help because when I ask for something I need, like food my stomach can handle or more gauze, etc, they just complain. It is not like I enjoy spending all this money on my butt?

I've been using cotonelle wipes because it is all I have and I hope it does not irritate my anus further. I have a sock between my cheeks to try to absorb excess moisture because I think all the baths and moisture are messing with my dis solvable stitches and that the moisture is breeding bacteria and fungus. When I have to have a BM I take one of the wipes and run it under hot water and apply to my anus to ease the sting since my doctor wont give me anything topical. Has anyone else done this? I don't recall reading about it on here.

Is numbing my butt with ice ok? And is having a bit of pus normal as well? My chunk was like half out of my butt and half in, kinda like the iceberg that sank the titanic. Gosh I hope this heals soon.

I have to call my doctor today and I hope she tells me it is fine. I wish I could just take a picture of my anus and send it to her so I don't have to go 1 hour and 45 minutes down the hill to see her. I can't stand to be away from my bathroom now especially with the diarrhea. Hopefully my bowels regulate themselves soon and I have Type 4 stools from here on out.

I have actually been forming an external hemorrhoid but it is not even a lump yet. I need to start taking care of it so it does not get larger and need surgery BECAUSE I AM NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO GO THROUGH THIS AGAIN. I was going to try herbs and maybe Venapro? I think I have issues with my blood and veins anyway. I barely bleed when I am cut no matter how deep it is and my blood seems kind of thick.

I wish it were easier for me to eat but insoluble fiber takes a terrible toll on my insides and I am trying to find balance with insoluble and soluble fiber to get through this alive and with a healthy anus. I have no appetite and my stomach is always upset. My diarrhea seems a little bulkier today so maybe I will have more solid stool soon. This is the first time I have had actual diarrhea in so long.. did not miss it all but I do prefer it to those hard, painful stools. I think when I heal more I am going to have to start dilating my anus. It was too tight before this and I don't need any more problems with it. I've been struggling with eaten since February and small stools just lead to a tighter anus I suppose..

I feel so terrible for all of you and I hope you all recover soon. You are on my mind Dawn, Wendy and Lisa. Thank you for letting me vent. You would all probably prefer what I am going through to what you are going through but I am a wuss. Maybe if I have had children I'd be stronger and able to deal with this better but I am totally never having children after this. I could never go through butt trauma again. You are all so strong and amazing. I feel like a spoiled little wimp for complaining about my pain and fears when you have all gone through soooo much.

Is it alright if I just eat a lot of oatmeal? I don't have much else and I can not go to the store right now. I am afraid to eat because eating often causes my guts to spasm which makes me have a BM and I would like to not BM all day. I have Metamucil wafers I can eat, maybe just one to bulk up my stool. I don't need to go I just need slightly bulkier stools. As much as I hate the feeling of my anus ripping open.. oh gosh this is a waking nightmare. So terrified of causing more damage and having a anus that is worse than it was before. I am so stupid for doing this.

Looks like another stitch is coming out. It is only day 6? I have dissolvable stitches and I don't know if it is normal for them to come loose like this.

I am still struggling to eat but I really need to have a solid BM (not too solid..) so my anal canal does not get any tighter and rip me apart. I've never been more afraid in all of my life. I feel like I have totally ruined my butt for no good reason and I will have a more difficult time with it for the rest of my life.

I am starting to give up hope. It is probably just going to get worse and I feel like I deserve to suffer for going through with it.

I am trying to eat so I can have a solid stool but I am afraid it will rip me open and take out the rest of my stitches and just.. I feel so hopeless and alone. I don't think I've ever felt so alone.


Thank you for replying, Dark Red. I am going to try to see my doctor this week when my mother is well enough to take me. My parents just see me as a burden half the time, really.

Hi Skysquid! I will tell you how to handle all this OK? Tell your parents OR your boyfriend to get you the following! A squirt bottle, a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and Tucs Pads, also pantyliners! EVERYTIME you go to the bathroom, you put 2 tblspns of hydrogen peroxide in the bottle and fill it with warm water - shake it! Then squirt it on the area, try and let the area air dry as much as possible! Do NOT take baths, just showers! Also your doctor might have perscribed Lidocaine for the pain, to numb it! IF he/she didn't, you need to get some Polysporin, and make sure there is not infection!

You DO NOT deserve to suffer from this honey, you did what you thought was best for you, and will help you in the future! IF you doctor didn't think you needed it, he/she wouldn't have done it! Since you have had so many problems with your stomach and digestive system, then you are at the end of your rope regarding all of this! This is TOTALLY NORMAL!!! You'r just fed up and want it to be done! Soon this will be a distant memory. What you have to concentrate on is that things WILL be good, don't read too much into other peoples histories and problems, as everyone and their healing is different! Some have had terrible experiences, usually from uncaring doctors!

Have you been told how to go to the bathroom correctly? If you haven't let me know and I will give you ALL the information you need to make a BM more tollerable! Also know this, with rectal surgeries there are 2 trains of thought, 1 is the less involvement the better, the other ALL hands on! So it just depends what works for you, So I will try and tell you both sides, so that if one doesn't work the other might just do the drink! Don't despair honey OK?

Thank you for the advice Dawn. My last? stitch just came out and I am totally horrified. It is only day 6! I fear my next BM because what if my wound reopens? Is it normal for dis-solvable stitches to come out so early? I thought I'd have them in for 2 weeks.

My doctor refuses to let me put anything topical on my butt and I wish she would because it hurts. She thinks it will give me an infection. I tried looking at it just now and it does not look too bad but what do I know? I am going to try to see her tomorrow or the day after.

Do you think she could re-stich me? I figure she will just make me deal with this open wound. Oh god it is so disgusting.. Maybe they will numb my butt and cauterize the wound? If it is bad, that is. I fear a large stool...

I was going to make myself eat but I am too scared to pass any stool right now without anything holding myself together? What a nightmare.

skysquid,

this is Wendy, but I forgot to log in, so it will probably say "guest".

So sorry you have to go through this! You're not alone, believe me, I totally felt the same way! First of all, do me a favor please and stop beating yourself up for having this done. It won't do you any good, because it's a done deal and you made a decision that you thought was best for you. So we have to move forward now and take care of this. You WILL get through this, even though it doesn't seem like it right now.

First of all, if you've read the past bullitens, you'll know about my hemorroidectomy. It was horrific, a surgery that must have been invented by Satan himself! But it was counterproductive because while on the toilet, I couldn't HELP but to pray! So anyways........ about those stitches. Are you sure it was the last one? I ripped out stitches after day two and it looked like I had more hemis than before I had surgery because they were soooo swollen. The doctor told me that was normal.

The pus is something to def watch out for. If you start running a fever, its time to get checked ASAP. Bambi is right about asking the doc for Lidocaine. Maybe you could suggest this through a phone consult? All he can do is say no, again, but I would try one more time anyways. Some doctors are okay with it and it seems others are'nt.

What to eat? I would make up a big helping of mashed potatoes and store them in the fridge. I would reheat them in the micro with some shredded cheese on top and sometimes I would add sour cream. Oatmeal is gentle, as you say. Soft boiled eggs with whole grain toast is yummy. You can make up a batch of sweet potatoes and pour maple surup over them. Wild rice is good and so is soup, but you may want to stay away from tomato based ones for now. You can have veggies, but try to stay away from super fibrous ones like broccoli. Yogurt with fruit is an exellent choice so you can put the "good bacteria" back into your body. If you can get your hands on B- complex, it would be super helpful in building your energy storage back up. Surgery usually strips your bod of B's and C's. Bananas are also good to eat. These are the things I ate for four weeks.

ALSO, I DIDN'T HEAR YOU SAY THAT YOU ARE TAKING IBUPROPHEN? This is such a big deal for inflammation in your poor butt! If you're not taking it, get on it ASAP. This is what my doctor put me on.........Ibuprophen (for inflammation), Valium(for muscle spasms), vicadin and linocaine.

I have to say I'm fairly impressed that you are only taking tylonol and the vicadin only sometimes. But get some ibuprophen and switch off between ibuprophen and tylonol and watch out for a fever! Remember, if you get a fever, you need to seek attention immediately.

Lastely, it will take time. You will need to accept this and GIVE yourself as much time as you need! This is sooo important to recovery.
I hope I helped, if even a little. Hugs, Wendy

I read this entire thread and felt for all of you. You seem to have done really well and I hope I can heal too.

I am sure it was my last stitch but there might be one inside I can't see. I don't really want to pry myself open to check but I looked a little I don't really see an open wound but I had more discharge/pus today. It is kind of whitish and I am just hoping it is discharge. I am so afraid of passing stool because I don't want to rip open that wound :-( or get a fissure. This really is the worst surgery in the world. When I was about 10 I had to have my appendix removed and when the staples came out I developed an infection. The doctor ripped my whole incision open with a medical swab (I WAS AWAKE WITHOUT PAIN MEDS AND NO WARNING) and that was awful. I then had to be stuffed with gauze everyday and heal from the inside out. That was better than this.

When I went to the ER they put me on Zithromax for my ear infection and I am hoping that helps with whatever infection I may have brewing down in my butt. Going to call my doctor soon but I am scared to because I can't really come in and see her yet since I can't get a ride and I don't want to be that far from my bathroom but I know I really need to talk to her about this.

I am preparing for my next bout of diarrhea which is not so bad because it does not bleed or hurt as much as more solid stool but I know I really need to eat and have solid stool... it is just so terrifying. This is almost as scary as jumping off a plane for me and I am terrified of heights. I don't even like being in tall buildings.

Everyone heals differently and stiches can come out right away or get imbedded - which believe me is FAR worse! I don't know if I mentioned this before but there are 2 trains of thought with the healing, 1 is to numb it and that is it! The other is to cleanse with hydrogen peroxide, sitz baths, tucs pads, and frozen pantyliners! I and I think Wendy and the others on here used the latter! But some others have sworn by the numbing agent! So follow your doctors advice. Wendy is dead on about the ibuprofen, and as far as I'm concerned you can't ice it enough! Get a container of Tucs pads - with witch hazel! And put them in the freezer, after every cleansing, place a couple of them around and on the stitches, and the cold will shrink the scars and soothe the area. Wear a panty liner at the back, for any melting and leakage! You can also spritz a pantyliner with water, and put those in the freezer and use those for soothing too! Also use cotton underwear, and try to air dry the area as much as possible! DO NOT pull the area apart to take a look, you will know how you are feeling - just like Wendy said about watching out for increase in temperature etc. If you keep the area as clean as possible, this should lower the risk of you becoming infected significantly

Now regarding bowel movements, eat as much omega 3's as possible, this helps with the softness of your stools! Even though you have to bulk up with fibre, it can be a Catch 22, due to the amount of fiber - which can actually bung you up!!!! So if you take Omega 3's and garlic this will definitely help you!

When you are ready to go, or you think you are, I want you to stand with your top of your body gently rolled over, like a C then make your stomach go in and out quickly - causing a ripple effect in your intestine! This helps the stool move down! When you sit on the toilet, put your elbows on your knees and lean forward - taking pressure of your bum! Turn your big toes in as far as they can go Almost like an X - so the top of the X will be your toes and the bottom of it will be your heals - push the heals out as much as possible to creat a pyramid /\ This opens up your pelvic and anal area! Take deep breaths and relax and focus on something in the washroom - for visualization techniques! Don't be afraid of it, as this will tense you up further - this is ALL about relaxing the sphinxter muscles! NOW if you have impaction, you are going to have to ease it out - due to the fact that you have just had surgery, this is going to be only one way - through the vagina! The rectum and vagina are right next to each other, so if you put your finger inside you can feel the compaction on the otherside and gently push against the wall of your vagina to make the rectum straight!!! It's like a chute! This will help the stool not be in the dip! Keep doing the rippling of your stomach and this should help the stool move faster down. Also know that you will probably bleed - ESPECIALLY with a compaction - this is just part of EVEYRONES day to day things! It just hurts us more from what we have been through! The thing with you right now is to stop this diareha - which also could be caused by your nerves and being worried about having a hard stool! Diareha can TOTALLY deplete you of vital enzymes and vitamins not to mention strength to get better! So you entire goal is to have a regular stool, not water nor hard!

Due to your anxiety, I would suggest calcium pills - this helps you relax! Also - Wendy correct me if i'm wrong here - but I believe that B Vitamins shots are very helpful with stress - and improving your health!

It's ALL about one day at a time, and not concentrating on yesterday! Even though we ALL know that this totally SUCKS!! For your own recovery, you HAVE to think positively, because this can really entrap you and make you depressed, because it's such an embarrassing thing to discuss with your family and friends! If you don't have a sitz bath, get one!!! they are a gift from God as far as I'm concerned!!! ;-) Right Guys!!!? Just keep on talking, and write down what you need to ask the doctor, because I promise you honey, if you go in there complaining about every little thing - even though there is nothing wrong with that - doctors are inclined to right you off as a hypochondriac - because doctors want to know that they have fixed you not made things worse! So it CAN'T be them that caused this - that can't be right?!!!! It HAS to be something the patient is doing - NOT! So it's in your best interests to put it moe in question form than a complaining form - do you understand what I'm getting at? You have to placate doctors a lot of the time, with words like - "Thankyou for doing this for me, I'm just a bit worried about this, is this normal? etc. etc. etc." So good luck tommorrow! And keep it simple and the most important 1st, write it down and write down the answers - or you WILL forget, due to the pain and embarrassment!

Lisa, have you tried apple juice and prune juice? I hear it helps with constipation. You could also look into digestive enzymes to help you digest better. Maybe that will work?

I used to hate water as well but I slowly worked my way up to a gallon or more a day. At first water made my stomach feel heavy and sick but you get used to it.

I just had more diarrhea and it didn't really hurt! I still fear a more solid BM though.. I ate a cup of oatmeal with a smidge of miralax and acacia fiber because I fear the half a vicodin a day is clogging me up and I just could not go through that again. I am going to start adding flax oil to my drinks to see if that helps it slip out?

Still working up the nerve to call my doctor.. I am a pretty shy girl in person.

Hi skysquid,
Dawn (Bambi27) has written a really good post. We should probably start calling her "The one with all the knowledge". :-) She really is helpful to many. Thanks Dawn for all the hard work you are doing.

Now about that doctor. You have to realize the thing that doctor is there for you, not the other way. You do not have to be shy about anything, you are in problems and you need his advice. Just feel free to give him a call.

Ah! Dawn I did not see your post. Thank you so much for the information :-) I am trying to worry less about this wound ripping open on me but it still scares me. Wish they had did this with a laser instead or something.. looks a little red today. Still too scared to go to the bathroom but I have no choice, eh?

IT's OK! I was feeling TOTALLY DISSED!!!! LOL ;-) XD Where's the rest of the girls here? Wendy! Lisa! This is OUR club and subject de jour!!! LOL

I hope they are doing well D: especially Lisa. I hope she heals up soon.

I just had a firmer stool (Bristol Stool Chart Type 4 lol) and it bled! Seeing the blood always upsets me because I am a sissy I guess. I just think I ripped myself open and I will never heal at this rate. Strange how the butt can heal when it is always being stretched open and what not.. Better that I got it out tonight though and not tomorrow. Would have been too hard and would have made me bleed more. This is so stressful :-( I am so anxious.


How are you Dawn?