I had a surgery for my chronic anal fissure (over 10 years!), one hemorrhoid associated with the fissure and another small hemorrhoid. The procedure was done on 08/24. Here's my recovering experience:
I stayed in the hospital for 3.5 days for anti-inflammation IVs.
First week:
Surgery day:
I felt real dizzy and lightheaded during the surgery. It took a good half an hour I guess. After the surgery, pains started to hit me. It was intense and unbearable I would say. I had pain killer after the surgery, and laxatives. I did not sleep at all the first night because of the pain.
2nd day:
I would say the pain was still intense the second day. In the morning, the doctor took out some gauze from the anus. I had the first BM around noon because of the laxatives I was prescribed. It was really bad when the stool and gauze were passing, but the pain relieved a lot after the first BM.
3rd-4th days:
still taking a lot of laxatives and had to have BM several times a day. But pain continued to relieve.
5 - 7 days:
The doctor took out the stitches this day, and it hurt so much. Then I went back home, and still needed to lie down for most of the day. Still having pain, especially during BM.
2nd week:
I started to take sitz baths (I had my period the week of surgery). They were soooo good!! My pain continued to relieve.
But in the middle of the week, I found out that there were still a couple stitches that won't fall off. So I had to go back to the doctor. He took one out, and it hurt a little bit. And he said if the other one did not fall off within 4 days, I had to go back again and have it taken out.
I had blood in my stool after the stitch was taken out. For about two days I think.
3rd week:
I went back to the doctor and had the last stitch taken out. It hurt real bad! But didn't last too long.
I had to take a 12 hour flight, and then another 2 hour flight back to the states this week! It was two weeks and 4 days post surgery. I took enough stool softer to make sure I didn't get constipated. The flight was ok - I lay down most of the time. But it started to hurt a lot when I got back to the states.
4th week:
I started work this week, and I had to leave work early because the wound started to feel sore in the afternoon. I bled one time after BM, and I called the doctor. He asked me to continue the stool softener for at least another month to make sure that wound will heal.
5th week:
I kept taking stool softener. I worked almost a full day for 3 days. By the end of this week, I had increased pain one morning for no reason. I kept taking sitz baths, and try not to move too much.
6th week:
Much better this week. Still have stinging feeling sometimes. BMs aren't bad. I take a sitz bath right after each BM. BMs are normal, usually 2 times a day. I have to make sure that I have BM before I go to work in the morning. The stool softener absolutely helps.
7th week:
I think I am 95% recovered this week. I have skin tags and a lump at one of the wounds. Hopefully they will go away. I stopped the stool softener. I eat veggies, brown rice, chicken etc. I don't eat fruit any more, because it makes my stomach growling all the time... I have BM 1-2 times a day.
I had real hard stool one day this week, but it did not bleed. But after that, I feel sore again after BMs. I am still taking sitz baths a couple times a day.
I think this is a good recovery, and I am looking forward to the full recovery. I am REALLY glad I had the surgery.
I stayed in the hospital for 3.5 days for anti-inflammation IVs.
First week:
Surgery day:
I felt real dizzy and lightheaded during the surgery. It took a good half an hour I guess. After the surgery, pains started to hit me. It was intense and unbearable I would say. I had pain killer after the surgery, and laxatives. I did not sleep at all the first night because of the pain.
2nd day:
I would say the pain was still intense the second day. In the morning, the doctor took out some gauze from the anus. I had the first BM around noon because of the laxatives I was prescribed. It was really bad when the stool and gauze were passing, but the pain relieved a lot after the first BM.
3rd-4th days:
still taking a lot of laxatives and had to have BM several times a day. But pain continued to relieve.
5 - 7 days:
The doctor took out the stitches this day, and it hurt so much. Then I went back home, and still needed to lie down for most of the day. Still having pain, especially during BM.
2nd week:
I started to take sitz baths (I had my period the week of surgery). They were soooo good!! My pain continued to relieve.
But in the middle of the week, I found out that there were still a couple stitches that won't fall off. So I had to go back to the doctor. He took one out, and it hurt a little bit. And he said if the other one did not fall off within 4 days, I had to go back again and have it taken out.
I had blood in my stool after the stitch was taken out. For about two days I think.
3rd week:
I went back to the doctor and had the last stitch taken out. It hurt real bad! But didn't last too long.
I had to take a 12 hour flight, and then another 2 hour flight back to the states this week! It was two weeks and 4 days post surgery. I took enough stool softer to make sure I didn't get constipated. The flight was ok - I lay down most of the time. But it started to hurt a lot when I got back to the states.
4th week:
I started work this week, and I had to leave work early because the wound started to feel sore in the afternoon. I bled one time after BM, and I called the doctor. He asked me to continue the stool softener for at least another month to make sure that wound will heal.
5th week:
I kept taking stool softener. I worked almost a full day for 3 days. By the end of this week, I had increased pain one morning for no reason. I kept taking sitz baths, and try not to move too much.
6th week:
Much better this week. Still have stinging feeling sometimes. BMs aren't bad. I take a sitz bath right after each BM. BMs are normal, usually 2 times a day. I have to make sure that I have BM before I go to work in the morning. The stool softener absolutely helps.
7th week:
I think I am 95% recovered this week. I have skin tags and a lump at one of the wounds. Hopefully they will go away. I stopped the stool softener. I eat veggies, brown rice, chicken etc. I don't eat fruit any more, because it makes my stomach growling all the time... I have BM 1-2 times a day.
I had real hard stool one day this week, but it did not bleed. But after that, I feel sore again after BMs. I am still taking sitz baths a couple times a day.
I think this is a good recovery, and I am looking forward to the full recovery. I am REALLY glad I had the surgery.
This post is so important that I decided to post on it so that it would be on the front page for awhile. I think that everyone who is worried about surgery should read this to see what a typical recovery would be. Thanks for posting this!