Hemorrhoid Surgery and Recovery

More on Day 17: Only two installments today. That's the best I've done since the surgery. I've only had to go twice a few times. Mostly it's been three or more.

On my way to work tonight, something fell off the seat of my car so, at a stop light, I bent over to pick it up. OUCH! I feel like I ripped something - like a rear episiotomy! Bleeding picked up after that. :/

Aside from the pain, I did okay at work. Also, when the kitchen overcooked some sirloin tips, I ate a couple. Fast. Didn't have time to chew it well. I didn't care. So sick of not eating what I like. Maybe it's time to start. I'll keep the water, Metamucil and some whole grain, but I want fried fish and a baked potato with a ton of butter, darn it! Maybe eating like myself will help me feel like myself? I am good about eating veggies and salads....

Day 18.  My naked butt leaked nothing overnight.  Ahhhhhh.  Not out of the woods there, though.  Still get blood, mucous and what looks like dead tissue.  But it's been 8 days since my last bout of fecal leakage.  Whenever I feel impatient with my recovery I just remember that.  THAT was absolutely intolerable.  And I have no reason to fear it will happen again!

Wasn't too sore from yesterday's overstretch which felt like I had done some sort of damage.  Still smarts after a BM.  Still grabbing the Sitz bath BUT today it wasn't necessary to HAVE the BM.  More progress!  I had 2.5 "installments" today.  I say 2.5 because right after I cleaned up and got ready to exit the bathroom the second time, I had an urge to turn around and go for more.  Not diarrhea.  Just installments.  Even though today was really no better where that problem is concerned, I'm starting to feel more confident that it will resolve soon, too.  I don't know why.  Just an optimistic feeling I haven't really had thus far.

Take lifting restrictions seriously - and don't overstretch or extend your body in a way which pulls on that area.  It will induce bleeding or more bleeding.  I'm trying to switch over to liners instead of pads for the duration of this recovery - the pads feel so bulky, even when I buy the most thin and short, wings or no wings.  If this were a period, I'd use a tampon.  (I don't get those anymore, though, either.  Early menopause.)  It's especially important to me at my restaurant job where I have to wear shorts and I always feel like the bulk of the bad is visible through them.  Plus, it's a lot of running around and it doesn't stay in place as well when you're very active.

I bought some prune juice today.  I'd toyed with this idea but procrastinated.  I wanna drink a few ounces before bed, with my Metamucil, and see if it makes it easier to go (I do have to push - it's the only way to get it started :/ ) and if it creates enough of a flow to empty me out in one shot.

Slowly starting to eat more of what I want while making sure to drink water water water and get some dietary fiber.  I might even be ready for spicy. :)

Tonight, I think I'll allow myself a couple of drinks.  It's been a while and it's a holiday here, after all.

Seven months ago, in this thread, Allen N posted "Well, I wrote here just a few days before my surgery and now it's been about 18 days since my surgery and for the first day, I'm actually doing well!"  And his recovery was much tougher than mine, and his surgery was different, too.  Best estimate for anyone facing surgical excision of hemorrhoids or other unwanted anal accessories is 2-3 weeks to function at almost normal and to be able to arrange your day like usual - instead of being a slave to the toilet, tub, Sitz bath, pain, etc.

Day 19: Morning installments were difficult. First one was fast enough, but incomplete (as has been the case) and I needed the Sitz just for relief. I did take my ibuprofen before I got in there but, man, it really is still raw inside. Outside is not so sensitive.

Ate with care - whole grains, water, Metamucil.

Blood and misc. leakage: yes
Feces leakage: still no

Morning installments are going to be a problem, but as long as I get the bulk of it out the first time as I usually do, I will simply "seal" myself closed with the shower and get my butt to work. Early.

Can't wait to be normal!!

Today is three weeks.  I have yet to discover how today's going to go, but I did miss my day 20 update yesterday.

Day 20 felt like a setback.  I woke up feeling particularly swollen and sore - not sure why.  I was in a hurry to get ready, since I overslept and didn't get up until about 6:30.  I tried to rush nature.  It was painful.  I obviously had enough of an urge because I went, but it was difficult, required me to push/strain and also made me rely on the Sitz.  I knew I wasn't finished, but I ran out of time, so I tried the ignore strategy.  Well, that HALF worked.

Later in the morning, I discovered, to my horror, that I had leaked some feces.  A very small amount and on a pad, which I promptly changed, but still.  Ugh.  I thought I'd gotten past this about 10 days earlier.  Back to gauze tucking I went.  Had to change that about twice, but by the evening I was gauze and leak free.  I thought I would be heading to the bathroom after work for another installment.  I'd get up to go, and the feeling would disappear.   That happened several times until it just went away for the night.

I got up about 1/2 hour ago and the urge is starting, but it's not strong and I have to admit I'm scared after yesterday, but I'm going to try to relax about it.  If it doesn't all come out, then I'm just going to go on with my day, be on time for work, make it through work with gauze, if necessary, and deal with the rest when I come home.

Three weeks and I'm still worried about BMs and my diet and a leaking butt. :/

I'm really really ready to be recovered.

Three weeks: ugh.

I have been to the potty 5 times today and I don't think I'm done. :/

Got up early to get everything out of my system, without rushing, and the first one required a bit of pushing to get started but then it was fast and easy.  That first one always looks like I can call it a day, but looks can be deceiving.  Soon, I was back for some more.  Again, fast, but a pain.  Sitz bath necessary to soothe - even with 600 mg ibuprofen in me.  Third time was a joke.  A pellet.  I gave up, took a shower and rushed to get ready for work.  I was a few minutes late.  Because I wasn't done, I was leaking, so I was back to gauze again today. :(  Liner instead of pad, but gauze. 

At lunch, I left to go get some soup and, in the car, I thought I was going to lose it while driving.  I thought, "Sure, you think you can wear pants to work and you're safe from accidents but you're NOT!"  It got under control and I went into a restaurant and ordered my soup.  I needed to pee, so I went into the ladies room and there came #4.  It was really fast.  I feel more "loose" today, though it's not quite diarrhea.  Hours after that, I came home and went straight to the bathroom for #5.  Loose and fast again, but painful.

Five times today??  So far!?!

Last night I was asked to go stay at a friend's house, and I declined, knowing that I need my Sitz bath and my time in the morning.  But now I don't know if I could make the 90 minute drive without a pit stop.

If it weren't for the dysplasia (abnormal cells), I would be so mad at myself for having this surgery.  My hemorrhoids didn't really bother me.  They were just pretty unsightly and forced me to get business done before my shower in the morning, a habit I'm still in.  I am annoyed that the surgeon made the recovery sound like a quick thing, only telling me it would take a month before I was completely normal.  Well, next week is a month, so I need some progress fast!  If I'd known how much this would interfere with my normal routine, I would have done it in the winter, when things aren't so busy. 

I'm tempted to take Imodium, but that seems to be against all advice we're given after this surgery, so I'm just hoping there's nothing left in me today.  I honestly don't know how there can be!  I just hope this is some sort of sign of recovery and that any day now, I will wake up, get done, not need Sitz baths or wipes and then BE DONE FOR THE DAY!

The next couple of nights are going to be incredibly busy at the restaurant.  I can't lose it in a dining room....

Edit: Turns out the loose feeling and frequency was not unique to me. Not that I wish my friend the same reaction that I've had, but I've determined it was the prepared meal I bought at the grocery store. I'm thinking maybe tomorrow can be an awesome day!

Day 22 - I was up at 8 and still trying to figure out if I'd finished all my potty "installments" for the day between 2-3 p.m.  I.hate.this.  Still loose from the bad meatloaf.  The psyllium fiber I've been taking every day for over three weeks probably kept it from being worse.  I didn't eat much yesterday, so it really didn't make sense that I had so much in me!  I wonder if the massive amounts of wheat fiber are making my life harder....  I might just lay off, eat what I want, drink a ton of water and do the Metamucil twice a day instead of once.  Still annoying yellow leakage - mucous and dead tissue?  Still have to give it a push to get going but today I did NOT use my Sitz bath.  It's progress.  Very.slow.progress.

F it.  I'm going to a party.  I'm tired of my butt running my life.  If I got through a shift in a hot muggy restaurant, I can get through relaxing.

I am going through everything u described IM in day 10 and am looking forward to 30. I never imagined it would be so painful IM 37 and hope I can live a normal life again soon. Am worried to go back to work because I have to soak after every bm

Day 23:  I behaved last night/early this morning, like someone who is not post-op.  Had a couple of drinks.  Ate a Dunkin Donuts sausage, egg and cheese sandwich at about 3 or 4 a.m.  I leaked a little at work last night (not fecal, I don't think) but not a spot when I went out for about 5 hours!  I was also able to play with my special friend without worrying about what my butt might do.  That was nice.

As of right now, I've only been up for about 90 minutes and have had one "installment."  I know there's more to come, so I wait.  What came out of me was much much darker than usual - I guess that's a result of straying from the careful diet and a little drinking.  I'm sure that if I weren't doing the Metamucil (2x per day now) I would be runny. :/

I have to be at work in two hours - this makes me nervous.  Not sure I'm empty, so I need time for that, plus a shower, etc.  My son is working on something and had to turn off the water to the whole house.  I'll be so happy when I can go back to the day when 2 hours is PLENTY of time to do everything.

I think I'll drink my fiber before I go in.  It seems to help "keep it all together."

So, wow - day 23 turned out better than I thought.  I only had to go ONCE today.  It didn't feel like it at the time, and I was fretting/aggravated and still making attempts, but just ONCE for the first time since the morning of the surgery.

That is amazing.  Bleeding and other non-feces leakage very, very minimal. 

I don't know if this is because of time or because of upping the Metamucil, but either way, this is the most normal 24 hours I have had in what feels like a very long time!

Day 24: Eh.  Gross details ahead.

Forgot to drink my Metamucil last night.  That's BAD.  Right now, a late afternoon and bedtime dose seemed to have me closer to normal than anything.  Still no laxatives, stool softeners, etc.

So when I got up, I had the usual morning urge (which is good), but an unimpressive output, giving me the idea that there was more to come but without the actual sensation.

I think I tried too hard.  One of the things I have tried recently, now that the pain isn't as bad as it used to be, is use a well-Vaselined Q-tip to insert and see.  Objectives: stimulate movement, check for feces in the rectum.  There have been times when it comes out virtually clean, so I know there is nothing waiting in my rectum.  That's where you don't want it to be stuck as far as inconvenience, discomfort, leakage is concerned.  Sitting in the Sigmoid colon is the normal way it works.  It is okay for some waste to remain there for the next day's movement.

I was assured by my Q-tip that there was more to come.  Three attempts all yielded very little.  I may have put myself in the position of transfer from colon to rectum - even trying the Sitz bath.  I was pushing my body to do what it wasn't ready to do.

So, I've decided that aside from the Metamucil, I have to stop stressing!  If it ain't happening and you don't feel it, move on.  I can't think of other way to get back to normal.  I've felt slightly unclean today - very little, but to me, that's too much - and that's all from trying too much. 

Hope I can relax about it!  I just have to remember that yesterday was a normal day, so it is possible!  And almost 4 weeks since the surgery!

Sorry to hear all you've been through. It's very true and at times one feels like things will never be the same. But let me assure you, after a few months you won't even remember all this. It will be like a distant memory and you will be thankful for doing it. I'm now 9 months post operative and my life is completely back to normal and I've never had to think twice. Surgeons will often dismiss the post operative experience, and to some extent for good reason. If people knew they wouldn't get the work done. But the reality of the matter is they are right. The fear is unjustified because it is temporary and on the other side of pain is a great feeling. The feeling that you are in charge of your life again and never have to worry about the craziness that you had to live through on daily basis and thought was manageable but now see for what it was, a bad chapter that came to an end and the beginning of something great again.
Hang in there. You'll be fine. Just be patient. You will not regret going through this in 6 months. You'll be in fairly good shape 6 weeks post op, another thing they don't tell you! (I was told I can go back to work after a week! Are you kidding me?!) Of course, everyone's level of severity is different and no two procedures are the same; but one should prepare for the worse and hope for the best! Best wishes!

Allen, that's exactly what my surgeon just said when I went to see him about the incomplete bowel movement issue. Now he's saying it'll take two months to recover. Hmmm. First a week, then a month, now it's two?

There's definitely an improvement over that first week, but I'm still not happy.

I didn't post about days 25-27 (Tues, Wed, Thurs.) I was off Tuesday and Wednesday, stayed up late with my special friend and got up late. Spent most of the afternoon waiting for the "installments" to come.

By Tuesday, I was absolutely sick of eating boring food. We went to the best pizza place I know and shared a medium pie. I decided that wasn't enough, so off for some fried seafood and clam chowder to go. It was heavenly. Wednesday morning my first installment was extremely productive. Thought I was done but noooooooooooo. It took three tries yesterday. Again, I knew it was in my rectum and I had to push.

Today, I got up late and didn't have time for trying. I went a little, took my shower and got outta here. I then went to see my surgeon. He did an exam and I was really afraid it would be gross, but nothing bad happened. He says I'm still inflamed but healing well and that my problem is not unique.

Right now, I feel like I could go again. I know you're supposed to heed every urge, but I don't want my body to get into new habits if I can help it. Morning only please!

I'm tired of wearing liners (a pad today at work because I was scared of losing it, but it's clean.) I'm tired of choosing my clothing carefully in case I bleed or leak.

Nothing I can do but keep up with the water and Metamucil and try to relax about it. I've seen progress and I have to trust my surgeon who says it will get better.

That sounds par for the course - which is why surgeons shouldn't promise we can return to work after a week. That's nuts! It took my a week to make it to my office job - and that day I got in around 1:00 instead of 8:00 because of the BM's, Sitz baths, etc. A week after that, I started my waitress job again. The whole night, I was concerned that my pad was visible because it felt bulky.



Strangely enough, a few days ago, I got annoyed by my liner and went to change it, forgetting I wasn't wearing one! But it FELT like it.



My surgeon calls it trauma and says it takes a long time to heal. It makes sense, considering we can't just "rest" that area for a week or two. It must be used - which probably slows down the healing.



I've pretty much stopped using the Sitz baths. I tried it once this week because I felt like I hadn't emptied out and that maybe it would help. It didn't, so no more of that. I'm 4 weeks post-op tomorrow and still healing.

Yesterday was four weeks since the surgery.  I didn't have a lot of time to wait for installments yesterday morning, so I only went a little, then some more later.  A total of two installments, but I didn't eat much Thursday.  I've been upset about some things so all I had was a bagel.  Ate a little more last night and today - day 29 - I've had two installments so far and feel like there's more to come. 

It's clear I don't have enough fiber going. I've only used the Metamucil once each day the last couple of days or so, therefore, I'm going to step it up again.  I really have to strain to get it out!  I told the surgeon this and he didn't scold - just said it would get better and to drink plenty of water and keep up the fiber. 

I might just be ready to go to work pantyliner free.  I don't know.  Leakage has been very minor, but I still don't trust my arse. :/

I did sleep in just undies and they were clean when I awoke.

At this point, I'm trying not to think about it, trying not to worry about what I eat.  Metamucil and lots of water are the only things I can't forget.  I bought Metamucil singles to take with me so I can drink a dose while I'm not at home.  I used to be afraid to take it any other time before bed - and I'm talking before the surgery.  I was afraid it would cause a BM at an inconvenient time. 

But since I've been drinking the stuff every day for a month, it doesn't seem to matter when I drink it - it just matters that I drink it.

Still a little sore but no Sitz baths.  Using toilet paper with a wipe to finish up.  This is a big improvement over my situation before the surgery.  Nothing helped after a BM before but a shower, so this is progress.  I can actually heed my body's signals anywhere I go without worrying about having dirty panties.

I'm already glad I had the surgery only because of the fact that my anus was trying to develop cancer and this removed the abnormal tissue.  (There may be procedures for me in the future, but I can't think about that now.)  I'm hoping that any day I will forget all about it.  After a month, I'm so tired of thinking about my butt and my BM's.

Still slightly sore but nothing major.  Bleeding is almost non-existent.  Actually, I'm not sure I've bled at all the last couple of days.

Going to drink my Metamucil now!  Hopefully I'll empty out comfortably so I can serve chowder to tourists without thinking about this awful recovery.