I am 2 DAYS post surgery and at first reading older posts on this topic was petrified to have surgery!
I had 2 external ones removed from a U.S. Colon surgeon who is rated one of best docs in America by U.S. News and World Report. One of mine was huge and trying to thrombus on me. It ached even the day of surgery!
I just had my first BM and it was 99% pain free!
I learned the following BEFORE surgery. Take a stool softener and eat a high fiber diet to get your stool soft but not diarrhea BEFORE surgery. Then you will be ready to offset the constipation risk of narcotic pain drugs.
I woke up from surgery in pain so severe I was shaking. They gave me pain meds in the recovery room and the pain went away.
The next day, I was in pain that needed Perocet (narcotic). The car ride home was rough as I was due my pain meds, but upon arriving home, I took them. Even with the pain right after surgery and after the car ride, it was not earth shattering. Not pleasant, but not earth shattering.
Today, I woke up and tried only taking ibuprofen and tylenol (800 mg of ibuprofen and 1 extra strength Tylenol but no narcotics). Worked fine. Then tonight I felt my first need to poo. I felt the stitch pull some like a bug bite, but I had no pain!!!!
I washed off in shower with no pain.
I am sitting here writing this with no pain.
Why did I not have the horror story and why did my initial pain go away so quick? I had a qualified and skilled surgeon. I was told by another doctor that the skill of the surgeon determines the nightmare of this surgery. Do NOT use a general surgeon, use a colon/rectal surgeon and one well respected!
Also I prepared by getting my stool soft so that even when I did at first take narcotics, it didn't constipate me. And I drank plenty of fluids!
I started eating a high fiber diet right out of surgery along with stool softener. Didn't need a laxative. I can walk pretty well. I can sit for extended periods pretty well!
This surgery does NOT have to be the nightmare others say it is. It can be if your surgeons skill sucks. They can hurt you. But in the right hands, even in an area full of nerves, recovery can be quick if you choose a qualified doctor and you obey all orders!
Loading...
Dr. Gregory Waters with Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, NC.
FYI on new update, I am 4 weeks post-op now.
About the second week during a BM, I ripped a new hole by my incision and it felt like a bee sting and bled. Dr. Waters said that can happen and he looked at it and said in England surgeons don't stitch the incisions closed and leave them open, so he saw no reason to stitch mine.
It is still healing and closing up. Even having this "complication" happen, my surgery recovery was NOT a nightmare like most folks say it is. I haven't even taken pain meds while it healed, but during BMs it did sting at first while the wound was still open. I can see after having this how in England the recovery may be rougher, I would prefer the stitch to avoid the sting during BMs. But still, this is not earth shattering surgery.
A nurse gave me one other piece of info. She said that if normal narcotics aren't removing the pain, then most times those patients abuse narcotics or other pain meds in general or have been on pain meds for other illnesses and the dose "doesn't work" for them like it does for the normal population. They have built up an immunity. And doctors can only give you so much due to constipation. There is not logical reason that some of the folks on this site say no pain relief from taking ridiculously high and frequent doses unless they have built up an immunity. My pharmacist confirmed this info as well and agreed with the nurse.
Also I did go through a major itch period that lasted about 3 days. Taking over the counter antihistamine like Zyrtec and and sitting on an ice pack helped. That just means you are healing!
I would to this surgery again with no hesitation if I had to!
And if you have internal hemorrhoids, the surgery or other treatments are easier!!!! They do NOT exist where nerves exist!!!! It's those of us with external ones that have to deal with the nerve area!
Loading...
Mine are external. What were you restrictions? I have a baby at home and I am worried about not being able to care for him for weeks on end!
Loading...
randadawn wrote:
No aerobics for 4 weeks while healing as it can cause you to tear until you are healed. No mowing the grass, lifting heavy stuff. Wow a baby, that is aerobics and lifting!
If you can get help at least the first 3 days, it will be easier for you due to lifting the baby. And you will want to lay down more than sit for the first week. You will be able to take care of your baby, but for first few days, I would advise help with lifting the baby if the baby is over 10 pounds now.
Buy a good foam pillow (like you sleep on), it will give you good support for sitting while you heal.
Also I advise getting a detachable shower head (I use one anyway) instead of sitz bath. I found it easier to clean off after a BM (wiping does hurt till about 2 weeks is over) and it's better to shower off the poo after gently removing (very gently) with a wet wipe. The incision will be sore if you wipe too hard. Even after it washes off the poo, I ran the warm water on my bottom for a few minutes. It felt good and helps you heal. Also if you buy ketchup squirt bottle and fill with waterand BEFORE the BM and wet your bottom, not much sticks on your skin as you poo and clean up is easy. I would also squirt some more after I pooed before getting in the shower just to make sure no poo clumps would drop in the shower. I really didnt' have issue with that since I kept my stool soft.
I think after 3 days, you will be able to easily take care of your baby. Walking isn't a problem. Standing isn't. Sitting for long periods can be irritating (not as much painful as your body just tells you to please quit doing it). So prepare to lay down in bed for at least the first week as much as you can. But they want you moving (and it helps with healing). But they don't want lifting or running, etc for 4 weeks.
Rebecca Shepard wrote:
Dr. Gregory Waters with Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, NC.
FYI on new update, I am 4 weeks post-op now.About the second week during a BM, I ripped a new hole by my incision and it felt like a bee sting and bled. Dr. Waters said that can happen and he looked at it and said in England surgeons don't stitch the incisions closed and leave them open, so he saw no reason to stitch mine.It is still healing and closing up. Even having this "complication" happen, my surgery recovery was NOT a nightmare like most folks say it is. I haven't even taken pain meds while it healed, but during BMs it did sting at first while the wound was still open. I can see after having this how in England the recovery may be rougher, I would prefer the stitch to avoid the sting during BMs. But still, this is not earth shattering surgery.A nurse gave me one other piece of info. She said that if normal narcotics aren't removing the pain, then most times those patients abuse narcotics or other pain meds in general or have been on pain meds for other illnesses and the dose "doesn't work" for them like it does for the normal population. They have built up an immunity. And doctors can only give you so much due to constipation. There is not logical reason that some of the folks on this site say no pain relief from taking ridiculously high and frequent doses unless they have built up an immunity. My pharmacist confirmed this info as well and agreed with the nurse.Also I did go through a major itch period that lasted about 3 days. Taking over the counter antihistamine like Zyrtec and and sitting on an ice pack helped. That just means you are healing!I would to this surgery again with no hesitation if I had to!And if you have internal hemorrhoids, the surgery or other treatments are easier!!!! They do NOT exist where nerves exist!!!! It's those of us with external ones that have to deal with the nerve area!
Mine are external. What were you restrictions? I have a baby at home and I am worried about not being able to care for him for weeks on end!
No aerobics for 4 weeks while healing as it can cause you to tear until you are healed. No mowing the grass, lifting heavy stuff. Wow a baby, that is aerobics and lifting!
If you can get help at least the first 3 days, it will be easier for you due to lifting the baby. And you will want to lay down more than sit for the first week. You will be able to take care of your baby, but for first few days, I would advise help with lifting the baby if the baby is over 10 pounds now.
Buy a good foam pillow (like you sleep on), it will give you good support for sitting while you heal.
Also I advise getting a detachable shower head (I use one anyway) instead of sitz bath. I found it easier to clean off after a BM (wiping does hurt till about 2 weeks is over) and it's better to shower off the poo after gently removing (very gently) with a wet wipe. The incision will be sore if you wipe too hard. Even after it washes off the poo, I ran the warm water on my bottom for a few minutes. It felt good and helps you heal. Also if you buy ketchup squirt bottle and fill with waterand BEFORE the BM and wet your bottom, not much sticks on your skin as you poo and clean up is easy. I would also squirt some more after I pooed before getting in the shower just to make sure no poo clumps would drop in the shower. I really didnt' have issue with that since I kept my stool soft.
I think after 3 days, you will be able to easily take care of your baby. Walking isn't a problem. Standing isn't. Sitting for long periods can be irritating (not as much painful as your body just tells you to please quit doing it). So prepare to lay down in bed for at least the first week as much as you can. But they want you moving (and it helps with healing). But they don't want lifting or running, etc for 4 weeks.
Loading...
I had 2 internal hemorrhoids removed and despite the idea that there would be no pain for internal or narcotic immunity it is simply not true. I don't take painkillers except maybe ibuprofen after my 3 naturally born 9+ lb babies and an occasional sports injury. It was painful still. I will say that I had (and still have an external open wound) from my internal hemorrhoidectomy because they had become prolapsed and would not go back inside so I did experience some significant pain. I am not saying this to upset or scare you, however, I just want to let you know I am qualified to help answer your question. I have a 6 month old, 3 year old, and 10 year old at home and am nursing my baby. My surgery was august 12 and I am now back working part time and taking care of my kids for the rest of the time. I had help the first two weeks where either my 10 year old was here to help or someone took all or some of the kids away at a time. I was nursing and my daughter is 13ish lbs and i made due, but it was hard. It helps to have a blanket on the floor to nurse by laying on your side. I also had trouble nursing because I wasn't eating enough so my milk production was not what I would have liked it to be. Even though I had pumped a lot ahead a time, I still had to supplement with formula. I could not lift the 3 year old nor chase him around, so that was probably the hardest, but after 2 weeks I got around much better and was able to enjoy taking care of the kids again. I hope this was helpful, and please feel free to ask if you have more specific questions of baby care. I wish you the best!
Loading...
clcmembee wrote:
also, the iron in prenatal vitamins is constipating, so try taking a kids vitamin instead or another vitamin that doesn't have as much iron. Since my daughter was using some formula with an iron supplement I wasn't too worried about her diet. :) (unless you are not nursing...then you can disregard)
randadawn wrote:
Rebecca Shepard wrote:
Dr. Gregory Waters with Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, NC.
FYI on new update, I am 4 weeks post-op now.About the second week during a BM, I ripped a new hole by my incision and it felt like a bee sting and bled. Dr. Waters said that can happen and he looked at it and said in England surgeons don't stitch the incisions closed and leave them open, so he saw no reason to stitch mine.It is still healing and closing up. Even having this "complication" happen, my surgery recovery was NOT a nightmare like most folks say it is. I haven't even taken pain meds while it healed, but during BMs it did sting at first while the wound was still open. I can see after having this how in England the recovery may be rougher, I would prefer the stitch to avoid the sting during BMs. But still, this is not earth shattering surgery.A nurse gave me one other piece of info. She said that if normal narcotics aren't removing the pain, then most times those patients abuse narcotics or other pain meds in general or have been on pain meds for other illnesses and the dose "doesn't work" for them like it does for the normal population. They have built up an immunity. And doctors can only give you so much due to constipation. There is not logical reason that some of the folks on this site say no pain relief from taking ridiculously high and frequent doses unless they have built up an immunity. My pharmacist confirmed this info as well and agreed with the nurse.Also I did go through a major itch period that lasted about 3 days. Taking over the counter antihistamine like Zyrtec and and sitting on an ice pack helped. That just means you are healing!I would to this surgery again with no hesitation if I had to!And if you have internal hemorrhoids, the surgery or other treatments are easier!!!! They do NOT exist where nerves exist!!!! It's those of us with external ones that have to deal with the nerve area!
Mine are external. What were you restrictions? I have a baby at home and I am worried about not being able to care for him for weeks on end!
I had 2 internal hemorrhoids removed and despite the idea that there would be no pain for internal or narcotic immunity it is simply not true. I don't take painkillers except maybe ibuprofen after my 3 naturally born 9+ lb babies and an occasional sports injury. It was painful still. I will say that I had (and still have an external open wound) from my internal hemorrhoidectomy because they had become prolapsed and would not go back inside so I did experience some significant pain. I am not saying this to upset or scare you, however, I just want to let you know I am qualified to help answer your question. I have a 6 month old, 3 year old, and 10 year old at home and am nursing my baby. My surgery was august 12 and I am now back working part time and taking care of my kids for the rest of the time. I had help the first two weeks where either my 10 year old was here to help or someone took all or some of the kids away at a time. I was nursing and my daughter is 13ish lbs and i made due, but it was hard. It helps to have a blanket on the floor to nurse by laying on your side. I also had trouble nursing because I wasn't eating enough so my milk production was not what I would have liked it to be. Even though I had pumped a lot ahead a time, I still had to supplement with formula. I could not lift the 3 year old nor chase him around, so that was probably the hardest, but after 2 weeks I got around much better and was able to enjoy taking care of the kids again. I hope this was helpful, and please feel free to ask if you have more specific questions of baby care. I wish you the best!
also, the iron in prenatal vitamins is constipating, so try taking a kids vitamin instead or another vitamin that doesn't have as much iron. Since my daughter was using some formula with an iron supplement I wasn't too worried about her diet. :) (unless you are not nursing...then you can disregard)
Loading...
clcmembee wrote:
I am not nursing. My baby is 15 months old. It will kill me not to be able to chase him around and pick him up. I can't believe there isn't a better surgery out there. I am going to travel to get surgery done though. I can't pick him up for two weeks here. If I get laser surgery, I can pick him up in a few days.....sometime right away depending on how much I have done. I think because there are no stitches to break. Now after the first 24-48 hours what would you say your pain was like?
clcmembee wrote:
randadawn wrote:
Rebecca Shepard wrote:
Dr. Gregory Waters with Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, NC.
FYI on new update, I am 4 weeks post-op now.About the second week during a BM, I ripped a new hole by my incision and it felt like a bee sting and bled. Dr. Waters said that can happen and he looked at it and said in England surgeons don't stitch the incisions closed and leave them open, so he saw no reason to stitch mine.It is still healing and closing up. Even having this "complication" happen, my surgery recovery was NOT a nightmare like most folks say it is. I haven't even taken pain meds while it healed, but during BMs it did sting at first while the wound was still open. I can see after having this how in England the recovery may be rougher, I would prefer the stitch to avoid the sting during BMs. But still, this is not earth shattering surgery.A nurse gave me one other piece of info. She said that if normal narcotics aren't removing the pain, then most times those patients abuse narcotics or other pain meds in general or have been on pain meds for other illnesses and the dose "doesn't work" for them like it does for the normal population. They have built up an immunity. And doctors can only give you so much due to constipation. There is not logical reason that some of the folks on this site say no pain relief from taking ridiculously high and frequent doses unless they have built up an immunity. My pharmacist confirmed this info as well and agreed with the nurse.Also I did go through a major itch period that lasted about 3 days. Taking over the counter antihistamine like Zyrtec and and sitting on an ice pack helped. That just means you are healing!I would to this surgery again with no hesitation if I had to!And if you have internal hemorrhoids, the surgery or other treatments are easier!!!! They do NOT exist where nerves exist!!!! It's those of us with external ones that have to deal with the nerve area!
Mine are external. What were you restrictions? I have a baby at home and I am worried about not being able to care for him for weeks on end!
I had 2 internal hemorrhoids removed and despite the idea that there would be no pain for internal or narcotic immunity it is simply not true. I don't take painkillers except maybe ibuprofen after my 3 naturally born 9+ lb babies and an occasional sports injury. It was painful still. I will say that I had (and still have an external open wound) from my internal hemorrhoidectomy because they had become prolapsed and would not go back inside so I did experience some significant pain. I am not saying this to upset or scare you, however, I just want to let you know I am qualified to help answer your question. I have a 6 month old, 3 year old, and 10 year old at home and am nursing my baby. My surgery was august 12 and I am now back working part time and taking care of my kids for the rest of the time. I had help the first two weeks where either my 10 year old was here to help or someone took all or some of the kids away at a time. I was nursing and my daughter is 13ish lbs and i made due, but it was hard. It helps to have a blanket on the floor to nurse by laying on your side. I also had trouble nursing because I wasn't eating enough so my milk production was not what I would have liked it to be. Even though I had pumped a lot ahead a time, I still had to supplement with formula. I could not lift the 3 year old nor chase him around, so that was probably the hardest, but after 2 weeks I got around much better and was able to enjoy taking care of the kids again. I hope this was helpful, and please feel free to ask if you have more specific questions of baby care. I wish you the best!
also, the iron in prenatal vitamins is constipating, so try taking a kids vitamin instead or another vitamin that doesn't have as much iron. Since my daughter was using some formula with an iron supplement I wasn't too worried about her diet. :) (unless you are not nursing...then you can disregard)
I am not nursing. My baby is 15 months old. It will kill me not to be able to chase him around and pick him up. I can't believe there isn't a better surgery out there. I am going to travel to get surgery done though. I can't pick him up for two weeks here. If I get laser surgery, I can pick him up in a few days.....sometime right away depending on how much I have done. I think because there are no stitches to break. Now after the first 24-48 hours what would you say your pain was like?
Loading...
randadawn wrote:
It really wasn't bad until I had to go to the bathroom the first time (happened 4 days after)...Until then it is hard to get comfortable and you feel like you have to go to the bathroom but can't. Going the bathroom hurts (sharp stinging) and then after you go it burns but if you clean up with a removeable shower head and then get into the bathtub it subsides after 5 to 10 minutes. Then there is a "spasm" pain that throbs and feels like you still have to go but you have to ignore it because you know you just went and it is from the swelling. You feel better when you are in the tub, but it returns as soon as you get out and you just feel tired of being wet all of the time and tired because it takes a lot out of you to go. I found that later in the first week an ice diaper helped (like they give you in the hospital after you have a baby) after getting out of the tub. The spasming can last for a few hours, but when it finally goes away, the pain is just mild. Pain meds do help, but I quit taking them after the first week other than ibuprofen because I didn't want to be constipated. Milk of magnesia helped as well when I felt like I couldn't go, as you don't want to push or strain at all. I cannot stress this enough! You want to wait to go until you absolutely have to in order to ensure you are only sitting on the toilet for a very short time. It also helped me to put my feet on a foot stool and lean in a squat position to go. I would breath instead of trying to push and sometimes even drank water during so that I wasn't pushing but your body kinda makes it come out on its own. I would think that even if you were allowed to pick up your son you wouldn't want to because of the pain and the possibility of reinjuring or slowing your recovery. It was hard enough to make it through the day without having my kids around. It also takes a lot of energy out of you to do even the smallest tasks (fix a meal, fix a bath, brush your teeth, etc). I didn't leave the house for 2 weeks. The first week you may want to have someone watch him somewhere else if you could during the day so you could rest. I had a really hard time sleeping and would get up at all hours of the night to feed the baby and to take baths to get some relief so sleeping was sketchy. The second week, I would maybe have someone be there to help you at the house because you will start to feel better. About day 9 I was feeling better but still had trouble getting around and having the bathroom ritual. I was able to take care of the baby without help in the afternoon but my inlaws had my three year old during the day. You want to get exercise but you don't want to overdo it. The first two weeks I would think just getting up to eat and do light tasks (wash a dish) counts as exercise. I also walked around the house a lot to try to help me go when I felt like I couldn't. I do agree that the pain will be minimized if you can figure out how to keep your stools soft before the surgery with diet, fiber supplement, and stool softener. I did not do this before surgery, only after, because I am normally very regular. I wish I would have because the stress and pain meds do constipate so don't be afraid to take Milk of Magnesia to get things going anytime you think you might be becoming constipated because some of the worst pain is associated with the constipation. However, to think that you will have no pain at all is probably not likely (even my colorectal surgeon who is highly qualified told me ahead of time that it would be very painful). You can make it through if you know what to expect and keep reminding yourself that if you can make it for two weeks things will be significantly better than however they are when you are in pain early on...It is only temporary! :)
clcmembee wrote:
clcmembee wrote:
randadawn wrote:
Rebecca Shepard wrote:
Dr. Gregory Waters with Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, NC.
FYI on new update, I am 4 weeks post-op now.About the second week during a BM, I ripped a new hole by my incision and it felt like a bee sting and bled. Dr. Waters said that can happen and he looked at it and said in England surgeons don't stitch the incisions closed and leave them open, so he saw no reason to stitch mine.It is still healing and closing up. Even having this "complication" happen, my surgery recovery was NOT a nightmare like most folks say it is. I haven't even taken pain meds while it healed, but during BMs it did sting at first while the wound was still open. I can see after having this how in England the recovery may be rougher, I would prefer the stitch to avoid the sting during BMs. But still, this is not earth shattering surgery.A nurse gave me one other piece of info. She said that if normal narcotics aren't removing the pain, then most times those patients abuse narcotics or other pain meds in general or have been on pain meds for other illnesses and the dose "doesn't work" for them like it does for the normal population. They have built up an immunity. And doctors can only give you so much due to constipation. There is not logical reason that some of the folks on this site say no pain relief from taking ridiculously high and frequent doses unless they have built up an immunity. My pharmacist confirmed this info as well and agreed with the nurse.Also I did go through a major itch period that lasted about 3 days. Taking over the counter antihistamine like Zyrtec and and sitting on an ice pack helped. That just means you are healing!I would to this surgery again with no hesitation if I had to!And if you have internal hemorrhoids, the surgery or other treatments are easier!!!! They do NOT exist where nerves exist!!!! It's those of us with external ones that have to deal with the nerve area!
Mine are external. What were you restrictions? I have a baby at home and I am worried about not being able to care for him for weeks on end!
I had 2 internal hemorrhoids removed and despite the idea that there would be no pain for internal or narcotic immunity it is simply not true. I don't take painkillers except maybe ibuprofen after my 3 naturally born 9+ lb babies and an occasional sports injury. It was painful still. I will say that I had (and still have an external open wound) from my internal hemorrhoidectomy because they had become prolapsed and would not go back inside so I did experience some significant pain. I am not saying this to upset or scare you, however, I just want to let you know I am qualified to help answer your question. I have a 6 month old, 3 year old, and 10 year old at home and am nursing my baby. My surgery was august 12 and I am now back working part time and taking care of my kids for the rest of the time. I had help the first two weeks where either my 10 year old was here to help or someone took all or some of the kids away at a time. I was nursing and my daughter is 13ish lbs and i made due, but it was hard. It helps to have a blanket on the floor to nurse by laying on your side. I also had trouble nursing because I wasn't eating enough so my milk production was not what I would have liked it to be. Even though I had pumped a lot ahead a time, I still had to supplement with formula. I could not lift the 3 year old nor chase him around, so that was probably the hardest, but after 2 weeks I got around much better and was able to enjoy taking care of the kids again. I hope this was helpful, and please feel free to ask if you have more specific questions of baby care. I wish you the best!
also, the iron in prenatal vitamins is constipating, so try taking a kids vitamin instead or another vitamin that doesn't have as much iron. Since my daughter was using some formula with an iron supplement I wasn't too worried about her diet. :) (unless you are not nursing...then you can disregard)
I am not nursing. My baby is 15 months old. It will kill me not to be able to chase him around and pick him up. I can't believe there isn't a better surgery out there. I am going to travel to get surgery done though. I can't pick him up for two weeks here. If I get laser surgery, I can pick him up in a few days.....sometime right away depending on how much I have done. I think because there are no stitches to break. Now after the first 24-48 hours what would you say your pain was like?
It really wasn't bad until I had to go to the bathroom the first time (happened 4 days after)...Until then it is hard to get comfortable and you feel like you have to go to the bathroom but can't. Going the bathroom hurts (sharp stinging) and then after you go it burns but if you clean up with a removeable shower head and then get into the bathtub it subsides after 5 to 10 minutes. Then there is a "spasm" pain that throbs and feels like you still have to go but you have to ignore it because you know you just went and it is from the swelling. You feel better when you are in the tub, but it returns as soon as you get out and you just feel tired of being wet all of the time and tired because it takes a lot out of you to go. I found that later in the first week an ice diaper helped (like they give you in the hospital after you have a baby) after getting out of the tub. The spasming can last for a few hours, but when it finally goes away, the pain is just mild. Pain meds do help, but I quit taking them after the first week other than ibuprofen because I didn't want to be constipated. Milk of magnesia helped as well when I felt like I couldn't go, as you don't want to push or strain at all. I cannot stress this enough! You want to wait to go until you absolutely have to in order to ensure you are only sitting on the toilet for a very short time. It also helped me to put my feet on a foot stool and lean in a squat position to go. I would breath instead of trying to push and sometimes even drank water during so that I wasn't pushing but your body kinda makes it come out on its own. I would think that even if you were allowed to pick up your son you wouldn't want to because of the pain and the possibility of reinjuring or slowing your recovery. It was hard enough to make it through the day without having my kids around. It also takes a lot of energy out of you to do even the smallest tasks (fix a meal, fix a bath, brush your teeth, etc). I didn't leave the house for 2 weeks. The first week you may want to have someone watch him somewhere else if you could during the day so you could rest. I had a really hard time sleeping and would get up at all hours of the night to feed the baby and to take baths to get some relief so sleeping was sketchy. The second week, I would maybe have someone be there to help you at the house because you will start to feel better. About day 9 I was feeling better but still had trouble getting around and having the bathroom ritual. I was able to take care of the baby without help in the afternoon but my inlaws had my three year old during the day. You want to get exercise but you don't want to overdo it. The first two weeks I would think just getting up to eat and do light tasks (wash a dish) counts as exercise. I also walked around the house a lot to try to help me go when I felt like I couldn't. I do agree that the pain will be minimized if you can figure out how to keep your stools soft before the surgery with diet, fiber supplement, and stool softener. I did not do this before surgery, only after, because I am normally very regular. I wish I would have because the stress and pain meds do constipate so don't be afraid to take Milk of Magnesia to get things going anytime you think you might be becoming constipated because some of the worst pain is associated with the constipation. However, to think that you will have no pain at all is probably not likely (even my colorectal surgeon who is highly qualified told me ahead of time that it would be very painful). You can make it through if you know what to expect and keep reminding yourself that if you can make it for two weeks things will be significantly better than however they are when you are in pain early on...It is only temporary! :)
Loading...
Rebecca,
the idea that internal hemorrhoids don't hurt is simply false. These tissues are located above the dentate line, so they don't feel pain in a normal state, but in a severely pathological state, parts of these tissues grow below the dentate line. Once thrombosis and necrosis sets in, the pain of internal piles will be worse than external piles. If gangrene sets in one of the necrotic internal piles, it becomes literally a life or death situation to remove them ASAP. Surgery to remove advanced grade 4 internal piles can result in more pain and a longer recovery period than external piles.
Your surgeon may be skilled with the scalpel, but he gave you wrong information about hemorrhoidectomies in England. The Milligan-Morgan (open) hemorrhoidectomy leaves the wound open, and is a common practice in England, however this technique is for INTERNAL roids. It should have had no bearing on why your external wound did not get re-stitched.
Lastly, the mechanism of pain relief is different for different parts of the body. The rectum/anal spasm pain just doesn't respond well to opiate agonists (codeine, morphine, etc) in some people. It has nothing to do with previous tolerance to opiate drugs. These people often respond better to prostaglandin inhibitors such as common NSAIDS (advil, aleve, aspirin) or prescription NSAIDS (toradol, celebrex) even if they routinely take NSAIDS for other daily pain.
I don't mean to pick on you. You definitely make good points about softening the stool before surgery. I would suggest starting a week out from surgery to add extra fiber to diet. Also, I agree the quality of surgeon is very important. Stay away from general surgeons! But recovery from this procedure can cause serious pain (in most people), and should not be taken lightly. People need to know how serious it is and adequately prepare themselves for it. Otherwise the pain following the first BM will frighten them into an absolute panic, which may tighten muscles and exacerbate the pain.
Loading...
i had to have blood tranfusion last year 4 pints due to bleeding hemmoroids i had banding done this january which didnt work i was in pain for 9 days after that 2 or 3 sleepless nights the hospital now wants me to have the full opp im so scared dnt wanna go through that kind of pain again help someone please
Loading...
Thanks for this post! I am scheduled to have hemorrhoidectomy surgery in Sept. My surgeon is Dr. Waters also, and have heard wonderful things. I have a grade 3 prolapsed internal hemorrhoid and he suggested surgery. I am still nervous, especially after reading horrible things about this dreaded surgery. Hoping my surgery goes as smooth as yours did. It was comforting to see a positive post..and someone with the same surgeon.
I was told mine would be outpatient. Looks like you stayed a night in the hospital. Wondering if it would be better to stay overnight? I live an hour away from the hospital. Any tips would help. Thanks
Loading...
I am on day 7 after removal of large external hemmy. Cut is roughly 2" long. It was swollen for about a week, I didn't try much but heard about a local GI surgeon great at outpatient procedures. She said "whoa -- not outpatient!", happened to have a surgical opening that afternoon, so I went in without much consideration. I'm 47. I consider myself a bit of a badass. I was an undersized college football player who got on the field a bit by unloading on bigger guys in practice. I boxed a little bit in m 20s. I can fight through lots of pain and injuries. My siblings roll their eyes at me when I tell them "if your body hurts you, hurt it back". I have maybe missed 10 days of work in my life. I still bench nearly 300 lbs and I'm in great shape. I also can put my mind into an "above myself" state and "watch my circumstances as a viewer of the movie, rather than the star" when I need perspective and escape. I say all that only to provide perspective: try anything to avoid this surgery. Try a couple Motrin at 6 am and push them back in after they kick in at 8 am. Change your diet--go high fiber, take psyllium husks, Metamucil, whatever. Try home remedies. Try ice. Don't strain yourself. Get a lower toilet or put your feet on a stool when you go. Be brave and push them back in while showering once a month if you have to. Whatever. Avoid this surgery if at all possible. I've punched the door, screamed so loud it scared the kids, and had to be coached to breathe by my wife on several occasions. The pain meds work ok. But opiates will constipate you. I took 1 each on day 1 and 2 and said "screw it". Ibuprofen does fine. The real issue is general discomfort, agonizing BMs, and weakness -- I'm sleeping 16 hours a day. A small incision like this should be wiping me out. I may feel differently in a month, but right now I'd say pretty confidently, I'd research this more.
Loading...