Hemorrhoidectomy Recovery - how long will it take?

I just had a hemorrhoidectomy on June 25, 2007. I was terrified after reading all of these posts. Earlier in June, I did rubber band litigation of an internal hem but my doctor said the other internal hem was beyond rubber band treatment and therefore I scheduled my hemorrhoidectomy to remove the other internal hem and several external hems.

So it was same-day surgery. I checked in at 11:00am. My anesthesiologist came to see me and gave me some valium to calm my nerves at about 12noon. Then at about 12:45 pm, he said he was giving me one more thing for some pain and that's the last thing I remember. I woke up at about 2:45 pm with gauze taped to my butt, breathing oxygen, and feeling okay. My surgeron gave me a local in my butt so I wasn't feeling much pain, just some discomfort. I went home at about 3:30pm - still had some discomfort, but not too bad.

I went to the bathroom to try to urinate cause I had heard that one of the side effects was not being able to. Luckily, I was able to, but that would be the only time I would be able to go for the rest of the night. Apparently, my muscles were still not tensed because I still had the local anesthetic working. Later that evening, as the local started wearing off, I experienced some pain, still not bad but I was freaking out cause I had to pee but I was unable to. I called my doctor who said jump in the tub. I was able to only pee in the tub for the next two days.

The first night, I was in the most excruciating pain. I was on narcotics - oxycodone - which helped some, but not much. I was up all night, in the bathtub every 30 minutes because that is the only thing that would soothe me. I took my oxycodone like clockwork cause it did help a little - I would doze off for about 30 minutes, then my butt would spasm (butt cheeks squeezed itself) and the pain from that would get me up. I was deathly afraid to eat for fear of my first bowel movement. Plus, my doctor told me to stay on a liquid/soft foods diet for at least 2 days. I did. It helped because my first bowel movement was not bad. just some pain but bearable. My fear of the bowel movement was worse. Then day 3, I got constipated from my pain meds. constipation is awful. It puts so much pressure down there it makes the pain worse. I drank prune juice which helped but I was pissing from my butt which hurt. Blood each time I had a bowel movement. I have to say though that the pain started getting better with each day. Lots of discomfort, couldn't sit, and finally by day 4 I was able to sleep for at least 5 hours straight. All other nights, I could sleep only a max of about 2 hours and then the pain/discomfort would get me up. At my one week point, I was still hurting, especially after my bowel movement. I have swelling down there and my skin tags are super swollen so it's causing more discomfort than pain. I will have to have my skin tags removed if the swelling doesn't go down.

It is now day 11. I feel almost normal, except some discomfort in my butt. Generally no pain, except after bowel movements and after sitting for a while. I'm walking almost normal now (was waddling for a while). Still fear bowel movements but it's not unbearable.

Pain is individual. I didn't have the horrific experiences that the others on this board had. It is painful though. I'm not completely healed yet so I haven't decided whether it's worth it or not. But my doctor says that I am hemorrhoid free and if that is the case, and I have no more pain with bowel movements and no embarassment when I get naked with someone, than this would have been worth it.

I get frequent kidney stones as well, which is painful enough to deal with on it's own, as well as having to really watch what I eat if I'd like to avoid more. Now I've been told by my doctor that I have hemorrhoids. It only took him about half a second to know exactly what I had, so I'm guessing they're easily noticable. I can definitely feel one big one hanging there if I feel around back there. I don't have any pain (yet), but I have had blood turn up on the toilet paper maybe 3 times in the last 8 months, which is why I got checked out in the first place. Sitting down isn't painful for now either, but my job requires me to sit at a desk for 8 hours a day. I'm 28 and expecting the next few years to be pretty busy, any advice on what I should do? My doctor told me that they would probably use the rubber band technique to get rid of them, and I have an appointment scheduled at the hospital for August 8th, which is when I was going to take my 2 week vacation. Should I do it just to get it over with ASAP? Try to find other methods to postpone it? How long should I wait if I choose to? Any advice it appreciated.

I had an outpatient hemmorhoidectormy for thrombosed hemmorhoids done 1 1/2 weeks ago. They were excised under local anesthesia and cauterized. I was given an antibiotic (2 daily for 10 days), Tylenol as needed, and an antibiotic ointment with a packet of gauze pads (once daily). The doctor was quite specific in stating I should NOT take prolonged warm sitz baths. I had no significant pain during my first BM, and although I still have some minor blood spotting, I'm fairly well healed at 10 days after the surgery.
While the whole procedure was certainly unpleasant, I did not find it particularly painful nor experience any postoperative problems.

Hi I had Hemorrhoidectomy on June 20, and I know what you are feeling I have to go back to work and I still feel not 100% ok but its defenatelly better now I thought I could die the first week I don;t recomend this to no one , unless its the last resourse. Its is very sllow, I wish you luck and yest I was told it is normal to blid even now, I still do at the time I go to the bathroom.

I'm in day 4 of my ordeal. I'm going to work tomorrow. The day of the surgery was not bad, they had me pumped pretty full of numbing stuff. The day after was pure hell! I was taking Oxycodone every 4 hours and Motrin every alternating 4. So a pill every two hours. That made me constipated. ugh! I have an LED therapy unit that I began using several times a day once the bandages were off. I'm either a quick healer, or this thing really helped. I still take my time getting in and out of a chair, but I just walked to the park with my wife and kids tonight. I feel lucky compared to what I've read on here. Whew!

I'm in day 4 of my ordeal. I'm going to work tomorrow. The day of the surgery was not bad, they had me pumped pretty full of numbing stuff. The day after was pure hell! I was taking Oxycodone every 4 hours and Motrin every alternating 4. So a pill every two hours. That made me constipated. ugh! I have an LED therapy unit that I began using several times a day once the bandages were off. I'm either a quick healer, or this thing really helped. I still take my time getting in and out of a chair, but I just walked to the park with my wife and kids tonight. I feel lucky compared to what I've read on here. Whew!

Chris

I just had a baby 14 days ago and a hemorrhoidectomy 6 days ago. I am currently having bowel movements (along with panic attacks from the pain) but I am taking a stool softener (2 a day) along with 2 Metamucil tablets daily and Lortab for pain every 4 hours. My issue is that since having the surgery, I am now sweating in my sleep with the air on and a fan blowing in my face and I just noticed today, with the use of a mirror, that I have stitches inside my vagina. Is this common? I am wondering if my vagina being stitched closed has something to do with the sweating.

Thanks

I had a hemorrhoidectomy eight days ago, and I agree with the lady who said its the most agonizing procedure I've ever imagined! My trouble was I'd lost so much blood that my hemoglobin was down to 5, it should be between 14-17, so I had to have the proceedure to stop the bleeding. I'm still trying to decide if choosing this over simply bleeding to death was a good choice. This is the first time that I've tried to sit, my computer chair is well padded, to do anything. I'm not very comfortable at all doing it either. Going to the bathroom is torture. I strain very hard to release something the size of my index finger, its rediculous! The pain medicine they gave me (percocet) did very little except make me a little drunk feeling. It didn't actually numb the pain at all! One of the worst and most embarrassing things is I have this most foul smelling secretion coming out of me! I have to change underwear 3 or 4 times a day,besides when I bathe, and there's nothing I can do about it! They're talking about me going back to work in 4 days. I don't know how I'm going to manage that. There's really got to be a major change in me very soon for that to happen. I know some of this sounds pretty gross, but it is an information page! People need to know this sort of stuff from those of us who've learned the hard way.

Oh yes, the smell! I actually just got finished looking up gangrene to make sure my butt wasn't dieing! All I can find is "a terribly sickening, putrid smell". hmmmm.



I went to work today ( (day 5) procedure done this past friday) and took a few of my wifes panty liners... I was able to manage the smell by changing liners a few times a day, keeps the underwear clean too.



I can only get the smell to go away temporarily by adding a few squirts of softsoap antibacterial hand soap to my bath. The simple water in the little pink sitz bath doesn't touch the stink, at all.



I'm down to three motrins a day along with my LED therapy. I walk slower than the other guys at the office, but they all seem to understand.



Chris

It sounds more like the night sweat would be from the post-natal hormaonal fluctuations.

chudson wrote:

J.D.C. wrote:

One of the worst and most embarrassing things is I have this most foul smelling secretion coming out of me! I have to change underwear 3 or 4 times a day,besides when I bathe, and there's nothing I can do about it!

Oh yes, the smell! I actually just got finished looking up gangrene to make sure my butt wasn't dieing! All I can find is "a terribly sickening, putrid smell". hmmmm.

After having anal surgery myself (for an abscess/fissure as opposed to roids), I think I may be of some use here. Often what happens after an anal surgery is that there is a discharge from everything not quite closing up right down there. The leakage would be foul smelling because it is primarily composed of poo and mucous (the anus is a muscous membrain after all.)

How to cut down the smell? I came up with a few ways. 1.) wash with soap in the sitzbath. also use iodized salt in the sitzbath. 2.) rinse the area. I got a little syringe with my proctofoam prescription and it does the trick. One just needs to get a little water a little wa inide to cut down the small (also helps with the pain). 3.) take more fiber. that will keep the poo soft, but not liquidy. 4.) do not fart standing up or sitting. try to lay on your side or put your arse in the air, or just fart over the toilet.

I thought that I was alone until my son showed me this forum and I read all of the quotes. For me, it is coming close to 6 weeeks since I had my surgery and I still cannot have a bm w/out pain or after excruciating pain, sometimes very little or nothing comes out. I've also learned what sleepless nights are. As with many of you, the dr told me one week recovery time then back to work. I returned to work after three weeks and had to request vacation time because I am still far from recovered. I go back on Monday and am holding on to God because these days have taught me how fragile we are as people. Although I was suffering and uncomfortable prior to surgery, I don't know if I would've had the surgery had I known what the recovery was like. You literally lose ctrl of your body, then hopefully regain ctrl once recovered. To all of you sharing my pain... I wish you a full recovery and thank you for your support.

Okay, after reading all of these posts, I'm completely freaked out. I am set to have a "external and internal hemorroidectomy & repair of rectal mucosal prolapse". Shall I simply update my will now? I am planning two weeks off from work maybe 2 1/2 tops. Will I make it? I will also have college classes starting shortly after, w/an hour drive each way. Need some serious advice.

What is proctofoam? I have proctosol which is 2.5% hydrocortisone cream. Is proctofoam any better?

Just wanted to let you know the night sweats are from the horomones related to pregnancy, not the hemorrhoidectomy. I had a c-section in June, and had nightsweats that became less and less until after a couple months they just went away. Hang in there.