I am 43 years old and in good health.  I went to the doctor for a colonoscopy and mentioned I had a hemorrhoid that bled on the occasion (once every couple of months) and issues with not getting a descent wipe.  She did an exam and told me I could have a simple 15 minute procedure to remove my internal and small external hemorrhoid and I had a small fissure she could repair at the same time.  I also was told I would be back to my normal routine within a week.  I am writing this post because I was so shocked by what I had to endure for the next two weeks!  I will not go into every detail however, the pain was like nothing I had felt before!!! I also question whether I really needed this surgery...  I was not having the side effects most people talked about on this blog.

My advice:  Be prepare to be down for 2 weeks.  I wouldn't have been able to go back to work any earlier. ( I am currently 3 weeks out)  Have help, prepare soups, have high fiber groceries in frig. etc...Be sure to have stool softeners, mineral oil and miralax... just in case you need it.

Eat only soft, high fiber foods and stay on stool softeners.  (I took 3 a day~ added mineral oil on day 4)  Constipation hit on day 4 and I thought I was going to lose my mind! Pain pills make this a problem and there was no way I could handle the pain without prescription pain pills.  

Day 6 went off pain pills and this made going to the bathroom much easier.  (added advil and went down to one stool softner a day for 3 more days)

Note:  I struggled to urinate for 3 days (due to swelling) I had to go in the bathtub submerged in water.  Of course drain all the water, clean tub, refill and soak again.  It was a long 2 weeks.

Don't sit in car without a pillow.  I still sit on a pillow, my rear is sore when I sit for any length of time. 

Take a lot of baths...this saved me.

Get muscle relaxers if you are having spasms.  Mine were so bad I felt like someone hit my tail bone with a hammer.

I was feeling a lot of anxiety...One because I was NOT prepared for what I had, two the pain was bad, three I didn't realize my recovery was normal and was thinking something was very wrong... all normal so again try to be prepared for the worst and anything better is a bonus:-)

I still am dealing with a lot of itching and "leaking"...Going to the bathroom is not painful but is not normal.  I have always been regular until now and I am still fight hard stools since the surgery.  (I'm a vegetarian and get lots of fruits and veggies) Hoping this will go away soon.

I go for a follow up visit tomorrow and will certainly let my doctor know my thoughts!  Best of luck to you and read as much as you can handle reading (I know they are awful stories... but most of them match my experience and then some)  These stories helped me know what to do while recovering as my doctor did not prepare me in the least!