Lenght Of Hemorrhoidectomy Recovery?

I'm on day 6 post op...I had 3 Large prolapsed external hemorrhoids surgically removed after already having banding about 8 months ago on three internal hemorrhoids.

The first 48 hours were some of the worst pain i have ever experienced. And I have broken well over 25 bones in various accidents and experienced the post op pain from repairing those. This is different, indescribable excruciating type pain...After that it went from a 10 to maybe an 8...

On day 6, its a 7 or 6 still bad but I can do what i need to do to get by...VERY light household chores...

If the pain from the BM's I had on Day 3, Day 5 and Today are ANY indication, Then this will be manageable...barely...Don't get me wrong, it hurts like hell for a good three hours but sitting in a sitz bath for a few hours provides relief as do the pain killer. I'm averaging about 15-20 Sitz baths a day right now regardless of BM frequency

Someone before had written about doing BM's into a Sitz Bath, I tried it today and yes it makes a BIG difference. I found the experience less painful than just sitting above my toilet.

All in all though if it wasn't for needing to have regular BM's and the discomfort from that, this will benefit me long term and even now as I'm lying on my side typing this, I'm glad I did it!

I was told 4-6 weeks off of work...thank god our company has Short Term Disability coverage, I will take every moment neccessary to make a full recovery and based on what I'm reading, I'll need every moment...

Right now, my cat is enjoying me being at home hanging with her...

Its been almost 11 weeks since the doctor removed 3 internal and 1 incarcerated internal.
I thought my recovery will continue on its slope (2 steps forward, 1 step backward),
but I experienced bleeding and pain again during BM.

During 6th to 9th week, my BMs has been smooth, with little bleeding or only streak of blood in the stool.
But now, there's some drops of blood specially when stools aren't that soft (bulky).

Although this is not as bad as the first few weeks after operation, but anyone have experienced the same and still recover?
Positive responses are greatly appreciated.

I had my surgery before 3 days ago on the 20th of July.. and until now I had not have my first BM! Is this normal? What should I do?? I'm drinking 1 liter of water a day and all what I'm eating is fruits and vegetables with lots of fibers too!! :(

Hi - thought I'd add my penn'orth...

I had my surgery seven weeks ago.  I am still waiting to have my fistula treated.  First the surgeon wanted to treat three internal hemorrhoids I'd had for many years. 

I am only just beginning to feel almost normal.  My neighbours also must have thought somebody was being brutally murdered for many days. 

Now - I wasn't told I'd have to stay in overnight, I wasn't told my life would come to a halt for this long and I wasn't really told how serious this operation was.  Me? I was in denial so didn't even look anything up on the internet like I normally do.  I thought I'd be back at work by thursday (six days later).

The first three days were pure Hell.  I hadn't really asked anyone to look after me for the first 24 hours though my neighbour popped in regularly, this wasn't enough.  The first night I fell in the bathroom, smashing my back (kidneys), head, arms and neck on the toilet and sink in turn.  I was unconscious for a while.  Soon people rallied round.   

I found I needed the shower head rather than toilet paper and then a hot salt bath to calm things down after almost every BM at first.  I went to the toilet in sessions of three after a couple of days so managed to bathe after each third go.  Wish I'd had a Sitz Bath but I'm still not sure what one is!  I also used Vaseline around the area to soothe.   Keep warm too. 

Your carer might like to stay on top of the laundry to keep a fresh supply of clean towels, PJs, underwear and bed linen available.  Cleanliness is key to a proper recovery I think.    

Be prepared to run to the toilet FAST!  Wear panty liners or even nappies, you're going to need them.  Keep some towels separate for obvious reasons, I got confused one day and caught a sty!  8-|

I'd been given Codydramol as a painkiller and it constipated me.  I took as much Ibuprofen (Nurofen Gel Capsule is best http://www.nurofen.co.uk/express-capsules.php) as allowed (between 1600 and 3200mg a day depending on stomach health but ask your Dr. first) 600mg at a time regularly with food and paracetamol in between.

Please, don't even bother with opiate based pain relief. 

I couldn't sit, lie or stand for long periods so found pottering around when I could was a way of 'working it off'.  I lay face down on a pillow or two lengthways under my body most of the time I spent in bed and this was comfortable.  When I could, I lay on the sofa with two extra large cushions under my knees to take the weight off my lower back to watch TV. 

Stool softeners like Macrogol are an improvement on Lactulose in my experience.  Drinking water is crucial and it doesn't matter whether you eat soup or a proper dinner it all ends up as a stool so resign yourself to that.  I lost weight in my reluctance to eat and chewed Rich Tea biscuits to take my meds and ate peeled soft fruits like pears and peaches in a tub.  Just stay hydrated.  If you're going to eat fibre make sure there are no seeds in it.

On yet another visit to the Doc I was prescribed an anaesthetic gel but I couldn't put it in until about a week ago.  I just used it around the area.

Then about a week ago I went back to an old method I'd learnt through trial and error when my fistula first appeared eight years ago: 

Gaffer tape (duct/duck) a pile treatment applicator to a 15ml syringe (don't be alarmed ;-) ), first load syringe with a dose of Rectogesic gel then Vaseline (10ml should do it), lubricate with same and insert then discharge.  Clean the applicator thoroughly and disinfect.  Once or twice a day should be sufficient. 

This method helped deal with my fistula way back in 2003 although I'd managed to buy some antibiotic gel whilst in Paris and used that instead of the Rectogesic.  This eventually saw it off - until now.  Open wounds in such a dirty place, I think, require some sort of barrier whilst the meds take effect.  The toilet gets a little greasy but it's worth it. 

 

Hope some of this is useful and YES I am seeing the benefit at last but I honestly didn't think it was worth it at first as I was managing before the op.  It was the fistula I wanted rid of really and that's still there for the time being.  I'll let you know how that goes if you like.

PS I found this site THE most helpful one of all the ones I tried to read...standing up of course.

 

Take care xxx  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wowsers! Theres some pretty horrendous stories on here! Yesterday morning I went into Day Surgery at my local hospital for what I was told would be a hemorrhoidectomy. I was originally due to have this in June but after reading some of the terrifying stories on here I cancelled it not once but twice thinking there was no way my body could handle this experience. Having other health problems as well and losing a lot of blood through going to the toilet I decided to bite the bullet.

I turned up in total fear expecting the worst experience of my life having not slept the night before. However when I got there my colo-rectal doctor wasn't in that day and I saw a different surgeon. He called me into to sign the consent form and asked me what had been intended. This didn't exactly fill me with confidence. But he asked me because after looking at my scan pictures he told me it appeared to be an internal polyp rather than a 'rhoid. Originally my colo-rectal doc was pretty convinced it was an internal hemorrhoid but couldnt say for definite. This guy seemed certain it was a polyp and this completely changed the picture. He said that because it was routed above the 'dentate line' in my rectum that excising it would be painless! (Above the dentate line is where the pain sensory nerves stop.)

Obviously I was over the moon but still sceptical. A short time later I was wheeled into theatre and quickly went out like a light! On waking I had no pain whatsoever. I vaguely remember the surgeon saying that he'd excised a polyp above the dentate line and sent it for analysis in the histology lab. The relief was unbelievable. However the nurse urged caution as it still needed the all clear from the histology report. One day later the only pain I've had is a dull ache that I hasnt even required the pain killers I was given. However am feeling very light headed today, almost like a hangover and confined to bed!

I'm sorry to everyone who has suffered terribly with this but thought I'd chip in with a mood lightener! To anyone who is facing this hemorrhoid surgery try asking your surgeon about a procedure called THD (or HAL Hemorrhoid Artery Ligation) It is relatively new but supposedly painless surgery.

Good luck to all

Stew

 

Well done for the post - it does read like a horror story on here sometimes!

Re: new treatment, they're going in via the veins aren't they? Wonder when it'll be standard procedure.

Have you taken any stool softeners? More water too. One Doc said three litres was advisable but I think he might've been being a twit.

GeeDee wrote:

STEW wrote:

Wowsers! Theres some pretty horrendous stories on here! Yesterday morning I went into Day Surgery at my local hospital for what I was told would be a hemorrhoidectomy. I was originally due to have this in June but after reading some of the terrifying stories on here I cancelled it not once but twice thinking there was no way my body could handle this experience. Having other health problems as well and losing a lot of blood through going to the toilet I decided to bite the bullet.

I turned up in total fear expecting the worst experience of my life having not slept the night before. However when I got there my colo-rectal doctor wasn't in that day and I saw a different surgeon. He called me into to sign the consent form and asked me what had been intended. This didn't exactly fill me with confidence. But he asked me because after looking at my scan pictures he told me it appeared to be an internal polyp rather than a 'rhoid. Originally my colo-rectal doc was pretty convinced it was an internal hemorrhoid but couldnt say for definite. This guy seemed certain it was a polyp and this completely changed the picture. He said that because it was routed above the 'dentate line' in my rectum that excising it would be painless! (Above the dentate line is where the pain sensory nerves stop.)

Obviously I was over the moon but still sceptical. A short time later I was wheeled into theatre and quickly went out like a light! On waking I had no pain whatsoever. I vaguely remember the surgeon saying that he'd excised a polyp above the dentate line and sent it for analysis in the histology lab. The relief was unbelievable. However the nurse urged caution as it still needed the all clear from the histology report. One day later the only pain I've had is a dull ache that I hasnt even required the pain killers I was given. However am feeling very light headed today, almost like a hangover and confined to bed!

I'm sorry to everyone who has suffered terribly with this but thought I'd chip in with a mood lightener! To anyone who is facing this hemorrhoid surgery try asking your surgeon about a procedure called THD (or HAL Hemorrhoid Artery Ligation) It is relatively new but supposedly painless surgery.

Good luck to all

Stew

 

Well done for the post - it does read like a horror story on here sometimes!
Re: new treatment, they're going in via the veins aren't they? Wonder when it'll be standard procedure.

 

Yeah I think they basically stitch up the supplying artery above the dentate line. This causes the hemorrhoid to shrink and drop off. I know in the UK it is only available in certain parts of the country. Think its very expensive because of the device used. Hope they get a move on rolling it out!

what is a sitz bath my husband has had this operation on day 5 post operation and in lots of pain with bm . i have been putting milk lavender oil and bath carrier in his bath to relax him and help heal the stitches if it reaches that part . as this help with me when i had child birth stitches

Don't do it unless you've tried everything else!

I'm 29, in excellent health, and am suffering was prolapsing haemmorhoids that caused me to bleed immensely.

I was so scared at the amount of blood each time I went to the toilet. Dark rich red blood that soaks immediately through toilet paper (and onto your hands) and won't stop for five minutes, or when you get up from the bowl.

Long showers were needed after every toilet session.

A colonoscopy would reveal that these haemmorrhoids would not be amenable to minimal intervention such as a rubber band ligation or infra red coagulation.

Consequently (like many of you), I was referred to a surgeon for a haemorrhoidectomy.

I had no idea that this could be a severely painful procedure until reading some of the responses here. For this, I say: thank you. Thank you again, and again. You prompted me to try and avoid this surgery at all costs.

So I thought: you know what? I'm going to do every thing in my power to avoid this surgery and solve the problem some other way.

Here's what's been working to fix the bleeding and get me back on track:

1.) One medium orange juice with three tablespoons of raw unprocessed bran, first thing in the morning. Have this before you eat anything! (read that again)

2.) Metamucil fibre tables. One after dinner.

3.) Water

4.) Maximum of five to seven minutes in the toilet. If you feel like you still need to go after five minutes but nothing is happening, then get up, walk around and return later when your body is ready.

On this regime for a month, and happy to to report that my bleeding has all but disappeared.

Yes, I'm still a little uncomfortable when things swell up. This problem wasn't caused overnight, so it won't be fixed overnight. Things are improving and with time, all will be well.

So, before you go under the knife, make sure you try a natural solution.

Surgery is always an option later on. For now, give your body the chance to heal itself naturally.

Hope this helps you.

Cheers,

My colleague went on a 3 week MC after this surgery for a stage 4 hemorrhoids before he was allowed to return to work again. It hurt quite a lot during that recovery phase; he could barely sit properly and had to keep lying down as much as possible since his case was pretty serious.

Hello all,

I have been reading the many and myriad of posts for the last 3+ weeks. First, let me say that they are all true! I have been helping my SO through his pre-op, operation and post-op. I have also lived with the watching the debilitation and decline in his (our) quality of life in trying to manage without treatment and putting off this surgery so I can honestly attest to the importance of not putting it off no matter how scared or horrified you may be in reading all of the info posted on these boards.  We waited for more than 10+ years to finally address it. Like anything, it's never a good time but when I think about the amount of time wasted in either not being able to do things because of him not feeling well or coming home from work so exhausted from blood loss and just collapsing, that's no way to live.

In his case he had very severe internal hemorrhoids that until the operation had become so extreme in his loss of blood that we were told by the doctor that he had become severely anemic and we had to change hospitals and bump up the surgery date a week in case he needed a blood transfusion. Very scary!

The experiences regarding the recovery are spot on. The excruciating pain, the pressure to "go", the constipation, etc. are all there and seem to be just as bad as everyone has described here. There are some things to remember; first, it does get better, but be prepared for at least 10 days of that sharp pain and restless or very little sleep. Take your pain medication like clockwork and your stool softeners, this helps with both sleeping and helps lessen the acuteness of the pain. He was able to pass small hard stool the first 48 hours after surgery but didn't again until 5/6 days after and man that was an experience. After day 10 it seems he was on the upswing, making phone calls, eating with relish, BMs all good but then comes a duller more achy pain with pressure and gas/bloating, this seems to come from the actually healing, "going" still seems to be difficult. But then the next day he was flat out again, so 3 steps forward 2 back from day 10 until now 3 weeks plus 2 days. Today is a so-so day. Fatigue is a huge factor, walking a bit, doing some light shopping/errands are doable now but he is still very shaky.

For those of you that have had children, the experience is very similar. The pain, lack of sleep, laundry, etc. all seems to me like deja vu. If you haven't then it will seem like a piece of cake after you experience.

Some of the following tidbits that may or may not be helpful;

-Set up your house before you go for the operation. Make certain that you have all your gear, food, towels, fresh linen, comfy clothes, laundry money, pain meds, preparation h, milk of magnesia, baby butt wipes, super soft tp with aloe, etc. in place ahead of time to keep having to run out to a minimum.

-Set up your bedroom/healing place with towels, tv, remotes, phone, books, water, meds, etc. You will want to be alone until you are better so ask you SO to either move to another bed/sofa for a bit. You will thank each other.

-Set up your bathroom as a comfy space, you will be living in it afterwards. In our case sitz baths didn't do the trick, lots of time in the tub was the key. Also if you have a shower head that is attached to a hose that is ideal.

-Wear minimal clothing or none at all. With all the ins and outs of the shower or trying to "go" you can save yourself lots of angst  and time by basically covering yourself and everything in a layer of towels.

-Do get any ideas about fancy eating or foods that you are used to the first weeks. Gels cups, yogurt drinks, smoothies, health shakes have been the key. Just started back on a more regular diet this past 4-5 days. Protein, veggies, fruits, ice cream, and breakfast have been great to get back into being normal.

-Wean yourself off the pain meds starting week 3. Swelling go for advil, helps with both pain and pressure.

-If you have the time, take it. Ease back into your routine, work, entertaining, going out, driving, doing things in general.

-Don't try and do too many things on your own without a spotter. Being in the shower/tub so much and with lain meds can make even the toughest man weak. Make certain you aren't alone if possible getting in and out of the tub. That goes for any of the walking, errands, cooking, etc. you are in recovery it's okay to not push it.

All in all, its a tough journey, however, for us, the immediate improvement in the anemia was like night and day. He had more energy post op than he has actually had in months. Bleeding has been just very minor spotting here and there. So I say if you are on the fence go for it! Just know that the recovery is slow and does take at least 4-6 weeks.




 

Updating, going on week 8. The pain end abruptly! Hooray! What may linger is some soreness, aching a bit.

What is important to remember is you need to retrain yourself. Try and relax and not strain. Take your time, eat lots of fiber, EAT and drink water. This helps tremendously in keeping your bowel movements regular and "free flowing".

Another important thing to remember, is when heading back to work or your normal routine bring with you the 10 pack Charmin wet wipes. You never know what type of industrial strength sandpaper that passes for toilet paper you will encounter in a public bathroom and having these with you at all times is godsend.

Again, I can't stress enough how this has changed us now for the better. For my SO the pain is now but a distant memory and managing his health seems so much easier. Other health issues that were exacerbated by this have now become non-issues.

Hang in there!

I just had surgery 5 days ago. I'm 24 year old female I got my 1s hem in elementary school so it was about 17 years old when the doctor saw it he was like omg it's so big for someone your age you need surgery or it's just going to get bigger with time. I just wanted it gone im moving to Australia for a year I live in US now and I didnt want to deal with it there. The 1st night was terrible they gave me oxycodine for the pain which i took just the 1st night and in the morning way to nauseating. My first BM was not that bad it hurt but I was prepared for it so I did it in my sitz bath it was 2 lil hard balls the next day I feel so constipated that I go crazy and start taking laxatives and stool softners, milk of magnesia and I also drank a tablespoon of olive oil I read that helps to lubricate the digestive system and makes your poo slippery so it's easier to come out. By 1am I have this terrible feeling in my stomach and I had to go it was so painful I was screaming and crying and I felt like I was going to pass out this Time there was a lot of blood and agin I only pooped two lil poops. I'm worried that I may be impacted. I have my follow up on Monday and will talk to my doctor about it I don't know what to do about it at this point I just hope I can go back into work by next week. I haven't taken much pain meds it doesn't really hurt besides when I have to have a BM, those ass twitches are really annoying tho! I'll keep you guys updated hopefully my pain ends soon I'm also pretty scared to have another BM I hope it's just swelling and not another hem or skin tag but it looks like there is a tiny hemm in there If it is a new one it's staying no way am I going to do this again!

Hang in there. I am on day 12 from my surgery and it is getting better. I take a laxative in the evening and a stool softener capsule after each meal. Drink lots of water, like 10 - 12 glasses or moe throughout the day, add high fiber foods, and try to walk each day even if only pacing in the house. You may be eating foods that are tough to digest like cheese, meats, breads, and not adding enough fiber. Also remember to drink extra water with the laxative and stool softeners to help them work. Relaxing in the bath tubs may also help you relax muscles to have a bowel movement.