Yesterday was one of the most miserable days of my life, both physically and emotionally. You know, it's no wonder when for the past 11 days, my life has been consumed with a mixture of varying levels of pain, anxiety, fear, outright terror, punctuated by very brief periods of relief via either drug induced semi-comas and hours upon hours of sitting in a bath tub. I have a new, profound, respect for surgical patients. I don't have any idea how difficult other surgical recoveries are, but if they are anything close to the misery of recuperating from a hemorrhoidectomy, I really feel for them.
In a desperate state yesterday I called my surgeon's office. I eventually got a call back from someone (a nurse?) who offered nothing other than a refill of my loretab prescription. I told her everything that was going on and asked for any advice she could give me, and a loretab prescription was the sum total of what she could offer. I was, however, grateful for that, at the time I was in a panic that my current state was going to continue on over the weekend and I was going to have no last-resort escape from the pain.
Around 2 AM I woke up with chills so I bundled up under a couple of down comforters. Kind of strange considering my thermostat read 72F in my house. On a side note, sleeping while lying on my left side seemed to have really helped me not to feel the need to get up and go to the bathroom. Around 4 AM I woke up in a pool of sweat, the sheets were so soaked using the bed downstairs was not an option so I had to go upstairs, towel myself off, and hop in bed with my wife. I have been taking my temperature every day, watching for possible infection, and it has been a bit low every day, so I was a bit baffled by my chills and sweats. My last dose of loretab was around 48 hours earlier, I can't help but wonder, maybe I went through some withdrawal? Regardless, I got some good sleep the rest of the night without any chills or sweats, and woke up, surprisingly, feeling pretty optimistic.
I am happy to report that so far I am feeling much, much better today. Only about two hours total in the bathroom this morning, which is a great improvement. The pain level during each BM is down to about a 3, which has helped to lower my anxiety level way down also. I have realized that over the years I have been dealing with hemorrhoids, I have tried to avoid at all costs a) sitting on the toilet for too long and b) any straining whatsoever. Adding to those rules a panic inducing fear of the possibility of terrifying pain and/or ripping stitches out during each t**d, it is no wonder I have been suffering greatly from constipation. This morning since the pain level of a BM coming out was so much lower, I was able to gently push, just a little bit, to try to complete the task at hand. Success! This morning I feel like I was able to get most of it out, and felt much closer to be "evacuated", once it was done. Yesterday it took almost 8 hours to arrive to the exact same destination. Yesterday it took an hour to produce a 1 inch long result. Today I was able to help things keep along once it got started, rinse, get up and relax a little bit, do some moving around a little bit, sit back down and keep things going again. No bloody streaks in the stool, only slight pain each time a new BM started. I have found it helps to do a little cheer leading, "it's gonna come out this time, it's gonna come out this time, it won't hurt that much this time, it won't hurt that much this time", and so on. The cheer leading seems to help keep down the anxiety level. Also of note, I am now able to actually use the bidet I purchased in preparation for my recuperation. Up until now, there were just too many ultra-sensitive spots that stung when the spray hit them. I am finally healed up enough to use it, and I intend to never use paper again on my butt ;-)
I believe that perhaps that last couple of days I may have been dealing with constipation caused by so much loretab over the first few days. Now that I am no longer suffering terrible pain during BMs and no longer need it, I am hopeful the constipation will be going away. So far today I have only had one session, whereas yesterday by this time I was just ending a pretty much all day session starting at 5AM.
Spending hours a day in the tub, you tend to start reading anything, anything nearby. I have read every ad, every article, every letter to editor, every label on everything within arms reach of the tub ;-) One of the things I recall reading was the handouts that came with the loretab, the section on side effects, which contains "Remember that your doctor has prescribed this medication because he or she has judged that the benefit is greater to you than the risk of side effects." What a profound statement ;-) I thanked God Almighty for the pain relief from loretab for the first few days of my recovery, now I am cursing it to no end due to to constipation I believe it has caused me. Talk about a balancing act.
Any way, to wrap up today's progress report, I am starting to feel some confidence that this nightmare will end, for the first time. I am a little sore from all of the sitting on the throne, can't really sit very much yet, but I am starting to feel optimistic. I might even try a trip to the store with my wife, it will be SO nice to get out of this house...
In a desperate state yesterday I called my surgeon's office. I eventually got a call back from someone (a nurse?) who offered nothing other than a refill of my loretab prescription. I told her everything that was going on and asked for any advice she could give me, and a loretab prescription was the sum total of what she could offer. I was, however, grateful for that, at the time I was in a panic that my current state was going to continue on over the weekend and I was going to have no last-resort escape from the pain.
Around 2 AM I woke up with chills so I bundled up under a couple of down comforters. Kind of strange considering my thermostat read 72F in my house. On a side note, sleeping while lying on my left side seemed to have really helped me not to feel the need to get up and go to the bathroom. Around 4 AM I woke up in a pool of sweat, the sheets were so soaked using the bed downstairs was not an option so I had to go upstairs, towel myself off, and hop in bed with my wife. I have been taking my temperature every day, watching for possible infection, and it has been a bit low every day, so I was a bit baffled by my chills and sweats. My last dose of loretab was around 48 hours earlier, I can't help but wonder, maybe I went through some withdrawal? Regardless, I got some good sleep the rest of the night without any chills or sweats, and woke up, surprisingly, feeling pretty optimistic.
I am happy to report that so far I am feeling much, much better today. Only about two hours total in the bathroom this morning, which is a great improvement. The pain level during each BM is down to about a 3, which has helped to lower my anxiety level way down also. I have realized that over the years I have been dealing with hemorrhoids, I have tried to avoid at all costs a) sitting on the toilet for too long and b) any straining whatsoever. Adding to those rules a panic inducing fear of the possibility of terrifying pain and/or ripping stitches out during each t**d, it is no wonder I have been suffering greatly from constipation. This morning since the pain level of a BM coming out was so much lower, I was able to gently push, just a little bit, to try to complete the task at hand. Success! This morning I feel like I was able to get most of it out, and felt much closer to be "evacuated", once it was done. Yesterday it took almost 8 hours to arrive to the exact same destination. Yesterday it took an hour to produce a 1 inch long result. Today I was able to help things keep along once it got started, rinse, get up and relax a little bit, do some moving around a little bit, sit back down and keep things going again. No bloody streaks in the stool, only slight pain each time a new BM started. I have found it helps to do a little cheer leading, "it's gonna come out this time, it's gonna come out this time, it won't hurt that much this time, it won't hurt that much this time", and so on. The cheer leading seems to help keep down the anxiety level. Also of note, I am now able to actually use the bidet I purchased in preparation for my recuperation. Up until now, there were just too many ultra-sensitive spots that stung when the spray hit them. I am finally healed up enough to use it, and I intend to never use paper again on my butt ;-)
I believe that perhaps that last couple of days I may have been dealing with constipation caused by so much loretab over the first few days. Now that I am no longer suffering terrible pain during BMs and no longer need it, I am hopeful the constipation will be going away. So far today I have only had one session, whereas yesterday by this time I was just ending a pretty much all day session starting at 5AM.
Spending hours a day in the tub, you tend to start reading anything, anything nearby. I have read every ad, every article, every letter to editor, every label on everything within arms reach of the tub ;-) One of the things I recall reading was the handouts that came with the loretab, the section on side effects, which contains "Remember that your doctor has prescribed this medication because he or she has judged that the benefit is greater to you than the risk of side effects." What a profound statement ;-) I thanked God Almighty for the pain relief from loretab for the first few days of my recovery, now I am cursing it to no end due to to constipation I believe it has caused me. Talk about a balancing act.
Any way, to wrap up today's progress report, I am starting to feel some confidence that this nightmare will end, for the first time. I am a little sore from all of the sitting on the throne, can't really sit very much yet, but I am starting to feel optimistic. I might even try a trip to the store with my wife, it will be SO nice to get out of this house...
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Yay! With my wife driving, I was able to contort myself onto one cheek, and venture out into the REAL WORLD for about an hour!!! It is a bizarre feeling to feel so grateful to be able to walk around a grocery store, fill up the gas tank, and stop off at a convenience store.
Took my final sitz bath for the evening, and NO BM WAS NEEDED!!! My two day marathon bowel purge seems to be over. I am experiencing some gas, which produces a very strange sensation, but hey, can't win them all. Probably from all of the fiber products I am now ingesting for the first time in my life.
Slowly starting to introduce some solid foods back into my diet, ham and cheese sandwich for lunch, a couple of turkey hot dogs for dinner, along with either canned peaches or pears. Looking forward to finding out how my system handles it tomorrow. I dream of some day eating a hamburger! Or Pizza! Or my ultimate favorite food, a prime rib! I think I will wait the full expected 6 to 8 weeks before attempting any such delicacies...
Took my final sitz bath for the evening, and NO BM WAS NEEDED!!! My two day marathon bowel purge seems to be over. I am experiencing some gas, which produces a very strange sensation, but hey, can't win them all. Probably from all of the fiber products I am now ingesting for the first time in my life.
Slowly starting to introduce some solid foods back into my diet, ham and cheese sandwich for lunch, a couple of turkey hot dogs for dinner, along with either canned peaches or pears. Looking forward to finding out how my system handles it tomorrow. I dream of some day eating a hamburger! Or Pizza! Or my ultimate favorite food, a prime rib! I think I will wait the full expected 6 to 8 weeks before attempting any such delicacies...
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Bad penguin, your diary describes exactly what I am currently going through! I hope there is light at the end of the tunnel. I am just finished my day 10, I hope this gets better. I don't see anymore of your diary after day11, are you better now, God I hopeso I need to hear some positive recovery stories!
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Ann, I am now on day 17. Had surgery on Oct. 9, 2012. I had one internal banding, and the scalpel with sutures for two clusters of external hemorrhoids. I am definitely healing more, but still a ways to go. Today was the first day my bowel movements were almost normal, but more times in the bathroom than I want. definitely feel less pressure as the stitches dissolve and as the Inflammation changes. I am starting to venture out but have to race to the bathroom within about 90 minutes of eating, so could not go back to work this week. still hard to sit in a chair for too long, but a pillow helps. still on Sennekot laxative and Dulcolax stool softeners. Way less blood than I had with hemorrhoids or fibroids, so happy with partial pprogress after 12 years of suffering from hemorrhoids. I am able to walk three times per day which helps me feel better and I thinks helps With bowel movements. I haD a hysterectomy earlier this year rare addy for all of this to be done. Hang in there....
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Ann, there is light at the end of the tunnel, eventually! To tell you the truth, you might not want to read the rest of my posts, because it took a long time for things to return to normal for me, heh heh.
To see the rest of my posts, click on my name by the top post, then click on the number by "Total posts:".
I have been problem free for over 2 years now, I have rarely given my surgery any thought. Life is back to normal, whatever that means ;)
To see the rest of my posts, click on my name by the top post, then click on the number by "Total posts:".
I have been problem free for over 2 years now, I have rarely given my surgery any thought. Life is back to normal, whatever that means ;)
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Thanks CrimsonTide for your message. Sounds like you've had nightmare too. I still go to the loo more than I want, but the sitz bath, or the cheaper portable bidet I got has been a life saver. I can't wait til my bowel movements slow down a bit, but trying to keep the balance between constipation and diarroah is difficult.... Makes you appreciate the simple things in life. At times I have felt like a child again trying to understand how my bowels work! I hope you continue on the road to good health! I hope we both do! :)
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Thanks badpenguin for coming back to me, especially since your encounter was so long ago. It's comforting to know that other people have gone through something similar. Some people just tell me 'fight it' but its hard when your backside feels like a razor blade! Ok ill read on your diary... It's good to know that it does get better, because at times you think it never ever will. The antibiotics I'm on now are hopefully helping, it trying to the bowel movements under control! I am so glad that you have overcome this and now you rarely think back to the surgery, hopefully ill report the same soon. Many thanks! And thanks for creating your informative and at times humorous diary, its very well written!
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