My hemorrhoidectomy story - not so scary

Thank God you wrote this, bless your heart

I wish i have read this earlier than those of the horror stories post surgeries. It only made me delay what i was supposed to have done sooner. I am 1 week and 1 day post op and there is less pain in comparison with what i endured during a month's time of flare ups from a grade 3 internal piles. There's no bleeding during BM. But there are times when i pee, i see my panty with trace of blood. I am not actually sure whether the blood is from the surgical site or from an external pile which the doctor decided not to remove because he said it is small, but i think it is big, a little over the size of raisin i guess, it makes me feel uncomfortable and i am not sure if it is because of the swelling or it got bigger, i just wished he took it off just so my butt could live a "normal" life again. Anyways, i think i had an infection because the other day, i got a fever, so i texted my doc and he prescribed some antibiotic and paracetamol..the following day, there's no fever, but still has to continue the antibiotic. I will be having a follow up check up on sept. 10, and i hope everything is well by then. I still cannot sit long at the moment. I really avoid sitting. Most of time lying on the bed, on my side or on my tummy but never on my back. Still under pain meds. But it is tolerable. Wish i had done this earlier. How are you all recovering?

My experience was not terrible either. I'm on Day 10 post-surgery, and have resumed all normal activities. Day 2 & 3 were probably the toughest for me, but I stayed on meds and sitz baths. Because I expected the worse, I was pleasantly surprised when it wasn't that bad. Bowel movements were initially pretty painful, but have gotten better. The overall pain was honestly not much greater than the pain I experienced living with the hemorrhoids. I am now experiencing more itching than pain, as the wound heals. Yesterday I noticed I hopped up the stairs, instead of the slow cautious walk I had the days prior. Cleaning the area is challenging, but I'm on a routine of poop, Sitz bath, apply ointment...repeat a couple times per day. I weened off the Rx meds after day 5, and I take a Tylenol as needed. Thanks for sharing your experiences. -35 yr old woman (20 years with hemorrhoids)

Hello. I just had my surgery on Jan 4, 2017. I've had hemmoriod issues for as long as I can remember, probably back to middle school. Most recently I've been eating what I thought was a healthier diet not realizing it was not enough fiber or still enough water I was drinking. Which lead me to loose weight but at the expense of suffering daily for about 7weeks straight of hemmoriods. I had to work. So I couldn't let that stop me and due to the holiday season, I had to suffer with long hours and after hours of shopping. Needless to say, if I didn't follow this regime to get me through the day without it being a 10 (with 10 being the worst pain) I couldn't have made it. I would soak n a tub prior to surgery with Epsom salt, and sit or sometimes depending how bad, sleep on a heating pad (sitting up) for relief. It would bring the pain level down to about a 5. As days would pass... it supsided down to a 1, and then I would have to go again

I got a lot out of all the postings from others. It helped me immensely to a) make the decision to have surgery and b) get through the near term recovery time. So I thought it was time for me to add to the discussion. Remember this is just one story. Your mileage may vary.

BACKGROUND:
My first flare up came in 1971 when I was in high school. It was a painful and embarrassing experience, especially changing in the locker room with sh*t stains on my underwear. After that, flare ups came every few years so it was manageable. Then in the last 20 years it gradually got worse and worse to the point where taking a dump was a very painful event and I needed at least 1-2 hours of recovery time. A couple of things at this point:
Flareups were frequent, very painful, and would last for days.
The 'roids would only go back in (but never all the way) only when I was completely relaxed
I couldn’t push them back in
Every dump was accompanied by “butt leakage” for an hour or two. So I always had to carry mini pads around.

DECISION TO HAVE SURGERY:
I was apprehensive of the surgery due to the horror stories on the web. When people have success they often don’t post it. The tipping point for me came when the ‘roids were ruling my life. Daily activities, exercise, trips, what I ate had to be carefully planned to anticipate, minimize and mitigate the flare ups that would most likely occur. Then serendipity kicked in at my annual golfing reunion with my high school friends. One of my good friends had ‘roids, underwent the surgery and said it was a great experience. That convinced me and I started planning for the it. I met with a great surgeon who allayed any of the fears I might’ve had. He doesn't cut any muscle just slices up and takes the vein out. He dispelled many of my preconceived notions and offered advice that I couldn’t believe no other doctor had thought to mention to me over the last 40 years. We all know that ‘Roids are blood vessels (three different ones) and that the straining is what, over time, forces them out externally. His best piece of advice was: DON’T STAY SEATED IF YOU’RE NOT ACTIVELY POOPING! That is the worst thing. Sitting on an open hole with no pressure pushing back on the vessels. Same goes for "donut" cushions. NOT GOOD. They exacerbate the problem. So I made sure I only sat on the foam part of the donuts and, more importantly, stood up next to the toilet when not actively pooping. I also found out from him that the ‘roids screw with the whole evacuation process as the ‘roids send the wrong signals on what is happening. I probably have IBS as well which I also found out occurs in about 25% of the population.

THE SURGERY AND RECOVERY:
The surgery (I had two removed and one ligated) was as painful as advertised for the first week. I will caveat this by saying I didn’t take the Oxycontin prescribed. Figured why risk constipation. I used Tylenol and Aleve in maximum doses. The pain was worst when I “clenched”. I was able to sleep through the night for the most part, but the worst pain was the first clench of the morning. Would sit sideways and on pillows. Hot baths were a great relief. I fully immersed. But be careful not to spend more than 20-25 minutes in there at most. And be careful getting out. Also, if you fully relax, you will most likely pee. Don’t worry. It’s because you’ve let yourself get totally relaxed. Let it happen and take a shower after. T

Since I also had a colonoscopy at the beginning the surgery, I was completely cleaned out. So I didn’t have a poop for two or three days after the surgery. I was trying to eat only protein, fruits, and vegetables. I was taking the prescribed stool softener, benefiber, miralax,etc. Then the moment of truth came and I had to poop. Turns out it was uneventful. I didn’t start bleeding profusely like I was afraid of, yes there was some blood, but just the predicted amount. Even better, there was no pain associated with pooping. Just the pain from the surgery. Then I pooped the next day and the same thing. I realized that the simple act of pooping didn’t cause me pain. First time in a long time. Then things got a little funky. The next day I couldn’t get the poop out. I strained and strained on the toilet and it just wouldn’t come out. So I followed advice I had read on the web, take a hot bath and try to poop there. I know it sounds disgusting, but it worked. I cleaned up (luckily it was solid and easier to pick up), then took a shower. The worst time was the 4th time when nothing would come out. I did the hot bath. Nothing. Went back into the hot bath with a spoon to dig it out. Little progress. Then I was on the toilet again straining for everything I was worth and it came out. After that no major incidents.

At around two weeks, I realized I was in less pain than with the ‘roids. Surgery pain was subsiding. Soon I was pain free. Let me repeat that, PAIN FREE! And guess what. I was pooping like “normal” people. I felt the urge, sat down, forced a log out, wiped my butt, and got up. For the first few months after, I found that little pieces of poop would slip out after I thought I was done. It was not leakage. Just small pieces of residual poop. After a few months, that stopped. It has been almost a year and I’m still getting used to the idea that I don’t have to be apprehensive when I have to make a poop. I go in, do my business and get out. And if I have to go multiple times in one day for whatever reason, no problem. No ‘roids. No pain. By the way did I say THE HEMORRHOIDS AND THE PAIN ARE GONE!

As I said one person’s story. Hope that helps you make your decision.

Thank you so much for the positive post. I am having my surgery Thursday. I am kinda scared but my husband reassures me it will be ok. I told him to go to his mother's. Lol. I hope I have smooth sailing so to speak.

Good luck!! You made the right choice. Just gotta get through that first week anyway you can.

I also want to share my story in hopes of helping someone who may be thinking about having a hemorrhoidectomy or has one scheduled. I am a 46 y/o male and have had external hemorrhoids for over 10 years now. My doctor finally recommended I have surgery because ointments and other treatments were not shrinking the ones I had. I didn't think much about the procedure until I met with the colon specialist and he informed the procedure ranked pretty high on the pain scale for recovery. I left the office with paperwork about the procedure and then began researching more info on the web.

That's when I really began doubting if I wanted to go through with this procedure. My hemorrhoids weren't horribly painful (since I was using an ointment), but after years of growth, there were large skin tags hanging down off my rear. This was embarrassing, frustrating, and difficult to keep clean. After reading several stories, I decided to write down any questions I had and met with the colon specialist again. I was a week away from my scheduled surgery and I wanted to make sure I was doing the right thing. After meeting with him again, I still was hesitant, but he left the decision up to me. I decided to go through with it, but for that entire next week prior to surgery, I felt like I was in a state of depression as I had resigned myself into thinking I would be in agonizing pain for two weeks, if I was lucky. It did not help that the anesthesiologist said to me, right before I was headed to surgery - “Good luck, you will be in a lot of pain tonight once the anesthesia wears off.” Poor bedside manners!

Anyways, I had the procedure done 4 days ago and couldn't be happier. I had a wonderful group of nurses/doctors and I was out within seconds of lying down on the table. It wasn't the surgery I was nervous about, it was the recovery. I woke up after what seemed like a short time and had the nurse and doctor by my side, ready to ask me questions. As the nurse ran through a list of items that would help me get through the recovery process, I felt good knowing I had done plenty of prep ahead of time and had most of the items she suggested. She told me I was very prepared – which is the one thing I would suggest to anyone getting ready to go through this process. It's much easier to have the items on hand then to worry about getting them. I have listed some of the items I have found useful at the bottom of this.

So on the day of the surgery, I was in and out of surgery within 30 minutes and headed home about an hour after that. Not long at all. I went straight to the pharmacy to get my pain meds. I did not really feel any pain at all during this time, but could tell something had been done to my bum. When we got to the pharmacy, I had to get out of the car and throw up from the anesthesia and meds they had given me for pain before I left. But it was all water as I had not had any food. (Do make sure you have an empty bowel before surgery) Just so you can control what your first couple of bowel movements will be like. I made sure it was all liquids or items that would not produce heavy waste. Chicken broth, applesauce, crackers was all I ate. Plenty of water.

That night I could not urinate on my own, even after several attempts. I called the Doc. And he had me go to the ER for a catheter. On the way to the ER, I got sick again from the meds. Def. eat a small snack before you take your pain meds – it helps with nausea. At the ER, I still did not feel a lot of pain, just discomfort. The catheter was not pleasant, but it did empty my bladder. They decided to keep it in for 5 days just in case, which was fine by me. Unfortunately, when they tested my urine I had a UTI so they gave me an antibiotic to clear it up. All risks of this surgery.

For the rest of that night, the pain level was probably maxed at a level of 5/6. The pain meds definitely helped. Although it was uncomfortable and difficult, it never reached a level that I couldn't handle. This was the most uncomfortable sleeping night. Some of it due to the catheter. My significant other kept track of my meds and made sure I took them regular, which has helpful.

Day 2 – still only soup, crackers, peaches, water. Lots of water. The pain level was lower than the evening before, so that was good. I removed the packing material from my rear and did my first sitz baths this day, which does help! That night I slept better than I thought I would . Pain level probably maxed out at a 4, maybe a 5. Any pain I had centered right around my anal area. The pain I was feeling was not that different from pain I had with raw hemorrhoids.

Day 3 – I ate cereal this morning because I knew I needed to have a BM today, but I was very worried about it from other stories I had read. After a lot of different fiber options – apples, chicken noodle soup, wheat bread miralax, colace, and gummy fibers, I suspected it would happen. It was definitely sore around my anus and I was just prepared for the worst pain. Never happened. The first time I went, it was a small amount and in very soft form. Then I had to go four more times after that. All soft but manageable. The pain I was feeling came from my anus being stitched up and the pressure from the BM, but the movement itself did not hurt. However, that night I did have more throbbing pain than I had the night before – I suspect from the BM and having to clean the area. But it was manageable. Do what you can to make sure you have soft stool for the first couple of times.

Day 4 – Woke up sore like the night before, but did a sitz bath and took my meds. Pain left me and has been very mild all day. I tried not to eat too much today so I could skip a BM for one day, but my body was having none of that. I had to almost run to make it to the toilet. However, the BM released pressure and did not hurt coming out..again, it was soft stool so that made the difference. It is now evening and I have been very pleased with my progress thus far, as has my partner. I thought I was going to be writhing in pain and not able to think about anything else. It has been the exact opposite. While there has been pain and discomfort, it has been manageable. The other piece is that the pain hasn't been constant. I thought it would be, but there are times it subsides and you get a break. Do take the pain meds – I could tell when it was time for the next round of meds as my anal area would be more sore. Even right now, it is about the time I take a round of pain meds, but my pain is very low, so that is encouraging.

Here is what I would say if you are thinking about or getting ready to do this; Read up about the procedure and prepare for it. All people are different and there are factors that vary for everyone. The suggestions people mentioned were very helpful and made the difference for me. Having everything ready to go was helpful too so I didn't have to worry about it when I was in pain. Here are the items that I think made a difference for me;

Sitz bath for toilet – a must. Helped sooth and helped me clean that area.
Baby wipes – more gentler on your bottom. Also, I used those to clean up after BM right in the sitz bath. Gross for sure, but it made it easier and I knew the area was clean.
Removable shower head – yes, when your butt is aching, jump in the shower and aim that jet right up there – it feels like it might hurt, but it does the opposite. It calms them down, even for a minute.
Adult diapers – just because things can get messy and you will have slight bleeding for a while after.

I found that about an hour before I would take my pain meds, if I did a sitz bath that would calm my anal area, and then when I took the meds I was mostly pain free. Also, I did not have a tub, but a large shower so I purchased a kiddie pool to be able to fill with warm water and sit in. This really did help calm that area down.

I was so apprehensive about this procedure and came SO close to cancelling, but I am SO glad I went through with it. I am excited to get through the recovery period and be rid of those hemorrhoids for good! I know I have changed my bowel habits and fiber intake for sure. I wish you luck if you go through this, and know that everyone is different. And I agree with what someone else posted, the majority of people who post are people with horrible experiences. If you have any pain tolerance at all, you will get through this procedure. Good luck!

Wow! This is some good POSITIVITY!!! I've been waiting to hear some people post positive things about this surgery...I'm scared to death but I've had a c section before.....it's just mentally the SURGERY SITE IS ATROCIOUS and makes me sick. I've just had it with this sh*t. I'm 31 and constantly have had to deal with this anxiety for the last YEAR and even dropped out of several competitions due to inability to gain proper weight because I would just not eat when it would flare up!!! I'm getting rid of this thing. I've had 3 other surgeries and I'm sure I can't make it. How are you doing now? Interesting to know...since I haven't read anything. Any scar tissue and bleeding? You so inspired me to go scheduled it. Godsend!!! Thank you!!!
Tanya

Hello,
I'm a 42 year old female. Had a hemorrhoid since I was 16. Dr pushed it in and Never bothered me much since. A couple of years ago it started prolapsing after each BM. I'd push it in and get on with the day. In April I developed an anal fissure. The most horrid pain ever felt. Like passing jagged glass during BM then several hours after it was like acid over a wound. To make matters worse, my prolapse hemi thrombosed and hurt so bad to reinsert. Then decided to see a general surgeon who recommended hemorrhoidectomy. He gave me nitroglycerin ointment to heal the fissure because he wouldn't operate until fissure healed and if it didn't he wanted to perform internal sphincterotomy. I was scared about both esp. sphincterotomy due to incontinence risk but that is only about 2% and success is 94%. I was done with crying everyday from the fissure pain. Also I knew the hem wasn't going to go away. It is now grade 3 & will only get worse eventually so decided for surgery.
Today is Sunday 3/26. Had surgery Thursday the 23rd at 1:45. Back home at 4:00. No pain the rest of the day. Ate jello, veggies soup, liquids, salad. Been taking benefited for a couple of months. 2 tsp 2-3 times a day, Lots of water, 250mg colace, eating fiber and sometimes I use natural calm powder which is a magnesium citrate warm drink at bedtime to help keep stools soft. I had liquids 24 hours before surgery: jello, broth, some fruit cups, juices, and magnesium to clear upper bowels. Morning of surgery I did enema to clear lower bowels so my first BM post-op would be soft. Slept well first night. No pain. Friday still no pain. No meds taken. Ate fiber foods and kept benefiber and colace. Had no urination issues. Friday the packing fell off. Had blood on it. Bleeding lightly. Using panty liners. Not doing much sitz baths. Doc said keep it tepid warm and 10-15 minutes max as too hot slows healing and increases infection and encouraged ice instead.
Saturday was BM day. I was nervous but you have to change your mindset because you will feel and believe what you think. I told myself no problem, I can do this. Been through it with the thrombosed hemi and fissure and I can deal with this. I had gas but no pain with that. I would take 2 beano tabs before eating and 2 gas-x pills after. I sat on the toilet and used a stool, closed my eyes, deep breathing and mental affirmations: "relax, breathe, you can do this, no problem. You're strong. Deal with it. You know what the pain feels like already". Boom! Done. Soft stool, no pain but after I did have burning, soreness and discomfort. Uncomfortable but Manageable. Like a really sore muscle. Took a Percocet 5, actually 1/2 tab and 1/2 tab Valium 5mg for spasms, Tylenol 650mg and 400mg Advil. I'm a pharmacist so I know how much to take without going over. Hopped into the bathtub for 20 minutes. The rest of the day pain level about 4-5. I ate a lot of veggies lightly sautéed in butter, white soft fish, salads, fruits, whole wheat bread and oat crackers, Lara bars (dates and nuts), and prunes. Slept well second night but got up a couple of times (1:30 took meds, 5:30 bath) then slept until 9. Today had another BM, again no pain just extreme soreness. Sitz bath, 3 Advil and 2-650mg Tylenol arthritis and 5mg Valium. Lounging around, coloring, reading, tv,internet.
Took 3 weeks off work. I stand all day so I should be ok. Walking around the house to help with healing.
Be patient. Everyone heals differently. Can be up to 6 weeks. Some posts say up to 6 months for things to be 100% normal. Hopefully no one takes that long but the end result: no more hemorrhoids.
Good luck to all.

Nancy.

Had the urge for another BM in the afternoon after BM #2. But for some reason it was hard to come out. A quarter size stool came out and blood was dripping. I knew I did something wrong with diet. Maybe too much chicken and white rice too soon? I got up and loaded up on magnesium 3/4 teaspoon in warm water, 5 prunes then a lot of sautéed veggies. 2 hours later, had a BM and had to push. 3 pieces came out and more blood. I was mad. Why is it hard now? I stayed calm and took 2 Advil, 1000mg Tylenol and 2.5mg Valium, colace and benefiber. Went to bed at 11:00. Slept until 7:30 am. In the morning had a BM. Easier and no blood dripping. Just some around stool. Did warm bath 20 minutes then iced 10 minutes on, 20 minutes off. Planning on no meds or just Tylenol. Still did flax oil, colace, benefiber after breakfast which was larabar with coffee and instant oatmeal. Lots of water of course. KEEP THE FIBER UP. STOOL SOFTENER. WATER. PRUNES. BENEFIBER. DO NOT SLACK. EAT VEGGIES AND FRUITS. Have your BM in sitz if you want. You'll get better with time. The soreness is simply The anus stretching back to original size so be patient. DO NOT SHOOT FOR DIARRHEA or you'll get anal stenosis. Good luck everyone.

Nancy.

Hi Tanya,
You will have bruising and swelling but it all goes away. Some feel they still have hemorrhoids so don't worry about that. As for the atrocious area, I hear you. I was thing the same thing. It's the worst area to be operated on but think this way: you've dealt with issues in that area. You already know the troubles of it and how it feels. It won't be new to you. And you'll be ahead of it with meds, sitz baths, ice, fiber and will get through it. Get through week 1. Week 2 most likely be 50% pain and rest discomfort. Let it take 4-6 weeks. At least it won't be months and years of dealing with hemorrhoid pain and bleeding and risk of anal fissures. Be calm about it, think positively because it's mostly psychological. Yes it's painful. Take 600mg ibuprofen and 30-40 minutes you'll feel better.

Nancy.

Hello..I am posting on this site..as it seem s to be the newest...Anyway, it is day five after my surgery...I am off pain meds...just a couple of Ibuprofen once in a while...my hemmoriods...were external..had them do quite awhile..they were not to bad..but, unsightly...However, when they did flair up..it was horrible..went to 2-3 time the normal size..hard to walk..filled with blood liquid..like a skin blister..finally saw a specialist...had to wait to see it I did certain things..like a sits bath and more fiber helped..it did not..the roids flared with bad BM..So that caused constipation...becuz I was afraid of a flare..while Catch-22...
I did read up on surgery before I did it..almost wish I had not...as mine is not that bad...as a matter of fact...the first few days I was wondering..where my extreme pain was..the 3 day was the worst..had to go to the bathroom..and the swelling was a big more..with the pressure..I used an Enema..which hurt in insertion but did not really do much...went and bought a liquid laxative in cherry flavor...downed that..and half an hour later..BOOM..felt great..(have been taking stool softens...an absolute must)..however, was in the bathroom 6-7 times after...bottom was raw...make sure you have hemorroid wipes AND baby wipes(Huggies with cucumber and green tea are nice)...so that was the last time I used my Pain meds...am a bit uncomfortable but I think the surgery will be worth it..no more having to worry about sudden flare up..will update ...but please know everyone is different in how things will go with surgery..

I had external pile and a skin tag removed under general anesthetic 3 weeks ago and the pain has been nothing like the pain most posters have described. I had no pain at all for 3 days after my op. I took pain meds and stool softeners as prescribed. Day 4 the pain in my bum was very sore and made my stomach sick. It also hurt to wipe. This lasted about 2 days. After that i only had a slight dull pain that was more annoying than sore. I took 2 sitz baths even day for about 10 days and after that my only pain was wiping after a bowl movement. Even then, it just stung like rubbing an open wound. I have increased my fruit & fibre up keep my stools soft but otherwise all is good. I'm definitely not sorry I had the operation.

My experience has been so painful that I yet to see the light at the end. I can't even focus on the positive aspect of why I did this to begin with. I am 2 weeks post opt. Almost done with my 2nd bottle of pain killers which are not strong. I am taking 4 advils, two times a day. I soak 3x a day not including showers, apply a cream, air dry in front of fan, keep the area dry as much as I can. I have had 2 natural births, 1 c-section, hesterectomy, recorder put in chest, foot surgery, banding, etc. and nothing compares to this suffering. I am one of the unfortunate ones that have suffered drastically. I have lost 15 lbs. bm,s kill me. Stools are soft, but still raw. I have a follow up tom. I can't even sit yet.