Reading some of the feedback about this surgery scared me into putting it off for a year. I wish I hadn't. I found the surgery itself to be ok. My dr said she removed some really bad internal roids as well as external ones. They offered to let me stay overnight in the hospital, but I declined. That evening, I was out walking with my husband. I stayed on pain killers for the first day, but had been warned that they could cause constipation, so I really tried not to take them if I didn't need them. And by the end of the second day, I didn't. For me, the real pain didn't come until I had my first BM. And, it was bad. And for that, I treated myself to a much needed pain pill. After that, I finally understood what everyone was talking about. I would wake up feeling good, have a BM and be wiped out for the rest of the day. This lasted for a good week. Although turthfully, some of the days weren't too much worse than what I had been suffering with the hemmrhoids.
The things that did help: lots and lots of liquid. In fact, I'd recommend a liquid or soft diet for the first week. Jello, soup, pudding; anything soft or easy to digest. Also, a bag of froozen peas used as an icepack can really help with the pain and discomfort. And, of course, sitz baths. Also, when you do have a BM, use wet TP and gently blot yourself to avoid irritation.
My dr. also had me start with Miralax the very first day. This is a miracle laxative/stool softener. I recommend it highly. It's day 15 and I am thrilled to report that I am feeling myself again. Thanks to the Miralax, I'm having BM every morning (something that is completely foreign to me) with little to no discomfort. I feel ready to resume all my normal activities, but my dr. says I shouldn't until my 4 wk. check-up. I am looking forward to being active and getting on with my life without the daily pain and discomfort of hemorrhoids. Just wanted to share this so people would know that not all outcomes of this surgery are bad.