Internal Hemorrhoidectomy experience

hi there, I've seen lots of posts about Hemorrhoidectomy surgery/recovery experiences but i wanted to share mine in hopes of helping someone because my story is a bit different, and ive had a hard time finding any stories like mine.

****tldr: internal Hemorrhoidectomy recovery is much easier than external!!

SHORT BACKSTORY: i am 30 years old and have had internal hemorrhoids since BIRTH. At the age of 7 they became grade 2 and started pushing out a tiny bit when having a bowel movement, but went back in on their own. at age 10 they became hemorrhagic and started bleeding off and on during bowel movements. by age 20, they became grade 3 and had to be manually pushed back in and were bleeding so bad that i had to receive multiple iron infusions and blood transfusions, which has continued from ages 20-30 (present time). this has all resulted in me being severely anemic for the last 10 years, and receiving well over 50 blood transfusions and over 100 iron infusions in the last 10 years, and even at one point an anemia based mini stroke.

ive seen multiple colorectal surgeons and doctors and specialists since age 10 for this and have been misdiagnosed MULTIPLE times until finally having a dynamic pelvic mri, a manual pelvic floor exam and a defecography/proctogram last year for a final diagnosis of one singular and very large bleeding INTERNAL hemorrhoid.

CURRENT SITUATION: i picked a surgeon and had a hemorrhoidectomy on may 1st 2023 and am on day 11 post-op.

upon waking up from anesthesia after my Hemorrhoidectomy, i found out that there were NOT one.. but THREE large internal hemorrhoids that had over the course of my 30 years, fused together to create one mass that was over 6 inches in diameter in the center, but were attached at three separate points in the walls inside my colon, two on the left and one on the right.

my surgeon was only able to remove two and left one for a repeat surgery that ill have to have in a couple months when i am healed from this surgery, specifically because taking all three would have narrowed my colon/rectum wall and made bowel movements dangerous. so i am stuck with the third one in there until a couple months from now.

i was released outpatient at 2pm after my 9:30am surgery, and was kept at a hotel 2 minutes from the hospital for 4 days post-op to be close Incase of emergency. but at 8pm that same night was rushed to the er with severe pain and the inability to urinate. i was catheterized to empty the bladder and was given alternating doses of Dilaudid and norco from 8pm-5am. 5am they took my catheter out and switched me to just norco, and by 2pm the following day i was released again to go back to the hotel.

since the surgery day, i did not had a bowel movement until morning of day 6 post-op and it had to be induced with milk of magnesia, on top of other stool softener pills and laxatives that id been taking since the morning of the surgery. when i finally had a bowel movement, it was very soft and i had NO pain. only some slight burning from the last hemorrhoid that was left inside of me and was currently stuck out of the rectum from swelling.

other than that, my recovery had been QUITE easy. not nearly as much pain as described with patients who had the external hemorrhoidectomy. very minimal bleeding. bowel movements do not hurt, there is just some burning, but no actual pain. i was able to come off norco on day 5 post op and switch to just extra strength Tylenol and Aleve a couple times per day.

i am now day 11 post op and feel relatively normal aside from the last hemorrhoid being stuck out and a little swollen still, but that is a complication because of my surgeon needing to leave one in, not because of the surgery area healing, and wouldn't be an issue for anyone having just a regular internal hemorrhoid removed.

i just wanted to put this info out there for anyone having INTERNAL hemorrhoids removed, since most of what ive read describes the recovery MUCH worse when its for external hemorrhoids, and theres almost no stories about the internal ones being removed.

if anyone wants my tips and tricks and things that have helped me through the healing process, please comment and i will respond! hope this helps someone with a similar situation!

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