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My experience 5 weeks after Haemorrhoidectomy 

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glen79281
glen79281

After 5 weeks of doing the operation and especially after passing through some really horrible times of pain and misery I promised myself that I owe it to everybody out there to share my experience so that you can derive benefit out of it. I had suffered from haemorrhoids for 20+ years and it is only because I became severely anaemic due to blood loss from passing stools that I was forced to do the operation. With hindsight I could have avoided 20 years of misery, of lost sports, of severe discomfort in cars and planes by taking the plunge and doing it earlier.

 

First and foremost, Haemorrhoidectomy is a very common operation and albeit there is a very small percentage where things get complicated the cases are getting less and less each year. I'm saying this because each and every person that does this operation will pass through so much pain that instinctively he or she will think that they are one of the few that is unlucky.

 

Secondly the pain WILL PASS!

I repeat it WILL PASS!

The absolutely horrible, can't take it anymore, about to throw up, about to faint, never going to be the same, never going to be happy, stuffiness, bloated feeling, blade cutting through your backside pain WILL PASS!

 

Realistically a person who does this operation will experience two annoying factors namely pain and discomfort. In the first few days the pain is so bad that you cannot think of anything else including the discomfort. After that the pain between going to the bathroom will slowly subside but the discomfort will increase primarily due to constipation. Hereunder please find my tips and what I would do differently if I could go back in time.

 

1.   Increase your intake of fresh fruit and vegetables and water weeks before the operation to soften your stools and prepare your body for a life change. This diet change is a must EVEN AFTER the operation unless you’re a masochist and want to pass through it again.

2.   Cut out anything that might make you constipated – research. This includes alcohol, caffeine, chocolate, refined foods etc.

3.   Do a fresh water enema the day before the operation.

4.   Do a list of all the things you missed out on because of your condition and promise yourself to enjoy life more after the operation and to take care more of your physical well being.

5.   Mentally prepare that you are going to be in severe pain but also be aware that this is only temporary and that you’ll be tons better after that and the effort would have been worth it. Incidentally I was in excruciating pain for about 5 days, in agonising pain 5 days after that and in manageable pain 5 days after that. By the end of the second week I was 60% better. By the end of the fourth week I was 90% better with only the annoying leakage to take care of. By the end of the fifth week I’m 95% there.

6.   Try and limit pain killer as much as possible as they will slow your digestive system and the resulting constipation is worse than the pain.

7.   The feeling of still feeling massive haemorrhoids after the operation is normal. This is due to the swelling. The importance of having formed stools that are SOFT is important. Underline formed not diarrhoea as you need your system to re-function even if it means a little more pain.

8.   The feeling of passing sharp blades during the first few days is unavoidable. This mixed with blood and excrement is not a pretty felling or site but I PROMISE YOU it will get better.

9.   Keep the are dry otherwise you’ll develop sever rash – been there done that – more pain to avoid.

10.                 Keep moving. The more you move the better your digestive system works, the less laxatives, the less bloated feeling, the happier you will be.

11.                 Be prepared to go the bathroom at a moments notice.

12.                 Run a warm sitz bath often – it does wonders to sooth the pain

13.                 Squat not sit to pass stools. It’s easier to excrete, less painful and quicker. I’m still squatting and there is no way I’m going back to sitting. Before I sometime spent between 30 – 45 min on the loo. Now I’m in an out in 3 minutes.

14.                 Keep the area clean. Use a bidet, shower or whatever you want. Use only toilet paper to pat dry the excess water. Again with hindsight this should be norm. After all if you covered you hand in excrement you wouldn’t simply wipe it off with toilet paper but you’d wash the hell out of it.

15.                 Drink lots of water and take a reasonable amount of fibre. Taking fibre without water is a recipe for disaster.

16.                 You are going to have to live with sanitary pads for a few weeks until the area heals sufficiently. It will get gradually better. I have gained a new respect for women who have to wear these things once a month; very annoying.

17.                 After you recover promise yourself to share your positive experience and the things that worked out for you on a blog for the benefit of others. It’s kind of a chain get better advice blog.

18.                 Most important of all – KEEP POSITIVE and take care of your health. You only have one body.

 

 

36 likes, 343 replies

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  • gordon44920
    gordon44920 glen79281

    Edited

    Thanks Glen,

    i am on 3 weeks and 4 days and believe I'm over the worst. I can relate to your story. My anxiety was that after two weeks I still had what I thought was a pile still prolapsed and had to speak to my consultant for reassurance that it would go eventually. He said about 4-5 weeks from op. On the day of my op I was told it would be 1 to 2 weeks so was quite surprised that I was still on Tramodol 3 weeks later and so were my employers. I will leave it until my 5 week before I tell my story when I hope I will be recovered and not wearing pads and applying sudocream anymore. 

    Thanks. 

    • glen79281
      glen79281 gordon44920

      Posted

      Keep it up Gordon. And thanks for reminding the readers that Sudcreme works well for the rash. Yes the pads are annoying - I stopped using them now but they can avoid you some embarassing patches on your backside when you go out; so better safe than sorry :-)
    • gordon44920
      gordon44920 glen79281

      Posted

      Now 5 weeks and still it's not fully retracted. Quite depressed about it. Hoping it goes over bank holiday. Still swollen inside according to Dr. Not on painkillers anymore but just very uncomfortable and doubt it will feel any better until it's fully retracted. Can't see why NHS say it's only 2 weeks of discomfort. Hope others improve quicker than me. 
    • glen79281
      glen79281 gordon44920

      Edited

      As long as you are seeing improvement even if it's very gradual I wouldn't worry of I were you. Not everybody is the same. Just stick the diet and water as this has the most major impact - that and the avoidance of strainng - i.e. avoid constipation at ALL costs
    • sheila19713
      sheila19713 gordon44920

      Edited

      Thanks Gordon that is very simelar to my story but only 10 days post op, you have given me real hope.
    • me93627
      me93627 shankar30312

      Edited

      Third week in for me..

      Two days now having very very painful bm if u can even call it that..

      More like a watery discharge. Ive eating. Salads fruits. Protein shakes daily. My meal plan has not changed for the past year. Just ate more beef in past. But not for many months now.

      And i try to get 3 liters of water into me daily.

      Two days ago mind you. I was perscribed perks as nothing was takin away this pain. Now this. Cant have bm yet i get the urge to but nothing is coming out.

      I also have two external hemorrhoids which came about the 2nd week.. Lovely why did i have this done. Just shoot me! Had problem with this for years internal bleeders and external.. And twin had colon cancer and uncle Chrones..

      So off work for two more weeks doc. says.. Have not had follow up yet as surgeon is now on holidays Just great...

      I have had pain 24/7 not getting better just worse.. No infection. Just lots of swelling.

      My question how much longer?

      And a kind nurse at hospital. Which i had two visits since because of excurating pain. Said

      Wet pads. Put in freezer and put on bottom to ease swelling.. Sounds like a plan if i get to the store to get some of those goddy bulgging pads..

    • keshia57617
      keshia57617 gordon44920

      Edited

      tomorrow makes me three weeks. it looks worse than it did before and it's still quite very sensitive and painful. hoping the swelling reduces but it's looking like a long road to the end. you're not alone. reading these gives me some comfort especially knowing I'm not alone and so many others experienced exactly my worst moments. thank you

    • jon74437
      jon74437 me93627

      Posted

      24 days post op for me now. I read horror stories of the bm pain. I did nothing but a a liquid diet ( smoothies, jello, puddings ) for 5 days post op, and it worked perfectly. No bm pain at all ! Came out soft, though it did feel as though I had to go again. At one point after the bm's it felt like someone had hit my tailbone with a small hammer. But the passing of " razor blades " after the bm's never happened. I slowly started more solid foods after day 7, and still no pain. Three weeks now and am onto meat and everything is fine. Lots of fluids is the trick, and I don't mean just water. I also took Mirilax, and stool softner. The only thing I have continued is the Mirilax as of yet. I am so glad I had this done, I had waited a year because of the fear of the pain I had read about. Anyone reading this do not hesitate. Yes it is uncomfortable, some pain but nothing that can't be tolerated. I was on tylenol 3 and Gabapentin, which worked wonderful. On day 15 & day 17 I was off all the meds, didn't even need any ibuprophen. Smooth sailing from here on out. Good luck to all.

    • bree96922
      bree96922 jon74437

      Posted

      Hi. Wondering how you are feeling now? Were your hemorrhoids prolapsed internal ones? Did you have external, also? I am considering this and would like to think my experience will be similar to yours. Thank you!

  • glen79281
    glen79281

    Posted

    Keep it up Gordon. And thanks for reminding the readers that Sudcreme works well for the rash. Yes the pads are annoying - I stopped using them now but they can avoid you some embarassing patches on your backside when you go out; so better safe than sorry :-)
  • gordon44920
    gordon44920 glen79281

    Edited

    Hi and I bought a squatty potty so I can squat rather than sit. Also toilet wet wipes are useful. When the prescription laxatives are finished prune juice is useful too but you still need to eat plenty of greens and stuff. 

    Plus water is very important. I'm always being told to drink more water but until I had this op I didn't realise how much it helps with bowel movements. 

    • glen79281
      glen79281 gordon44920

      Posted

      Hi Gordon,

      I decided to squat right on the toilet :-) My only concern is that some of the new modern ones are supended from teh gfround and hung to the wall so my fear is that one day I'll be caught in the bathroom with a broken toilet - be very hard to explain - lol

    • gordon44920
      gordon44920 glen79281

      Posted

      A friend from the east suggested a squatty potty that just makes it easier to squat on the loo without sstanding on the seat. It's basically a step really. 
  • jmehas4
    jmehas4 glen79281

    Edited

    I have my hemroid stapled a few months ago for my prolapsed hemrriods. they were pretty bad probably a Grade four. do tell me the worst pain I've had in a long time but the pain finally stopped around 3 or 4 weeks but I can see you have pain with bms at times. the now I'm frustrated because I still have a few externals that are still there and it still bother me. my doctor told me to wait a few months as it will shrink but they have not so and not have to go in and get them cut off. there are only just a few maybe half of my anus has it, nothing compared to what it was in the beginning but I don't want to have to go through all of that surgery to still have them.
    • glen79281
      glen79281 jmehas4

      Edited

      I can only tell you what the doctor told me.

      It appears that once they reach Grade 3 or 4 the odds of success falls dramatically. Mine were grade 3 and I tried laser - didn't work. I don;t want to be the bearer of bad news but if I were you I would ready myself to go all the way.

      Go for a third party opinion and see what they tell you. While the pain is sever for the first two weeks if I could go back in time I would have done it a decade ago.

    • jmehas4
      jmehas4 glen79281

      Posted

      thanks Glen, my hemorrhoids were pretty bad they're probably grades for they could barely fit into the tool they used to for stapling. so when you mean go all out you mean getting them straight cut off? I'm going to go back probably in October or November to get them checked out again. she says that if they're still there that we could talk about getting them cut off. I don't know but pain wise but the stapling was pretty bad it was really severe for the first probably two weeks going to the bathroom was horrific. I'm just hoping now that if I do to the next stage of cutting them off that since its only half of my anus that it won't be as bad.
    • glen79281
      glen79281 jmehas4

      Posted

      Apologies for late reply. Until then focus on your diet, movement and reducing strain on bowel movement. This should help tremendously
    • jmehas4
      jmehas4 glen79281

      Posted

      Hi Glen, went to the surgeon few said ago and I need to get the rest cut out. I an excited to get this over with but so scared of the pain. Not sure if ours fing to be the same as the stapling procedure. Getting done Nov 23.
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