6 months after hemorrhoid surgery recovering experience and advice on how to get through it
Posted , 65 users are following.
So i figured i would post my experience after 6 months, since when i got the surgery and was looking for info it seemed like 99% of the posts i found only covered the first few weeks or so. Then the person goes MIA when people ask for a update.
So some back story im 27, and had my surgery on 11/23/17. So in about a week i will be at the 6 month mark. I had 4 hemorrhoids removed all together. 3 smaller internal ones and one medium sized external one. Overall would i do it again? definitely, but there is alot of stuff i wish i knew before hand.
Plan on taking atleast 2 weeks off of work, more if you in any kind of driving job/physical labor job. If you fall into that category take a month off if you can, if your doing physical labor take it easy for atleast 2 months.
My doctor originally told me i would be back on my feet within 3-5 days. But i spent the first week pretty much laying in bed on my side. After about a week i was able to walk around and do normal activities somewhat, but it was not a comfortable experience at all. Bending over hurt, walking up and down stairs hurt, getting in and out of the car hurt and i pretty much carried a pillow around everywhere i went. Overall though i think the 2nd week was worst than the first. You should get some good pain meds to get you through the first week or so, but once they run out you start to feel everything u didnt feel the first week, plus combined with the fact you going to be moving around more. If i had to do it again, i probably would have suffered more the first week and taken less meds then saved them for the 2nd/3rd week. A word of advice looking back is even though you are in pain you should take the minimum amount of pain meds you can. They will make you constipated and the last thing you want after hemorrhoid surgery is to be constipated. Trust me i learned that hard way. Start taking fiber pills a week or so before surgery and dont stop until you feel 100% better. Try not to eat anything hard either. I pretty much ate, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese and bought a bunch of those ensure drinks for the first two weeks. You want whatever is going in you to come out as easy as you can. Liquids/soft foods are your friend.
It took me about 4 days after my surgery to finally use the bathroom (why i said dont take to many pain pill) and im not going to lie it was excruciating. It took about 2weeks in total to be able to use the bathroom without being in alot of pain and 3 weeks for it be be "comfortable". But the first two weeks were definitely the worst. I legit almost passed out i was in so much pain a few times. Dont push just sit and wait. If it doesnt work try again later. You will be in there for a bit, take you time. Over all id say it took about a month to use the bathroom normally. I bled almost every single time for the first 2-3 weeks. Then it slowly stopped over time. In the end it took about 2 months for me to stop bleeding. Also dont be afraid if you look in the mirror and see what it looks like. Its going to look horrible the first month or so. But after about a month most of the swelling should have gone down and it will start to look more "normal". Within 1-2 months id say about 50-75% of the swelling should be gone depending on how much work you needed.
It took me about a month in total for me to be back to doing my normal activities without being to uncomfortable. The only real issues i had was sitting for to long, or bending over to pick stuff up. It isnt really a pain, its more of a tightness, kind of the feeling of having a pulled muscle. I was originally told the swelling/tightness would last for 2-3 months. For me i say that more of a minimum. While the swelling went down alot after 2 months (id say about 75%) the tightness and stiffness stuck around. I went back to the doctor at the 4 month mark to ask him about it and he told me i still had some healing going on for the external one and to give it a month or two. After 5 months the stiffness has gone away, now that im coming up on month number 6 and i would say im about 99% back to normal. Which sort of makes sense since scar tissue takes around 5 months to heal. While 6 months seems like a long time to deal with this its really more like 2 months of actual pain. The third month your going to be annoyed here and there by it, and 4-6 you should start to forget you even had the surgery.
The only real issue id say after its all said and done is i still have some loose skin where the stitches were on the eternal one. When i mentioned it to the doctor on the 4th month he said it can be easily removed with a office procedure in about 2 minutes if i wanted. But i should wait to see if it goes down a bit. I originally had a little loose skin on the other side (from the internal one swelling) when talked to him and thats completely gone now. So i figured id wait another month or to see what happens before i have that done. But once that is gone it will almost look like i never had the surgery at all.
Overall im really happy i had it done. Yeah it sucked for a few months, but ive been dealing with them since i was 15 years old. So 5 months of pain to no longer deal with hemorrhoids was well worth it. Id definitly do it again if needed (but i pray i never have to) lol
Lastly this might fall into the TMI catagory but im bi some im going to include this for the girls/guys out there who like anal sex because when i searched i found almost nothing. One of my concerns about this whole thing was my sex life. My advice is take a break for atleast 5-6 months before you try to put anything in there, then when you do start small. I tried around month 4 and it hurt alot, wait till your feeling 100% better then wait a extra month. Your getting a new a**hole in the end. Imagine the first time you ever put something in there, well thats how its going to be again. If you feel any discomfort, just wait a bit longer. I tried again about a week ago, and while it still wasnt easy it was 100x easier then it was at month 4. So you sex life isnt gone, its just postponed a bit and you need to slowly get back into it. It was a night and day difference between month 4 and 6, so i assume its going to get even easier as time goes on.
14 likes, 75 replies
cjleo1961 neal0270
Posted
no one was honest about how painful and debilitating this surgery recovery real is. i am 4 weeks, three days post op and feel like everyone thinks I'm being a bit of a wuss. i cant sit, stand or walk for any length of time and starting to be really frustrated and discouraged . Part of me wonders why i even bothered with surgery . My DR told me at my 2 week check up that hemorrhoidectomy for external issues are only done when really necessary due to the pain and recovery period. what the hell was the 1-2 week bs? right now although severe pain is gone, i have tightness and a feeling of pressure like something is pushing on my tailbone hoping this is just a phase and it to will pass in time Hope everyone heals well but knowing I am not being a wuss has really helped. thank you for sharing
jessica57992 neal0270
Posted
Hello! Has anyone experienced the constant feeling that something is inside of their butt and they have to hold it in a month or so after surgery? when walking, sitting, or moving in any way, I feel like I stuck something right into my butt and am trying to hold it in. its terrible! im 5 weeks out from a ferguson hemorrhoidectomy to remove one of my large hemorrhoids. The external wound burst wide open shortly after surgery but is healed now. Its just where the stitches went into my anal canal that isn't completely healed yet but theyre close. All external swelling has gone away that I can tell. They say its healing great but I am miserable feeling this way inside. I dont want to walk or move at all because of how uncomfortable it is. From the outside it looks okay, I just cant tell what is causing the feeling of something coming out of my butt and the doctors have brushed me off. I previously had one thrombosed removed after the birth of my first daughter. After the birth of my second daughter, i developed external hemorrhoids basically all the way around. I almost decided to wait on the surgery but the NP thought i would be ahead to have it done before they got worse . they were only able to remove about half of my hemorrhoids because they were afraid of causing a stricture. any advice would be appreciated!
rocky63983 neal0270
Posted
I'm greatful for everyone's posts ,im suffering from a fissure and thrombosed hemorrhoid ,have had botox injections seemed to get better but now worse .contemplating the surgery ,in your opinions is all the pain worth it ?
faye39922 neal0270
Posted
Hi
So glad I have came across this thread.
I recently (just under 5 weeks ago) had 3 of several grade 3 internal hemorriods banded with 4 bands.
For 10 days I didnt notice any bleeding after BM but on 10th day there was that sting feeling at the start of my BM which is always then followed by blood on the tissue and down the toliet.
A week later the same happened and then the same a week after that.
Now at almost 5 weeks post banding the past 2 days I have had bleeding with BM which is same
as pre banding.
I was just wondering if you had all had banding before the actual surgery?
If so how many times and when did you realise it had failed?
Hoping its still healing 5 weeks on but I have a feeling it has not worked!
Some other peoples views and personal stories would be appreciated as I dont know anyone that had same issues as me.
Thanks.
MissBHaven neal0270
Posted
around the three month mark after hemorrhoid surgery i had trouble javing a BM. at first i thought it was constipation but tbe stool as SOFT. so soft tbat when i flush the toilet it disintegrates.. sorry TMI
this has been happening for a month now and getting worse- every 3 or so days i am crying, rocking back and forth and feeling pressure like i have to push but when i do, nothing comes out- takes hours to go. its like my butthole has shrunk. doc cant see me til april 16th and its march 17,2022
my general or primary doctor sent me to a colorectal specialist to check for stenosis 😦 its like scar tissue after hemorhoid surgery rhat makes your rectum shrink and you cant poop
anyone deal with this
MissBHaven neal0270
Posted
around the three month mark after hemorrhoid surgery i had trouble javing a BM. at first i thought it was constipation but tbe stool as SOFT. so soft tbat when i flush the toilet it disintegrates.. sorry TMI
this has been happening for a month now and getting worse- every 3 or so days i am crying, rocking back and forth and feeling pressure like i have to push but when i do, nothing comes out- takes hours to go. its like my butthole has shrunk. doc cant see me til april 16th and its march 17,2022
my general or primary doctor sent me to a colorectal specialist to check for stenosis 😦 its like scar tissue after hemorhoid surgery rhat makes your rectum shrink and you cant poop
anyone deal with this? help im at my whits end and now have two new hemorhoids from pushing
Ddrobin neal0270
Edited
I am so grateful to have stumbled upon this thread. i am scheduled to have surgery in three days I’m also having-a hemmorrhoidectomy. I am a happily gay married male and I’m so afraid that my sex life will be ruined. I have one thrombus external hemorrhoid that gives me absolutely no problems. No itching, stinging, burning or irritations but, It has been present for 4weeks now. I finally went to see a colorectal surgeon and a hemmorrhoidectomy was his suggestion. I am sooooolo terrified of the pain that follows.Were you guys given an option as to whether you want staples or sutures?
neal0270 Ddrobin
Posted
I wasnt given the option when i had mine done. They just went with stitches.
denise71721 neal0270
Edited
I had surgery 6 weeks ago for the removal of 6 hemorrhoids, one thrombosed. my recovery has been so slow and the pain is never ending. i had heavy bleeding for 2 weeks and now still in a lot of pain daily. After BM's are the worst the pain and swelling are unmanageable. i am also having a hard time sitting. I have done everything the doctor has said to do and still don't have any relief. I feel like it is never going to get better and i cry every day. My doctor said I would feel better by 2-3 weeks and no such luck. i am in more pain than i was before i had surgery. I am an extremely active person and have pretty much been housebound since the surgery and don't feel I will ever get back to normal. I have tried everything from pain pills, tylenol, stool softeners, laxatives, prescription creams, etc. If you have any suggestions for some relief i am all for it!
Dubizzler denise71721
Edited
Hi @denise71721,
I just crossed six weeks and I still have good and bad days. What has helped me is ensuring that my BMs are scheduled and happen at fixed times everyday. For me, I go twice and I adjust my stool softeners accordingly - so that I only go at those two times - this ensures that I can go back to work and allows a good 8-10 hours in between for the wound to heal - with no stool passing between that time. The longest stretch without passing stool is when I sleep.
Also - lidocain gel (2-3 mins before you go) and right after you go helps reduce the pain. The doc prescribed something called Cathejell for me - might be called something else where you live. A small foot stool 5-7 inches high under your feet when you sit on the toilet raises your knees higher and eases passing the stool - everything comes out in one short whoosh. I think they have an actual product for this called Squatty Potty on Amazon. The advantage of this is that there is minimum contact of the stool with the wound - speeds the passage and that's what you want. You go in, do your business and you are out - it should not take time.
I am assuming you are on a high fiber diet and drinking water till you pee every hour (that's what I am doing). Apples, pears, bananas, brocolli, avacado, green leafy veges are all your friend.
The surgery really pushes you in to a dark place - specially when you have a bad day and realize that it is not getting better.
Best wishes to you and a super speedy recovery ahead. I am still struggling - happy to help if you have any other questions.
neal0270
Edited
Just a update, i had a colonoscopy a few days ago for something unrelated and was told i have two small internal hemorrhoid's. Kind of a buzz kill hearing that they came back, but i had no clue whatsoever they were there and they dont bother me so im just hoping it stays that way. I know hemmoroid surgery isnt the end all, it removes the ones you have, makes it less likely they come back in the same place but you can still get new ones. But i still would do it again, if it gets to the point i ever needed too. Its been almost 5 years since my surgery. The 2 months of pain and the 6 months in total of aggravation was totally worth it for the 4 1/2 years so far ive had no pain, and honestly other than randomly seeing emails of people replying to this post i havent thought about hemorrhoid's once since my surgery.
I know this isnt the news you guys probably want to hear, but like i said the surgery is worth it even if they end up coming back in the future. As you all know hemmoroids arent fun, but id rather suck it up and suffer 5 years of pain and aggravation over 2 months dealing with the recovery than dealing with it for the past 5 years any day.
m52597 neal0270
Edited
Nice to find some information on the long term aspects of this procedure. I was ready for a month or two of healing after my surgery late December 2021, but I am now about five and a half months after the fact and things are still off. I had two external and one internal removed, now in retrospect because one of the externals was not really bothering me and I did not know of the internal I should have had just the problematic external one removed. My surgeon says things are healed but my backside feels a bit different then before the surgery, like the back door is cracked open and not as shut tight as before. This may be due to not having some of the external tissue any longer, but it is still uncomfortable to sit for long periods because things feel "off". Also I went through times of not going for 2 or 3 days to going 3 times a day after every meal! I had a bleeding incident after a tough bm about four and a half months and the anxiety over that drove me to my family doctor for some anti anxiety meds. After a bm things can feel raw & irritated until I can get a shower and clean up. If i don't get a shower then I find that even though I clean myself thoroughly that later on whatever residual that stays in the chute will leak out, again maybe because of the external tissue being removed. The internal one was suture ligated and that really was uncomfortable for three to four months. I also feel that the muscles may have been weakened but I go for an evaluation by a different doctor this week. I am hopeful that after some time, like you that I won't even recall that I had this surgery but in the meantime I think about it more everyday than I did prior to the surgery! Doctors don't stress that you may get some nerve damage that causes you to not know what is at the door to exit, air or stool. That things will feel different that what you remember and this can be very stressful if they tell you that you are healed 6 or 8 weeks after but you still feel raw and irritated. They also don't really warn you that the stress and anxiety can really cause you problems from a mental health perspective. My two cents is to avoid this procedure if at all possible and if you do have this surgery only have the problematic ones you know about removed. While I hop that things will get better with time, I am still in the regretting I did this camp.
Dubizzler m52597
Posted
Hi @m52597
I hope you are feeling better now - I can really connect with your post. I have crossed my 3 month mark and things are not "back to normal". I am still on lactuolose twice a day (low dose of 7.5 ml twice a day) but i need something to keep it soft. During this time i have tried to use Fybogel (psylium supplement) but that makes it worse for me. I tried with loads and loads of water but somehow it makes more stool bigger and somewhat harder (not softer).
My diet has dramatically changed - fruits and veges rich in fiber content. I drink about 2.5 liters of water per day. I am no where close to 30-35g but I am working on that slowly.
There is a suture where the doc removed one of my hems and it has overgrown skin over it...somehow that always gets nicked by a slightly hard stool and leaves a streak of blood sometimes in my stool....every now and then depending on what i eat during the day. The blood just freaks me out and i totally understand what you mean by the mental stress and anxiety associated with the surgery recovery. I really dont know if that will ever heal properly and if the pain passing bms will ever leave me.
I wish the doc would tell me that the pain will never go but everything else is alright but he doesn't say that. He does say it will "get better" but i am not so sure about this any more. I am constantly stressing over whether they are coming back and it just occupies my whole day. Its like I am waiting for it to get better so that I can get back to living my life - I am just stuck waiting. Its been 3 months and I can't stop thinking that they are coming back or something else is wrong with me...fed up of it all.
I have read on this forum that people suffered 6-8 weeks and were on their merry way - that did not happen for me, not even close.
Hope everybody feels better soon and thank you for sharing your experiences and allowing others to vent here - it really helps.
Thank you and best wishes.
michelle15378 neal0270
Posted
i am one week 1 day post op from external thrombosis hem removed idk what all he ended up doing back their but I had like 4 stiches atleast my stiches came undone by the next day they told me to take twice as many laxative as I was supposed to i just took max amount which was 3 its been really painful and I'm pretty sure all stiches are out it looks like I have a huge hole back their from where stiches were supposed to be will that get normal again and look like it should or will I have a big gaping hole forever my surgeon only gave me 5mg percacet which felt like it done nothing for the pain I have been to the hospital 3 different times the first time they were going to admit me the second they were p****d i left the day before so they just gave me a shot of morphine and sent me home which still didn't fix the pain I was in... I have been feeling alot of pressure back their like I have to poo when I don't and it's really painful and antagonizing too
dfreybur neal0270
Posted
Today I am 3 weeks post surgery.
I am still on celecobix (I think that's generic for Celebrex) and Tylenol. I have reduced my tylenol to half of the prescribed maximum. The tramedol was for the first 2 weeks so I have not had any for a week. I am safe to drive a car.
My bladder control is approaching normal. I can stand up to urinate again. I only got up once to urinate. Before surgery I got up to urinate about 1 night in 3 and not at all about 2 nights in 3. The first 2 plus weeks I had the urgency to urinate constantly asleep or awake. Now there's just pain when I push on my bladder to push out the urine. That uses the muscle that's attached to the rectum so that pain should fade over time.
I still only have about 2 minutes of warning before a bowel movement but that's good enough that I can now wear adult clothes. The pain is still bad enough that I moan or whimper as my bowels move but now my wife probably does not hear me crying out in pain. On one occasion I only panted with pain during and after a bowel movement. That was my level of pain for decades before the surgery.
I have worked from home since Covid so I'm back at work. My mind works as well as ever. My body tires out very fast still.
A little bit better every day. The doctor warned me that complete recovery would take around 6 weeks so I'm still half way. The first few days are now a memory of a haze of pain. The first 2 weeks were miserable. We'll see if it ends up worth it.