Hemorrhoid surgery recovery tips
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Hemorrhoidectomy recovery
I had a hemorrhoidectomy two weeks ago. The doctor warned me that recovery process would be painful. But I didn't think it would be this intense. Here are a few tips to ease the pain. It made a world of difference in pain management for me:
1) ice packs-- most ice packs are not shaped for your butt and the flat ones only numb the butt cheeks, not the surgical site where you need relief. So make your own! Buy diapers (any size 3-6) and fill it with 3-4 cups of water and put it in a ziplock bag (for hygienic storage) and in the freezer. Once frozen, the diapers are curved perfectly to your anus area and won't drip as it melts either because the gel is designed to hold in liquid. I use one diaper several times before tossing. Just put it in a ziplock bag and refreeze.
2) squirt bottles--clean yourself with squirt bottles, not even wet toilet paper or baby wipes were gentle enough post surgery when the area is extremely raw. I bought two big squirt bottles at the drug store and fill them up before any bowel movements.
3) Boneal-- after cleaning the anus with the squirt bottles, I apply boneal (otc lotion for anal cleaning) lotion on toilet paper and dab it on my anus. It relieves the pain and itching that come later in the healing process.
4) sitz bath-- Do this 2-3 times a day and definitely after a bowel movement. Sometimes, I have my bowel movements in the sitz bath to ease the pain. Just remember to rinse it with soap and hot water right away if you have a bowel movement in there so you don't sit in fecal water and develop a uti on top of everything else.
5) if possible, stick to lots of veggies and soups for the first two weeks to allow the wound to heal. No starchy foods and anything binding!!!
These tips were given to me by the maternity nurses after I had a baby, but they are completely relevant here and I am especially grateful for the ice pack diaper trick! It was the ONLY way an ice pack can be applied to that anus area and not to my butt cheeks. Good luck and speedy recovery. BTW-- get all this ready, especially the diaper ice packs before surgery so you will have it immediately after you come home from surgery. You'll be in so much pain and not very mobile, so have all the relief remedies prepared ahead of time!
14 likes, 446 replies
ainsley27168 gee11215
Edited
oh dear Lord.. ...i am day 13 post op. sometimes I think that's it i am getting better n then I am in agony again. currently not sleeping which is torture as have 3 kids. I would NEVER EVER have this surgery again. I feel as tho ill never get better dramatic i know but it's torture. The pain is enormous.
cindy51948 ainsley27168
Posted
hang in there!! i am 3 week 2 days post surgery and i swear i felt better my second week. I am doing more walking this week( but feel like i have golfballs still in me) so i attribute it to that.. although i really suffered with hemmroids for years, im still glad i had the surgery. i have to believe that one day i will wake up and my hemmroids they say are just still "swollen" and will eventually be gone!! keep taking warm sitz baths, and tub baths. try not lifting much, i know you said you have 3 kids, not sure if they are little, and rest as much as you can.
ainsley27168 gee11215
Posted
Thanks. I finally went to sleep at half 5 this morning. R u still taking laxatives? I am in limbo with taking them and not being able to get out the loo. To not taking them n being constipated. I am constantly in baths which do help and I am much better than I was last week (when I thought i could've passed out with the pain) so I know I must be getting somewhat better, but doc did say 10 days after surgery I would b back at work doing my usual stuff. by day 10 I hadn't even been out the house!
trble gee11215
Edited
Day 6 and cant do a BM. Same yesterday. Thinking about doing the pre prep to flush the system. The pain is bad and hoping to get better. I want off the Opoids.
The Hemorrhoids were controlling my life and this was a no choice for me... just hoping to keep moving forward. Thank you for your words... they have helped me.
eileen18091 trble
Posted
It's so terrible!!! But it does get better! It helped me to stop the opoid and switch to Valium instead. I would ask your doctor. I know the pain is bad, but the painkillers aren't helping with the pain as much as you think they are. For me they made me cry all the time--I found it easier to have more pain and not feel so out of control emotionally.
I also know it's scary, but fiber really is your friend. I love citrucel and think it tastes great.
You really are at the worst right now and it's going to stop hurting all the time soon.
Hang in there!!!
Eileen
darlene47573 trble
Posted
OHHHH I am so sorry. Yes it is awefully painful. Hang in there. I am month 5 and it is so much better than before with the hemorrhoids.I was so sensitive to the pain meds as well. But you might have to take one with a couple of exlax to eliminate. I remember crying so much with this surgery. Take your exlax, then about the time you feel your stomach aching take your pain pill so you can time it right. Then get in an epson tub afterwards. You don't want to get impacted that was even worse. Take the flushing meds or whatever will work for you. Loose stool is better than no stool right now. Try walking a bit and remember to eat soft foods. If you don't eat it makes for harder stools. Remember don't wipe just rinse in tub or with a squirt bottle. I remember sitting in tub and reading all these forums. It actually helped to know I wasn't alone.
darlene47573 eileen18091
Edited
I still take my citrucel, I experience a little bleeding still but not as painful as it was with the hemorhoids. If I take to much fiber I get impacted, so I have to do 1 dose of citrucel a night and that usually helps. Plus I take every opportunity to eat high fiber foods. Wish I would have done that more before the surgery.
trble darlene47573
Posted
thank you.. i was going to stop eating so i won't go anymore... hahaa you make so much sense on the other. maybe ill try some ceral.
trble eileen18091
Posted
thank you... i will talk to the doctor about Valium.
jane16431 darlene47573
Posted
I did exactly the same. Sat in the tub and read, read, read. It was good to part of the "community". A few were going through it at the same time. It was good to commiserate!
mandymd83 gee11215
Edited
I am 4 weeks post op and in terrible pain. I seem to feel better and start doing things and trying to get back to normal and BAM the pain doubles me over, and I can barely walk. It takes 2 days to over come the pain. It feels like there is a golf ball stuck in my right cheek. Going to the bathroom (#2) still hurts so bad. Today I had 2 BM's and they both caused me to scream in pain. Now walking is a challenge. It just seems like I can not heal and get over this. I still have some bleeding, yesterday was a lot of blood. I called the surgeon and the nurse said this is all normal. I don't feel normal ugh! Anyone else out there feeling this way? I am following all the steps, baths, ice pack, stool softners, high fiber, wet wipes, etc etc. Nothing is working. I am using Advil and hydrocodone 325 as needed. I have taken 3 in 2 weeks. Advil every 4 hours every single day. Oh and the itching started Monday night but ended when the pain came back like a freight train. This is the worst recovery I have ever been through. Feeling worthless and defeated day 😦
jane16431 mandymd83
Edited
It can take 6-8 weeks to get reasonably better regardless of what anyone else says. It can be up to one year (I KNOW) before being 100% healed. Sorry to say it but its true. You are in the right place for support!
Guest jane16431
Edited
very true...
mandymd83 jane16431
Posted
although i hate to hear this. It is comforting to know, this is normal. Seems like every BM causes me to start all over with the healing process. And my dr believes i have IBS so that does not help 😦 watching my food carefully and sitting, more than walking, is helping but man i am ready to feel normal again. I am not the type to lay still. this has been challenging for me. Thanks for the words of wisdom it truly helped
cindy51948 mandymd83
Posted
mandy, still with me every BM is some what difficult and im 3+ months post surgery... my Dr explained because the delicacey of the surgery your whole Gi system is forever changed. thats the down fall of the surgery but its something we can live with and manage with diet, lots of water, and exercise! i can at least live my life like this but i couldnt before the surgery.
darlene47573 mandymd83
Posted
Oh Mandy I remember. And the crazy thing is nobody has mentioned sex after this surgery. Sorry maybe to much info. Everything you are experiencing sounds about right to me. It was awful. My last appointment was yesterday and the dr. emphasized the fiber in the healing part and for the rest of your life. he said it help expands that skin down there. Add maybe half a tylenol with codene 2x aday. It helped me go to the bathroom easier. I remember trying to go somewhere in the car by myself and came home bawling in tears and straight to bathroom. Sitting in bathroom crying. I also had to sit myself straight up and half cheek on the toilet. Because sitting flat was awful to. I times the extra medication. The codene was awful on my stomache and made me itch. but half a pill just boosted the the ibuprofen. I eventually went to an alleve 2x a day and a 8 hour tylenol . Good luck. Itching is a miserably good thing. Healing, just rub the preparation h on it.
eileen18091 darlene47573
Posted
I swear it will get better!!! I had my surgery on 9/13 and I feel 1000x better!!! I'm so happy I did it. I swear my quality of life is so much better now. I was in constant pain before, I could barely pass a stool, and I had something the size of a finger hanging out of my tooshie. Now? What an amazing improvement!!!! 4 months later, and I feel so much better than before. I did have issues with passing stool before (urgency was difficult to control) but that's gotten better now. I totally know the pain is horrible. I was on my hands and knees sobbing, but I feel like thanking God every day that I had the surgery.
I swear it gets better!!!