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
deb6132 gee11215
Posted
Wow. This thread is scaring the heck outta me. I have been bleeding off and on for 2 years with a grade 3 hemorrhoid that causes me no pain whatsoever, but it freaks me out when I see the blood. So, banding didn't do anything, and the doc wants to do the hemorrhoidectomy, and band a few smaller ones while he's in there. I'm going to do it in a few months when my schedule opens up but now I'm getting worried about the postop pain, etc. I can't take weeks and weeks off to deal with this - planning to do the surgery on a Friday and go back to work a week from the next Monday - on Day 10. (Crazy way to spend your vacation time for the year!) Was it possible for any of you to stand/walk for a full workday by that time? I only sit for a few minutes at a time at my job, and there's no place to lay down. My doc said it is harder on men, and younger women than I am.
murray32326 deb6132
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cheryl46943 murray32326
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Wishing you a quick recovery. I will have to return to work in 2 weeks after I have mine.
Has anyone narrowed the field down to how long that leakage is supposed to continue.
I have that now - being the main reason I'm having this done. When i discussed this with my doctor she said that the surgery might not stop that situation. I was discouraged to say the least.
Take care and keep the comments coming. I check every day to see if anyone has a comment to share. For all of us in terror waiting it is calming. Thanks for giving us your stats.
Happybum gee11215
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UPDATE: It's been two weeks and one day since my surgery. I'd say the first week was pretty intense. I could only use tylenol for pain as I had a bad reaction to oxycodone which was actually worse than the pain, lol! Things really started to improve around day 10 and continue to improve. I had two hems removed, one small one large and they were both internal. I also have stitches: Here's a brief description of things so far:
1) pain after surgery was pretty intense and it would have been much less if I could have taken percocet or some other opiod but couldn't. Saying that, the pain didn't kill me so I guess I'm one tough mother, lol!
2) I found ice packs pointless as I didn't want ANYTHING touching that area at all
3) warm sitz baths with epsom salt 4 x a day for 20 minutes each time and after BMs was very important and helped a lot for pain relief, assisting healing and infection prevention.
4) I spent most of my time laying down for the first week especially. Have everything planned that you will need and/or a friend/partner/family member to help you
5) Laying on my stomach to sleep was helpful.
6) I ate lots of soupy meals drank a LOT of water and made sure I prevented constipation like my life depended on it, lol!
7) There was a smell, pretty intense for awhile and it is slowly going away. My guess is that the surgeon cut into an anal gland and now I know what that smells like. We needn't do THAT again.
8) The second day after my surgery I passed a small bowel movement of dark red blood clots. They don't thell you THAT in the post hem surgery pamphlet, but it was all part of the healing process.
9) I had some light pink leakage and wore a pad for that. Now 15 days later it's much lighter.
10) I ended up using the tub instead of a sitz bath pan you put in the toilet as I didn't want the pressure of being in a sitting position. Anyone want a never-used sitz bath pan? :D
11) As a result of being on flagyl to prevent infection I developed oral thrush - my tongue turned white 3 days after finishing the prescription. I am using alternative remedies to get rid of it and it appears to be working. You can also get a prescription of nystatin from your doctor to swish in your mouth.
It's important to note that everyone's surgery is going to be different in how many hems they have, where they are located, etc. and everyone heals differently. I wouldn't be able to get back to a job out of the home as I had to have sitz baths for 2 weeks (surgeon's orders) and I don't feel clean unless I spray off in the shower but if I had to be out I'd get one of those portable bidets. That would work.
The biggest turning point in the pain was really after the first week. But keep in mind, it's only 7 days out of 365 and if you have been suffering with hems for years, you'll FINALLY get your life back!
murray32326 Happybum
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I also did not find ice helpful. Warm baths were the best. Still taking 2-3 per day. Bath is my happy place. I went back to work on day 11 as I could not afford more. If you are an employee with good sick leave I would reccommend at least two full weeks off if not three. Now I am off the oxycodone, just the occasional Advil now. I am still wearing pads to catch the “leakage”, but it is decreasing.
Good luck everyone!! It is tough but worthwhile I hope!
Happybum murray32326
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Yep, I'm at the same point. I am now at week 3 and things, as you say, have plateaued for now. I as well am having leakage or seepage, not a lot, but enough that it caused me to have diaper rash! So I got those small squares of non-stick gauze and just tuck that between the ole butt cheeks. That seems to do well and I also used some awesome cream for the burning rash that went away in about two days. I bathe every time I have a bowel movement. And having bowel movements is still painful and pinchy, and some times I bleed a little bit. Pain wise I'd say the bowel movements are about at a 4-5 but the pain goes soon after the BM so not too bad.
I think it's going to take awhile before I am out of the woods but not too long. Yep, three weeks off for sure! I don't know who the jackaxes are say one week and you're good to go. B******s. Complete and utter b******s.
Sorry you had to go to work sooner than you wanted to. That's no fun. But I hope you are doing better. I found that to keep my bms down I eat one large meal a day at supper. I was having 2-5 bms a day and that was because all the surgery and prep an then the heavy hitter antibiotic just upset my bowels incredibly. I am doing all the right things to calm them down and eating once a day keeps my movements to one to two a day. I guess on the plus side since I go so much that I be less likely to have stenosis. I see that the bms are getting more "normal" in size and shape as I go here.
Keep us posted on your progress, Murray32326. Wishing you a speedy recovery!
cheryl46943 Happybum
Posted
I keep up with your progress and each time I read your ( and everyone who shares ) comments I have less anxiety. My surgery isn't until June but at least I will know from yall's experience what to expect as the healing progresses. Are you still watching what you eat on your evening meal and do you still take stool softeners or Metamucil ?
And can you have coffee ? I just have it In the morning black - but it keeps the headache away.
For all y'all who share your experience it is truly helpful to the rest of us waiting.
And I thought too when the dr said a week that was bull.
Have a good day.
.
Happybum cheryl46943
Posted
Hey Cheryl : )
I don't drink coffee but my guess is that you are fine with it if you are fine with it.
Yes, I still am careful what I eat, making sure it's going to be easy out and soft. I continue to drink LOTS of water and take metamucil and a 1/4 to 1/3 tsp laxaday. I also drink 2 heaping tsp of ground flax seed with a glass of water that helps things slide out more easily. I'll do a 4 week post op report next wednesday to share how it's going.
murray32326 cheryl46943
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I am on day 15 now. Stool softener twice a day. I did metamucil a few times but I found it made it too loose and no Laxaday either. I guess everyone reacts a bit differently. I am a hardcore coffee addict, so I am back on the coffee!
cheryl46943 gee11215
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strong23065 gee11215
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Happybum strong23065
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I found that things did improve after day 7 and then by day 10-11 a significant improvement. I did take tylenol to help and that was the only thing I took. If you can take it, I'd suggest you do so. It helped me, especially before bowel movements. I go first thing upon waking up so I'd set an alarm or wake up naturally an hour or so before getting up and I'd take it then so it would be in full effect when I had my bowel movement. Try to keep breathing and focus on relaxing through the pain. Some people sit in a warm sitz bath and found they were able to relax more through the movement. Hang in there. The pain does get better.
cheryl46943 strong23065
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That is my fear too. Pain !!!!!!. And not getting back to work soon enough. And no one to help me with my husband who has Parkinson's. My surgery is in June as I will have my granddaughter for 3 days.
I have been watching this group for a month now and happybum and others have been my anxiety relief. I don't think any of them realize how much mental support they give me and others that reach out to this chat .
I will pray you get relief. Have a speedy recovery and please keep us updated.
strong23065 cheryl46943
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it’s day 3, still tryin to hav a bm, I’ve removed everything off the counter, taken the toilet paper roll down an quickly mastered wall holding, I’m home alone an even though I want to hav a Bm, I really, really don’t, I’m comfortable sitting and standing, walking like half penguin half robot, trust me the only thing really saving me ritenow is my humor, I’ve cried, grown ass man crying about butt pain, but I’ll say this too everyone that’s dealing with this, I’ll do this over an over again if it rids me of the hemmoriods, it seem to some that the hemmoriod pain is forgotten once we have the surgery but as for myself, I’m a runner, I ran the day of the surgery, even though I completed my exercises the pain from the hemmoriods would kick my _ss, it interfered with all my daily activities, my main focus during the time I woke till bedtime was to gain comfort, so just to know that there’s a end coming gives me joy to the point that I can humor myself.
strong23065 gee11215
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ana36747 strong23065
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