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Hemorrhoidectomy recovery experience

Posted , 93 users are following.

neil31417
neil31417

I had a hemorrhoidectomy a couple of years ago and I used this site quite a lot during recovery for tips so i decided id finally share what happened with me in case it helps others. 

My piles were BAD. they didnt cause me pain but they eventually got to a stage where they were bleeding CONSTANTLY. I had appointments with the hospital (UK- NHS) on and off for about 18 months and was repeatedly told that they're been banded and i should be fine. 

The problem continued and I kept going back. After one particular sigmoidoscopy the nurse was wheeling me back and was saying everything was fine. It was at this point i had to stop her and said no, everything wasnt fine. I explained id been in several times before and I kept getting told i was fine only to go home and bleed profusely. The bleeding was excessive to the point that I was anemic and was on verge of a transfusion. 

Upon hearing this, the nurse took me back into the surgeon who said he would have another look. I dont know HOW differently he looked but he told me I had an extreme case of circumferencial hemorrhoids that were actively bleeding as i was on the table and that surgery would be required.  

I had a weird sense of dread and relief. FINALLY they've found the problem but OH GOD, SURGERY. 

I woke after the surgery and was discharged soon after having been told that i may have some discomfort but  healing time would be 2-3 days. 

I say this with no exaggeration or dramatics but that was just absolute inaccurate bullsh*t.  I was in excrutiating pain when the morphine wore off. I couldnt move without severe pain, I couldnt walk or stand up or do anything without help and severe pain. 

I didnt need to go the toilet until the following day and every single minute motion caused severe pain and the act of actually passing my stool was almost unbearable. 

To give you some perspective on me and my threashold. I've been knocked over by a car and fractured by skull, I've broken my hip, pelvis and elbow in a bad fall, ive had tattoos etc etc....NOTHING comes close to how painful this was. 

I dont tell you this to put you off....i tell you this because at one point i found myself sat on the toilet almost in tears (LOL i have to laugh at this now!) wondering if this pain would ever actually end and it was in this mood that i came across this website. It was a weird relief to read that other people have had horrendous experinces too and that it was not just me. I read about having sitz baths and what foods could help with toilet visits etc and I actually had some hope that I would get better.

The only thing that helped with toilet visits was showering after. I cralwed into the shower after each visit and let the warm water wash me up and it soothed the burning pain considerably.  

I was bed ridden for 3 weeks and even when i could move around a bit easier on my own, i had these muscle spasms that would come on unexpectedly, cause a short blast of pain and then disappear. 

All in all i experinced pain to varying degrees for around a month. I had on and off bleeding for around 1 - 2 months to the point that the doctor actually recommended i wear sanitary pads which i did! 

The recovery obviously depends on how serious the piles are but if they ARE serious, you can expect a horrible bumpy ride after. I say this....because I wish someone had told ME this so i at least knew what to expect other than being told id be out of action for 2-3 days. I could have prepared myself a bit for it. 

Do I regret the surgery? No way..... it was a month out of my life that wasnt great but its given me a lifelong solution and i've never had problems since. 

SO my advice is, get the surgery but mentally prepare yourself for a crap ride afterwards but look forward to being rid of them for good! hurrah!

7 likes, 1223 replies

1223 Replies

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  • sal53035
    sal53035 neil31417

    Posted

    So I was just wondering how everybody procceded with the recovery.

    I had my surgery two weeks ago and still feel like I cant leave the house BM arent as painful but I still need to use the bathtub after, as Soon as I wont need to than I can leave the house. Also my 💩s are very thin, Is that gonna get better or do i have to worry about it. 

    Please give us an update about you guys are, I read almost all you guys comments. And I know its been a year and Im just wondering how u guys are now? Im sure that u are fully healed because u dont comment here anymore but I promised myself to keep u guys updated the whole time becUse i know how ot feels the grt this op and just wanna talk to people who have done it as well. So if u just had this done now or a while ago it would be nice to get this discussion going.

    Much love Sal

    • kimmo007
      kimmo007 sal53035

      Posted

      Hi Sal

      It all sounds normal what you are going through. I didn't leave the house for three weeks for the same situation...was too scared if I needed the toilet what would happen...it gets better believe me...by the time I went back for my 6 week check up I was just about back to normal...only difference was I was having BM 3-4 x day and my Dr said that was probably due to increased fibre etc..  the thinness will go back to normal or at least mine did...post OP 4 months and i now have daily 1-2 BM as well formed as before..I have increased fibre and I take 2 spoonfuls of inulin fibre drink a day and use a squatty potty on the toilet now. Besides that I would recommend using after BM and sits bath some sudoderm cream which is a baby nappy rash cream here in Australia...is full of zinc..that helped me heal really well and calmed down the area.  After two months I went for my brazillian wax and was very scared and asked my therapist friend to take a look to see what it looked like and she said absolutely wouldn't know I had any surgery down there..no scaring at all. I also had a very small skin tag in that area up until recently ..it just seemed to disappear ...so hang in there in a few months you won't even think about it anymore...hope this helps... cheers Kim

    • melissa45115
      melissa45115 sal53035

      Posted

      Hi it's been a little over a year since my surgery. Everything is back to normal now. Because I have IBS I worry about getting a hemmy again. I used a tucks a prep h yesterday for the first time just because I am worried and had awful diarrhea. Good luck to u!

    • sal53035
      sal53035 kimmo007

      Posted

      Omg Kim, I feel so much better after seeing your comment. And Im glad that your doing great now. I do have some skin tags and dont care about them since I suffered so much before surgery . Ive had them for about 10 years now but 4 months before surgery I basically couldnt live with it so im happy I had the surgery done because evertime I would have BM a walnut size party of bloody hemmys would come out and I would need a bottle water anywhere id be to clean and push em back in. Tottaly changed my life. I cant wait to live normal again.  So far I feel the recovery been good, I get less pain everyday from moving around and sitting and BM pain is less but very uncomfortable as well as itching which is a sign of healing. 

      Mellisa Im glad you doing good now because I was following ur story and was terrified that u still had problems after some months. Im gonna call my doctor tomorrow and make an appointment for follow and see what he says. Im a dj and been booked to dj on December 7th and 9th and Im not sure if Cancel it since if things remain the same I wont be able to do it.

      Much love 

      Sal

  • scott101075
    scott101075 neil31417

    Posted

    I just had a Hemorrhoidectomy a week ago for 3 big internal haemorrhoids... The pain I’m in is simply excruciating to the point I feel nauseous... I spoke to my surgeon who is very good I must yesterday and he told me that unfortunately the next couple of days will be bad... I’ve had a rib removed from another op and thought that was bad, this is hell!!! Does anyone have suggestions for when to take pain relief??  Also how long do people on here generally experience bleeding... I was too bad til today when I had to go to the loo twice in 15mins... is that expected... also I was told 2 weeks off work but I’m thinking 3 at least...
    • sal53035
      sal53035 scott101075

      Posted

      Hey scot i got mine done about two weeks ago, not sure how many internals they removed but they were huge. Also had a fissure which im gonna see the doctor today and hell let me know how thing went.

      Hang in there for another week u gonna be much better. Took my first walk yesterday and sleeping was much easier. I stopped taking pain meds 5 days ago and started taking two 500mg tynelons. Which is easier on the stoamch and less constipation. If u feel ur constipated take milk of magnesia to empty out everything. Make sure to take metamucil after each meal. Also drink full glass of pruine juice before bed which helps a lot!!

      I still have some pain going to the bathroom but not as much as a week ago. For matter a fact i just had BM and can actually focus on posting here.

      Take the pain meds right after BM and try ur best to cut down on the meds which is gonna help you physically and mentally. First week is the worst I promise u gonna be better in few days.

    • sal53035
      sal53035

      Posted

      Havent even took tynelons for three days now. But A week ago i thought I had to be on pain meds for a month. Everyday is a huge step. Best of luck
    • scott101075
      scott101075 sal53035

      Posted

      Hi Sal, I suppose the worst part is when I have a BM and then have to go again around 20mins later which is when the pain is unbearable and I also seem to bleed then too... Which worries me... I wanting to make sure that everything that I’m experiencing is normal for my type of surgery? Thanks for replying, I’m glad I’ve found this forum as it’s a good support group.... 😊

  • sal53035
    sal53035 neil31417

    Posted

    Well I belive it is normal. I know people who had bleeding problems for courple months. Mine stopped 4-5 days ago. Make sure u on top of the stool softners and pruine juice and fiber somu just go one to twice a day and emptied out. If u go back to back that means u stool is steal not soft enough. When that happend to me I just took milf og magnesia to make sure everything is out.
    • sal53035
      sal53035

      Posted

      Sorry for the terrible typing just woke up from a nap. I was at the doctors office and said everything seem to be fine and I'm healing. He also said he removed 3 huge internal hemmys. Nad could remove one of them. And see how things go 3-6 months.

    • scott101075
      scott101075 sal53035

      Posted

      Hi Sal, I think the worst part is because of the swelling etc I kind of feel I need to do a BM often... so it’s hard to tell when I really need to go... I’m having plenty of fibre and softeners so I’m pretty sure I’m having enough... Its more the pressure/pain that gives me that feeling so maybe I tried to go and didn’t need to... Very frustrating 
    • sal53035
      sal53035 scott101075

      Posted

      Scott that feeling eventually goes away . the first 5 days for me were the same.  Wait till two weeks post op and ull get back to somewhat comfortable. Man this durgery is not easy and it takes for any wound to heal from 4-6 weeks. Keep it positive and give it some time. I still feel uncomfortable but can live without meds. so happy a sized walnut doesnt come out of there when i go 💩.

    • scott101075
      scott101075 sal53035

      Posted

      That’s good to know Sal as it’s still quite swallen and feels like they’ve added external ones for fun lol 😂 Besides the pain the most annoying aspect of it is that friends and family seem to think it’s a joke when they don’t realise how painful the surgery is... I’m only one week post op so I still have a bit to go, I’ll get through it... even just being on here is a massive help... I do appreciate the advice etc 👍

  • jason01795
    jason01795 neil31417

    Posted

    I just had my Hemmroidectomy two days ago. After living with piles for just over 10 years, I did everything except surgery for 6 years, including Phenol injections; and varying outpatient treatments. Nothing seemed to make them go away. My Colonrectal surgeon finally said he wanted to move forward with the complete surgery. I suffered from internal, and external hemmoroids so my doctor warned me about the bumpy road ahead. 

    After my surgery, my surgeon said my piles were in the top 10 worst cases he’s seen. This didn’t surprise me, because I have been living with profuse bleeding, extreme pain, and intense discomfort. For as long as I remember, my life involved my Piles. My wife thank God understood, and withstood may days of bed rest, leaving important events early due to explosive bleeding etc.

    Here is my analysis of my pain level after two days. It remains at 10/10 now for 48 hours. I had my first bowel movement yesterday, and I imagine that’s like passing razors out of my rectum. The worst issues I’m having is sudden quick sharp spasms. The anus will not rest, it feels as if I’m pooping, without pooping. I knew what I was in for, and I’m going to troop through this! All of you guys reading this know you’re not alone, we can share with each other here tips and tricks to ease the discomfort. 

    1.) don’t use opioids, just tramadol, it will help with not getting constipation. It’s less addictive than the other pain killers out there. 

    2.) stool softeners, and husk!

    3.) witch hazel and vitamin e in your site bath. Avoid epsom salt for a little while. This will burn indescribably. 

    4.) eat baby food, apple sauce, basically mush for a week or two. 

    5.) don’t be afraid to learn Lamaze breathing, deep breathes will save your life. 

    6.) stay hydrated, you will have a difficult time urniating. Use the faucet in warm water, and run it on your hand for however long you may need.

    7.) hemmorwedges! Get them on amazon! This is the best! Get a couple packs, to rotate the ice and keep the area cold. This will help with post operation swelling, and reduce pain substantially. Btw; you will experience spasms from the cold, it sucks. 

    8.) be patient, take each second one at a time. 

    9.) don’t over exert yourself, rest rest rest! 

    Best of luck everyone! Godspeed! 

    • jenniferslice
      jenniferslice jason01795

      Posted

      Hi Jason,

      Thank you for sharing your story and your tips for surviving the after effects of surgery.  I also did the trick of running water in the sink to make myself urinate in the first couple of weeks of surgery. As for the spasms, see if your Dr. will prescribe you either Valium or Ativan. I had read that some Dr.'s prescribed Valium for the spasms and I already had a prescription of Ativan so I asked my M.D. if it was okay..he said yes and voila! it works to ease them after a bowel movement.

      Like you, I had bleeding that would explode out of no where and I ended up having 3 internal and one external hemorrhoids removed. It's been 13 months and yes, I can still feel pain, but it's more about my chronic constipation that I've dealt with for 11 years. The better I eat...the less trouble I have. I will honestly say, I don't know that I would have had the surgery had I known I'd still have issues, but at least I don't have to worry about explosive bleeding anymore...

      Take care and happy holidays,

      /J

    • jason01795
      jason01795 jenniferslice

      Posted

      Hi Jennifer,

      I so happy to have responses like yours to better understand the healing process. I think we all individually have varying issues that arise from our surgery; depending on severity of our circumstances. 

      So it’s been 5 days for me, and the pain has dramatically shifted from a 10 to a 7ish. One surprising thing I’ve had continued issues with is Urinating. For me, I must go into the shower, and run warm water on myself for a good minute. Eventually, I’m able to release my urine. My swelling on my rectum, and my testicles seemed to increase making it difficult to urinate. Also, I may be seeing the beginnings of a urinary tract infection. I’m keep my eyes on my body temps with a thermometer just in case I spike over 100.4F. At the moment I’m staying around 100F.

      Still maintaining a strict baby food diet, as well as introduced egg drop soup. My family is in the medical field and keep telling me the benefits of eggs (sulfur) for healing. Bromelain for reducing the swelling. 

      As for right now, the pain comes in waves. Some hours are worse, while some are better. I guess by week 2 I should start getting some relief. 

      Thanks for the words of encouragement all! 

      Happy Holidays 

      Jason 

    • tonya1963
      tonya1963 jason01795

      Posted

      Hi Jason. It's been 13 months for me now since my first surgery and 12 months since the second. I do wish many times I didn't have the surgery, because I'm still having pain issues and I'm just fed up of my life revolving around my butt. Lol

      It does get better. I had 9 weeks off work and what a miserable time that was, it was no holiday, that's for sure

      My Sitz bath was my best friend and when that wasn't enough, I soaked in the bath for hours. I'm still use baby wipes and creams after every 💩

      Good luck.

    • jenniferslice
      jenniferslice tonya1963

      Posted

      Tonya, thank you for jumping in on this just to let everyone know that not all of us walk away from this surgery feeling swell and brand new! I'm almost 14 months post op and I still feel every BM I pass. 6 months ago, I was having so much pain, that I still needed to lie down after every BM. Now I call it more of a discomfort. I also still have bleeding, but as I said, I'm finding that it has more has to do with my chronic constipation and making sure I take enough Metimucel and stool softeners and watch what I eat.

      Jason - be careful of eating eggs. I've had to pretty much give them up because they are constipating. It was someone on this list that made me aware of that fact after I told them I have chickens and eat scrambled eggs a lot because they're soft. I also watch my intake of cheese, red meat, and rice. I tend to eat more chicken and fish on a salads, as it keeps things moving. Still...every now and then I give into temptation and Big Mac and fries! :-)

      Best of luck to everyone...

      /J

       

    • samantha1970
      samantha1970 jenniferslice

      Posted

      I agree... for me, no problems with pain or frequency etc.... but to look at... more external lumps and bumps than before 😔

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