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No pain then pain back, anybody can tell me why?

Posted , 4 users are following.

dan89663
dan89663

Hello, I had the surgery for 3 internal hemoriods 18 days ago. I have read all the encouraging and horror stories on the blogs. So I think I am probably doing about normal in recovery for the most part. There is something I am searching for an answer to though. I went through the hell of the first 2 weeks .I went back to work 6 days after the surgery even though the pain after a BM was a 6 / 10 everyday. On day 10 and 11 after a BM the pain was not bad at all maybe 4 / 10. On day 12 hell came back with a BM pain of 10 / 10 for 10 hours. Then back to the normal of 6 / 10. On day 16 I thought I was there with a pain level of 2 / 10. Yesterday was day 17 and hell came again with a 10 / 10 for 10 hours. I changed nothing, been drinking lots of water, take stool softness 3 times a day. Why the pain roller coaster? Will I ever get off the pain train? Thanks 

0 likes, 18 replies

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  • teresa34100
    teresa34100 dan89663

    Posted

    Hi Dan, I think you did amazingly well to return to work on day 6. It took me 4 weeks to get back to,work. Day 12 I thought I’d turned the corner and then, as you mentioned, I got hopeful the worst was over only to crash back to,agony for hours after a bm. I did seem to be 1 step forward, 2 back for a while. It will end though, probably sooner than you may think. Another week or so and I’m sure you will not have these setbacks anymore. It is normal though, I’ve read of a lot of people experiencing setbacks for no apparent reason. If it’s still happening after a week or so, I’d see your doctor. Best of luck!
    • dan89663
      dan89663 teresa34100

      Posted

      Thank you for responding and helping me out. You read so man horror stories but you don’t see many positive ones. I have been trying to figure what I did different the days before the really bad ones but I can’t pin it on anything. How far out are you now from surgery? 
  • teresa34100
    teresa34100 dan89663

    Posted

    6 months. I’ve accepted that I will never be the same down there, but at least no bleeding or pain. 
    • Happybum
      Happybum teresa34100

      Posted

      Hello Theresa, 

      May I ask, if you are not experiencing pain or bleeding, what is now not normal for you? I am sorry that it isn't yet, for you. I am now at 5 1/2 weeks and things are improving but not nearly as fast I had hoped. 

    • dan89663
      dan89663 Happybum

      Posted

      Happy, can I ask how you are doing at 5 1/2 weeks, you said things are improving but what does that mean? Are you where I am at still or are you further along than me. What is crazy for me is that I think I am healing but it is hard to gauge. Like I said in my opening comments day 12 and 17 were pure double D hell. But then day 16 and day 18 were pure happiness with a pain level of 2 for the whole day. So the day before and after a hell day and feeling like I was swollen up and not being able to function I have a great day. Now today on day 19 the pain level has been a 4 for the whole day. Theresa was encouraging in that she thinks that I am healing, I was just wondering if you had these same experiences.
    • Happybum
      Happybum dan89663

      Posted

      Well, it seems to be there is a general prognosis of healing but that everyone heals at their own pace according to their specific surgery (internal or external hems, how many, etc.). I actually for a few days there back in weeks two to three had a few bms that had no pain or bleeding. But now I have pain every BM (have them first thing in the morning and usually one upon waking and another 20 mins to a couple of hours later). I have pain (2-6) and some faint bleeding. I then get into a sitz bath. I then have varying levels of comfort or discomfort throughout the day. I still have my stitches in and I think that also adds to the feeling of something still being in there and some discomfort with that. 

      I have muscle spasms one to three times a day. I also am too sore to sit fully on my bottom. I have to sit on my side. I don't sit much at all yet. I can stand but have to be careful picking up anything or bending down to do something. I can feel it. 

      I think once I get the stitches I may feel it less but we'll see. I am set to see my surgeon for a follow up middle of April but am going to contact him to see if these stitches should have fallen out already or not. 

      I am having less urgency now and my system seems to be calming down. Having some little flatulence that just happens sometimes - I am not even aware that there is any gas trapped but then it comes out - just a little and silent - SBDs lol! There is less, usually, seepage as well and no real blood with that either. Basically, as the surgeon has said, I have two anal fissures now as the incisions heal. I have sitz baths still and will do that until I no longer have any more bleeding. I am one day shy of the 6 week mark, post surgery. 

    • dan89663
      dan89663 Happybum

      Posted

      Happy,

      How are you doing? I am at 6 weeks and a day now and still having problems at times. This week I had 4 days in a row that were relatively easy with pain levels in the 1 of 10 range. Yesterday I was in the 4 of 10 range for 7 hours and today has been 10 of 10 for 10  hours. Some days I have one BM others I have two. So yes I am fed up with this slow recovery process but I have no choice but to keep moving forward one day at a time.

      I was just wondering how you are 20 days or so ahead of me.

      Thanks

    • Happybum
      Happybum dan89663

      Posted

      Hey Dan : ) Yep, it's a long process, that's for sure. I am at about 8 weeks 5 days. Here's the update:

      - no more seepage! YAY!

      - no more unpleasant, again, YAY!

      - still having pain with BMs - 3-6 on the pain richter scale. Usually settles after BM. I STILL take a 15-20 min sitz bath after it.

      - The wounds are still tender, but improving - slowly.

      - After mostly my morning BMs I bleed from what are now, my surgeon tells me, fissures. Some bright red blood on moistened toilet paper. He prescribed ointment that has a pain reducer and anti-spasmodic in it to help things heal. It IS helping but it's a slow process. I was told to be on it for 6 weeks. 

      - I rinse off in the shower after any BM just to keep the area clean and to guard against infection of the fissure. 

      The bowel issues continue to settle and that helps as well. I find eating meals that are soupy help alot and continue to take my metamucil 2xdaily. I don't do the propylene glycol anymore. Don't need to. I continue to drink A LOT of warmed water - that helps with digestion and comforting my digestion. I am still not exercising the way I want to yet - can't do stretches properly as it stretches the skin which breaks the healing of the wound. I found this out the day I over did it at work. Paid for that for a couple of days.

      So two months now and I can see that the propaganda of "one week and back to work" is a complete LIE and 6-8 weeks is more like it. Some people may do better at 3 weeks - I was no where NEAR ready to get back to work at that point. Again, I had internals, not externals. 

      All in all though, good progress. I am hoping that at 3-4 months this will all be, truly, behind me. Pun intended! LOL! Hang in there, treat yourself often (I did some MAJOR damage to the chocolate inventory at my local store). Whatever it takes : ) take good care of yourself. This truly is one of the most challenging surgeries. 

       

  • teresa34100
    teresa34100 dan89663

    Posted

    The difference is that I now pass a bm about 4/5 times a day instead of once, as it used to be. I also have to strain to pass it, even though I take stool,softeners every day. Think it’s a bit of stenosis (narrowing of back passage due to scar tissue). Whatever, I will put up with it, I’m definitely not going through that agony again! . Still early days for you and I’m sure you will be fine. I’m not In any discomfort or bleeding, but I do worry that the straining may set it all off again.
    • dan89663
      dan89663 teresa34100

      Posted

      Teresa, I am doing good with the once a day program for now. I am able to go the bathroom before work most days which allows me to do the sitz bath before I have to leave the house. And by the way my returning to work on day 6 was a mistake, I should have stayed off for 2 weeks, but I couldn't stand it.

      Can I asks how long before the pain of an actual BM goes away? I am having some days where the lingering pain that last for hours later is manageable or even not that big a deal like yesterday when the day before was hell. But regardless of the lingering pain and how long it last every BM is very painful. I don't have to stain of push much but it hurts a lot during the event. When did that get better for you?

      Thanks

    • Happybum
      Happybum teresa34100

      Posted

      Thanks for explaining that, Teresa. I wonder if it is stenosis and if that is why you are having to go more than once a day as in your bowels don't push it all out at one or two sittings. I know that the treatment for stenosis is dilation. Have you spoken to your doctor/surgeon about this? 

       

  • saj86598
    saj86598 dan89663

    Posted

    Same here,I'm on day-10 I had 3 hemorrhoids n 1 fistula,I pray everyday for quick healing

    • dan89663
      dan89663 saj86598

      Posted

      So Saj, how are you at day 10? I am so glad to be at day 21 even though I am still hurting. The doctors that do this apparently all say the same crap that it will be all good in 2 to 3 weeks. I told mine he needed to change his statement when asked about recovery from “ you will be in uncomfortable for a while” to “ this is going to be the most painful thing you can imagine”
  • teresa34100
    teresa34100 dan89663

    Posted

    4 - 6 weeks, I would say, but should get better and better up to this point with the odd setback, for which there doesn’t seem to be any reason. It’s a trial getting through it, that’s for sure. But it will get better, keep the faith guys........happybum, the last thing I want is to go back and have more work done! I’m happy to put up with it, lol! Wishing you both all the best.
    • Happybum
      Happybum teresa34100

      Posted

      Oh I hear ya there, Teresa! I had a stitches on one side that were mostly out but not and was actually causing me discomfort. I thought, oh man do I HAVE to go back and see to this with the surgeon but thank goodness that they came out today! YAY! Google "dilation rectal stricture" and you'll see more on this if you are curious. Man, I am so ready to be done with all of the surgeon's and doctor's appts on this. This is all such good motivation to do everything I can to have perfect BMs for the rest of my life! LOL! NO MORE HEMS EVER!!!

       

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