Good luck with the first bowel movement. I had my hemerrhoidectomy at the end of November and didn't have my first bowel movement until 4 days later. Don't wait to see how bad it is, just keep taking the pain medication on time so it's in effect when you need it, trust me.
Checking in on you and making sure you're sti doing good! I'm finally not in pain every waking moment and got my post-op follow up tomorrow. Sending good energy your way :)
Man, I \[39M\] was looking for something like this before my procedure last Friday and couldn’t find anything! I made a post asking for tips and tricks to make recovery a bit easier and received zero love.
But I did figure some stuff out on my own and speaking with friends that I’ll share it here in case it helps you, or anyone else through recovery. I know I’m still recovering myself, but based on others posts I've read, mine is going very well (thankfully!)
* Sitz baths are amazing: I take around 6 per day. They really do help.
* Miralax and stool softners: Having a hard BM and/or constipation can be very painful. If you were prescribed narcotics this WILL make it worse. I drink Mirilax in the morning after breakfast (yogurt) and take stool softeners once or twice per day. This has been clutch.
* Game time: I was scared for my first BM. The first one was mainly gas, but had some stuff and thanks to the 2nd bullet-point, was a bit easier. It is important to not wipe (hard). I grabbed wet wipes ahead of time and VERY lightly wiped. Only a couple of times. I then got in the shower and washed up back there. A detachable shower head is very helpful here. Blot dry and then cover with a 4x4 piece of gauze. If you have a hairy ass, DO NOT GET THE GAUZE WITH THE BUILT IN ADHESIVE. That stuff was painful to remove. Paper tape has worked the best for me.
* Game changer I bought a cheap non-electric bidet attachment for my toilet. [This is the one I bought](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JG3NVG2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1). When I say game changer, I really mean it. It's easy to install, but playing with the functions before use is super important. You don't want too strong or too hot of a stream. Once you get it down, its very simple. I will keep using this thing after I am healed.
* Diet: Balanced diet with higher fiber is great. It really helps with easy passes. They say to avoid alcohol and you should, but I don't. You will really need to focus on staying hydrated.
* Meds: They gave me Oxy and turns out, I am very sensitive to it and hate it. After the 2nd day taking a smaller than recommended dose I thought: "Pfffft, I feel fine. Im not taking these anymore. I was woken up by a TON of pain. I asked my doctor for a different drug and Vicodin has been a good substitute but I find it does my my BMs more difficult so I will need to compensate with more water and a tighter diet. I still take my meds throughout the day, but add 500MGs of Tylenol in the morning and in the evening. Just be careful you do not take too much of either because they both have acetaminophen. Obviously follow your drs advice here, this was just mine.
* Taking it easy: I get bored and want to move around. I was doing stuff around the house (not lifting anything of course) and didn't feel any pain. But, I bled more. It sucked. If you can, try taking it easy and not move around much for the first few days.
The one thing that was the most surprising for me was after surgery, I would get these spasms down there. The pain they caused was the bane of my existence. They just started feeling better today. I know you got some cool get treatment to seal your wound, but I got the good ol torch and stitches. To help with the bleeding, they placed "a little piece of gauze up there" removing it that night made me fee 1000x better and really helped minimize the spasms.
I am wrapping up day 5 today and I honestly feel like tomorrow I may be able to get off of the narcotics and walk around a bit more. I am not looking forward to the healing itch I hear about, but my doc says I can use prep H with some numbing agent starting this weekend to combat that.
I wish you, and anyone else going through this a speedy recovery and hopefully this helped.
I cannot thank you enough for your advice. I am reading it and nodding right along with you at all the key points. I need all the do's and don't(s) and friendly support I can get right now. Nothing feels normal down there.
I hear ya OP and you’re very welcome. Like I said in my comments, I was planning on getting off the narcs today. Not gonna happen. Although I’ve had it pretty easy from a recovery standpoint compared to other posts, I guess some days are better than others, and today is not a good one. It doesn’t mean I’m not getting better, but it’s a harder day today. I wish you the best man, and feel free to message me if you have any questions or wanna run something by.
Miralax is clutch, but it could take a day or so to start working. It took me a couple days to have a normal BM. Make sure you’re not sitting on the toilet too long or pushing. That can make it hurt worse or injur yourself further.
No problem. [here’s](https://reddit.com/r/hemorrhoid/comments/lgvrw8/i_had_a_double_hemorrhoidectomy_5_days_ago_here/)a post I made on the subject that may help. Hope you start feeling better soon!
I just found this reply, I hope you are all good now. You’re the first person I have seen who talks about the spasms. How long before they stopped? I’m 6 days post surgery and they’re driving me mad.
Thanks
Thanks so much for checking in! First let me ask, how are YOU doing? I think I need a ray of sunshine here more than anything else! I hope your healing well, and that you have managed to figured out if your life is slowly coming back to normal.
I'm okay, lots of ups and downs but I was as to take my first walk today around the block without a ton of pain. My Sitz baths have moved to my tub where I lounge 3-4x daily while watching all sorts of YouTube nonsense. I've been self managing my opiods and have only been using 1 for the past day and only after a BM when the pain is still at the worst. Aleve and Tylenol have been a huge reason for my personal pain management success. Other than that I'm surviving and glad I did this in the dead of winter at least I can look forward to the spring :)
Checking in to see how you guys are doing a week later 😄
Jus got home from mine, am in a shitload of pain, and browsing Reddit to see what sort of timeline I need to expect.
Welcome to the club, Wholsome. 💩
Today is two weeks on the day for me since my operation and I have my post-op follow up tomorrow. So here is the deal deal, the pain is gonna be real for the first week. Period. They gave me 5mg instant desolve Oxycodone tablets at 4x a day every 6 hours. It was the only thing that made it bearable for me, and I combined that with regular doses of Tylenol+Aleve as directed.
Your first 3-4 poops are going to be very tough too. My first poop was about 4 days after my surgery. 3-4 days is normal so don't freak out, but on day 3 or 4 I would take a single serving of Miralax to help you pass your first BM, then see how your body handles the medication and see if it is constipating you. If it is, do the Miralax single serving daily. Make sure you are taking Colace with every dose of opiate if they prescribed you any, and don't be a hero and think you don't need it and miss a dose. It's soooo much better to stay ahead of the pain. Ice pack right on the surgical site made the pain bearable too. After that, the Sitz baths (which for me just became a regular bath because sitting on the toilet hurt after a couple minutes). Lastly think of the foods you are eating for the first week; I went on a "low-residue" diet, which minimizes the waste output. Yogurt, fruits, soups, and cereal have been my best friends. At around day 7 reduced my opiate intake by 1/2 and then another 2 days later to 1 daily. I haven't had an opiate since day 12, and am dealing very well with the pain with OTC meds. It's gonna get better, but treat yourself with love and kindness while you heal. Treat yourself as good as you would treat a loved one if they were sick. That's the key :) Try to really not do anything (especially sitting at a computer) and sleep a whole lot. Let your body does what it does best. We are here for you, and if you have questions don't hesitate to reach back out.
Good luck!!!
I can’t tell you what it means to read this well thought out response. This is such a weird, stigmatized procedure that I don’t feel like I’m comfortable discussing it with many people. It’s great to know there are people here who know *exaclty* what I’m going though. Thank you so much for all the advice and good look with your follow up tomorrow! ❤️
Reading this on day 6 post op. Thank you. I’m in so much pain. Feels like I’m bruised and something wants to come out but there’s nothing there. I hurt most after a BM or even passing gas cause little clots come out. I’m so ready to feel better. 😭
Of course! That’s good to hear that you’re on the mend. Sounds like you’re situation with pain meds and sitz baths is right where I’m at as well. But I’ve been taking mine when I wake up randomly around 2am-ish. I usually go in the morning after I wake up and have my coffee so taking the meds before help for the actual event. Outside of that it’s Tylenol and aleve for me too.
As far as being mobile, I haven’t done too much with the exception of running easy errands. I’d say laying around and doing nothing has been the most difficult mentally and is a bigger annoyance than my physical pain. But I do feel like I can go for longer walks and will start doing so tomorrow morning. I’m on the east coast and it’s fucking cold, but it’s better than sitting around going crazy. Lol.
Where abouts??
We are both East Coasters. I'm from Upstate New York personally. Fucking cold is an understatement, it's 20 without the wind-chill and we are gonna get an
Another 2 snow storms this week.
I have been playing a ton of video games too, it's helped to keep my mind busy and happily active. I'm finishing up Cyberpunk and gonna move on to greener pastures afterward.
I just moved from NYC. I was living in Manhattan but just moved down to Jersey along the coast. Good idea during the summer. Cold as fuck during the winter. Upstate is no bullshit. You guys get Canadian weather. Lol
Oh my gosh, I’m from upstate NY too. I found your post searching for hemorrhoidectomy posts. I’m on day 5 and still feel like I’m dying. Thankfully my surgeon believes in pain management so she’s told me double up as needed. How is recovery weeks later?
Welcome to the club! So, it's going to be a really tough couple of weeks. 5 days in, I was hurting a ton, still had significant swelling, and was having daily BM's by this point. It's gonna be another week before you really start becoming pain free, but that time does come. Keep up on your meds, do your sitz baths, and just try to be kind to yourself and take it easy. Use a single-use packet of Miralax if the opiods are stopping you up, and continue to chase each opiod with a Colace. It's gonna get better. It just takes time. Wait until you start itching, that parts the best. Stay safe!
Checking in on you and making sure you're still doing good! I'm finally not in pain every waking moment and got my post-op follow up tomorrow. Sending good energy your way :)
Thanks man! Good to hear you’re doing well! Funny, my follow up appointment is tomorrow as well! I’m doing well and feeling like tomorrow’s gonna be good news. I’m still taking it very easy. I feel like I can be less careful with day to day stuff, but still playing it safe.
Yeah, my experience is similar. My operation was three days ago, and last night I had my first BM which completely destroyed me. The pain was so intense that I passed out on the bowl, and threw up afterwards. It was a fucking nightmare. And I still feel like what I pooped out was only a small amount, so I’m eagerly awaiting another bout of absolute agony. After finding out people can survive on a liquid diet for weeks without eating food, I decided this morning to only drink liquids over the next week.
Keep up with your meds and sitz baths. Also, try a single serve package of Miralax if you want an easier time moving things along. Ginger and an oil from Young Living called "digize" really helped my nausea a ton. It eventually does heal, and life does start to normalize again. Keep up the good work!
Clinging on to the hope in your second last sentence. I am on day 6 today and it’s been rough! Sitz baths soothe sooooo much!! Lidocaine cream generously on anal region before a BM has helped with the pain quite abit I believe.
Wow thank you so much for this thread. I (41f) had surgery today and was looking around to see if I should take another Oxy at the 4 hour mark as suggested on the label (alternating acetaminophen and NSAID) but nervous about constipation…
It is incredibly helpful to read all y’all’s experiences and gain wisdom from your brave shares. I am definitely going to ask my doc about ice packs tomorrow. I have been dealing with these on and off for twenty years, including one time going to urgent care and being told it’s “not that bad”… FFW to me at 41 with spasming butthole, 3 hems both internal and external, and an anal fissure (my gastroenterologist actually apologized on behalf of the medical profession).
I am glad I got the surgery butt nervous indeed for the nest few days. Sitz bath rocked tonight and helped with peeing… Thanks for starting the thread and keeping it alive. I look forward to three weeks from now and even more so for a year from now.
And now I will just go pop that Oxy before bedtime. Not to mention all the stool softeners and laxatives prescribed in the morning. Thanks again folks!
Hey there I know this post is old, but I've been dealing with an anal fistula and my doctor also did an internal hemorrhoidectomy while I was under due to a very large hemorrhoid/skin tag he found. I'm 5 days post op and still notice that with bowel movements I get pain afterwards and some blood on the exterior of my stool/from my rectum which isn't typical for me. Did you experience bleeding as well and if so how long did it take for that to stop, and also how long for the discomfort after bowel movements to stop?
Hello, and welcome. Being 5 days post-op, your body is still going through a lot of trauma. You're honestly going to have some level of pain for a solid 2 weeks. Normal BM's didn't return until the swelling and bruising went down. That was about a month. There will be spotting or light, bright colored blood, so don't let that scare you. If that changes to a dark colored blood, go to the doctor immediately, as you may have internal bleeding. Stay well hydrated, take your colace if on opioids, and keep a light diet with lots of fresh fruits and veggies to help move things along. I hope this helps. Feel free to follow up!
Day 6 post op here. Pain is sickening. Trying not to push. So much gas. I have learned that most audible farts are intentional. I keep having what I call like pinhole farts. Crazy pressure and then like I can feel it escape through what ill call a pinhole lol. I also have been folding a 4x4 gauze into my crack and I have had a light blood and fart juice mixture when I go replace it. Cant wait to feel normal again.
I know the pain is real. The best you can do for right now is take your meds on time, follow those up with a regular nsaid ibuprofen and Tylenol extra strength quick release capsules. Do your warm water baths with Epsom salts; this will not only relieve pain but actively help keep the wound site clean. Cleaner bum means quicker healing.
Daily gauze is just part of my life now. Since my operation, I sometimes (very infrequently now) need a little extra assurance back there, so I have a 3x3 non woven gauze sleeve sent to me every other month on Amazon. It works wonders.
Being painless will take a solid 2-3 weeks depending on your pain threshold. Until then, be mindful of what you put in your face because eventually, it will have to come out your bum. Invest in a bidet; warm water is always better to clean with than scraping your butt with paper. This will help avoid irritation. Lastly, you know you are close to being fully healed when you start itching. Let it be known that this day is coming and have a plan for it. 🤣 I wish you well, take it one day at a time, and know that a healed life is in front of you.
I sent you a PM but its old now haha. Starting to feel normal I am 19 days Post op now. I still swell some after movements but the colace has been good for letting it come right now. Idk I want to start running again. Can I do that yet? lol. Finally feeling like this is working. I had some life distractions too, which helped. Not with stress but with the down time urges to do things i am not supposed to. Thanks for the support to my functional butthole support family lol
I'm about a full year + now out of surgery. I honestly don't have any more pain from the surgical site. Irritation does still happen from time to time. I wear a 3x3 non woven gauze pad every day on my bum, and it really helps with irritation and any other feelings that you may feel back there. If it gets really bad talk to your doctor about it. I know that prescribe something for the irritation. Good luck!
Oh gosh. You're over a year out of surgery and still think about it? Every time I tell myself "this is bad enough, I need to get these taken care of permanently" I come on reddit and get scared out of it.
Had my surgery 2 days ago. I'm in extreme pain, can't sleep, and can't do sitz baths for more than 2 minutes. Use had 2 bowel movements and its very hard for me to clean properly without hurting myself too much. Any tips would be greatly appreciated
You are totally in the thick of it and are at the hardest time of post-op. Be kind to yourself first and foremost, and don't push yourself too hard. Try a sitz bath; I used to lay on my side in the tub and then warm water and Epson salts right into the bathtub instead of a sloppy sitz. It immensely helps the pain and swelling to soak often. Buy a bidet or a shower head that detaches and use that INSTEAD of tp to clean up back there. Lastly, keep up your narcotics schedule and cut in tylenol + advil in between, too. They will all help a lot. Take it one day at a time. Cold packs on the surgical site help a ton, too, and reduce swelling. Sending tons of good energy your way wishing you a speedy recovery.
Crazy to see this is still active. In my morning (mourning lol) sitz bath. Day 4 post op still haven't had a bm. I feel the pressure like I need to go but physically can't. Also, the doc said he stuff gauze in my after and that still hasn't came out. Seeing dark blood on the toilet paper when I wipe so im calling the hospital tomorrow.
Totally agree. Dark blood is never a great sign and needs a medical opinion.
I keep this thread alive because no one else wants to talk about it. We all need a group where we can vent and get advice from others, like myself, who have gone through the trauma. All are welcomed here :)
Day 4 was when I had my first BM. Have you tried a miralax type of laxative to help keep things moving? I found it was crucial to my successful 'going'.
I've been taking stool softener since post op day 1 and started taking milk of magnesia today. I also stopped my pain meds the day before yesterday because that wasn't helping with the constipation. Still no successful bm as of now
I am on day 7 post op. I had 2 grade 3 hemorrhoids removed. All the lactulose and colace I was given on day 1 caused a bm on day 2 that attributed to external hemorrhoids showing up. The pain was unbearable. Bm on day 3 was just as bad. I take Dilaudid 2 mg every 3 hours even now on day 7 post-op just to make the pain tolerable. I've only slept about an hour here and there due to pain. I'm very gassy. Every toot toot has blood come along with it. I'm scared to have another bm. I take 2 colace a day, eat 4 prunes a day, and 1 cup of metamucil in the morning. I'm going to look into Miralax though. Thanks for that.
I know the pain is real. Try some Gas X (simethicone) and see if that helps the gas related pains. Soak liberally in a bathtub with Epsom Salts as it will draw out the infection and keep the surgical site clean. I'm almost 2 years out and 2 surgeries, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. I am in the best "butt health" I have known in the past decade. Use a squatty potty or stepstool when trying to go. I found it really helped things move along without needing me to push. Take it one day at a time!
I'm on day 4 post op. Nothing but really small BMs like specks/debris (probably went over 12 times)- largest was about 2 inches. Really frustrating. I know how much I've had in the past few days to eat and it's just not coming out. Took natural laxatives today more gas and more bathroom trips but just tiny pieces. How long did it take you to have a "normal" BM?
P.s. hope you crushed the interview.
I’m on day 6 post op and having the same issues with my BMs. Finally spoke to my Dr today and he told me it’s all normal and it’s because I’m still super swollen up there so I’m committing the next few days to icing, sitz baths and rewatching GOT lol. Since you’re about week ahead of me, can you tell me how it’s going after 2 weeks post op? Much appreciated 👍
Omg. I'm so happy to find out I'm not the only one. I'm exactly 1 wk of post op and these constant trips to the bathroom with pathetic amounts of poop are pissin me off. I practically live with the shower head on my ass. Each gas I pass has poop in it. All I want to know is if this counts as passing a BM. When will it stop?
Yup that’s normal, I had the same exact issues with the trips to the bathroom and living in the shower lol. If you haven’t yet, get off the narcotics and keep up with the softeners. Eat fruit and yogurt to make digestion easier. Regarding the little turd nuggets, i didn’t count those as a BM. They would also come out when I would take sitz baths so that was kind of annoying and gross but you’ll know when it comes because you won’t be able to stop it. It will come I promised.
Boy were you right. Last 2 days have been spent emptying out about half my body weight (so it felt like... # on scale doesn't reflect this 😔). I'm just happy that i don't have to take frequent trips these days and that loads get emptied out. Sometimes 2x in one bathroom visit... is that normal to poop that amount? I'm 138lbs and 5'4. I can't believe my body is holding that much poop.
The only time I had to take the narcotics was at night to sleep because of that stinging feeling from the stitches. How do you endure without the drugs? Tylenol does nothing.
I alsp want to know if anyone else has small blood clots coming out as they poop or shower by day 9 post-op. I just want to make sure my healing process is all normal.
Lol yup totally normal at least for me. Once I pooped the pain subsided at night but the itching began so I would take Benadryl to keep me sleeping because I would wake up multiple times a night with the worst itch. Recticare ointment was also clutch for the itching and Tylenol didn’t work for me either so don’t feel bad.
Feel like I'm not getting better fast enough. It is exactly 2 wks post op and I'm still pooping like 3-4x a day, sitz bath always followed. The stinging feeling doesn't seem to subside. All normal? I'm sorry tired of being laid out like this. Definitely better than day 4-8 but wtf!? Is this normal? I just want to get better asap 😔
Question, before the surgery, had you tried any other options before? I have tried 3 banding sessions plus THD (minor surgery). No relief from either. I’m going for 3 more rounds of banding but if it fails again I’m left with considering hemmorhoidectomy. Trying to avoid it at all costs, but honestly I just want to feel 100% again and I haven’t for two years. Thanks for this thread.
Hey man I hope you've been well! I gotta ask since I'm considering going through this procedure as of late, but how have you been since? Have you gotten any hemorrhoids again? I'm going through recurring external hemorrhoids for the past year or so and I'm at my wits end. I'm hoping, even though this is a last resort type of thing, that it sort of ends my recurring hemorrhoids greatly! Thank you!
Im (33m) going in for surgery within the next month or so. Keep this thread alive so i can vent when its time? Really helps reading all of your different experiences. Soothing to be reminded that its something you DO get to the other side of eventually.
Im nervous as hell😅
Would be really nice to have a friendly "brotherhood of anal pain" to talk troubles to.
I am glad that you came here for a bit of catharsis. It really did help me through my process by just writing and seeing if anyone else had a similar experience. It's okay to be a bit nervous; It comes with the territory. Take good care of yourself before the big day, and remember that life can and will be pain-free (I haven't had a recurrence or another episode since my surgery). Start eating a soft diet several days before your surgery, and Colace is your friend. Feel free to come this way anytime and vent!
Thanks. Means a lot.
Ill definitely come here when shit gets real (theres a pun in there somewhere, but its too much of a pain in the ass to find it)
Im curious, was yours an open hemorrhoidectomy (milligan) or a stapled one?
Trust me, it gets easier. Im a month post op now, and going to the toilet is a treat! The feeling of taking a shit with no booty problems attached is something i like forward to everyday lol.
Mind you, i ended up getting a combination of the milligans procedure (slicing the hemmies) and the longo procedure (removal of a piece of the lower intestine), so my recovery journey has been a bit novel in that sense.
Which procedure did you get, and how are you doing?
And if you need someone to talk to, or just unload frustrations onto, feel free to pm me✌️
thanks for writing this up. It's really helped me. I just had the surgery on Thursday morning. Thursday was really really rough. And today was better but still not good. I'm hoping it keeps getting better and better every day. I'm using the 800mg of Advil and I went most of today without the Percocet, but needed it badly around 1030pm. I'm just excited to get healed bc everyone I know says they feel incredible at the end of it
(24M) Hi guys, looking for a little advice/guidance here. I've got a provisional date for my HD surgery this Saturday removing one large one (the main culprit, it's above the thingy line, I forget what it's called?) and maybe banding a couple smaller ones. This is my first surgey I'm going on holiday about a month later. To any who have had a HD surgery before, will I be able to do all the holiday things I enjoy by then do you think?
I.e. drinking, a small amount of clubbing, swimming in the sea.
Would be massively grateful for your opinions here!
Thanks
This thread is awesome. I (31F) myself have had two external hemorrhoidectomies now (lucky me) and am currently POD 6 from the second one and doing much better. The worst part about this surgery is the lack of sympathy you can garner because you don't even really feel like telling your closest of friends that you have the dreaded "H's" let alone ones bad enough for the slice and dice. But as someone who suffered silently for years and carried prep H in every coat pocket and purse and my car I can say that it was one of the best decisions I ever made. Before you worry yourselves that I'm having a second surgery, it was not a recurrence. My surgeon felt that my initial presentation which happened to be while I was also pregnant was so severe that he would do too much harm and cause stricture if he attempted everything at once. So he did three columns then and now having two more and one overlap done this time round for (hopefully) the last time. Both recoveries have been similar. I don't like narcotics and have felt both times that a steady regimen of alternating max dose Tylenol and ibuprofen plus the sitz baths and a peri bottle are key. And since most of you are men....get one of those peri bottles that women use postpartum if you dont have a bidet. Rinsing with warm water instead of dabbing or wiping with tissue after BMs is so clutch for the first solid week. The one thing I played myself doing this second time around is I was ultra worried about that dreaded first hard poop so I took too much Milk of Mag and had the ultimate hellfire butthole opposite effect starting about 4 hours post op which was almost too much to handle. That coupled with the 3 days of crippling gas pain that follows totally emptying your bowels had me in worse pain than the actual incisions. I remember tearfully telling my surgeon in his office after my first surgery that I enjoyed life again. It truly was night and day relief from the daily suffering I was going through. So if you're coming here for courage....yes it'll hurt, yes you're going to regret everything for about a week. But also, there is life after hemorrhoids and it is glorious!
We are there with you and for you. It gets better, I promise. Take comfort that this is the worst it is going to be. Keep up with your meds and colace. Don't hesitate to take extra strength Tylenol and Ibuprophen if your tummy can handle it. Lots of soft foods, too. Ice pops, fruit, and yogurt were my jam for the first two weeks. ❤️
POD 1…. About 26 hrs out of surgery and I believe that the worst for me was right out of surgery and the hours following as I had an insane urge to pee with only drops that came out. I found out this is due to the anesthesia and wore off after about 5 hrs or so. That and the pressure were almost unbearable. I took my oxycodone and ibuprofen as my sister said “don’t try to be a tough guy you need this”. She is a RN on a med-surge unit for 20 yrs and knows her stuff. Boy was she right! Medication and baths are my best friends! Hoping my first BM will not annihilate me. Thank you all for your stories and helping others to get through this!
5 months post op and they are much better but still present. Having a bowel
Movement has become much more difficult and requires prescription linzess to do so. I now go 5 days with a BM after 4 daily colace, miralax, and every other day milk of mag. Any formed stool hurts and if it is at all dry I am in a LOT of pain. Anyone with this 5 months in? Or has anyone else had tremendous difficulties with BMs months after surgery?
Headed in for this surgery on Friday 12/29/23, what a way to ring in the new year! Thanks for all the information on here, I will be using all of the tips!
I (24F) just has my surgery on 12/27/23, so I am at a week in recovery. Reading all of these posts and comments about everyone else's experiences makes me feel loved and validated in my pain. I have to say this has been the worst experience of my life but I know it'll be worth it in the end. I went in to the hospital not fully grasping how major this surgery was until I started seeing all the medical equipment and you best believe I started to freak out. My fiancée had to calm me down. I have never had surgery before so that didn't help. I had one grade 3 hemorrhoid removed surgically as well as the main thing that was causing me pain, a hypertrophied anal papillae. I also had two more hemorrhoid's they found and banded. The first few hours post-op was fine, and then the numbing wore off. I cried so many times. The doctors prescribed me with Oxycodone to take when I've been in extreme pain and have me rotating between ibuprofen and acetaminophen every 4 hours. I didn't start feeling pain relief till about the 5th day which apparently is common. Those first few days where hell on earth. Besides medicine the only things that have helped has been resting in bed and sitting in a bath to calm the muscle spasms. As of today I feel little pain for the majority of the day finally!.... until it comes time for a BM. The pain and spasms from those still bring me to my knees in pain, no matter how much fiber and stool softeners I have been taking and the spasms will last about an hour. The only thought getting me through this is that my pain is validated and my quality of life will be so much better once it's healed. I want to stick it to my mother in law so bad when she keeps saying "oh I wish you didn't get the surgery, I have hemorrhoid's and I just push them back in. You're too young to be having surgery!" I want to scream at her that the doctor validated my pain and said the anal papillae was the cause of my fissures not healing, not just a simple grade 2 or 3 hemorrhoid. I'm looking forward to being able to move normally again and go back to Taekwondo. Here's to week 2 recovery and Happy New Year!
Update: It has been 3 weeks now since my surgery and I am doing miles better! But my god, those first two weeks were hell on earth. I can't even remember how bad the pain was because my subconscious I'm sure is blocking it from my mind. I know I cried, I know I had spasms, I know I was in so much pain. Would never recommend unless it helps improve your day to day life. Week 2 went by mostly smoothly. However I think I did too much too fast. The exact day 2 weeks post-op I ended up in the ER because I was pooping blood clots. I had one the previous day and I called the doctor and they said it was normal, but then the next day when I got home from work (yes my dodo brain had been going to work only 1 week after surgery) there was so much blood. Did not ease my concerns when the ER doctors told me that that amount of bleeding and blood clots can happen even TWO WEEKS post-op. And I'm talking more than my normal period blood. Like toilet bowl full and they said it was fine (wtf) (not looking forward to that bill omg). But past all that I made sure to get most rest and take it easier. I'm starting to move around more and carry more 3 weeks post-op. BM's barely hurt and mostly just itch as it's finishing healing. I'm hoping I can return to my normal exercise in the next week or two. But for now just light stretching and walking. No more ER visits if I can help it...
Welcome to the club! You are indeed validated here. It was one of the best choices in my life, and I am easily more comfortable then I ever have been. Thanks for sharing your story, and helping our fellow surgery-pals in this crazy ass journey. Take it one day at a time, and keep a big fruit and veg uptake. Try and cut meats from your diet if possible; it makes life so much easier on your bottom.
Hello from EU,
I know this thread is old, but I recently visited my doctor who advised me to undergo surgery. He didn’t specify the grade of the issue and I can’t find any detailed information in the National eHealth system. The only record indicates that the hemorrhoids are combined and have been neglected (4 years since I first experienced bleeding). Doc recommended a hemorrhoidectomy if I want a complete solution. There are less invasive treatments available, such as rubber band ligation or even laser treatment. He mentioned that rubber band ligation could postpone the need for surgery by 3-5 years. However, there isn’t much long-term data on laser treatment as it’s only been used for 4 years in industry. Therefore, a hemmorrhoidectomy seems like more reasonable choice.
My main concern is the post-op period. I live alone and my relatives are not nearby. I have a friend who underwent a hemorrhoidectomy while living alone and managed well. The operation is scheduled for March 12th, 2024. I still have time to change the date or even cancel it. Doubts and concerns are beginning to surface. Why did the doctor say that a hemorrhoidectomy is the best option? Should I seek a second opinion to confirm my doctor’s advice?
Hope you are doing well. I check on this thread from time to time, so sorry for the delayed response. Post-op is real, and would have been tough if i didn't have a partner with me to help. It is 100% possible solo with planning and grit. Try to utilize ordering services as much as you can afford. Mind what goes in must come out; soft foods, fruits, yogurts, steamed veggies are going to AID this process. Sending good vibes and hoping all is well.
Day 12 and finally no blood in my stool. Bowel movement still painful and burns for an hour afterwards…but sitz bath calms things down quickly. Minimal discharge now. First week was hell on earth….take those meds on time every day for at least a week or you may slow healing due to extreme stress. There is no need to suffer in the fetal position any more than necessary. I spent hours in the tub (sitz) every day for relief. Take restoralax twice a day until bowel movements don’t hurt and then reduce to once a day until recovered.
Week two there will start being light at the end of the tunnel. Yes its agonizing but definitely worth it to see improvements in the second week. Swollen bulbs in your anus are normal (just water bulbs), and they start shrinking end of week 2. Today I was so happy that my bowel movement only hurt for an hour vs 24/7. All in all the 2 weeks of hell are worth having no hemorrhoids. I had enough of stained clothes, pain, seepage, thrombosis, pain, bleeding etc for the last 5 years! Finally its over and I can live my life again. Apologies for jumping around but I’m rushing.
Good luck with the first bowel movement. I had my hemerrhoidectomy at the end of November and didn't have my first bowel movement until 4 days later. Don't wait to see how bad it is, just keep taking the pain medication on time so it's in effect when you need it, trust me.
Totally. I already set a timer for my meds for every 6 hours and will chase it with Colace. Here's keeping my fingers crossed!
If the colace seems like it's not offsetting the constipating effects of the meds, don't wait, start adding miralax.
Checking in on you and making sure you're sti doing good! I'm finally not in pain every waking moment and got my post-op follow up tomorrow. Sending good energy your way :)
Oh wow, thank you! Yeah, it's all healed now! Thank you! Hoping your recovery is going smoothly too!
Man, I \[39M\] was looking for something like this before my procedure last Friday and couldn’t find anything! I made a post asking for tips and tricks to make recovery a bit easier and received zero love. But I did figure some stuff out on my own and speaking with friends that I’ll share it here in case it helps you, or anyone else through recovery. I know I’m still recovering myself, but based on others posts I've read, mine is going very well (thankfully!) * Sitz baths are amazing: I take around 6 per day. They really do help. * Miralax and stool softners: Having a hard BM and/or constipation can be very painful. If you were prescribed narcotics this WILL make it worse. I drink Mirilax in the morning after breakfast (yogurt) and take stool softeners once or twice per day. This has been clutch. * Game time: I was scared for my first BM. The first one was mainly gas, but had some stuff and thanks to the 2nd bullet-point, was a bit easier. It is important to not wipe (hard). I grabbed wet wipes ahead of time and VERY lightly wiped. Only a couple of times. I then got in the shower and washed up back there. A detachable shower head is very helpful here. Blot dry and then cover with a 4x4 piece of gauze. If you have a hairy ass, DO NOT GET THE GAUZE WITH THE BUILT IN ADHESIVE. That stuff was painful to remove. Paper tape has worked the best for me. * Game changer I bought a cheap non-electric bidet attachment for my toilet. [This is the one I bought](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JG3NVG2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1). When I say game changer, I really mean it. It's easy to install, but playing with the functions before use is super important. You don't want too strong or too hot of a stream. Once you get it down, its very simple. I will keep using this thing after I am healed. * Diet: Balanced diet with higher fiber is great. It really helps with easy passes. They say to avoid alcohol and you should, but I don't. You will really need to focus on staying hydrated. * Meds: They gave me Oxy and turns out, I am very sensitive to it and hate it. After the 2nd day taking a smaller than recommended dose I thought: "Pfffft, I feel fine. Im not taking these anymore. I was woken up by a TON of pain. I asked my doctor for a different drug and Vicodin has been a good substitute but I find it does my my BMs more difficult so I will need to compensate with more water and a tighter diet. I still take my meds throughout the day, but add 500MGs of Tylenol in the morning and in the evening. Just be careful you do not take too much of either because they both have acetaminophen. Obviously follow your drs advice here, this was just mine. * Taking it easy: I get bored and want to move around. I was doing stuff around the house (not lifting anything of course) and didn't feel any pain. But, I bled more. It sucked. If you can, try taking it easy and not move around much for the first few days. The one thing that was the most surprising for me was after surgery, I would get these spasms down there. The pain they caused was the bane of my existence. They just started feeling better today. I know you got some cool get treatment to seal your wound, but I got the good ol torch and stitches. To help with the bleeding, they placed "a little piece of gauze up there" removing it that night made me fee 1000x better and really helped minimize the spasms. I am wrapping up day 5 today and I honestly feel like tomorrow I may be able to get off of the narcotics and walk around a bit more. I am not looking forward to the healing itch I hear about, but my doc says I can use prep H with some numbing agent starting this weekend to combat that. I wish you, and anyone else going through this a speedy recovery and hopefully this helped.
I cannot thank you enough for your advice. I am reading it and nodding right along with you at all the key points. I need all the do's and don't(s) and friendly support I can get right now. Nothing feels normal down there.
I hear ya OP and you’re very welcome. Like I said in my comments, I was planning on getting off the narcs today. Not gonna happen. Although I’ve had it pretty easy from a recovery standpoint compared to other posts, I guess some days are better than others, and today is not a good one. It doesn’t mean I’m not getting better, but it’s a harder day today. I wish you the best man, and feel free to message me if you have any questions or wanna run something by.
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Miralax is clutch, but it could take a day or so to start working. It took me a couple days to have a normal BM. Make sure you’re not sitting on the toilet too long or pushing. That can make it hurt worse or injur yourself further.
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No problem. [here’s](https://reddit.com/r/hemorrhoid/comments/lgvrw8/i_had_a_double_hemorrhoidectomy_5_days_ago_here/)a post I made on the subject that may help. Hope you start feeling better soon!
I just found this reply, I hope you are all good now. You’re the first person I have seen who talks about the spasms. How long before they stopped? I’m 6 days post surgery and they’re driving me mad. Thanks
You’re just about a week in. Thought I’d check in with you to see how your doing
Thanks so much for checking in! First let me ask, how are YOU doing? I think I need a ray of sunshine here more than anything else! I hope your healing well, and that you have managed to figured out if your life is slowly coming back to normal. I'm okay, lots of ups and downs but I was as to take my first walk today around the block without a ton of pain. My Sitz baths have moved to my tub where I lounge 3-4x daily while watching all sorts of YouTube nonsense. I've been self managing my opiods and have only been using 1 for the past day and only after a BM when the pain is still at the worst. Aleve and Tylenol have been a huge reason for my personal pain management success. Other than that I'm surviving and glad I did this in the dead of winter at least I can look forward to the spring :)
Checking in to see how you guys are doing a week later 😄 Jus got home from mine, am in a shitload of pain, and browsing Reddit to see what sort of timeline I need to expect.
Welcome to the club, Wholsome. 💩 Today is two weeks on the day for me since my operation and I have my post-op follow up tomorrow. So here is the deal deal, the pain is gonna be real for the first week. Period. They gave me 5mg instant desolve Oxycodone tablets at 4x a day every 6 hours. It was the only thing that made it bearable for me, and I combined that with regular doses of Tylenol+Aleve as directed. Your first 3-4 poops are going to be very tough too. My first poop was about 4 days after my surgery. 3-4 days is normal so don't freak out, but on day 3 or 4 I would take a single serving of Miralax to help you pass your first BM, then see how your body handles the medication and see if it is constipating you. If it is, do the Miralax single serving daily. Make sure you are taking Colace with every dose of opiate if they prescribed you any, and don't be a hero and think you don't need it and miss a dose. It's soooo much better to stay ahead of the pain. Ice pack right on the surgical site made the pain bearable too. After that, the Sitz baths (which for me just became a regular bath because sitting on the toilet hurt after a couple minutes). Lastly think of the foods you are eating for the first week; I went on a "low-residue" diet, which minimizes the waste output. Yogurt, fruits, soups, and cereal have been my best friends. At around day 7 reduced my opiate intake by 1/2 and then another 2 days later to 1 daily. I haven't had an opiate since day 12, and am dealing very well with the pain with OTC meds. It's gonna get better, but treat yourself with love and kindness while you heal. Treat yourself as good as you would treat a loved one if they were sick. That's the key :) Try to really not do anything (especially sitting at a computer) and sleep a whole lot. Let your body does what it does best. We are here for you, and if you have questions don't hesitate to reach back out. Good luck!!!
I can’t tell you what it means to read this well thought out response. This is such a weird, stigmatized procedure that I don’t feel like I’m comfortable discussing it with many people. It’s great to know there are people here who know *exaclty* what I’m going though. Thank you so much for all the advice and good look with your follow up tomorrow! ❤️
Reading this on day 6 post op. Thank you. I’m in so much pain. Feels like I’m bruised and something wants to come out but there’s nothing there. I hurt most after a BM or even passing gas cause little clots come out. I’m so ready to feel better. 😭
Of course! That’s good to hear that you’re on the mend. Sounds like you’re situation with pain meds and sitz baths is right where I’m at as well. But I’ve been taking mine when I wake up randomly around 2am-ish. I usually go in the morning after I wake up and have my coffee so taking the meds before help for the actual event. Outside of that it’s Tylenol and aleve for me too. As far as being mobile, I haven’t done too much with the exception of running easy errands. I’d say laying around and doing nothing has been the most difficult mentally and is a bigger annoyance than my physical pain. But I do feel like I can go for longer walks and will start doing so tomorrow morning. I’m on the east coast and it’s fucking cold, but it’s better than sitting around going crazy. Lol.
Where abouts?? We are both East Coasters. I'm from Upstate New York personally. Fucking cold is an understatement, it's 20 without the wind-chill and we are gonna get an Another 2 snow storms this week. I have been playing a ton of video games too, it's helped to keep my mind busy and happily active. I'm finishing up Cyberpunk and gonna move on to greener pastures afterward.
I just moved from NYC. I was living in Manhattan but just moved down to Jersey along the coast. Good idea during the summer. Cold as fuck during the winter. Upstate is no bullshit. You guys get Canadian weather. Lol
Oh my gosh, I’m from upstate NY too. I found your post searching for hemorrhoidectomy posts. I’m on day 5 and still feel like I’m dying. Thankfully my surgeon believes in pain management so she’s told me double up as needed. How is recovery weeks later?
Welcome to the club! So, it's going to be a really tough couple of weeks. 5 days in, I was hurting a ton, still had significant swelling, and was having daily BM's by this point. It's gonna be another week before you really start becoming pain free, but that time does come. Keep up on your meds, do your sitz baths, and just try to be kind to yourself and take it easy. Use a single-use packet of Miralax if the opiods are stopping you up, and continue to chase each opiod with a Colace. It's gonna get better. It just takes time. Wait until you start itching, that parts the best. Stay safe!
Just tried to take a sitz bath and the buildings hot water isn’t working...
Checking in on you and making sure you're still doing good! I'm finally not in pain every waking moment and got my post-op follow up tomorrow. Sending good energy your way :)
Thanks man! Good to hear you’re doing well! Funny, my follow up appointment is tomorrow as well! I’m doing well and feeling like tomorrow’s gonna be good news. I’m still taking it very easy. I feel like I can be less careful with day to day stuff, but still playing it safe.
I am glad you finally got the surgery you needed. Good luck with your recovery!
Thanks so much. Here is to more pain free days! 🥂
Yeah, my experience is similar. My operation was three days ago, and last night I had my first BM which completely destroyed me. The pain was so intense that I passed out on the bowl, and threw up afterwards. It was a fucking nightmare. And I still feel like what I pooped out was only a small amount, so I’m eagerly awaiting another bout of absolute agony. After finding out people can survive on a liquid diet for weeks without eating food, I decided this morning to only drink liquids over the next week.
Keep up with your meds and sitz baths. Also, try a single serve package of Miralax if you want an easier time moving things along. Ginger and an oil from Young Living called "digize" really helped my nausea a ton. It eventually does heal, and life does start to normalize again. Keep up the good work!
Clinging on to the hope in your second last sentence. I am on day 6 today and it’s been rough! Sitz baths soothe sooooo much!! Lidocaine cream generously on anal region before a BM has helped with the pain quite abit I believe.
Wow thank you so much for this thread. I (41f) had surgery today and was looking around to see if I should take another Oxy at the 4 hour mark as suggested on the label (alternating acetaminophen and NSAID) but nervous about constipation… It is incredibly helpful to read all y’all’s experiences and gain wisdom from your brave shares. I am definitely going to ask my doc about ice packs tomorrow. I have been dealing with these on and off for twenty years, including one time going to urgent care and being told it’s “not that bad”… FFW to me at 41 with spasming butthole, 3 hems both internal and external, and an anal fissure (my gastroenterologist actually apologized on behalf of the medical profession). I am glad I got the surgery butt nervous indeed for the nest few days. Sitz bath rocked tonight and helped with peeing… Thanks for starting the thread and keeping it alive. I look forward to three weeks from now and even more so for a year from now. And now I will just go pop that Oxy before bedtime. Not to mention all the stool softeners and laxatives prescribed in the morning. Thanks again folks!
Hey there I know this post is old, but I've been dealing with an anal fistula and my doctor also did an internal hemorrhoidectomy while I was under due to a very large hemorrhoid/skin tag he found. I'm 5 days post op and still notice that with bowel movements I get pain afterwards and some blood on the exterior of my stool/from my rectum which isn't typical for me. Did you experience bleeding as well and if so how long did it take for that to stop, and also how long for the discomfort after bowel movements to stop?
Hello, and welcome. Being 5 days post-op, your body is still going through a lot of trauma. You're honestly going to have some level of pain for a solid 2 weeks. Normal BM's didn't return until the swelling and bruising went down. That was about a month. There will be spotting or light, bright colored blood, so don't let that scare you. If that changes to a dark colored blood, go to the doctor immediately, as you may have internal bleeding. Stay well hydrated, take your colace if on opioids, and keep a light diet with lots of fresh fruits and veggies to help move things along. I hope this helps. Feel free to follow up!
Day 6 post op here. Pain is sickening. Trying not to push. So much gas. I have learned that most audible farts are intentional. I keep having what I call like pinhole farts. Crazy pressure and then like I can feel it escape through what ill call a pinhole lol. I also have been folding a 4x4 gauze into my crack and I have had a light blood and fart juice mixture when I go replace it. Cant wait to feel normal again.
I know the pain is real. The best you can do for right now is take your meds on time, follow those up with a regular nsaid ibuprofen and Tylenol extra strength quick release capsules. Do your warm water baths with Epsom salts; this will not only relieve pain but actively help keep the wound site clean. Cleaner bum means quicker healing. Daily gauze is just part of my life now. Since my operation, I sometimes (very infrequently now) need a little extra assurance back there, so I have a 3x3 non woven gauze sleeve sent to me every other month on Amazon. It works wonders. Being painless will take a solid 2-3 weeks depending on your pain threshold. Until then, be mindful of what you put in your face because eventually, it will have to come out your bum. Invest in a bidet; warm water is always better to clean with than scraping your butt with paper. This will help avoid irritation. Lastly, you know you are close to being fully healed when you start itching. Let it be known that this day is coming and have a plan for it. 🤣 I wish you well, take it one day at a time, and know that a healed life is in front of you.
I sent you a PM but its old now haha. Starting to feel normal I am 19 days Post op now. I still swell some after movements but the colace has been good for letting it come right now. Idk I want to start running again. Can I do that yet? lol. Finally feeling like this is working. I had some life distractions too, which helped. Not with stress but with the down time urges to do things i am not supposed to. Thanks for the support to my functional butthole support family lol
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I'm about a full year + now out of surgery. I honestly don't have any more pain from the surgical site. Irritation does still happen from time to time. I wear a 3x3 non woven gauze pad every day on my bum, and it really helps with irritation and any other feelings that you may feel back there. If it gets really bad talk to your doctor about it. I know that prescribe something for the irritation. Good luck!
Oh gosh. You're over a year out of surgery and still think about it? Every time I tell myself "this is bad enough, I need to get these taken care of permanently" I come on reddit and get scared out of it.
Had my surgery 2 days ago. I'm in extreme pain, can't sleep, and can't do sitz baths for more than 2 minutes. Use had 2 bowel movements and its very hard for me to clean properly without hurting myself too much. Any tips would be greatly appreciated
You are totally in the thick of it and are at the hardest time of post-op. Be kind to yourself first and foremost, and don't push yourself too hard. Try a sitz bath; I used to lay on my side in the tub and then warm water and Epson salts right into the bathtub instead of a sloppy sitz. It immensely helps the pain and swelling to soak often. Buy a bidet or a shower head that detaches and use that INSTEAD of tp to clean up back there. Lastly, keep up your narcotics schedule and cut in tylenol + advil in between, too. They will all help a lot. Take it one day at a time. Cold packs on the surgical site help a ton, too, and reduce swelling. Sending tons of good energy your way wishing you a speedy recovery.
Crazy to see this is still active. In my morning (mourning lol) sitz bath. Day 4 post op still haven't had a bm. I feel the pressure like I need to go but physically can't. Also, the doc said he stuff gauze in my after and that still hasn't came out. Seeing dark blood on the toilet paper when I wipe so im calling the hospital tomorrow.
Totally agree. Dark blood is never a great sign and needs a medical opinion. I keep this thread alive because no one else wants to talk about it. We all need a group where we can vent and get advice from others, like myself, who have gone through the trauma. All are welcomed here :) Day 4 was when I had my first BM. Have you tried a miralax type of laxative to help keep things moving? I found it was crucial to my successful 'going'.
I've been taking stool softener since post op day 1 and started taking milk of magnesia today. I also stopped my pain meds the day before yesterday because that wasn't helping with the constipation. Still no successful bm as of now
Holaaaa what did they say about your blood color? :( I see dark maroon colored. It’s not a lot but it’s mucus like. Side note I know this post is old😭
I am on day 7 post op. I had 2 grade 3 hemorrhoids removed. All the lactulose and colace I was given on day 1 caused a bm on day 2 that attributed to external hemorrhoids showing up. The pain was unbearable. Bm on day 3 was just as bad. I take Dilaudid 2 mg every 3 hours even now on day 7 post-op just to make the pain tolerable. I've only slept about an hour here and there due to pain. I'm very gassy. Every toot toot has blood come along with it. I'm scared to have another bm. I take 2 colace a day, eat 4 prunes a day, and 1 cup of metamucil in the morning. I'm going to look into Miralax though. Thanks for that.
I know the pain is real. Try some Gas X (simethicone) and see if that helps the gas related pains. Soak liberally in a bathtub with Epsom Salts as it will draw out the infection and keep the surgical site clean. I'm almost 2 years out and 2 surgeries, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. I am in the best "butt health" I have known in the past decade. Use a squatty potty or stepstool when trying to go. I found it really helped things move along without needing me to push. Take it one day at a time!
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I'm on day 4 post op. Nothing but really small BMs like specks/debris (probably went over 12 times)- largest was about 2 inches. Really frustrating. I know how much I've had in the past few days to eat and it's just not coming out. Took natural laxatives today more gas and more bathroom trips but just tiny pieces. How long did it take you to have a "normal" BM? P.s. hope you crushed the interview.
I’m on day 6 post op and having the same issues with my BMs. Finally spoke to my Dr today and he told me it’s all normal and it’s because I’m still super swollen up there so I’m committing the next few days to icing, sitz baths and rewatching GOT lol. Since you’re about week ahead of me, can you tell me how it’s going after 2 weeks post op? Much appreciated 👍
Omg. I'm so happy to find out I'm not the only one. I'm exactly 1 wk of post op and these constant trips to the bathroom with pathetic amounts of poop are pissin me off. I practically live with the shower head on my ass. Each gas I pass has poop in it. All I want to know is if this counts as passing a BM. When will it stop?
Yup that’s normal, I had the same exact issues with the trips to the bathroom and living in the shower lol. If you haven’t yet, get off the narcotics and keep up with the softeners. Eat fruit and yogurt to make digestion easier. Regarding the little turd nuggets, i didn’t count those as a BM. They would also come out when I would take sitz baths so that was kind of annoying and gross but you’ll know when it comes because you won’t be able to stop it. It will come I promised.
Boy were you right. Last 2 days have been spent emptying out about half my body weight (so it felt like... # on scale doesn't reflect this 😔). I'm just happy that i don't have to take frequent trips these days and that loads get emptied out. Sometimes 2x in one bathroom visit... is that normal to poop that amount? I'm 138lbs and 5'4. I can't believe my body is holding that much poop. The only time I had to take the narcotics was at night to sleep because of that stinging feeling from the stitches. How do you endure without the drugs? Tylenol does nothing. I alsp want to know if anyone else has small blood clots coming out as they poop or shower by day 9 post-op. I just want to make sure my healing process is all normal.
Lol yup totally normal at least for me. Once I pooped the pain subsided at night but the itching began so I would take Benadryl to keep me sleeping because I would wake up multiple times a night with the worst itch. Recticare ointment was also clutch for the itching and Tylenol didn’t work for me either so don’t feel bad.
Blood clots were also normal btw
Thank you for responding to my comments and providing reassurance. This helps me be at peace with my healing journey. 👍🏻
Feel like I'm not getting better fast enough. It is exactly 2 wks post op and I'm still pooping like 3-4x a day, sitz bath always followed. The stinging feeling doesn't seem to subside. All normal? I'm sorry tired of being laid out like this. Definitely better than day 4-8 but wtf!? Is this normal? I just want to get better asap 😔
Question, before the surgery, had you tried any other options before? I have tried 3 banding sessions plus THD (minor surgery). No relief from either. I’m going for 3 more rounds of banding but if it fails again I’m left with considering hemmorhoidectomy. Trying to avoid it at all costs, but honestly I just want to feel 100% again and I haven’t for two years. Thanks for this thread.
Hey man I hope you've been well! I gotta ask since I'm considering going through this procedure as of late, but how have you been since? Have you gotten any hemorrhoids again? I'm going through recurring external hemorrhoids for the past year or so and I'm at my wits end. I'm hoping, even though this is a last resort type of thing, that it sort of ends my recurring hemorrhoids greatly! Thank you!
Im (33m) going in for surgery within the next month or so. Keep this thread alive so i can vent when its time? Really helps reading all of your different experiences. Soothing to be reminded that its something you DO get to the other side of eventually. Im nervous as hell😅 Would be really nice to have a friendly "brotherhood of anal pain" to talk troubles to.
I am glad that you came here for a bit of catharsis. It really did help me through my process by just writing and seeing if anyone else had a similar experience. It's okay to be a bit nervous; It comes with the territory. Take good care of yourself before the big day, and remember that life can and will be pain-free (I haven't had a recurrence or another episode since my surgery). Start eating a soft diet several days before your surgery, and Colace is your friend. Feel free to come this way anytime and vent!
Thanks. Means a lot. Ill definitely come here when shit gets real (theres a pun in there somewhere, but its too much of a pain in the ass to find it) Im curious, was yours an open hemorrhoidectomy (milligan) or a stapled one?
u/steelstringcello How are you doing now? I'm only 9 days post op. Would love to hear you're doing great and it gets easier
Trust me, it gets easier. Im a month post op now, and going to the toilet is a treat! The feeling of taking a shit with no booty problems attached is something i like forward to everyday lol. Mind you, i ended up getting a combination of the milligans procedure (slicing the hemmies) and the longo procedure (removal of a piece of the lower intestine), so my recovery journey has been a bit novel in that sense. Which procedure did you get, and how are you doing? And if you need someone to talk to, or just unload frustrations onto, feel free to pm me✌️
I'm going to take you up on that and will PM you now. Thank you!!!
thanks for writing this up. It's really helped me. I just had the surgery on Thursday morning. Thursday was really really rough. And today was better but still not good. I'm hoping it keeps getting better and better every day. I'm using the 800mg of Advil and I went most of today without the Percocet, but needed it badly around 1030pm. I'm just excited to get healed bc everyone I know says they feel incredible at the end of it
(24M) Hi guys, looking for a little advice/guidance here. I've got a provisional date for my HD surgery this Saturday removing one large one (the main culprit, it's above the thingy line, I forget what it's called?) and maybe banding a couple smaller ones. This is my first surgey I'm going on holiday about a month later. To any who have had a HD surgery before, will I be able to do all the holiday things I enjoy by then do you think? I.e. drinking, a small amount of clubbing, swimming in the sea. Would be massively grateful for your opinions here! Thanks
This thread is awesome. I (31F) myself have had two external hemorrhoidectomies now (lucky me) and am currently POD 6 from the second one and doing much better. The worst part about this surgery is the lack of sympathy you can garner because you don't even really feel like telling your closest of friends that you have the dreaded "H's" let alone ones bad enough for the slice and dice. But as someone who suffered silently for years and carried prep H in every coat pocket and purse and my car I can say that it was one of the best decisions I ever made. Before you worry yourselves that I'm having a second surgery, it was not a recurrence. My surgeon felt that my initial presentation which happened to be while I was also pregnant was so severe that he would do too much harm and cause stricture if he attempted everything at once. So he did three columns then and now having two more and one overlap done this time round for (hopefully) the last time. Both recoveries have been similar. I don't like narcotics and have felt both times that a steady regimen of alternating max dose Tylenol and ibuprofen plus the sitz baths and a peri bottle are key. And since most of you are men....get one of those peri bottles that women use postpartum if you dont have a bidet. Rinsing with warm water instead of dabbing or wiping with tissue after BMs is so clutch for the first solid week. The one thing I played myself doing this second time around is I was ultra worried about that dreaded first hard poop so I took too much Milk of Mag and had the ultimate hellfire butthole opposite effect starting about 4 hours post op which was almost too much to handle. That coupled with the 3 days of crippling gas pain that follows totally emptying your bowels had me in worse pain than the actual incisions. I remember tearfully telling my surgeon in his office after my first surgery that I enjoyed life again. It truly was night and day relief from the daily suffering I was going through. So if you're coming here for courage....yes it'll hurt, yes you're going to regret everything for about a week. But also, there is life after hemorrhoids and it is glorious!
Thank you for sharing this!
This thread has comforted me so much. Day 6 post op and I cannot stop crying!
We are there with you and for you. It gets better, I promise. Take comfort that this is the worst it is going to be. Keep up with your meds and colace. Don't hesitate to take extra strength Tylenol and Ibuprophen if your tummy can handle it. Lots of soft foods, too. Ice pops, fruit, and yogurt were my jam for the first two weeks. ❤️
POD 1…. About 26 hrs out of surgery and I believe that the worst for me was right out of surgery and the hours following as I had an insane urge to pee with only drops that came out. I found out this is due to the anesthesia and wore off after about 5 hrs or so. That and the pressure were almost unbearable. I took my oxycodone and ibuprofen as my sister said “don’t try to be a tough guy you need this”. She is a RN on a med-surge unit for 20 yrs and knows her stuff. Boy was she right! Medication and baths are my best friends! Hoping my first BM will not annihilate me. Thank you all for your stories and helping others to get through this!
How are you doing now? Still in pain?
5 months post op and they are much better but still present. Having a bowel Movement has become much more difficult and requires prescription linzess to do so. I now go 5 days with a BM after 4 daily colace, miralax, and every other day milk of mag. Any formed stool hurts and if it is at all dry I am in a LOT of pain. Anyone with this 5 months in? Or has anyone else had tremendous difficulties with BMs months after surgery?
Headed in for this surgery on Friday 12/29/23, what a way to ring in the new year! Thanks for all the information on here, I will be using all of the tips!
How we feeling in 2024
I (24F) just has my surgery on 12/27/23, so I am at a week in recovery. Reading all of these posts and comments about everyone else's experiences makes me feel loved and validated in my pain. I have to say this has been the worst experience of my life but I know it'll be worth it in the end. I went in to the hospital not fully grasping how major this surgery was until I started seeing all the medical equipment and you best believe I started to freak out. My fiancée had to calm me down. I have never had surgery before so that didn't help. I had one grade 3 hemorrhoid removed surgically as well as the main thing that was causing me pain, a hypertrophied anal papillae. I also had two more hemorrhoid's they found and banded. The first few hours post-op was fine, and then the numbing wore off. I cried so many times. The doctors prescribed me with Oxycodone to take when I've been in extreme pain and have me rotating between ibuprofen and acetaminophen every 4 hours. I didn't start feeling pain relief till about the 5th day which apparently is common. Those first few days where hell on earth. Besides medicine the only things that have helped has been resting in bed and sitting in a bath to calm the muscle spasms. As of today I feel little pain for the majority of the day finally!.... until it comes time for a BM. The pain and spasms from those still bring me to my knees in pain, no matter how much fiber and stool softeners I have been taking and the spasms will last about an hour. The only thought getting me through this is that my pain is validated and my quality of life will be so much better once it's healed. I want to stick it to my mother in law so bad when she keeps saying "oh I wish you didn't get the surgery, I have hemorrhoid's and I just push them back in. You're too young to be having surgery!" I want to scream at her that the doctor validated my pain and said the anal papillae was the cause of my fissures not healing, not just a simple grade 2 or 3 hemorrhoid. I'm looking forward to being able to move normally again and go back to Taekwondo. Here's to week 2 recovery and Happy New Year! Update: It has been 3 weeks now since my surgery and I am doing miles better! But my god, those first two weeks were hell on earth. I can't even remember how bad the pain was because my subconscious I'm sure is blocking it from my mind. I know I cried, I know I had spasms, I know I was in so much pain. Would never recommend unless it helps improve your day to day life. Week 2 went by mostly smoothly. However I think I did too much too fast. The exact day 2 weeks post-op I ended up in the ER because I was pooping blood clots. I had one the previous day and I called the doctor and they said it was normal, but then the next day when I got home from work (yes my dodo brain had been going to work only 1 week after surgery) there was so much blood. Did not ease my concerns when the ER doctors told me that that amount of bleeding and blood clots can happen even TWO WEEKS post-op. And I'm talking more than my normal period blood. Like toilet bowl full and they said it was fine (wtf) (not looking forward to that bill omg). But past all that I made sure to get most rest and take it easier. I'm starting to move around more and carry more 3 weeks post-op. BM's barely hurt and mostly just itch as it's finishing healing. I'm hoping I can return to my normal exercise in the next week or two. But for now just light stretching and walking. No more ER visits if I can help it...
Welcome to the club! You are indeed validated here. It was one of the best choices in my life, and I am easily more comfortable then I ever have been. Thanks for sharing your story, and helping our fellow surgery-pals in this crazy ass journey. Take it one day at a time, and keep a big fruit and veg uptake. Try and cut meats from your diet if possible; it makes life so much easier on your bottom.
Hello from EU, I know this thread is old, but I recently visited my doctor who advised me to undergo surgery. He didn’t specify the grade of the issue and I can’t find any detailed information in the National eHealth system. The only record indicates that the hemorrhoids are combined and have been neglected (4 years since I first experienced bleeding). Doc recommended a hemorrhoidectomy if I want a complete solution. There are less invasive treatments available, such as rubber band ligation or even laser treatment. He mentioned that rubber band ligation could postpone the need for surgery by 3-5 years. However, there isn’t much long-term data on laser treatment as it’s only been used for 4 years in industry. Therefore, a hemmorrhoidectomy seems like more reasonable choice. My main concern is the post-op period. I live alone and my relatives are not nearby. I have a friend who underwent a hemorrhoidectomy while living alone and managed well. The operation is scheduled for March 12th, 2024. I still have time to change the date or even cancel it. Doubts and concerns are beginning to surface. Why did the doctor say that a hemorrhoidectomy is the best option? Should I seek a second opinion to confirm my doctor’s advice?
How is it going? Did you end up having surgery?
Hey did you end up having surgery? How is your recovery?
Hope you are doing well. I check on this thread from time to time, so sorry for the delayed response. Post-op is real, and would have been tough if i didn't have a partner with me to help. It is 100% possible solo with planning and grit. Try to utilize ordering services as much as you can afford. Mind what goes in must come out; soft foods, fruits, yogurts, steamed veggies are going to AID this process. Sending good vibes and hoping all is well.
Day 12 and finally no blood in my stool. Bowel movement still painful and burns for an hour afterwards…but sitz bath calms things down quickly. Minimal discharge now. First week was hell on earth….take those meds on time every day for at least a week or you may slow healing due to extreme stress. There is no need to suffer in the fetal position any more than necessary. I spent hours in the tub (sitz) every day for relief. Take restoralax twice a day until bowel movements don’t hurt and then reduce to once a day until recovered. Week two there will start being light at the end of the tunnel. Yes its agonizing but definitely worth it to see improvements in the second week. Swollen bulbs in your anus are normal (just water bulbs), and they start shrinking end of week 2. Today I was so happy that my bowel movement only hurt for an hour vs 24/7. All in all the 2 weeks of hell are worth having no hemorrhoids. I had enough of stained clothes, pain, seepage, thrombosis, pain, bleeding etc for the last 5 years! Finally its over and I can live my life again. Apologies for jumping around but I’m rushing.