Recovering from a haemorrhoidectomy . . . warning: TMI alert . . .

[Puffykins]

Has anybody ever had a heamorrhoidectomy, and if so, please can you tell me how long recovery took? I'm on day 12 now, and am still in considerable pain - I can't walk anywhere except the bathroom for the endless baths I take, can barely sit up unless I'm on my special donut cushion and even then only last up to 45 minutes. I have two young children, and I just feel that this is so unfair on them. And I'm getting kind of depressed about my lack of progress. I need someone to give me hope. Please?!
(P.S. If anyone is considering having one: strongly consider it. I've never experienced anything more painful than the first 4 days post op, EVER. I would gladly have given birth every day rather than going through the pain I was subject to.)

Hey @Disneylover1, how come you're taking daflon 500? Is that a new supplement for you?

Hi all, haven’t been around much so thought I’d pop by. Had a whole week with no bleeding and no pain last week, today bleeding again and feeling a little sore to. So frustrating! I saw my surgeon at seven weeks post op (now 11) and he discharged me, he had a look externally and said all looking good although he didn’t look inside. And he said the bleeding will stop eventually as I had three open wounds to heal. So I guess it’s going to take time and he didn’t seem concerned by the bleeding although iam as it’s still quite a lot, although I thought last week I was healed and cured! Ha ha nope tricked me again, but I did have a lot of veg yesterday and I think it was just a little bit to much fibre!
I go to see my gastro consultant for my ulcerative colitis on Thursday so I’m going to discuss with him but I know last time he wants to do a sigmoidoscopy but I’m really not keen to have one just yet until this bleeding has stopped as I’m worried it will do more damage to the delicate healing areas.
Sounds like we’re all getting frustrated with the recovery of this op and just want to not think about the contents of the loo pan 🤦‍♀️ Hope you all have a good day.

@Disneylover1 oh no, I'm sorry to hear that you're still sore after a bm. I'm sure that'll heal up soon. It could be worse right? At least it's not the incapacitating pain we all felt at the beginning. I'll pray for your speedy recovery. As for me, I'm painfree with my bms but I gotta say its still uncomfortable to cough or sneeze. I still get bleeding here and there but its not painful. I'd say I'm almost there with my recovery but I'm still very careful with everything. I still worry when I see bright fresh blood after a bm but the doctor said it is natural to have bleeding as long as it's not excessive. As for the new ones posting and reading on here, hang on and be strong. Even though it's a slow and painful process, it does get better!
Praying and hoping that everyone has a speedy recovery!

Hi all asnd @Disneylover1 So I'm now 11 weeks post op too. Not really any blood atm... But who knows if that'll start again. I still have pain on first BM which lessons on 2nd and 3rd. Not having to take panadol either. My surgeon did the same as yours @dizzyali77 and said the bleeding and pain could go on for another 6 weeks, which would make it the 3 month period. Reading other people's posts though and it sounds like it can go on for 6 months? I've come to the realisation that it will stop bleeding and BMS with be painless sometime in the future that I cannot foresee lol. Cause it doesn't seem to matter what I do. I walk every day, drink litres af water every day, eat healthy foods everyday etc and I feel like I'm stuck at this last 10% of healing for a couple of weeks.
Anyway, hope everyone is well.

Hey all! Sorry I've not been in for a few days. Been stupidly busy with work. Got a few minutes before breakfast though.

@AusLady - I hope your BMs have settled down again. I looked up osmolax and it's the same as movicol over here which is a full on laxative! No wonder you were going so much! It's what they gave me, along with the fybogel, after surgery and it really doesn't agree with me. We also had it for our son when he was a toddler for fecal impaction. It's strong stuff! Were you wanting to just soften things rather than encourage them to come out? Movicol/osmolax will complete clear your bowels. I was recommended Dulcoease (docusate sodium) as a softener if I needed one, which I haven't. Avoid anything with 'lax' in its name though! Are you still eating the wholemeal bread? Do you have 50/50 bread there? My dietician recommended that to start with then building up to wholemeal. I did have a whoneal cheese scone with soup at a cafe in Glastonbury, and did have more BMs the day after, so I'm not going there again just yet. I'm going to stick to white bread, pasta and rice, soluble fibre from peeled fruit and veg and the fybogel. I don't think I'll start introducing insoluble fibre until the bleeding has properly stopped, and I'll then reduce the amount of fybogel until I find a happy balance. I've not tried the chia seeds yet. Even though I soaked them, they still had a slight crunch to them, so I steered clear. I am eating the spoke and custard, but cut out the oat topping, fruit fools, pavlova and cream cake though as I need to put weight on, and they're all low residue and don't seem to have affected my BMs :)
So, are you feeling ready for your big drive? Are you breaking it up with any overnight stops or just driving straight through? I love the toilet app! What a great idea and so useful. I wonder if it gives cleanliness ratings as some public toilets are definitely better than others! Hope it goes well and you have a good holiday.
Most public toilets in the UK are free, but there are some that charge. It depends on the local council. I'd say 95% are free though. I used the ones in Glastonbury and they scared the life out of me. They're all single, self contained units rather than a big room with lots of cubicles. So, in I went, locked the door, pulled down my pants and was just ready to squat when this voice boomed out at me: 'Welcome to Glastonbury public toilets. These toilets are protected by a security system. You have 15 minutes, after which the door will automatically unlock and an alarm will sound. We will tell you when your time is up'! WFT!!! I just about peed my pants, so it was a good job I was poised and ready to go! Never come across anything like that before and the announcement is timed to go off just as you squat and prepare to go! Frightened the life out of me 😂
I'm taking the Daflon in a hope that it helps whatever is going on down there! It's a herbal supplement that's meant to be good for vein strength and circulation and is used a lot in mainland Europe for hemorrhoids. I think part of me still isn't convinced that I'm hemmie free as it's so lumpy down there and I had a bad time early on after surgery with some constipation, so am scared I did some damage 😞 I'm taking that, rutin and vitamin C (combination tablet) and the fybogel. I still take a couple of paracetamol in the morning after my BMs, just to help full the post BM discomfort. I found sitting on a hot water bottle while I'm working at my PC really helps me, but they're not the most comfortable things to sit on, so I bought myself an electric heat pad, and that's brilliant!

Hi @Dizzyali77 - lovely to hear from you, but sorry to hear you've had a set back too. It's strange how we're all experiencing the same sort of thing at the same time, so maybe it is just a normal part of recovery? The surgeons all keep saying it's normal, bit I do wonder if they just say that to shut us up sometimes 😂 I guess I was really lucky after my first surgery as I was 100% healed and feeling great after 3-4 weeks, so this time has been so different. It's just that last 10% which seems do far out of reach! I hope you get on okay and that you don't need to have the sigmoidoscopy. If you do, I hope you're not too sore afterwards x

@LooneyTuney1 - yes, you're right. We've all come a long way and aren't in the excruciating pain we were in those first few weeks. I remember laying in the bath, in floods of tears telling my husband that the surgery was a mistake and the rest of my life was going to be living in the bath in pain! I felt that was what my life held for me at that point as nothing seemed to be getting better. It is getting better though, just slowly. Time is just dragging though and it feels like there's no end in sight sometimes. It's good to know there are others out there going through the same thing and who understand x

So a general update on my situation. The past 2 days have been blood free - yay! Then this morning's BM felt okay, just slight discomfort, but I had a bigger blood smear than normal when cleaning 😭 I don't understand! I'm not doing anything differently and my BM was soft, so why the blood? I have a new theory though (I need to have a theory as that gives me a reason for it happening which I can cope with better than it happening, 'just because'!). Okay, so my theory is that I have all these internal stitches from the mucoplexy procedure that my surgeon said last about 3 months. I'm at 11 weeks on Friday, so I'm wondering if some of these stitches are starting to dissolve now which is causing the slight bit of blood as they come away? It's only ever a smear, no dripping, no bright red fresh blood etc, just a small smear on wiping. I'm wondering how many of us who are still having blood had internal stitches too? So, that's my theory and I'm going with it 😂

Right, time for breakfast, then to start work. Hope everyone has a good day x

Lmao @Disneylover1!!!! I know what you mean about those toilets 😂😂 we have them here too, the whole time I used it the 1st time I was worried the door would open on me.
I hope you have a few quieter days with work next week.... And are you still looking at your bum everyday? Mine looks the same as last week. 😂😂. And i think your right bout your bleeding if it takes 3 months for your stitches to start dissolving. Ill go with it too cause i had internal stitches as well. It's just hard for us to know cause we can't see inside. And it's one part of our body we have no choice about using.

I read up on the osmolax relief before I used it. It worked more like metamucil then a laxative. Really helped with the consistency but I just went more. I used coloxyl 120 twice before and that worked more like a laxative then a stool softener and I only took 1 tablet. And like you I'm worried about getting hemmies so if i even have a doubt bout being constipated I start taking something Just in case. When I read up on fybogel they also say it's a laxative. I don't know why it's soooo difficult to just have 1 BM a d a y?!
So I'm still eating the wholemeal bread and my BMs have slowed down to 3 today, so will be interesting how many tomorrow!!! But I'm only eating one to 2 slices a day. My diet hasn't changed other then that. So I'll see how my BMs go for a few more days before I think about changing.
I love the idea of an electric heat pad. Lol. I use a wheat bag and that's not too comfortable either. But I've packed the hot water bottle in the car for our trip.
Cars all packed, house is clean, so I'm just relaxing now before bed. Pumped to have a week off work, hoping my bum improves while I'm on holidays cause I won't have any stress. We are going to leave at 5am and get about 11 hrs behind us before we stop for the night. Then it will only be 7 hrs on Saturday. Can't wait. Lol
Hope you have a great day.

Hi @AusLady - just a quick message to say have a great holiday. Hope the drive goes okay and your bum cooperates so you don't have to use too many public toilets along the way! X

Morning all, hope everyone has a great weekend.

Hey @Disneylover1, the drive went really well. I did have to use the app. It does rate the loos though. Lol. I was lucky that I didn't need to use one that was just a long drop. Can't remember the proper term, but it's a toilet with no water, just a long drop down a hole and it's supposed to be environmentally friendly. They're bloody gross!!!! Lol. I would have gone behind a tree before I used one of those for a BM!! So all in all it went really well. Hope you have a good day and evening.
Hope you have a wonderful Easter as well @dizzyali77

Hi @AusLady - so pleased to hear the drive went well. That app sounds great and just what you needed. Never come across a drop toilet though - they sound horrible! I don't think we have them in the UK, but I guess they maybe make more sense somewhere the size of Australia where sewage services maybe aren't as easy to access in more remote areas, or would be too expensive to install.
Hope you have a good week and that your bum behaves so you can relax and enjoy yourself.
It's Easter Sunday here and we've not got a wedding to decorate today, so are having a rare day off! Back to work tomorrow though. We've got sunshine and warm weather too, so we're going to take the dog to a park for a walk and eat ice cream :)

Hope everyone is doing well and has a good Easter x

Hi Everyone,

I came across this post as I am trying to understand more about my recovery. I am in Canada and it is now day 6 po since I had my Hemorrhoidectomy. The doc said my hemmy was large and she usually just cuts three out but had to take four large ones out and stitched me up. First few days was excruciatingly painful and I was unable to do anything but lie in bed waiting for sleep. I was afraid to even pee sometimes because of the sharp pain in my bum.
I had teeny bowl movements day 2 and day 3 once a day and even though painful it wasn’t too bad. Then on day four I had a proper BM that left me weak, shaken, traumatized and in pain... I immediately went on a liquid diet because I am like fuck that, I will pee for the rest of this journey. I did have a nibble of this and that but so far did stick to mainly smoothies and liquid meal drinks.
Even passing gas hurts... I wonder did anyone else feel this? I read some of your experiences above and it sounds like you all had a different operation than the one I had. I also have a huge hemorrhoid looking swelling sticking out of my butt but the doc did tell me it would look worse than my hemmy after my op and not to worry. It also smells not that great down there, I think it’s all the blood that dribbles out and dries. I initially developed Hemmorhoids after my first birth but it went back, then I gave birth to my second one who was 4.5kg/10lbs and mother of all prolapsed Hemmorhoids developed and never went back. Which is why I decided to have the surgery.
Now day 6 the pain is not that bad although I am still taking every single medication prescribed to me because I am terrified of my butthole but bm still leaves me exhausted and feeling even more traumatized. My butthole is still sticking out and sore... did anyone else’s butthole stick out? Did anyone else have such a large prolapse hemmy removed?
Thanks for the help!! I really feel everyone’s pain!!

Hi @womaninpain. I had 2 external hemmies removed and 1 internal polyp. The first 2 weeks are the worst, but by day 10 you should feel some improvement. And yes, i certainly felt exactly the same as you. Lying on your right side helps relieve gas. Any movement with your butt hurts. Do you take baths after a BM? They helped me a lot. I put Epsom salt and extra virgin coconut oil in them too. I didnt look at my butt all the time to tell you if mine stuck out.... but I'm thinking it would due to the swelling. @Disneylover1 might be able to help you with that one. Lol.
Just be careful with the pain meds containing codein as they make you constipated. I stopped taking them on day 3 cause I wasn't taking any chances with constipation. Also, everyone says fibre, fibre, fibre, but stick to more soluble fibre until BM stop hurting so much. It slows down your BMs so you don't have soooo many a day. Vitamin C is good for wound healing.
And I do remember a smell, even when I'd had a shower or bath. I think it only lasted for a week?

Try and walk a little bit every day too. Keep the blood moving.

So @Disneylover1, I haven't improved, still a bit of pain with BM. Had my period which really forks up my bms. Went from diarrhea to slight constipation and now bleeding again with BMs yesterday and this morning. Hopefully I'll be back to "my normal" in a couple of days. How are you?

Hi everyone! Sorry I've not been in in a while, but I've not been well. Nothing bottom related, just some sort of virus that made me feel like I had flu and completely wiped me out! Not nice, bit feeling much better today thankfully.

@Womaninpain - so sorry to hear that you're going through this. You sound very similar to me as my hemmies were all due to childbirth too. I've had 2 ops - the first removed 3 large external ones and I was fully recovered by week 4. The second removed 1 large external and a skin tag, but I also had an additional procedure called a mucoplexy as I had sliding of the anal mucosa 🤨 I'm 12 weeks today from that one, so it's taken much longer.
O didn't have stitches for either hemmie operation as they don't seem to use that method in the UK as much. I do think stitches make everything a lot more swollen though from what I've read. The closest I've experienced were my episiotomy stitches after birth, and I know I felt much better once the stitches were removed, but you're probably a bit early for that. I didn't have any smell either, but again, I've read that stitches tend to smell more. My bum definitely looked and felt very lumpy, bumpy and swollen though - like a baboon's bum! I think it's normal, especially in the early post op days. I'm still a bit lumpy and bumpy, but I know I've got a lot of scar tissue, plus a skin tag. Are you taking anything to keep your BMs soft? I know you're trying to avoid having BMs, but it does get easier. I was told that it was important to still have that movement and slight stretch to avoid stenosis. I spent a lot of time in the bath, and found that helped, but it does seem like a long dark road with no end in sight sometimes. I think we've all had emotional breakdowns during our recovery, so you're not alone.
Try to avoid anything that might constipate, especially painkillers with codeine. Look up the difference between insoluble and soluble fibre. Try to limit insoluble fibre as that contains all the scratchy bits from food that can irritate, plus it creates more bulk. Insoluble fibre is your friend! Water is too, so make sure you're drinking plenty of that. Hang in there as it does get better x

Hi @AusLady - how has your holiday been? I know you say you haven't had any improvement, but hopefully you've been able to enjoy your break, especially after driving all that way.

My period came this week too and it didn't mess my BMs up, but my bum did feel really swollen and achy during that first 24 hours which wasn't nice. Other than that, my bleeding has stopped and pain with BMs has lessened a bit. I'm still going twice a day in the morning, and have less ache/pain afterwards too. I do love my heat mat though for when I'm working! I'm still taking the fybogel twice a day (it's a soluble fibre supplement rather than a laxative, but can be used to ease constipation for people suffering. I just use it to supplement my soluble fibre and keep BMs soft), eating porridge for breakfast, soup, cheese and crackers and a peeled pear for lunch, then dinner with the family. I'm also eating more biscuits, ice cream and cream cakes to help with weight gain. I still haven't added any insoluble fibre to my diet as I want to allow my bum a good few weeks of no bleeding before I do that. Still applying rectogesic at night too. Also taking the Daflon and rutin. My days are so much better though and I can go out and get on with my day after my morning BMs. I do still have an issue with urgency though, but hoping that improves as things get stronger as I've had a few near misses! 😮 Hope you've improved again since you posted. When is the drive home?

We've also got a couple more breaks away booked. We're going away at the end of May as we've been offered a holiday cottage for free. It's more of a mini mansion than a cottage with 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 2 living areas, dining room and huge kitchen. And a hot tub! It belongs to the best friend of one of my close friends, who I've met and been out with a few times. She rents it out, mainly at weekends, and has offered it to us midweek for free at any time! 4 bathrooms though - we can have 1 each 😂
Then I was putting our wedding bookings for this year in to my diary (they're all on a spreadsheet) and discovered that we have a rare weekend off in August, so I've booked for just myself and my husband to go to Oxford for 3 nights. Found a little studio apartment with kitchen, bathroom etc that looks perfect, and just 20 minutes walk through parkland to the historic centre of Oxford. We can cancel for free up to late July, so if work comes in, then I'll assess and see what we want to do. It will be the first trip we've had without children since they were born though!

Hope everyone else is doing well x

Hi Ladies,

@AusLady and @Disneylover1, thank you for writing back!

It has been 10 days PO and I am feeling better. Yesterday I thought I had a BM coming so I went to the bathroom and to my dismay it was literally a blood diarrhea. It freaked me out to see fresh blood pouring out of my bum, I told myself maybe something got ripped or damaged and it will be fine, closed my eyes went to bed. Nothing this morning so I am hoping it stays that way as I heard you can have post operative delayed hemorrhaging and it’s not good.

As for the swelling, it has gone down a whole lot but i still have some swelling and some stuff sticking out. I imagine they may deflate into skin tags?
Thank you for the tip about insoluble and soluble fibre, I am definitely going to research and try to be nice to my bum.
I am still not as mobile as I would like to be. Waddling like a duck, I haven’t ventured out because sitting is still uncomfortable although I can sit if I want to now. I am off codeine medication for two days today. I was taking a stool softener not laxative but either way I stopped because of my liquid diet, I was having diarrhea, so then I had to go on a solid diet trying to have a softer BM but still really runny so far. My first visitor is coming today after my surgery, I didn’t want to see anyone while lying on my side, grumpy and sore. I also have to get back to work soon and I miss being able to carry my little ones.
How soon were you able to do normal things after the surgery? Just carry on everyday life like before?

Thank you so much again for feedback and advices :) hope you are all feeling much much better.

Ahoy @Disneylover1, I'm home now. And our holiday was great, but it's definitely colder down here now. Jumpers and jeans weather and the heater on. 😁 which i dont mind cause we have all the season's here. But, by the end of summer I'm sick of the heat and by the end of winter I'm sick of the cold. I do enjoy being home with the fire going in winter lol.
We took a cruise over to Fraser Island which was great, went swimming, played a bit of cricket on the beach. Didn't see any dingoes on Fraser though, only when we were driving to Hervey Bay. They have some really great beaches up north. And the waters warmer.
The drive back went really well. Better then the drive up.
Now that the bleeding has stopped again my BMS have been less painful. So I do think I have improved since my last post. Which I'm really happy about considering I wasn't on a strict low fibre diet. Even though I did consider the food I ate, it wasn't near as much fruit or veges I eat when at home. I did switch from wholemeal bread for breakfast to porridge though. I don't have the urgency anymore which is great.... cause I'd sometimes be on my tip toes walking/running to the toilet. Lol. So I'm only taking magnesium and vitamin c at night, and multi vitamins in the morning now. No other fibre supplement. Perhaps @Disneylover1 you could try a peeled Apple instead of a pear and see how that changes your urgency?
Your holiday to mini mansion sounds like a great idea... especially because you'll have a toilet to yourself. It actually worked out fine that we only had one bathroom on holidays but I'm glad I'm back to having 2. I'm going to look into the heater pad, see if there's one which is also 12v so I can use it in the car. Lol. Sometimes for work I drive an hr to another of our offices.
My kids are in their early 20's now, and I remember our first weekend away without them. Was weird but really nice. Lol. And peaceful!!
I'll have to start organising our next holiday for July very soon. I really hope I'll be 100% by then. I think I will be but you never bloody know with this op. I hope you are getting better and BMS have improved again.

Hi @Womaninpain. Believe me that you will get better. Diarrhea is actually more painful I think then just a soft formed BM. So you should try eating something. No seeds or nuts though. Just remember about what goes in must come out. Lol. Chew well. Eat soups, peeled fruit and vegetables that are cooked like your grandma used to make.... really soft.
I went to my surgeon at nearly 6 weeks, she said the swelling had reduced nicely etc, so I think it takes a few weeks for that to happen. Remember you are using the surgery site every day.
One thing about this surgery is that everyone's recovery is completely different. I didn't bleed much in the first 2 to 3 weeks and then it started on and off for the past 10 weeks. Mine was always due to a BM though, even if i had 3 it would happen with all or only the first one. But I think if the bleeding stops after a BM it's generally ok. If it keeps continuing after a BM then that's not ok. If at all you are concerned go to your Doc or emergency department.

Try reading this www.livestrong.com/article/391088-exercises-after-a-hemorrhoidectomy/
Hopefully that helps you, you don't have to walk far or fast but just moving around will help.
So I returned to work 4 weeks after my surgery, but I only did a few hrs 2 days cause I ended up with a really bad tooth ache and had to get one of my teeth removed. I think that set me back a bit with my recovery. But I returned to work by week 5. I just packed some baby wipes in a little zip lock bag and had them in my pocket. And another lot in my handbag just in case as well. Lol. Which I still do.
I think by about week 2 I was just doing small things like wash dishes. Put on a load of washing, hang it out in a couple of trips. I didn't do too much and if I did I could tell by that night or next day. I think i started vacuuming and mopping by week 4 and getting back into my normal routine by week 6. But you could be completely different and be absolutely fine and back to normal by week 4. And I bet it would be hard to resist picking up your little ones. Hopefully soon you will be able to.
I hope you feel better today and no more blood in your BM.

Hi @Womaninpain - glad to hear you're doing a bit better. Yes, I had bloody BMs too that seemed to just appear out of the blue, and they're scary. As long as it's just a one off though, it shouldn't be anything to worry about. If they're constant, then you need to talk to your consultant to get it checked out. Good that the swelling is going down though 👍
Diet wise, both Auslady and I went to see dieticians to get advice about eating to aid recovery and found that really helpful. I know this thread is long, but if you read back, you'll find a lot of tips that we shared. We were both advised to eat soluble fibre and low residue foods. Don't eat just low residue though as that can constipate, so the soluble fibre is really important. That keeps things nice and soft. Low residue produces less bulk. Stay away from things with high bran content like some breakfast cereals and wholemeal bread, pasta, brown rice etc. No nuts or seeds in anything, and no skins on fruit or vegetables. They're all scratchy insoluble fibres, and you don't want to be passing anything that's scratchy or irritating. Like Auslady says, cook veges so they're nice and soft. What I found worked for me was porridge for breakfast, smooth vegetable soup for lunch with a peeled pear, and cauliflower cheese, green beans and a small chicken breast for dinner. Smooth yoghurt, ice cream, rice pudding for snacks (all low residue), or a bit of peeled fruit - even grapes should be peeled! Melon is good, but avoid eating any pips. Stay away from strawberries and raspberries as they have tiny seeds that can irritate. Avoid raw veges, and peel all veges you do eat. If you want to eat potato, then make sure it's peeled and result cooked - it's a soluble fibre then. If you're using frozen potato products or reheating potato, then it turns it in to a resistant starch which is harder to pass. Water is essential - I drink 3-4 litres a day. If you find things get a bit to firm, then try the stool softener. Like Auslady, I found diarrhea to be much worse and more painful than a soft BM. Diarrhea contains more acids that burn as they come out, plus it coats your insides too. I remember feeling that I was burning from the inside after diarrhea and wished I could just flush it all out with cold water. It was horrible.
A bit of exercise helps too. I took to walking lengths of my house as I didn't feel ready to face the outside world. Each length is 15 metres, so I started with 20 twice a day, and worked up to 120 twice a day, which is over 2 miles! Rest is important too though - you'll be able to tell if you overdo it, so just pace yourself. I found the heat from a hot water bottle very soothing, plus heat increases blood flow, which aids healing.

Recovery wise, I've had 2 very different experiences. My first surgery was the removal of 3 largest external hemmies, and I was 100% fully recovered, back to work, feeling great and leading a normal life by 3-4 weeks. I thought this time would be the same, or even better as I was having less removed, but I'm 12 weeks in and still not 100%. It's been a completely different journey, and not one I wish to repeat. If my first recovery had been like this, there's no way I'd have had a second surgery. I'm doing okay though, just waiting for the last few niggles to finally disappear.

Hey @AusLady! So pleased to hear that you had a lovely break and made it home without any bottom drama! I know what you mean about the weather though! England is very seasonal, but at the moment our weather is a bit crazy. In 1 week we've had amazing sunny weather, thunder, lightening, hail, wind, rain. Temperatures have gone from 25oC to 5oC! It's annoying as I'm constantly changing the heating settings, bedding, going from summer back to winter clothes etc! I'm hoping by the end of May it will have settled in to warmer weather for our mini-mansion break🤞
Glad to hear your bleeding has stopped and you're doing better. Mine has too, but I'm finding that I'm still in some discomfort (not pain, discomfort is a better word I think) after my second BM. I'm fine after my first, but the second seems to irritate more and leave me with a tender feeling bum😞 I'm having less discomfort when actually going though, so hopefully things will just keep easing.
For the past couple of days I've just been taking the fybogel once a day after dinner to see what difference that might make to my BMs and urgency. I'm definitely eating more variety though and treating myself more. I've started to introduce broccoli as a gentle insoluble fibre too. We had chicken and vegetable curry last night, which was lovely. Nothing hot or too spicy - just a mild korma, but it's just nice to be having more variety. I'm still mindful, but in a different way. Pre-op and before talking to my dietician, I was obsessed with eating as much fibre as possible, so it was all fruit, veges, brown rice, pasta, bread, quiona, seeds, nuts, oats etc. All super healthy. Now I'm more focussed on a balance between soluble fibre, insoluble fibre and low residue foods. It's amazing how thought processes can change so much even though I'm effectively trying to achieve the same thing - soft, healthy BMs.
I've looked in to 12v heat pads too for the days when we're out and about decorating weddings. We're visiting my dad today who lives 2.5 hours away, so not relishing the thought of that return trip. His wife always cooks the most amazing roast beef dinners, but I've had to tell her I can't eat the beef and give her a list of safe foods. I did offer to take food with me, but she said it was fine. I feel bad, but I don't want to set myself back now due to trying to be polite and just eating whatever they'd prepared. We're taking our dog and the weather looks better today, so hopefully we'll be able to get out for a walk too to break up all the sitting from driving, eating and catching up with them. I know if I've had a sedentary day, that it affects my BMs, so need to get that exercise in!
Hope that you have a good return to work and continue to improve. You'd think after 12 weeks we'd both be sorted, but it seems not. We should definitely be by our July holidays though, surely?🤞🤞🤞

I've got internal hem and is planning to have my surgery this June? Which is more painful, the recovery from internal or external hems?

Hi @sheryllcpa. I didn't have an internal hemmie, only 2 external. I believe from other forums external are more painful due to the amount of nerves and muscles at that part of anus. Good luck with your surgery.

Hello ladies,

I am sorry to hear you guys are not 100% yet.

@Disneylover1 I can’t imagine what having two surgery is like!! Our story really does sound similar, but my doctor said she removed them all in one go, I had four large ones. I never want to do this again. It was a spinal freeze for me and although I didn’t feel any pain, just sort of feeling things down there, knowing it’s all being cut and sewn was enough to make me almost pass out during surgery lol.
I am glad you had an easier recovery first time around, I hope I will too. I also hope you will be 100% back to your usual self soon. Roast beef sounds delicious 🤤.
Taking both yours and @AusLady advice and changed my diet big time. I started eating a lot more oatmeal’s and soups with some fruit here and there. Although I couldn’t help myself to a slice of cake yesterday. Walking is easier but I am still waddling. Now I am hit with a crippling itching sensation and didn’t catch a lot of sleep last night as it kept bothering me. I read in previous posts this should be a sign of healing so I am holding on.

@AusLady thank you for the article tag, it’s been really helpful. In fact both of you and @Disneylover1 have been so kind and helpful with all of your advices. Things have definitely improved for me BM wise and just mentally hanging in there because of you guys so thanks for helping a girl out 🙌🏻🙌🏻.
I hope I’ll be running around with my little ones soon, I don’t have to worry about carrying wipes separately as I have them in my diaper bag always lol. Perks of being a toddlers mom.

I hope next post things are better for you guys as well.

Lots of love from Canada 🇨🇦 ❤️❤️

Hi @womaninpain, glad you are feeling better. And yes it is a mentally hard surgery to deal with. I wondered if I was ever going to be ok again. But I am. Happy to report that I am much better again today.
As for your food, don't worry if you have cake lol as I eat plain chocolate sometimes. Basically, what my dietitian said was to eat anything a fork is able to squash. And if not just make sure you chew it really well so your digestive system has less work to do. (Meat and fruit). I eat steak and I've had a roast as well with no adverse effects. But not for the first 4 weeks. I havent been as strict with my diet as @Disneylover1 has in the past. Tonight I am eating mashed potato and gravy, roast pumpkin, beans and corn and home made rissoles (meat balls). Last night was roast chicken and broccoli, cauliflower, silverbeet, sweet potato and carrot. I cooked all my veges in the oven in a cream, garlic and chicken stock sauce. You just have to make sure your veges are cooked really well.
So once I'm pain free I am going to add more insoluble fibre to my diet.
And might I add.... your surgery sounds horrendous!!!! I don't think I'd have copped with that. You did well to stay awake!!!
And I remember waddling around my house for a couple weeks and being very slow. Lol. But i wasnt game enough to leave my property for a walk until 4 weeks.

Hey @Disneylover1! I hope you survived the drive to your dad's? And the food.

I'm hearing you on the being sedentary part. I feel like ive improved now I can continue my daily walks again. I feel like I'm about 95% now, back to work tomorrow so hopefully I stay this way. I seem to be the opposite of you with BMS. First is a bit painful at first, but 2nd and if a third are much better. So I'm not going to change my diet too much for the moment and see how I go. I did stop eating yogurt on holidays but I'm going to start back on that. Are you still taking panadol in the morning?

Fingers crossed 🤞we are both well and truly 100% by July!!! Don't understand why it's taken us this long to begin with....

Hi ladies,

I’m so glad I’ve come across this thread! I’m now 4wks, 4 days, 12hrs, and about 24 secs post op. I’ve had two external Hemorrhoids removed and I can say hand on heart that this has been the worst mistake I’ve ever made 😭

I’ve got a 3yr old and 7 month old twins, it was carrying the twins which made the Hemorrhoids occur.

Like everyone else, I was under the impression that the recovery process would be two weeks, so you can imagine how disheartened I feel that I’m still in pain now. Don’t get me wrong that the pain is nowhere near as bad as it was in the early weeks, but after ever BM I’m in bad pain (or on the good days, serve discomfort) for 4hrs after. Thank god for my parents and boyfriend for helping out with the kids, otherwise I don’t know what I would have done.

I could cry all the time, if it’s not stinging, it’s aching, or have shooting pains up my back and aches around the front. When I’m in this pain, I can’t think of anything but the pain. I lay down, I stand up, I walk around, etc but nothing makes it easier. I’ve gone back to laying in the bath when the pain is extremely bad as this does take the edge off slightly.

I don’t see any light at the end of the tunnel, I’m fed up of being in pain, and when the pain has eased, I’m anxious as I know at some point I’ll have to have another BM.

I’m taking pain killers, but they don’t do much. I’ve got my consultant meeting next week, not too sure what good that will do.

It’s really hindered my life, I can’t go out, I can’t enjoy my babies or son, it’s horrible.

I’m just feeling sorry for myself and know you ladies will understand. Please tell me, am I still only half way the healing process?

Needed to get this off my chest

Hi @Vangallie Sorry to hear that you're going through this, but we understand and feel your pain, despair and frustration. At 4 weeks I was still in pain for hours after each BM and spending hours in the bath, thinking that this was what my life was going to be from now on as I couldn't see any light. I'm 12 weeks and 3 days now, and am still not 100%. I'm a whole lot better than I was at 4 weeks, but it's been a long, slow, frustrating journey with no real help apart from the advice we find online ourselves and from talking to others on here. The support and understanding from people on here has really helped me a great deal and I haven't felt so isolated. Talking to people who truly understand the pain and range of emotions that you go through has made a huge difference. Just knowing that you're not alone and that others are experiencing the same thing as you is really reassuring.
It does get better, but can take time, as a lot of us are discovering. This is my second operation, and I must have got really lucky with my first as I was 100% recovered and not even thinking about my bum after 3-4 weeks, whereas I'm 12 weeks+ from my second operation and feeling like full recovery is an uphill struggle. I know that I'm so much better than I was though, but it's hard to stay positive for so long. I've had a bit of a set-back today so sat and had a good cry as I'm so frustrated and p**sed off with the whole situation. What caused the set-back? I have no idea! I think a lot of us have found this. We'll have a few good days and start to feel hopeful that we're on the road to full recovery, then suddenly there's blood or pain for no discernible reason. If we knew what caused the set-back it would help, but normally we haven't done anything differently, and that makes it even more frustrating.

You are still healing, and have more healing to do. The post BM pain and ache does ease and I have some pain free days now, and then others like today have been more painful. However, it's not nearly as painful as it was at 4 weeks - more of an irritating discomfort that reminds you that you're still fighting this battle. I can get on with life much more though, although I won't lift anything heavy as I'm fearful of causing more problems. It must be so hard with 7 month old twins though.
Feel free to vent on here as we understand xxx

HI @Womaninpain - I can't believe that you had the surgery with just a spinal freeze! However, I guess one of the benefits is that you haven't had a local anesthetic that completely messes your bowel movements up. I'm 12+ weeks post op and still trying to get back to 1 BM a day!

I didn't have the roast beef yesterday - just sniffed it! I had chicken instead, but with all the trimmings, and it was still delicious. Don't worry about eating some cake either. As long as you've got some soluble fibre and plenty of liquids, a bit of cake won't hurt as it's low residue. I had 3 chocolate eclairs and an ice cream yesterday too!

Ah, the itch! Yep, I had that really bad and couldn't sleep because of it. You could try taking an antihistamine. I found that helped, but some can cause constipation in some people, as I unfortunately discovered :( . The one that I was okay with was Loratadine, which is a once a day tablet over here (UK). I would take it in the evening so that it would get me through the night and I could sleep. It is a sign of healing though, so that's positive. I hope that you have a recovery more like my first one rather than my current one xxx

Hey @AusLady - the trip to my dad's went really well yesterday. I had a good morning with BMs, so the journey there was fine. We took our dog and went out for a good walk after eating, and I felt fine all day. However, this morning hasn't been great :( My BM started off fine, then there was a sudden 'ouch', even though there were no big lumps to pass or anything, just the same consistency as normal. Now I've been sore for most of the day and taking paracetamol. Feeling really frustrated and had a bit of a cry earlier. Don't know what caused it, but when I was applying the rectogesic last night, I felt a bit sore afterwards, so wonder if I caught or irritated something? I don't know when to stop using it though. So, I'm still doing okay, but just okay. Getting on with life, but still aware of, and thinking about, my bum. I just want to forget about it, but feeling some sort of sensation there all the time makes that pretty much impossible. Even on good days, the surgery site still feels a bit tender. I think I'm just adapting to a new normal, but I don't want this to be my new normal. So, another few steps forward, then one back - pretty much how this recovery seems to go hey! Hope your return to work goes well xxx

@Auslady thank you

Oh bugger @Disneylover1!!!! That's no bloody good!!! I hope you're better now? I don't blame you for crying, I've had my share too! It's so frustrating. Like my bleeding that returned last week. How long have you been using the rectogesic? If your bleeding has stopped and you think your fissure has healed you could stop using it and see how you go?? If it's worrying you about continuously using it?
I'm glad to hear your trip was fun and your roast was delicious. Lol.
I had a strange day today, didn't go to the toilet until this afternoon for a BM. Before then I had no pain, and no awareness of my bum, but after that it's back to the usual achey feeling. But I must admit it was on my mind all day because I hadn't been. I was worried that I was going to get constipated. I think until we are completely healed, our bums are always going to be on our minds. Because how we are now is not going to be our new normal. ❤❤

Hi @Vangallie, we totally understand how you are feeling. I know I felt the same at 4 weeks, and I had to return to work which gave me great anxiety too! I wondered why I had done it. But you will get better. Remember to breath when your having a BM and try to relax. I remember reading that your butt hole does the same as your lips (?) Lol. Don't know if that's true but I do make sure my mouth is relaxed and I keep breathing. Do you have any cream for your butt? Anusol, proctogesic, or rectogesic? Try heat pads as well or even ice. I found ice worked well sometimes. It's a horrible surgery and I don't know how you've done it with babies. Well done!
Have you tried using Epsom salt and extra virgin coconut oil in the bath as well? That could help you? You will get better but it is very frustrating and a very emotional roller coaster recovery.
And I was the same before 4 weeks, I only left my house to go to the doctors or to the supermarket, but never by myself and never in the morning.
I hope you've had an improvement since your post, even if it's only slight. And here's were you let out your frustrations because we all totally understand. 🤗