Should I have a hemorrhoidectomy

[kerry19834]

I have had piles for around 5-6 years, I have a very large skin tag/piles which dangles from my bum and then a large internal one.

The internal one bleeds after about 1/3 of bowl movements, bright red blood in the loo. Sometimes this will be once or twice a week and others it can be for 2 weeks straight of bleeding after a poo.

In a good month it might only bleed four times.

I have no pain or itching, just some discomfort and a couple of times a year they bleed randomly through my clothes

I eat a high fibre diet and drink lots, and can be done on the loo very quickly most times (I used to sit a lot and scroll on my phone).

I exercise regularly , yoga, running (marathons) and weights in the gym. They keep my mental health good.

I have seen a consultant and he has recommended a hemorrhodectomy so cutting it all out. Part of me really wants it (a years wait for the op on NHS), but there are horror stories about recovery.

I am scared that it will be very painful (despite the surgeon saying that will last a couple of days), also reading on here recovery is more than two weeks which the NHS claim.

I am worried that I will not be able to exercise for months.

I am torn, it is obviously bad enough for the NHS to fund it and they might not again if I turn it down.

Questions what would people do? What experiences have people had with surgery?

Should I put up with blood in the bowl after poos?

Will it get worse over time if I do nothing?

Thnaks

Thank you - I think I'll plan to farm the dog out for a week then, as she'd be very lonely if I'm in bed all day bless her.

I'd heard about the sitz baths, glad to hear they work well! Do you have a link to the one you're using please? I like to plan ahead 😂

I do have a plan for managing bad constipation - wheat beer... Half a pint and I'm on the loo in a minute with IBS. No idea if that's a bad idea (alcohol notwithstanding) or not!

DMSELL Foldable Sitz Bath for Toilet, Portable Seat Sitz Bath Basin for Hemorrhoids, Pregnant Women and Elderly, Fits Universal Toilets and Commode Chair

I couldn’t work out how to make it a link.

You could use a sitz bath straight after a BM to help get clean. X

I have been looking into getting a Japanese style toilet, or having a hose fitted next to the loo. Toilet paper cleaning just isn’t good enough, and is so often painful for me.

Thats a good tip about the sitz bath @Cupcake8212 . I use one to clean myself and calm the pain but maybe I need another one to take a dump in.

I live with my long term partner who is absolutely disgusted by my bum troubles. Hes on the spectrum and hates bodily functions at the best of times. There’s no chance he’d empty my poo sitz bath for me! He’s lucky we never had children as I don’t know how he’d have coped with that level of faecal engagement.

OP have you heard of this treatment? It seems a bit of a miracle for a lot of piles sufferers. Might be worth thinking about? I know it's private, but I thought it was quite affordable and have been considering it myself.

www.exroid.com

The link may not work, but worth a Google!

good luck with the recovery

still thinking about options, but a couple of weeks ago I purchased a poo stool to rest my feet on in the loo, it elevates you to an almost squating position, it is very early days but no blood in bowl movements for over a week and without being crude its never been easier to poo, If that stays the same it may sway me as its the regular bleeding which I have been worried aboyt most m less so the skin tag as I have no pain

If I hadn’t been getting pain then I definitely wouldn’t have had this.
the foot stool you’re using sounds like it’s working for you. X

Morning.
I’m now 1 week past surgery.
The sitz bath is still my best friend during a BM. I’ve now mastered running the shallow (very hot ) bath first so I can jump straight in after. This really takes the pain away fairly quickly now. Getting quicker each day.

The only issue I’ve had the last two days is that my body doesn’t give me any time once I wake up before needing a BM which I didn’t have before. Must be the evening lactulose.
This means the codeine doesn’t have time to work. But it’s been fine.

I overdid it today and cleaned the house for just over an hour. It was definitely a big mistake. I’m now in lots of pain and back in bed. It just shows that it takes longer than you think to heal.

Haven't rtft however I had surgery in December. I have had numerous external piles since giving birth 5 years ago. When I went in for surgery I had sedation and it didn't hurt at all. When I came round the surgeon told me that he had only been able to remove one of the piles as it was so big "there wouldn't be enough anal tissue" to do the rest!! 😳 The one the removed was between my bum and vagina.
I won't lie, it was very painful afterwards. I had two weeks off work; the nurses at the hospital said I would need 2 or 3 weeks off. I wish I had had a third week off in hindsight. NHS describes it as a very minor procedure and something you'll just bounce back from, but this wasn't the case at all for me. The first week I was literally just pottering around in my dressing gown. Hurt when I sat down! Took paracetamol religiously every 4 hours.
I hate not getting dressed (have previously had MH issues and depression so I associate wearing PJs all day with this!) but that first week I had no energy at all. Second week I was getting dressed but didn't leave the house for over 10 days. I napped a lot when DCs were at school and got OH to do the school run.
The first trips to the toilet were agony! I can only liken them to the first poo after giving birth!!
I have since gone back to have the other haemmeroids banded. Leaflet said you'll be back to normal for the following day but this is absolutely NOT the case. It was very uncomfortable for a few days but nothing like the post-surgrey.
I've had to massively change my diet and take Laxido every day but sounds like your diet is better than mine. There was a very long thread of people discussing surgery on here, I can't find it now but if you Google mumsnet + haemmeroids you should be able to find it.

I've been using a poo stool for years (although not actually a stool as my boyfriend refused it in the bathroom, so I have an ikea wooden bin that does the job nicely). It really helps get me into position and I don't usually have trouble getting it out. In fact, I usually barely have time to get the stool into position as I quite often need to go very quickly especially if I've had a coffee.

I am still in a lot of pain - I tried to get an earlier GP appointment but no joy. I've been watching lots of youtube videos by this guy https://www.youtube.com/@yourfriendlyproctologist and they've been really interesting. Having watched a load I think I have a thrombosed external haemorrhoid. The pain is nowhere near what it was two weeks ago but I still can't really sit down. I've been doing some gentle walks and some yoga and that has helped.

My neighbour is an actor and he said he's had the most horrific piles from dancing, and lifting people. He said he's had to do loads of performances in total agony. That must be hell!

Those of you who've had it, how long was the referral time, and were you nhs or private? I don't have health insurance but I will use my savings to go private if I need to (assuming it's low thousands not tens of thousands).

How are you feeling now @Cupcake8212 ?

I went to the GP in June and was referred for a sigmoidoscopy. Then surgery at the end of December. So about 7 months from first appointment.

Thank you for asking.
I’m doing ok. I'm now 11 days past surgery.
I still haven’t left the house yet as I never know when I’m going to need the loo.
I think it’s the high fibre diet that’s causing that. There is also no way that I could cope going to the toilet somewhere else without being able to jump straight in the bath afterwards. A hot bath really does ease the pain. I lay there for about 10-15 mins each time.
I did about an hour of cleaning 2 days ago and it really caused me to be in a lot of pain. I obviously wasn’t ready to stand up for that long. I paid for it the rest of the day.
I’m still having lots of prunes, smoothies and fruit and fibre. I’m scared to eat normal food incase it makes me have huge poos!

Today is the first day where I’m trying to not have the codeine and see how I cope. So far I’m in quite a bit of discomfort but I’m going to have ibuprofen soon.

Sounds like you’re making good progress @Cupcake8212 - slow and steady sounds like a good approach.

I hear you on only going to the toilet at home. Mine are too painful to wipe so I need a quick sitz bath to clean myself. There’s no chance I’m risking a public toilet.

glad the recovery is going well xx

Yes hope it’s still going well.

Ive been referred for surgery nee so I’m definitely invested in your recovery process!

not sure how long the wait list is here but I presume also six months plus. I’m trying to lose my excess kilos in the meantime as apparently hems are less likely to flare up if you’re a normal bmi, which has given me the incentive I needed to ditch the stone I’ve gained since Covid.

Oh that’s great you’ve been referred for the surgery.
I’m now just past two weeks after surgery and things are so much better. I haven’t had any pain relief for a couple of days.
Having a bm isn’t pain free but it’s over so quickly and I don’t have to jump in the bath straight after. Still using the sitz bath over the toilet with very hot water in. It’s been the biggest life saver.
I would just recommend stocking up on tins of prunes, smoothies, fruit and fibre cereal and wholemeal bread.
Having lots of fibre has really helped me. Also lactulose twice a day.
The last couple of days I’ve eaten normal food as well as the high fibre food and it’s been fine.
I haven’t gone out yet but that’s just because I’m still not completely regular with when I go to the toilet.
I’ve been signed off for next week so 3 weeks off in total. I think some people might be ok with 2 but I don’t want to be caught short next week.

Thank you x

@Cupcake8212 - how are you feeling now? Are you fully recovered?

I’m doing so well now thank you.
I won’t lie, it was 6 weeks exactly before I turned a corner and felt nearly back to normal.
I’m still a little uncomfortable when I have a BM but the pain disappears instantly which is amazing. I’m even able to go out and not worry about needing to go when I’m out.

Thanks for responding @Cupcake8212 and I’m so glad to hear you’re doing well now. Six weeks is a long time but I never believed them when they said two weeks, but good to know it’s been worth it for you.

I haven’t had my referral date through yet but hoping it’s this side of summer so I can treat myself to a nice holiday in autumn. I don’t want to go anywhere or do anything until I’ve had the op.