I'm sorry to say that it doesn't surprise me that he was meaner to a young girl than to an adult man.
This exact thought had already occurred to me when I was typing out my response to Amber. That as a male, I was being treated differently. But I didn't exactly get red carpet treatment, either. I was in and out of his exam room like a rabbit being chased...

Hi Amber
Very sorry to hear you're in so much pain. I had a LIS & a hemorrhoidectomy too. That stinging pain you referred to, which for you lasts 24/7, is truly shocking. For the first 10-11 days after the operation, having a BM was like giving birth to broken glass. Every time I had a BM I felt like I wasn't far from passing out. Sometimes I literally saw stars. I would then have a hot salty bath which relieved the pain substantially. But as soon as I got out of the bath that terrible stinging/burning pain would hit me, which normally continued for the next 8-10 hours. The only relief from this pain was having 4-5 baths per day. Painkillers did nothing for me. Apart from having baths, I spent each day lying down. I could barely move. Even talking was an effort.
After 11 days post-operation, the pain slowly subsided. From day 12 to about day 20, the pain got less & less until there was virtually no pain. It's now been 23 days & I'm in no pain whatsoever.
The pain you've been having is truly shocking, I know. My spiritual beliefs about pain was the only thing that got me through it all as well as I did. Time has been a good healer too, so has all the wonderful people in this forum.
My prayers & thoughts are with you during these dark times.
Everyone in this forum is here for you.
Hang in there Amber.

Brett-can you tell me more about your hemorrhoidectomy? My doctor told me it would take 6-8 weeks to heal, yet you seem to be doing so much better. I am in substantial pain at 4 weeks out. I guess I am not sure what people mean when they say hemorrhoidectomy-if they are talking about the same thing that I had or not. My doctor took out the entire vein from internal to external. I think the stitches must have come out in the last few days because I see these abrasions there and have started bleeding again with a lot more pain. I see the doctor on Friday for a check-up.

Not to hijack Amber's thread but I didn't necessarily want to start a whole new topic either! Thanks so much!

Hi Lecia
I've been using the term hemorrhoidectomy because I figured that's what you call removing external & internal hemorrhoids. My surgeon didn't actually use that term, but he said that apart from the lateral internal sphincterotomy (LIS), he also had to remove several internal & external hemorrhoids, 3 skin tags & a couple of polyps. It wasn't until I saw the term hemorrhoidectomy in this forum that I began using it to describe the removal of hemorrhoids. I have a follow-up appointment this Friday, so I'll ask him about it & tell you what he says.
Sorry to hear you're still in so much pain 4 weeks later. Up until 11-12 days post-operation, I was in excrutiating pain. But then out of nowhere the pain dramatically improved from about day 12 to day 20. In the post I sent to Amber I said it was now day 23, but I made a mistake - it's now day 27. From day 20 until now, there has been virtually no pain. Occassionally I feel a slight pinch during a BM, but given the pain I was suffering, a slight pinch is nothing.
I've been lucky enough to be able to take 4 weeks off work. If I had to work during the past 4 weeks I wouldn't have healed as fast. Recovering at home has meant that I can have several baths every day, lying down every day & really doing nothing but reading & visiting this forum.
Hang in there Lecia. You're in my prayers & in my thoughts.
I'll let you know what the surgeon says this Friday.
Stay strong, sister.

Lecia, I am so sorry to hear that you are bleeding again :( :( :( and that you are in more pain - this is just beyond any justice of this or other world :( !!!!! I don't know what to say except that I really feel your pain and that I feel deep sadness and wish that I can help some way. I only know that it just MUST get better with time but it must be exhausting and nerve wrecking to endure all of that - I am still coming to terms with all that have happened to me in the past 6 months - still can't find any meaning in all of that suffering. Although miraculously even my fibro went away , I still can't relax, still am waiting for "something" else to whack me out of the blue :pale: . But, may it be of some comfort to you to know that healing does happen, sooner or later , even to me - even to condition that almost never "heals". I know that every day is like a year when pain is so great :( ,
stay strong dear Lecia, I know that you will - you haven't went through so much for nothing. You know that we all love you so much and pray for you daily .
Sending you BIG HUG, your :arwen:

Lecia, I am so sorry you are still going through this after 4 weeks. I can not imagine how your body can take that much pain for so long. I would be heading towards a breakdown. I will keep you in my prayers, and I really hope you start feeling relief soon. Brett-The pain you are describing is exactly what I am feeling. Burning and stinging constantly. However, BMs are not any more difficult than the constant pain. Sometimes they even seem to relieve the pressure other times-they just hurt. He only removed part of my hemmie from what I understand, but the pain seems to be exactly the same as you describe. My mom called after I did yesterday and told him that I said he was rude to me. He asked her if he was being rude to her. She told him, no, but she wasn't in pain at home crying. She told him I wasn't stupid or crazy, that his nurse was rude to mЂe and didn't even know he had done the hemmrhoidectomy. She told him I was just in severe pain. Anyways, I'm glad she did that. I believe you are right about the male-female thing. I do admit that I am a very emotional person, but I did not call his office so upset the last time I had surgery. I am not exagerating my pain and he should know that. He told me last time, he didn't know how I could function with the abcess that I had. I continued going to work and the hospital to visit my grandma everyday. I also basically took care of everything at home and of my grandfather while she was in the hospital and while in that much pain. The pain reached the levels of the pain I am feeling now also. I can be a strong person, but over time the pain just wears you down. I believe a man who had been through as much would react in much the same way and it us unfair of him to treat me this way. Anyways....just venting....sorry so long. Lecia I really do hope things get better for you~

Hugh---I finally read the thread on your surgery. I also had a smiley face on my IV tape. Maybe we had the same nurse. She was very sweet and full of great advice. I wish she worked for my CRS. I also endured the "carnival ride." haha---your description of the day of surgery sounded exactly like mine....except for the catheter---that sounds horrible..I'm sorry!

Thanks for the kind words and prayers, everyone. How are you doing today, Amber?

I am trying to rest up today. I think maybe after my MIL left I was trying to do too much. But I am still bleeding as of this morning but not as much. I hope and pray that I do not get another fissure on top of this. But I just try to remind myself that I still have time to heal so that I am within the normal healing curve and that perhaps this is just part of healing. I am thinking that my stitches dissolved because I see these abrasions in a pattern and maybe that area is just irritated. I also have a swelling that feels like scar tissue has grown over a stitch. But I will ask the CRS on Friday and see what she says. I am just trying to find some "normal" reason for this so I don't start feeling like I am undoing the healing.

I wanted to say that the nursing staff where I had my surgery said that men actually were harder to make comfortable after the hem. surgery. She said a lot of them cried. That made me feel better.

Amber, sounds like they are still doing the exact same routine at University Hospital, then!
Yep, that catheter was the worse part of the whole experience, at least during the hospital stay!

Hi Lecia...I'm doing the exact same. I felt a little better this morning and I think I over did it. I washed my hair and walked up a flight of stairs and back down again. I've been in agony ever since. Has anybody else felt like they had a complete set back from just a little activity?n I'm scared to death I've developed an infection or something. Does my recovery sound normal?