Since it's been a more difficult recovery than I anticipated, I thought I would document my experience with hemorrhoid banding. I have been an AF sufferer for over a year and have received great comfort from this forum. Even though it's mostly AF related, I wanted to keep track of my recovery from hemorrhoid banding here too. My internal hemorrhoids probably were a result of the same problems that caused the fissures. I think they are related. Pushing too hard to go number two is never a good thing.
I had the procedure done last Friday morning, over five days ago. The prep for the procedure consisted of not eating anything. I was only allowed clear liquids the day before and nothing the day of. An hour before reporting to the hospital, I had to give myself an over-the-counter fleet enema. Never easy for a fissure and hemorrhoid sufferer, but it wasn't bad because I wasn't having a flare-up of either at the time.
Dressed in an open-back gown, I was given an IV. I was put to sleep for the procedure. I was wheeled into the room and spoke briefly with the GI doc who I saw prior once for an office visit and once for a colonoscopy. During the colonoscopy, he found the hemorrhoids. I was quickly out and the procedure took 16 minutes. Four hemorrhoids were banded. When I awoke in recovery, I felt fine at first. After nearly an hour I started to feel pain which quickly got worse. I was given an ice pack which did seem to help somewhat. A short time later I was asked if I wanted to get some pain meds, to which I responded absolutely, even though I feared constipation. The GI doc wrote a prescription for Vicodin without speaking to me. He glanced over at me while the nurse was speaking with him. He has no bedside manner. Vicodin helps but I have only taken two since the procedure for fear of constipation.
They kept me for a little over an hour and then my wife drove me home. I'll continue with what happened after I got home in the next entry.