Day of Surgery:
I do two enemas as instructed and show up to the surgery center. I am sedated and my CRS performs the LIS with skin tag removal and bands 4 hemorrhoids. I wake up feeling numb and groggy. I don’t feel any pain until maybe 8 hours later in the evening and have a hard time sleeping so I take a Dilaudid for pain. I wake frequently through the night due to the feeling of pressure and aching.

Day 2: I’m still in pain and trying to take minimal pain meds so I don’t get constipated. I try to use the bathroom for a bowel movement but only a little comes out. It’s not painful though. I take a sitz bath and lay down because I’m aching. Hoping tomorrow is better than today!

Day 2 Update: Pain has gotten so bad I’m begging my doctor’s office for a Valium prescription because I have bad spasms. I looked at myself with a hand mirror and see a huge thrombosed hemorrhoid as well as a few smaller ones. I’m terrified to have a bowel movement later. This is actually more painful than the fissure was.

What you saw may not be hems at all, but the swelling from the surgery itself. My doc warned me not to look for at least 3 weeks so I don't get traumatized. Also banding hems takes time for them to fall off. Yes the pain is tremendous the first week because of the surgery. Actually it takes much longer the surgical incision to heal than the fissure. But don't worry, in about a week the pain will start subsiding, but give it at least a month to feel significantly better. Then the final disappearance of surgical cut pain and muscle spasming will be very gradual, for me it was over 5 month period, veeeery gradual. Have patience and do t overdo the laxatives because they won't give the muscles the chance to recover their former elasticity and strength. Don't refrain from eating so that you will have enough amount so tjat you can poop everyday. Take psyllium husk, very helpful. Don't lift anything heavy or do lower body exercises for at least two months. Walking is perfect. Don't eat acidic foods for two months. Don't out anything inside the anus, just sit baths, I did mine for about 6 weeks post op. Good luck, things WILL get better, although at times you may wonder will it ever go away. Yes, it will. The worst is over.

Thank you for the lovely words of encouragement. They are much appreciated right now while I’m in pain and feeling blue. I think I’d handle this better if I was more positive so I will try to adopt that kind of attitude. I suppose I’m just afraid that the surgery won’t work and that I’ll be in pain for a long time. But there’s no reason to jump to that conclusion and I should try to be patient with the pain to fade. A little nervous about this first bowel movement and can’t seem to make myself go. Did you have a difficult time with your first one after surgery?

I was nervous and it hurt, I even pushed to make sure to get it out. Just make sure to take something that will stimulate BM . I took husk.

Sorry to hear that you're in so much pain PreggoAF! Yesterday my new PT recommended a Senna tea for occasional constipation called Smooth Move Tea. Reviewers say it works very gently without cramping or diarrhea. You should find it at a grocery store like Sprouts or Whole Foods. It's made by a company called traditional medicinals. Take care, I hope you'll feel much better in a day or two.

Thanks Patience! I’ll check it out. :-) I took Milk of Magnesia tonight per my post op instructions. Hopefully that helps me go tomorrow morning although I can’t say I’m looking forward to it!

Day 2 Evening: The Milk of Magnesia kicked in just now waking me up to run to the bathroom! Somehow it was pain free despite being almost violent diarrhea. It also felt fairly easy to pass, like my butt is definitely less tight. So that’s my first positive sign so far!

Great to hear it was pain free. Wishing you a speedy healing!

Yaaay for the poo, don't you love a pain free toilet trip? I tried replying hours ago but something was going wrong an it wouldn't submit anyway your on your way PreggoAF the worst is over I would recommend taking an anti-inflammatory drug every 4-6 hours to help bring swelling down take pain killers regularly too don't feel it if you don't have to also try not to live in the moment think about the future you pain free living life to the fullest playing with your baby with no worries see the healed you feel what it would feel like an soon you'll be there an you'll be giving advice an support to others going through this post surgery stage your on the road to recovery take one day at a time an don't think to much about now or the pain try ignore it destract yourself an most of all trigger your feel good hormones as much as possible give your baby/kids lots of cuddles an kisses sit in the sun shine close your eyes an put your face to the sun I love doing that an imaging the sun drawing out the pain an healing me or giving me positivity when im feeling down an try get outside your doing well your strong capable an very deserving

Thanks you guys! Definitely a relief to get the first poop out of the way and know what I’m dealing with. I appreciate the kind words and will try to remember to be positive on my healing journey, as it can only help things move faster.


Day 3:
I slept better last night than the night before, perhaps because I had Valium to relax the spasms but also because I was in somewhat less pain than the night before. I woke up feeling kind of stiff from sleeping on my stomach and had very liquidy morning BM after breakfast. It burned my skin a little and I hopped in the bath after. I’ve managed the pain today so far with just Tylenol and ibuprofen. I had another liquidy BM after lunch which burned my skin again so I’ll likely take a Valium for the spasms in a bit. So far I’m still taking it easy and try not to overdo it. My pain is not too bad except for the brief spasms I get throughout the day. Hoping those go away soon. My CRS thinks they’re due to the internal hems banded and that they’ll stop soon when the hems fall off. Fingers crossed!