I had a scalpel hemorrhoidectomy surgery on 2 hemorrhoids (one rather large) that were near my anal opening and a banding for an internal hemorrhoid. Although there are tips for any hemorrhoidectomy surgery, this guide focuses on scalpel surgeries and not the banding technique. I initially created this “Recovery Guide” to help prepare for my own surgery due to the lack of information provided by my surgeon’s office. Most of the information herein is borrowed from multiple postings of people who had the surgery before me. I have kept most of the information I originally gathered for my own surgery, but I have added my personal experiences of what I tried and what worked best for me throughout my recovery. I am not in the medical industry, so consult your surgeon on any suggestions provided. I’ve tried to organize everything in the order that the information is needed – and I tried to give a reasonable timeline of how the average person recovers from surgery from the posts I read. Even though I felt really bad on some of the first days after surgery, it gave me comfort to read over the list and see that I was on the expected recovery path. Recognize that everyone heals differently, but this should give you an indication if you are on track or not. My recovery was remarkably quicker than what seems to be the average in the postings – and I believe it is because of following the advice contained in this guide. For reference, I am a 36 year old male that is in fairly good health with about 20% body fat and worked out about 2 times a week. I did not document any remedies to complications to surgery. Contact your surgeon or go to the ER. I also did not include any herbal suggestions that I found on sites since it was too difficult to research possible side effects and the only one I wanted to try was too difficult to find.
Things to Discuss With Your Surgeon before Surgery
Other options: This surgery has a very painful recovery. Post-surgery, many patients posted they wish they had discussed more alternatives with their surgeon. Some felt that the surgeon’s recommendation was biased due to financial gain of performing the surgery.
I personally have no regrets after having the surgery; although after going through recovery, I might had tried more options first.
Time off work: Most people posted that their surgeons indicated they would need less time off work than they actually needed. 3 weeks seemed to be the average minimum time before going back into office and many started with half days for a week; although many worked from home in 2 weeks. 6 weeks seemed to be the long end of the spectrum unless there were complications. Jobs requiring manual labor seem to require 6 weeks or longer recovery.
I tried to work from home in 5 days which was mostly unsuccessful and returned to work at a desk job in 11 days, but I was not at 100% and I was fatigued during the day.
Specifically what procedures will occur: There are multiple operations to remove hemorrhoids. Some involve banding and others involve cutting the tissue out. The surgery wounds may be left open, stitched, or stapled. It’s a good idea to know exactly where the hemorrhoids are being removed from and details of the surgery being done. There are multiple posts of patients going in for a banding which is less painful and to awaken after having the more painful scalpel surgery. This will result in a longer period away from work and you may not be prepared for the extra recovery. Be clear with your surgeon what you authorize him to do versus what you don’t.
I went into surgery to have 1 hemorrhoid cut out and another banded, and the surgeon decided to cut 2 out instead so I had an extra incision. I was okay with this result, but had he made 5 incisions I would not have been.
Expectations of physical appearance: Some expect to have no noticeable scaring after surgery. If you are having surgery for appearance, discuss this openly with the surgeon before having surgery. You will possibly show signs of surgery afterward. If this is important to you, discuss it before hand – this is not a plastic surgery procedure.
Clearing upper and lower bowels before surgery: Your doctor will advise you when to stop eating the night before surgery. Most people feel like they had an easier time if they cleared their upper and lower bowels – via laxative – before surgery due to constipation from food that was in upper bowels during surgery.
I did not clear my upper bowels before surgery and I believe that is why the first part of stool to exit my body during the first BM was somewhat harder than the rest.
Nausea: If you know that you are prone to nausea when you have surgery, see if the surgeon might recommend a patch or prescription to help counteract this.
I did not experience nausea.
What Care Giver Assistance You Will Need/Have Available After Surgery: This is especially important if you are single and not located near family. What assistance you have available may influence what options are viable for you.
I am single and needed a ride home. I had the driver stay for about 3 hours until I was comfortable that I could take care of myself. I kept a cell phone close at all times.
Risks and Possible Complications: Out of scope of this guide; but discuss with surgeon.
Put Things in Easy Reach: Reaching high and low will be very difficult after surgery. About 3 days before surgery, try to pay attention to anytime you bend or stretch to get something. Try to have everything out on countertops and in the center shelves of the fridge, etc.
Things to Have Before Surgery
Enemas (Fleet)
Panty liners
4x4 gauze
Flushable aloe vera baby wipes; i.e. "Kandoo"
Squeeze ketchup bottle – for makeshift bidet
Strainer with handle
Ointments - cocoa butter, diaper rash lotion, aloe plant, lidocaine, Desitin, A&D ointment, hydrocortisone, Prep H, Benadryl cream
Stool softener: milk of magnesia, Metamucil, Citrucel, Sennakot, delcolax, collace, mineral oil, fish oil
Multivitamin
Magnesium pills
Pain pills: Tylenol, Advil, Motrin, etc.
Epsom salts
Fruits (prunes also), vegetables, greens, bran, juice (prune juice), canned fruit, Soups, jello, puddings, fig newtons, wheat bread, yogurt
Bucket to carry around for nausea
Book, magazines, or mp3 player to pass time in tub and bed. Nothing corded to an outlet when in tub.
Preparation for the Surgery
Adjust diet at least a week before surgery. See food suggestions below.
Start taking a stool softener such as Metamucil or Citrucel for a few days prior to surgery. Don't overdo it - use just need enough to keep the stool soft. Stool softeners require plenty of water to work - this should make the first BM less painful and it’s helpful to have an idea before surgery how to get your stool to the consistency you need to have a bowel movement without having to push.
It's a good idea to be eating a high fiber and low meat diet a few days prior to surgery - plenty of vegetables and fruit and high fiber cereals and breads.
See if you can get your prescriptions filled the day before surgery. Some hospitals have a service to fill the prescription while you are in surgery.
It’s a good idea to try to clear your upper and lower bowels before surgery – possibly by taking a laxative the night before. Your surgeon will give you a cutoff time for any water or food prior to surgery – usually 8 hours. You may want to adjust this some to give your body time to get more stool out of your digestive tract. Prior to going to the hospital, your surgeon will advise to take one to two enemas an hour or two before the planned surgery. Hold the enema for 5 to 10 minutes and then expel it; repeat. Fleets enemas or tap water enemas are usually fine.
Directly before surgery, do not eat anything that might be “scratchy” while exiting the body.
Day of Surgery
Surgery
Dress in very loose fitting clothes that you can get up and down easily. You will have to get dressed in these after leaving. Jogging suits and sweats seem to be very popular.
From the time you arrive at the hospital until you are in surgery will probably be about an hour to prep you. Surgery will probably last about another hour. Waking for anesthesia will probably be 30 to 45 minutes. Within another 30 to 45 minutes your vitals will expect to be normal, and you’ll be getting up to urinate. Depending on how long that takes, you’ll be going home shortly after that.
Local anesthetic should last 6 to 12 hours after surgery. You will leave only after the anesthesia wears off and you have urinated. You may feel nauseated.
Getting out of bed the first time was very difficult for me. They had me get to a wheelchair to go to the restroom. Use your arms as much as possible to get up and down into the wheelchair. I did not have urination issues, but I could not push to get a strong steady stream.
You will need someone to drive you home. Be sure he/she is aware to slow down far in advance of stops and to take bumps in the road with care. He/she may not be aware of how painful that will be for you.
Care Directly After Surgery
Take pain meds as prescribed and on time. Do not combine Percocet and Vicodin - you'll get ill. If prescribed both, it’s claimed to work best by beginning with Percocet and switching off every 4 to 6 hrs. Use an alarm to keep on schedule through the rest of the day and the night - Pain meds will take approximately 30 minutes to kick in - staying on schedule is important for a less painful recovery.
I was only prescribed Vicodin and Valium and was very careful to stay on schedule and did not experience pain until my first BM.
Some doctors may recommend that you take an antibiotic (such as metronidazole) to prevent infection and reduce pain.
Mine did not and I had no issues with infection.
Ice packs applied to the anal area may reduce swelling and pain.
I never needed this.
Frequent soaks in warm or hot water (sitz baths) help relieve pain and muscle spasms. Some people could not urinate outside the tub for the first few days of recovery. Urine in the water will not cause any harm to your wounds. If passing gas is painful for you, it is less painful in a tub of water. Recommended to add epsom salts to bath - roughly 1/3-1/2 cup of Epsom salts either every or every other time. Fill the tub to just cover the hips. These baths may speed recovery.
I spent hours at a time in a tub of warm water and Epsom salt (probably 6 to 8 hours daily for the first week) and I believe this helped my recovery quite a bit. Although most posts indicate the hotter the water, the more the relief; I only soaked in very warm water. Some felt very hot water increased bleeding at the wounds and I did not want to risk it. Early in recovery, sitting in the tub was the only time I felt complete relief from pain.
If at all possible, try to walk some - at least 3 trips to the end of the house. You won't feel like it, but it will probably make you feel better in the long run. Carry a small bucket in case of nausea.
You will not be able to sit directly up directly after surgery. Soft recliners seem to be popular, however I spent most of my time in bed. Some felt most comfortable on their side, but some were more comfortable on their backs – also try a pillow between your legs and under your knees depending how you are lying. Most opinions were that lying on the stomach did not offer enough support. You will have to experiment.
I was not in pain most of the first day so I made more than 3 trips to the kitchen and to the bedroom. Getting in and out of bed was a very slow process. I heated my own food and ate it standing up.
You may or may not sleep most of this first day, but you will likely take a few naps and you will feel tired and exhausted. Try sleeping on the sofa, in a recliner and in bed to see which is most comfortable for you.
It’s recommended that you take stool softeners that contain fiber to help BM. Do whatever you can to prepare for a soft stool – but you do not want diarrhea.
Have a tub of hot water ready before you have your BM-very important.
Be sure you have taken your medications on time when your first BM occurs – pain prescriptions and relaxers (the Valium is to help your sphincter relax for the BM)
Do not strain or push at all - you will be risking getting fissures or another hernia.
You may apply numbing medicines before and after BM to relieve pain.
Do not, no matter how much you want to - hold it in. This will just hurt worse.
Breathe through the entire BM - do not hold your breath - try the Lamaze technique of breathing.
Recognize that some bleeding is normal. It does not take much blood to turn toilet water red, so don’t be panicked. I most likely looks worse than it is. The amount of blood on the gauze you keep between your cheeks is a better indicator of how badly you are bleeding.
If it is too painful, you can climb into the tub of hot water to relieve yourself & clean up afterward. If you take this approach, do not let stool go down the drain – it will clog your tub. Use a strainer to capture the stool and transfer it to the toilet.
Otherwise, finish BM and optionally clean with aloe wipes and get into hot bath for relief – some people showered, but most bathed.
In addition to stool softeners and Citrucel, One doctor recommended to take Sennakot - or any vegetable based laxative - if there is no BM after 2 days.
I had my first BM the day after surgery. I did not try to have my first BM on the toilet at all since more posts indicated having it in a tub of water was less painful. I climbed into a tub or very warm water and focused on breathing the entire time and trying to relax my sphincter muscle. After your sphincter has be cut into, it will probably be difficult to get it to relax for the bowel movement. I did breathe through the whole thing and never pushed – that’s all I focused on. However my sphincter did not ever really relax; the pressure continued to build in my lower intestines which became more and more painful – but I continued to focus on relaxing throughout the pain. Eventually my abdomen went into spasms and pushed the stool out. This is very painful – but for me it was not as painful as the posts I’ve read. Personally I felt like I had passed something about the size of a tennis ball – and I felt quite a bit of pain in each incision. To me it felt like each incision was pulled apart. The pain is very significant, but the stool passed very quickly after it started – maybe 10 or 15 seconds. Just focus on breathing and relaxing your sphincter, and it will pass. You can do this. Afterward there was intense burning for about 5 minutes –still intense but nothing like the first pain. Following this my sphincter went into spasms. This occurred for 2 hours. The spasms were not unbearable pain either, but the length of time I was in spasm was tough to manage and not knowing when they’ll end is the worst part. This will pass – give it time. Yes I sat in dirty water for over 2 hours, but trust me that you won’t care. After I was able to get to my feet, I used a strainer to transfer the stool to the toilet and emptied the tub & I showered to clean myself off. After the first BM, I had swelling and I was very uncomfortable for quite a while – I felt like my bowels were hanging out. I took ibuprofen to help with swelling.
Food
It is very important to have a high fiber diet so that your stool remains soft. Your diet should be high in fresh fruits, vegetables, greens, bran, juice, etc. Canned fruit is handy for convenience. Soups, jello, oatmeal, and puddings are also recommended. Eat nothing fried, spicy, acetic (take heed with citric and tomato products) for many weeks. Be sure to chew well. Note that some complain that bran and cereals can cause pain due to being rough when exiting the body later - also some doctors recommend holding off on the high fiber because of the bulk it adds but other want the bulk to prevent narrowing of the anus. The former recommend soft foods with softeners. One recommendation is 30 grams of fiber per day - fig newtons, wheat bread, bean soups (be aware that gas will cause pain) are ways to increase fiber. If you eat only liquids it will constipate you and might cause your rectum to narrow from not stretching from the bowel movements during your healing - stenosis.
Recognize that fiber absorbs quite a bit of water. You need to increase your water intake - aim for at least 8 glasses of liquids per day.
Pain meds will cause constipation, so additional stool softener is important. Collace, Citrucel (mixing with apple or grape juice helps it go down), delcolax, milk of magnesia, etc. with a couple of meals per day reported to help. Prune juice or organic dried prunes are good alternatives that are highly recommended. An additional 2 tsp of mineral oil or fish oil can help as well. Your goal is for soft stools not diarrhea - so don't take everything listed. Everyone's body is different so adjust as needed.
Again, in addition to stool softeners and Citrucel, One doctor recommended to take Sennakot - or any vegetable based laxative - if there is no BM after 2 days.
A good multivitamin should be taken to help promote healing. Magnesium pills were recommended to help soften stools and for general healing.
Eating will result in a BM, so it's a good idea to take a pain killer while eating so that it kicks in at the same time as your BM.
I ate on schedule from the day of surgery. I had 7 paper lunch sacks each filled with pretty much the same thing so my meals would be consistent and I’d know exactly how many softeners to take each day to keep my stool regulated. I had baggies with my meds counted out and my softeners counted out. I began each morning with a glass of water mixed with Citrucel. Per another suggestion, I followed that with very watery, hot oatmeal for my breakfast-this caused a BM shortly afterward each time. For a week I stuck to canned soups for my lunches and dinners – usually 1 can halved for each meal. I had 2 graham crackers, 4 prunes, 1 pudding snack pack, ½ cup dehydrated fruit trail mix, 1 slice wheat bread, 1 fresh apple and 1 fresh pear, ½ can fruit, 1 fig newton type bar, and 1 trailmix bar. And constant water when I was up.
Pain Management
Pain is easier to keep under control consistently than to get back under control if you go too long without your medications. Be sure to stay on schedule with your pain medications – especially at night. Don’t allow yourself to be woken up from pain. It will take a minimum of 30 minutes for the pain meds to kick in and your pain may increase quickly in 30 minutes. You should have medications for pain, relaxants, and swelling. You may also have something for nausea and infection. Understand your pain so you can try to treat it correctly:
1. The type of pain just after the surgery where the sphincter muscle has to expand for stool to pass. If you've ever pulled a muscle so that you can't extend your arm or something, imagine your butt having that problem while you are trying to have a bowel movement. The muscle will knot up and it won't relax enough to let stool pass, so the first few BMs you are forcing the stool through this muscle and at the same time there is pulling on the surgical site where the stitches are. The prescribed painkillers may decrease this but not by much - many claim to take pain pills early in morning before the BM to help with this (again always keep in mind that pain killers take 30 minutes to kick in), but a Valium (or other muscle relaxant) and warm or hot baths may be more helpful. If your surgeon prescribes both, switching out Percocet with Vicodine every 4 to 6 hrs was recommended. This is part of the pain that make most people shudder about. Making the sphincter expand while it's knotted up and pulling against the stitches hurt. If you started with your stool softeners and diet a week before surgery and ate light and bland the day before surgery (soups, etc) - chew all foods well before swallowing – you will have an easier time. Almost everyone reports that the first bowel movement was the most painful, but the next couple are still pretty painful. The first BM will most likely occur the day following surgery or the next. Expect a fairly noticeable decrease in pain around the 4th BM, and continual improvement each time thereafter. Do not sit on the toilet until you are about to actually go. Sitting on the toilet pulls against your stitches and causes blood to pool in your anus and slowly builds up pressure. It will cause a more painful experience and can make you bleed more during the BM. Do not push...your stool will eventually slide out on it on (because you have taken your fiber and softeners like you should) or your body will have a contraction and push it out. Recognize that some people have trouble having a BM until the pain meds wear off.
2. The extreme burning as stool and stomach acids pass the surgical site. It is recommended to use aloe dampened baby wipes (Kandoos found in the baby aisle) and a squirt bottle bidet (something like those ketchup bottles you see in restaurants) to make this pain pass quickly. Witch Hazel on gauze is an alternative to the wipes. Touching the incision sites directly after surgery is painful so you may be unable to wipe until a week has passed. Quite a few people seem to have trouble having a BM until the meds wear off a bit. This pain is quite a bit less than pain # 1 and may last about 5 minutes. This should be pain you can endure – it’s similar to running water or alcohol over a fresh cut. You should be in your tub of water soon after this starts, which should help it pass as well. Again, you don’t want to be filling your tub after the pain has already started. Having your tub prepared when you need it is very important. Another important note: there is a contraption that sits on your toilet that is labeled a sitz bath as well. It has an IV bag attached where water streams into a basin that you sit in and it overflows into the toilet out an opening in the side of the basin. Many patients were advised by their doctors not to use this because it caused blood pooling and pressure build up at the surgical site and caused more harm than good; but you have to make your own decision if you want to try it. The time this pain lasts should decrease as the surgical site heals. It is also documented that applying ointments helped decrease this pain as well, but to be sure and clean the ointments off afterward. Be aware that oil based products delay healing, so discuss this with your doctor. Vaseline has been documented as a big no-no for that reason. There are also precautions that some ointments may thin the anal skin and lead to other complications such as fissures, etc. Many diaper rash ointments have zinc oxide in them and there are claims that these promotes quicker healing of the wounds - again discuss with your doctor.
For me this pain immediately followed the pain # 1 each BM for about a week. It lasted about 3 or 4 minutes each time without any real improvement. My plan was to have a squirt bottle to clean my butt over the toilet and then climb in the tub. After one very awkward and uncomfortable squirt, I changed my mind and climbed in the tub dirty each time for about 5 days. Again, although MANY claim that the hotter the water, the quicker the pain relief, it was also documented several times that doctors don't want increase of blood to the site caused by extremely hot water. I personally kept my water warm, but slightly on the hot side - mostly because lukewarm water gets cold quicker than I wanted to get out of the tub. On about day 7 after surgery, I applied A&D ointment (lanoline based) on my incisions for itching and this pain stopped. Ever since then, I no longer have this burning but I do not know if it was cured by the ointment or healing time. After a couple of days I did not use the ointment and I did not experience burning, but itching returned. I tried a zinc oxide based ointment later, but it was very thick and painful to apply so I went back to the ointment.
3. Spasms from your sphincter muscle. Many people experienced these throughout the healing process with no rhyme or reason when they occur. Some have them directly after surgery, if they sit too long, etc. These can last for hours – everyone seems to have a different experience. Women compare the spasms to the contractions they have during labor but worse because of where they are occurring. The sphincter is really sore during all this and it uncontrollably flexes and relaxes and flexes and relaxes. These aren’t usually described as unbearable pain, but if they last a long time they will wear you out and your butt will be very sore afterward. Pain killers are reported not to be effective for this and to try relaxants (Valium). Sitz baths, heating pads, and a massager in the small of the back are suggestions for relief. One person suggested making a heating pad by placing a damp towel in a freezer bag and microwaving it. Others recommended trying ice and heat, one may work sometimes and the other at other times.
For me, these only occurred directly after pain # 2 after BMs. My first one lasted for 2 hours - and that's no exaggeration, it was 2 hours straight. Each of my spasms were about a second apart. I agree that pain killers didn't seem to help at all but I couldn't tell Vallium helped either. I relied on warm baths to help ease these spasms. My second spasm lasted about 90 minutes, then the third about 45 and then about 5 minutes so these tapered off very quickly.
4. Similar to the burning pain # 2, but less intense; acid irritant ache from seepage from the spincter across the wounds and your raw rectum. Use cocoa butter or diaper rash oinments on affected area 2 or 3 times a day to help numb the area and help with rubbing when you walk as well. Cuttting off a chunk from an Aloe Vera plant , peeling it and placing it between the butt cheeks was claimed to provide more relief than ointments. Baths will help with this as well. Again, Vaseline and oil based products are reported to slow the healing process.
I was in the bath tub probably 6 to 8 hours a day so I didn't experience much of this til around day 5 when I stopped spending so much time in the tub. My surgeon advised that I was only allowed to use Neosporin on the site and I could not tell that it offered any relief. A&D lanoline ointment did provide relief. A&D zinc oxide was too thick to apply painlessly.
5. Constipation. Narcartics cause constipation. You should also know your own body well enough to know what foods you need to avoid during recovery. Most people adjust their diet and add extra bran to each meal. Polyethyline glycol may be directed to use as a laxative, but the most popular one listed was Collace. Most people use Citrucel or Metimucel first thing in the morning and last thing at night as well. Milk of magnesia (careful - you don't want diarrhea) or magnesium pills are also recommended. Refer to pain # 1 if you allow yourself to get constipated. Severe constipation is not only very painful, but can rip your stitches so take this seriously.
6. Extreme itching. This can be the incisions or the whole anal area itching from a diaper rash type of condition. I’m not sure if the condition is a result of the seepage described in pain # 4. It may also be caused by difficulty in cleansing the surgical site due to swelling. You can't really scratch and again oil based products slow healing, but diaper rash ointments have been prescribed.
On day 11 I started experiencing this and A&D ointments with lanoline and one with zinc oxide seem to help.
7. The surgical site begins to stretch back to its normal size and shape. Keep bulk to your stool and this will be easier. Your goal is to have soft but bulked stools each time. Some people ignore their doctor warnings and don't eat enough or they use laxatives to keep diarrhea while they heal. If you do this, you will develop stenosis (where your sphincter closes shut) and you'll have to go through a second operation to correct it. Recovery for corrective surgery is unbearable from everything I've read. The only reason you should ever have diarrhea is if you haven't had a BM in 3 days - in which case you need to do whatever it takes to have one. If you ever consider taking more laxatives when you know you don't need them, do a search on the corrective surgery for stenosis...that's sure to scare you back on track.
Last edited by TacomaGuy; 11-29-2007 at 01:14 AM.
The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to TacomaGuy For This Useful Post: LanaLee (10-03-2012), mmmpie (06-07-2012), Zen3101 (09-25-2012)
Your body needs food to heal. Review the Food section above. Frequent meals throughout the day seems to have better results than one meal a day. You should be drinking plenty of water. Your body needs plenty of rest to heal - sleep as often as the body will allow.
Keep on schedule with meds – if you are having frequent pain, look at how well you are staying on schedule. Keep ahead of the pain.
If you are having trouble urinating when taking Loritab, mix with Motrin and it should help.
Frequent hot sitz baths (especially salty baths - roughly 1/3-1/2 cup of Epsom salts in the bath every time) will help the most for discomfort--just sit in a hot bath for 20-30 minutes 3-4 times per day (or more) and after BM. Some prefer to use a wand showerhead over the bath.
BMs will be painful. Do not hold it in, remember not to strain. Refer to the Pain Management and BM sections above. Try to take pain pills when you first wake up and with meals so they'll kick in when you have your BM.
You should have a BM every 2 days. Contact Dr. and increase laxatives if this does not occur. One Dr suggested - If you don't go at all one day, take one Tbs of Metamucil and one Tbs of Milk of Magnesia. If you go 1-2 times, take one Tbs of Metamucil. If you go 3 or more times, don't take anything; however I disagree. I would not risk not taking anything unless you are having severe diarrhea. For severe constipation, an enema may be needed.
You need to be moving around some. Your body will be very tired after surgery, but you must force yourself to walk. Take a bucket at first even if you don't feel nausea. Walking will help regulate BMs. Around day 3, you should be able to take a short walk outside. The sooner people started walking seems to be the sooner they feel better. Don't roam too far from home though and take a cell phone.
Try not to sit too much right now. Standing and lying are optimal.
Weeping of the wound (blood and mucus) is normal for several weeks. It is normal for the mucus to be smelly and yellow. If it has appearance of cottage cheese or you run fever over 101, recognize these as signs of infection and contact your surgeon. Wear depends, panty liners, gauze between your butt cheeks as needed; you may have considerable weeping initially.
On the day of surgery, I took a 2 hour bath and napped a few times during the evening. I began eating my diet as outlined above and I napped a few times during the evening.
On day 2, I took 2 long baths and slept on and off on the recliner. I stayed on my food schedule and had my first BM late in the evening. Afterward, I could no longer sit in the recliner. I slept quite a bit this day.
Day 3 was similar to day 2. I had a small BM followed by diarrhea very late at night. Due to diarrhea, the pain was noticeably less. Here is an idea of what I ate on day 3: Citrucel with water, 2 collace, 10 oz prune juice, 2 prunes, 2 sheets graham crackers, 1 c soup, 1 multigrain bar, 1/2 c raisin bran, 1/2 apple, 1/2 c fruit cocktail, 1 c apple juice, 1/2 sheet graham cracker. I would usually have the other cup of soup and the other half apple, but I slept much of the day as well.
Day 4 through 7
Try to increase the time between pain pills by using 600 mg advil – but don’t let the pain get hold of you. Everyone has a different experience with pain, but if you are feeling very little pain it’s time to start decreasing meds. By the end of this week to 10 days, you should be almost off all prescription pain killers except for occasional use. Replace with Motrin or a mix of Motrin and Tylenol. You may go through 100 Motrin for the first 2 weeks. Within 2 weeks most seem to experience a noticeable decrease in pain that occurs almost overnight. When nothing seems to help the pain, try to remember you just need to make it to 2 weeks.
Are you drinking enough water?
Continue with high fiber diet and softeners unless you have diarrhea. You risk a setback if you stop softeners right now, but decrease as needed to keep a consistently soft but formed stool. If gas becomes an issue, Beeno or Gas-x may help.
If you aren't walking yet, you should be unless your surgeon has specifically asked you not to.
Try to do things that take your mind off your body. Have a plan to do something while you are in bed and while you are in the bath - a new book, movies, music, etc.
Follow-up exams are usually done 1 week and 3 weeks after surgery, but don't feel shy about asking to reschedule if you need to.
Day 4 I did not have a BM all day. I was already decreasing meds at this point, but I woke up in pain so I increased meds pretty drastically to get back under control. I kept eating my diet and could tell I my digestive system was getting backed up. I took a sennokot around 4 PM to try to get things moving again. I had a fairly painful BM around midnight with a fair amount of spasm pain afterward – almost 2 hrs again. 4 pain pills, 6 ibuprofen, 3 valium, 1 collace, 1 sennokot
Day 5 I had BM just after noon and spasm that followed was just over an hour. Had a second BM at end of day with a very short spasm following. Most of pain was from incisions during BM. 3 pain pills, 4 ibuprofen, 2 valium, 2 collace, 1 milk of magnesium before bed. Tried to work from home, but was not productive at all – napped during day
Day 6 I started halving pain pills and started lowering dosage again. Spasms are short with BM. 2 pain pills, 5 ibuprofen, 3 valium, 5 collace, 2 tylenol; I used A&D ointment for weeping and burning after BMs did not occur. Worked from home this day as well. Attended conference calls, but was not productive.
Day 7 I had diarrhea. Pain from sitting on toilet was bad enough I had to pass stool in tub again. I only took 1 collace due to diarrhea. Down to 1 pain pill and 4 Ibuprofen and 1 valium. Using A&D before BMs still and no burning.
Next few weeks
After 2 weeks, you can expect a noticeable decrease in pain. BM will still be an issue. You will need to plan around them.
10 days to 3 weeks seems to be the earliest for going back to work - don't be surprised if it takes 4 to 6 weeks.
Check with surgeon, but with itching try mixing hydrocortisone & prep H with a little lidocaine. It should provide immediate relief to get thru the day.
There will still be weeping and spotting for 4 to 5 weeks (2 months for some). Around 10 to 14 days, some experience an increase in bleeding due to a scab falling off. This is normal.
10 days is too soon to stop laxatives, but everyone is different. The suggestion is to keep Metamucil or similar in the diet for months following the surgery. At 2 weeks (or sooner if you can), you need to be decreasing laxatives if your stool is not firm at all (you still want soft stool though) to help prevent narrowing of anus. In the next few weeks, slowly work toward a more normal BM. DO NOT STRAIN. You are progressing too fast if you are straining at all.
Continue with HOT water baths to promote healing and 2 motrins at bed time to be preventative for pain. Try to take with Tylenol to see if it helps more. At week 3, some are taking 3 to 6 Motrin daily. At 3 weeks, some are no longer doing hot baths, but replacing with a wand showerhead. At 3 weeks, some are adding meat back into diet but do this slowly and on a day when you can spend at home in case it causes discomfort.
You are most likely going to look at what the results of your surgery are during this time. Do not be alarmed if you see hanging skin or things that look like other hemorrhoids, etc. You are still swollen and you may have skin tags that may or may not reduce in size. Skin tags can often be removed in your surgeon’s office with a local anesthetic. The recovery for this is very short and relatively painless, but you need to wait a minimum of 6 weeks to get an idea how your surgical site will appear afterward.
3 weeks seems to be recommended the most to consider resuming sexual activities. Begin slowly and carefully so you know your limits.
Day 8, I was not going to go to my parents for Thanksgiving, but I felt exceptionally well this day and went. This is the first day I changed my diet, but I ate small portions and stuck to the no citrus and spicy rule. BM not overly painful. I did increase the amount of collace with the meal and I put Kellogg’s All-Bran on almost everything I ate. Mostly on ibuprofen at this point with a prescription pain pill every other day.
Day 9, I replaced baths with showers. BM still not overly painful. Back on soup diet. Very small BM so took Milk of Magnesia at bedtime.
Day 10, Have gotten where my BM are happening on schedule in mornings and I can wipe lightly without too much pain although I have to shower afterward. I tried a burger without cheese for dinner without any bad consequences. I took 2 collace with the burger. I went to a bar and had a couple of beers and danced quite a bit without any issues. I did take valium, ibuprofen and pain pill before bed just in case but no issues the next morning besides extreme fatigue.
Day 11, I had pizza for dinner with 2 collace – no real issues.
Day 12 to 14, I went back at work. I am late to work multiple times due to increase of time for BM. I’ve been eating reasonably normal without any issues. I still take Citrucel in mornings and have collace with meals. I increase collace depending on what I eat. And I chew extremely well. I do feel exhausted sometimes, but otherwise doing well. Some BMs hurt just slightly when they first start, but no noticeable bleeding. I am still having to wear gauze, etc for weeping. But it’s not much at this point. I was extremely tired at beginning of week. I’m gaining stamina as the week progresses and I feel like I’m productive at work now. I am still not 100% but I can walk 2 blocks fairly easily. I do tire sometimes, but not too badly. I still need ibuprofen for occasional swelling. I will take a valium if I think I am constipated, just in case. I’ve had a couple of BM that were slightly painful for being a bit too hard but not enough to cause a spasm or blood.
6 weeks
Most of swelling should go down and you should have a good idea how you healed up.
You may be still taking stool softeners, but no laxatives. This is the soonest to consider weaning off fiber drink if you choose to do so. Again, do it gradually - every 2 days for a week, then every 3 days, etc.
You may be able to resume light running and exercise at this time. This is probably the earliest one can resume manual labor jobs. Don’t be surprised if it takes 8 weeks or longer.
8 weeks - Onward
You may be able to be on your old diet without any softeners by now.
You may be able to work your way up to heavier exercise by now. Squats are out of the question most likely still. 12 weeks is the earliest suggested to consider light squats. 4 to 6 months is the earliest suggested for heavy squats.
It is recommended to wait 2 to 3 months to resume any receptive anal intercourse. Scar tissue does not stretch as well or quickly as normal skin so start slowly as you are prone to developing tears and fissures.
Last edited by TacomaGuy; 11-29-2007 at 11:14 AM.
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to TacomaGuy For This Useful Post: LanaLee (10-03-2012), Zen3101 (09-25-2012)
Hi Tacoma guy
WOW this reading is excellent.First my husband is recoverying (well trying to)
from internal Hemorrhoid and polyp operation done last Friday 4th.
He is in so much pain he just about had enough.We are sticking to the high strength pain killers and laxitives that were given.
he is at the stage where he can not open his bowls yet and has only a few drips so to speak.
I have printed all the pages you have wrote and all the hot baths are paying off,He is taking a orange drink (Fybergel) also lactolos, is it adviseable to keep taking the lactolos as often as three times a day?? we sure could do with your advise.
We are in the uk so the medications are different.he is 67 which I think he is younger then you.
Great stuff and that you.
Thanks
D
Hello! I shared the hemorrhoidectomy experience with TacomaGuy (my surgery was 12/3), and I so agree with you on what a terrific guide he wrote! It was very helpful to me during my recovery. I haven't seen any messages from TacomaGuy in a few weeks, so I wanted to post a message for you as someone who has been there.
Do you have a hot water bottle? That was very helpful to me - I kept it against the small of my back and it really seemed to ease the majority of the pain.
I would recommend that your hubby try really hard to ease off the pain meds - do you have ibuprofen or tylenol over there? I took very few of the narcotic pain meds because they are constipating. I took plenty of over the counter pain meds - which worked remarkably well and did not bother my bowel movements.
After the first awful bowel movement, things do get better. I saw someone quote their doctor that the first bowel movement would feel like they were trying to pass the sun - that image made me smile, but it was no joke.
It is very important to get your husband to eat food containing fiber - I take a supplement, too. Do you have metamucil over there? Psyllium is the ingredient - I buy it in capsule form. Stool softeners were a LIFE SAVER for me in the first week or two. Very important to keep the poop moving!
Good luck - I will check in over the next few days. Please let me know that he has found relief! Remind him that the first two weeks are the absolute worst - things will improve drastically after that!
Hi Beachgal, I haven't signed on since the holidays and I was going to say hi but I see the thread was locked. I didn't read the whole thread, but it sounds like you are all doing well mostly. I am doing very well now. I'm off all fiber suppliments and pain killers without any real issues. I can still tell I was cut on, but no real pain just a little uncomfortable during BMs.
D,
Beachgal is right on the mark. It sounds like he is approaching 5 days so if he doesn't have a BM in the near future, it's a good idea to contact his doctor. You didn't say much about the diet he is eating but even though he may eat less than normal, be sure he is eating solid, but high fiber food. He won't be able to tell if he is constipated or has diahrrea right now because the surgery messes up all the signals to the brain. If he has been eating, you don't want to use less softeners or laxatives - the goal needs to be to have a BM; it's better to have the stool too soft instead of too hard. It seems like people that don't have a BM until the week is almost up end up having diahrrea rather than constipation. I think it may be harder for the body to expel loose stools when your rectum is notted up from surgery. Everyone has a different experience so what works for one person may give someone else loose stool but leave another constipated. I personally wouldn't stop the painkillers until after the first BM so you have an idea what his pain tolerance is, but consider increasing the time in between pills and suppliment with ibuprofen to lessen the effects of consitpation caused by the painkillers. It sounds like tomorrow will be day 6 so I think you should consider taking a couple of spoons of milk of magnesia or something to induce a BM. Again, consult with your doctor's office - they'll have a better idea what reaction most people have to the meds they have him on. Best of luck, TG
Hi TG and Beachgal
It is wonderful to meet you TG...my husband is recovering very slowly,but he has been through hell and back.. it will be day 15 since the op, and I printed out all your info after surgery..it was a great help and we followed it word for word. Here in the UK our meds semm to differ slightly..first few days he was struggling very badly with the pain, Hospital gave him co-codamol ( mild to moderate ) which were useless, day 3
he could not stand the pain no longer we went to the docs he was furious with the hospital and gave him4 times the strength again co-codamol..and you will know after taking these he could not go to the toilet.He was also on
fiybagel and Lactolos to sofen the stools. Still no luck
I phoned the Doc again and he gave him Tramadol, these also did not work, as he was constipated so much he was on the floor with the pain...as he is 67 years old that did not help.
I rang the nurse at the hospital and she suggested Molicol...just as I returned home he had had his first bowel movement after 5 days.
He was alittle relieved but still had pain and stinging.
Anyway as you did he had lots of salty baths which he felt relieved the pain.
His bowel movements are just about normal but he feels so down and depressed now, his appitite is not right and he can not sleep.(Did you expereance this?)
I made another appointment at the docs and and he said it is the anistetic that attacs the Liver which makes him feel like this,so hopefully he will be feeling better soon.
He eats all the right things (fiber etc) but he has been through the mill...but you have helped with all the info a great deal.
How are you doing now hope you are ok
Just to thank you again...I will keep looking at the messages on the board.
Beachgal
How are you hope you are feeling fine and recovering well... I think it made my Husband feel better knowing others were in the same boat as to speak.
take care
Hi, Di and Bill. Don't worry - you are experiencing very normal symptoms, in my opinion. This surgery is very hard on your body, and it does take time to recover! You are only at day 15 - and although it must seem like an awful long time considering all you two have been through, it is only 2 weeks! I had my surgery on 12/3 and am JUST feeling like I am getting back to normal as far as my energy level and sleeping habits! I went back to work on 12/18 and felt like I was dragging my body everywhere I went (and I am no bag of bones!!) I was so exhausted at night that I just couldn't fall asleep! I highly recommend that you and your hubby take a deep breath and relax. This recovery is not for the timid - and I am really impressed that you were brave enough to undergo this type of surgery at age 67! Bravo, superman!!
So Bill, just relax. Take lots of baths. Eat lots of good healthy foods. REST, REST, REST. You will feel so much better in another few weeks! Again - I am 6 weeks post surgery and I am JUST feeling like I am back to normal!
Thanks for checking back on me. I am keeping up with the fiber and my bms are pretty good. I slipped up on my diet for a week or so (eating junk and not keeping the fiber up) and really regretted it, so I am back on track! I know how you feel about it being so much easier to deal with the recovery knowing that other people have experienced the same misery as you ... it was enormously helpful to me when I found this site - and TacomaGuy! Let me know how you're doing. I check in once a week or so.
Remember - it really helps to keep your spirits up! Don't worry that you are exhausted - that is your body healing. Give yourself a break, Bill - geez, you aren't a superhero! Know that we're with you - Good luck!
I will definitely use this recovery guide in the coming weeks. I am getting a hemorrhoidectomy done tomorrow morning, and quite frankly, I'm scared to death. I am only 23 yrs old, and I just can't believe I'm having to get this done.
I have 2 internal hemorrhoids and an external hemorrhoid. I can tolerate pain very well, but it still scares me to death. I was wondering if anyone might think that my recovery might be a little quicker, considering my age? I am really healthy besides this, I have never had any major illnesses and I eat heathly and do pilates everyday.
I am so glad to find posts that reassure me I am not alone in this. Wish me luck!
Hi, sweetie. Don't worry - you have made your recovery 100% easier simply by finding and using this site! I want you to read TacomaGuy's Recovery Guide - he made my recovery SOOOOO much easier by collecting and organizing all of the information he found in various places. I would say that yes, without a doubt, your recovery will be easier because you are young and healthy and in good physical condition. Most of us who had the surgery done in November and December are 10 to 20 years older than you ... and we survived just fine.
Please don't hesitate to reach out to the knowledgeable folks who troll this site. Ask whatever questions you need to ... and read the threads of those who have taken this journey before you!
Things that are important to remember:
1. Narcotic pain pills will constipate you. Be very careful with their use! I found that Extra Strength Tylenol was extremely helpful with the pain!
2. Make sure you are taking in enough fiber and drink lots and lots of water. There are guides at the top of the bowel disorder page that can help you with how to get enough of both kinds of fiber - Harry wrote one. Read that. I take psyllium capsules daily, in addition to eating fiber rich food.
3. I took stool softeners daily, too (2 with breakfast, 1 with dinner) The VERY LAST THING you want is to get constipated.
4. Muscle spasms after surgery were a problem - they went away miraculously when I placed a hot water bottle against the small of my back. It worked better than pain meds ... please try it! Heating pad worked, too.
I am so glad to have found this site. I printed out the recovery guide and have found it to be very useful. It helps to know I'm not alone in this. Today is day 3 and I'm doing ok. I don't think I ate enough fiber yesterday (and took a little too much Kondremul) so my BM wasn't solid which worried me. I ate a good dinner and eating bran and fruits for breakfast so I'm hoping this will be better today.
Did anyone experience a ton of gas? I've been so bloated after surgery, so I just sent my dad out to get some Gas-X. I'm hoping it's ok to take. It might be from the perkiset i've been taking (only taking one every 4 hrs instead of 2, and some Ibuprofen in between) I've also been lying in bed so long that my hips are starting to ache, but laying on my back is uncomfortable. Any suggestions? I'm walking around a little, which helps, but I don't want to overdo it. Thanks, beachgal, for the heating pad tip. It is wonderful! And thanks for your reassurance.
Hello! Glad to hear you're doing well! It is quite a balancing act to figure out the right amount of fiber without ingesting too much. You'll get it right, don't worry. It takes time for your body to figure things out.
I, too, had lots of gas after surgery - and caused me alot of discomfort for a few days until I started taking GasX. That helped alot.
My hips were starting to get sore from laying on my sides. I propped myself up using a bunch of pillows so I was able to sit with a pillow beneath my bottom. That made it easy to tuck the hot water bottle behind me in the small of my back and the heating pad in the front to battle the cramping I was getting that first week.
Keep up the good work, Lauren! You're doing great!
Just wanting a bit of input. I had my surgery on friday, just my 4th day home. I have of course been scared to death at every little rumble in my tummy. I know I have had some bm's that were very loose while on the sitz bath on the 2nd and 3rd day. Today a tiny bit once. I'm starting to panic I am trying to stop and look more closely at what I have actually eaten. It is 8 pm and today I have had 1 small bowl of applesauce, 4 prunes 1/4 cup of bran buds. Then a small amount of ham salad spread with saltines, 1/4 cup bran buds and about 4 fig newtons. I have drank at least 5 or 6 -16 oz bottles of water. Maybe I havent had all that much to process and pooh on out. What do you think? I am still taking my pain meds every 6 hours but am trying to ease off. I really have a hard time with urinating because of having Interstiticial cystitis. I have to push very hard at times and it can be very challanging and exhausting . I am taking colace 2 times a day, milk of magnesia at night time and metamucil in the morning. Should I add some more food? I have another disease known as porphyria that can cause chronic constipation and lots ot other complications so I am very nervous about all this. I am using a lidocane cream and Tucks with ***** hazel to clean the area.
Ackkk!! I am rambling. I really am grateful to be on the other side of the surgery and am happy to be sitting on a lovely ice pack back in my own home sweet home.
So anyway any input?
I am so looking forward to having this all "behind" me Sorry it was pretty lame, but I had to.
What do you think... Should I be trying to eat more?
Thanks for your time.
How are you doing? Not sure if I have any advice, but I think it would help to have someone that is going through this at the same time. It sounds like we had surgery the same day, 2-8-08.
I feel like I also have a chronic constipation issue, so I worry about my BM's not being substantial enough, they are painful though!
I had 3 internal and external hemroids removed. At times I feel pretty good, then Wham! I have to have a BM and I have extreme pain for hours. I don't feel like my BM's are enough there either. I have 3-4 smaller ones a day. I would rather get it all done at once! How can I make that happen?
I am eating oatmeal for breakfast with a little flax and blueberries. Coffee & miralax, about 3/4 a dose. Lunch, metamucil and apples, yogurt, nuts. Supper, I had some chicken (very little), brown rice, carrot soup. and more metamucil. I also snack on some cereal or prunes or graham crackers, etc. throughout the day. I take two stool softners also. Am I eating the wrong foods or not enough fiber? I am very worried about possible complications from not having firm or loose stools.
Do any of these foods make the pain worse?
I am still taking Darvocet & Advil, (oxycodone made me very sick).
Thanks, Any advice is appreciated.
Last edited by kcindarella; 02-25-2008 at 10:39 AM.
Good to hear from you. I did have surgery on 2-8-08.
I am taking hydrocodone ( vicoden) I wish I had something a bit stronger. I have had bad time with the pain. I had a three-quadrant scalpel hemorrhoidectomy and a colonoscopy
I have chronic constipation due to a completely different condition known as Porphyria. It is pretty unusual.
I have been scared to death that everything down there is bigger than it was to begin with. My husband called the drs office and they said that it was normal to have swelling like that. It looks like a alien is trying to work it's way out. I have really had to push at times because of having interstiticial cystitis and not being able to pass any urine, so I have been very worried about that. Ackk!! This definitely sucks. However I have started along the road to recovery. At the end is the prize, normal pooping!
wow. I can remember when I had my first bladder surgery how wonderful it was to urinate again. Wow it really is the little things that count sometimes.
I am not sure about your diet it sounds llike youare on the right track. Check out Tacomaguy's recovery guide. It goes into alot of details
We definitally have to keep in touch since we have the same date in common.
Hope all is goin ok for you.
It's been a rough week for me, but today seems better, probably because I haven't pooped yet!
I know what you mean about a stronger pain pill, darvocet doesn't seem to do too much but make me dizzy. I am taking Advil and muscle relaxer flexeril because it seems like I have muscle spasms for hours after bm's. The tub is wonderful until I get out. I thought about getting a sitz bath at the drug store but I keep thinking, oh--I shouldn't need it much longer. Maybe that thought is a mistake.
Kind of feel like the Dr.'s office is deceiving. They said, You'll be back to work on Monday!! Friday was the surgery, and I wouldn't even think of working last week, too much pain. , I spent alot of time in the tub. Can't believe they would tell me that. I've been talking to them several times this week and the nurse is saying usually people don't have any problems!! If you have any more problems this weekend go to the emergency room...
I hope your recovery is uneventful for you. I can relate to the swelling, I did try some ice, but it didn't work too well.
What is a three-quandrant scalpel? I also had a colonoscopy and one small polyp removed. Wish I would've asked more questions before surgery, though.
I did read through Tacomaguy's recovery guide, it has been helpful. I probably should look at it again.
Sorry this is getting so long. Hope you have a good weekend!
I really hope you will reconsider getting a sitz bath they are really inexpensive, less than 10 or 15 dollars. They are really great you can be sitting in a warm water sitz bath while you have your bm and it can be priceless for the help with pain. I really cant imagine your being told that you should be back to work so soon. Ackk! a three-quadrant hemorrhoidectomy is one that removes 3 pie shaped like slices to be able to remove internal and external if I understand it right. I had grade 4 internal and grade 3 external rhoids. I was in lots of pain. Along with a anal fissure.
I havent had any problems with foods but drink tons of water and remember your fiber. I also found some things called "feme gel pads" they are usually used after having a child. You can get them nice and cold in the freezer and then wear them like a sanitary napkin. I found them online they are wonderful.
Hope you are going to have a good week-end, as pain free as possible.
Dont ever worry about being long in your posts. It is good to have someone to communicate with.
Take care.. have a prune and good luck
I am going to get out of the house today and buy a sitz bath! I should have gotten one already.
My pain was good most of the day Saturday until the dreaded BM I am looking forward to the day of a less painful one, maybe it will be with the sitz bath! Sunday was basically the same. At times I feel almost normal then ouch!! back to the pain pills...I try to prepare, bath ready, etc. but I still have pain for hours later. I must admit this weekend was much better than the week before.
Before surgery I didn't really have any pain, just mild discomfort and bleeding. I almost wish I could go back to that, not sure if I needed this surgery although once healed it will probably be good.
I had internal and external hemroids removed, not sure what grade they were or if dr used three-quadrant hemorrhoidectomy or not...I really need to ask more questions!! Years ago I had an anal fissure, not fun at all. it healed on its own after quite a while.
The feme gel pads sound great, the local stores probably don't carry them and it seems late to order them now. Are you still using them?
After reading your post I did go and eat some prunes, guess I need reminders!
How is your recovery going?
Hope your day is a good healing and pain free day! Take care.
I'm glad you are going to try the sitz bath. I think you will be very happy once you try it. I am pretty good at times and then I feel like something the cat dragged in the next. Just like you it is usually after a BM. I BM should also stand for something like butt monster or bottem mutilator.
I found the "feme pads" on line. I still use them daily. They have been a life saver for me. Such a relief.
I sure would give them a try. They shipped pretty quickly. I think one of my biggest problems is getting nervous about whether or not I am doing ok. I look in the mirror, "which isn't easy" LOL and I think I have torn or ruptured something each and every time. I wish they weren't making me wait 3 weeks untill I know whether I will ever be normal or even close to it. I would probably be much better off if I just left it a mystery till then. ackk!
Hope you enjoy the sitz bath. take care
PS I just love these little smilie guys... LOL
Last edited by moderator2; 02-19-2008 at 02:32 PM.
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Know that we're with you - Good luck!
I have to have a BM and I have extreme pain for hours. I don't feel like my BM's are enough there either. I have 3-4 smaller ones a day. I would rather get it all done at once! How can I make that happen? 
I have really had to push at times because of having interstiticial cystitis and not being able to pass any urine, so I have been very worried about that. Ackk!! This definitely sucks. 
However I have started along the road to recovery. At the end is the prize, normal pooping! 
.
I look in the mirror, "which isn't easy" LOL and I think I have torn or ruptured something each and every time. I wish they weren't making me wait 3 weeks untill I know whether I will ever be normal or even close to it. I would probably be much better off if I just left it a mystery till then. ackk! 
