ericollin, 3 years later my rectum feels normal in that I can pass gas again as I once did prior to the surgery---which means without a second thought. However, because I had to have two hemorrhoidectomies in a row, essentially just a couple weeks apart, the second to correct the botched job of the first, I ended up with permanent anal stricture. What that means for me is I have to use my homemade coco butter suppositories for each bowel movement or I risk getting anal fissures over and over again.
Plus side is I won the war against anal fissures despite doctors telling me there are no cures outside of surgery for anal fissures. Coco butter suppositories completely prevent anal fissures.
Other plus side, no sensation of hemorrhoids, no throbbing painful veins. But I was told by a rectal surgeon only a year after surgery that he saw some small hemorrhoids in my butt. I cannot tell you how much I did not like that news, but I have sworn to avoid the things that probably led me to get the hemorrhoids in the first place, which were heavy weightlifting, sitting too long on the toilet, straining at going to the bathroom. I now religiously using metamucil to get around my chronic constipation, and using a slant board to invert myself after prolonged sitting and undo the gravity effects on my butt veins that could lead to hemorrhoids.
I say it took a complete 2 years to completely heal, and the important turning point for me was when I discovered coco suppositories as that finally let me heal from persistent post surgical fissures I had despite the nitroglycerin and other assorted rx stuff the doctors gave me that failed to heal the recurrent fissures from my stricture.
I learned that most of the rectal surgeons will mince words with you and not tell you that this surgery takes from a year to two years to totally heal, the length depending on any complications you may have had in the surgery as I had.
But, rest assured, the day will come when your butt will no longer be an issue. Where you can hear butt jokes and not cringe or get neurotic, and laugh again.
How do I make my coco butter suppositories? I get sticks of 100 percent cocoa butter from my local pharmacy or online (called the yellow stick), melt two of them in a glass measuring cup in my microwave for 3 minutes so they are liquid. Then I pour them into suppository molds I have prechilled in my freezer and stick the molds into my fridge. In a few hours I will then have 40suppositories that I store in a small container in my fridge.
I have gotten to be a pro at using them and can even insert them standing up in a second and then have a protected lubricated bm that shields me from any fissures and makes the inside of my rectum baby soft...okay a joke, but you have to find the humor somewhere!
So rest assured your blues will be long gone one day and you will be free of the terrible problems you once had with hemorrhoids, even if you end up with anal stricture as I did. Then it is your responsibility to practice good bm habits to make sure you never have to suffer again hemorrhoids.
I figure it took 38 years for mine to start bothering me, so I've got another good 38 years to go. Only this time I won't do any powerlifter heaving squatting I once did that no doubt contributed to my hemorrhoid problems in the first place.
tammynoska