View Full Version : The Ailment No One Ever Talks About
Okay, a deep breath here because it feels a little embarrassing - I am scheduled to have a hemmoroidectomy in about two weeks. Yet another thing to have to recover from so I am NOT happy about THAT because I just joined the gym to get going on working on my health and stamina after this most stressful year. However, I do want this particular problem GONE!
Has anyone ever had this surgery? If yes, what was the pain level afterwards like? When were you able to be out and about, and be back at work? I really do not know what to expect; the doctor just said the first week would be very painful (she's had the same surgery).
I think I'll call on Monday and try to get some more information besides "that it is really painful the first week."
Please, please, please let this be the END of health stuff for awhile! I really just want to back to some sense of normalcy in my life. And I am over the winter thing going on here in my little corner of NM , the novelty has worn off. Now it is grey, sloppy and icy and the gallery is really, really slow. Which I guess means it's as good a time as any to have the surgery....
Teacher Terry
1-12-19, 12:16pm
Not sure if it’s the same thing but a friend of mine had hemorrhoids banded which was painful and they came back. The doctor wants him to do it again and he said no way. I am just living with mine.
I don't have much of a choice, as they have prolapsed...and it won't magically correct itself.
Sympathies...I've had occasional problems with bleeding roids over the past few years, but nothing that would require surgery. The odd outbreak reminds me to make sure I'm staying hydrated and getting enough fiber in my diet.
Hope the aftermath of your surgery isn't too unpleasant...good luck.
Good luck SiouzQ! I've heard of some people needing it. I'm sure you'll be fine and glad you did it.
Everything I have in that entire neighborhood is falling down, so I'm sure surgery will be in my future too.
Let us know how you do!
Good luck! Sounds like a real pain and it will be good to have some relief.
Teacher Terry
1-24-19, 1:45pm
I have had hemorrhoids since my 3rd pregnancy at 25. They sometimes bleed. Hope it all goes well.
DH's brother had that and he was back to riding a bike within a couple months so he survived. Hope your recovery goes well.
For anyone who is wondering, the post-op pain (for me anyway) is absolutely excruciating. Painkillers have scarcely made a dent so far. About 24 hours into recovery and I am pretty much incapacitated...at times Level 10 on the standardized pain chart. Hopefully I will get some sleep this afternoon because I sure didn't last night.
Teacher Terry
1-25-19, 5:47pm
That’s terrible. Can you increase your pain medications?
rosarugosa
1-25-19, 7:37pm
Oh no. I'm sorry this is such an awful experience for you.
Ugh! I'm so sorry to hear this.
iris lilies
1-26-19, 8:18am
SiouzQ, this is awful. You have got to get some sleep because lack of sleep makes pain worse. I am so sorry you are going through this.
I had my boyfriend take me to the ER last; I just couldn't go through another night of pain like that. I got a nice shot of Dilaudid but unbelievingly two hours later when we were finally back home I woke up with the same level of pain down there! I thought Dilaudid was a pretty strong opiate, so that gives you an idea of the pain level going on here.
I am doing a little better today, just trying to stay on top of the pain - the ER doctor increased the strength of the other pain killers. It's been a LONG two days...
mschrisgo2
1-26-19, 2:10pm
SiouzQ, so sorry you have to experience that.
I have a friend who had the same experience.
On day 4 she woke up with no pain at all.
Oh, that's encouraging to hear. I'm on Day 2 but it feels like an eternity!
iris lilies
1-28-19, 8:45am
How are you doing today, OP?
SiouzQ, so sorry about the pain level. I have a pretty high pain tolerance and when I experienced hemorrhoids I started thinking maybe suicide was an option (being honest). Natural, un-medicated childbirth came no where near to comparing to that level of pain. I hope you see improvement today. I know my husband's brother had the surgery but his family doesn't talk about such things (said in a whisper). Thanks for being honest here, I'm sure it'll help someone.
I am not doing well this morning, though I had hope for today, which is Day 4. Life is complicated down here in Madrid. I have been staying at my boyfriend's place down the street and he has no land-line but Verizon doesn't work here so I can't use my cell phone. I needed to call the doctor office (again) and find out what the hell I am supposed to do at this point (after having done EVERYTHING I was told to do since last Thursday). Just the 1/8th mile drive to my house (BF is at work in Albuquerque) and getting out of the car and into my place had me screaming and crying in pain - there is NO WAY I'll be able to drive myself the 30 miles to Santa Fe to see the doctor (still waiting for a call back). I am trying to find someone in town to take me.
I cannot it take much longer...I'll probably end up in the ER again if they can't figure this out.
Teacher Terry
1-28-19, 10:47am
They need to give you some heavy duty drugs to get you through this. Take care
I was hoping for a better update. So sorry you are in such pain!
I've been on Oxy 10's since Saturday morning, every 6 hours. The shot of Dilaudid helped for about 3 hours max the other night, then the same pain broke though...I am getting a ride up to SF in about an hour to go see my doctor finally. I am not impressed with this practice's surgery aftercare. I feel like they haven't been taking my extreme level of pain seriously.
Thank you all for your thoughts and concern. I am pretty much incapacitated aside from messing around on the computer flat on my back in bed.
So sorry to hear this. When you went to the ER, did they do any type of exam? Can you insist on going back to the doc's office and have them check things out? It's not out of the question that something is going on......
Oh.....just read that you were going to see the doc. Let us know what happens. I feel so bad for you.
I've been on Oxy 10's since Saturday morning, every 6 hours. The shot of Dilaudid helped for about 3 hours max the other night, then the same pain broke though...I am getting a ride up to SF in about an hour to go see my doctor finally. I am not impressed with this practice's surgery aftercare. I feel like they haven't been taking my extreme level of pain seriously.
Thank you all for your thoughts and concern. I am pretty much incapacitated aside from messing around on the computer flat on my back in bed.
I just read an article that said women's pain is rarely taken seriously, even though recent studies seem to indicate they feel pain more acutely than men--they're usually just labeled whiners, and rarely treated adequately. I hope you get some relief!
Well, the doctor said everything was healing as it should, no infection evident. She also said she has never had a patient have such an extreme reaction to this surgery (she is a rather young surgeon, been at it about 7 years), but it is a notoriously painful one at that. She has even had the same surgery herself. I'm guessing that maybe since I have other weird body anomalies, like ulna bones that are too long and extra cervical ribs at the top of my neck, that perhaps I have more nerve endings in that area than the average person.
Anyway, she said I was doing all the right things, but now she wants me on complete bed rest for a week or two. That is fine with me, as being upright, walking and sitting are absolutely miserable at this juncture. The pressure is just way too intense. Sitting on the toilet and trying to relieve myself at this point causes me to scream in pain. I get to take lots of pain meds too...
Gawd, will the health stuff EVER END???????? I guess I must learn acceptance or something, and learn how to relax and take good care of myself. I am such a do-er type of person, it is hard to sit still. But I am in so much pain I really have no interest in doing anything right now anyway. This too shall pass, I guess...patience....
Did she talk about constipation risk with opiates? If they are not helping you, maybe you could take less opiates, and use non-opiates instead. Opiate induced constipation ... ugh.
I've read that opiates are no more effective than less-addictive prescription pain medications; I would nope that's well-known among prescribers these days.
The dr. told my sister to use aleve and tylonal together to combat pain. Double doses of each several times a day. But I have no idea the level of pain you are suffering and hope something helps soon! The opiate constipation is horrible. Can't imagine after your surgery how it would be.
Okay, here is a long and hopefully not too convoluted post about my recent experiences with the hemmoroid surgery (plus I have nothing better to do while I am on bed rest). Here is a new twist to the sad saga I find myself embroiled in: it turns out I seem to have been labeled a "difficult patient who is seeking opiod drugs." That is making me so spitting mad on top of the physical pain I am in.
A timeline:
Last Thursday was the surgery. They sent me home with 5mg Oxy-325 Tylenol, otherwise known as Percocet, plus the usual post-op instructions, which included alternating Ibuprofen and Tylenol in between the Oxy dose, lots of Sitz baths, Metamucil and stool softeners.
I followed all instructions, but by Friday night I was in such dire pain I end up in the ER. They gave me a shot of Dilaudid and a prescription for 10mg-325 Tylenol. The higher dose helps somewhat but I still unbelievable amounts of pain, which involve (and continue to involve) uncontrollable screaming and sobbing while on the toilet and crawling in and out of a warm bath to try to ease things up. Sometimes I practically pass out from the pain and see spots in my vision. I have probably done this cycle 25 times in the last 48 hours. I called the on-call doctor over the weekend to see if they had any more advice. He said to try adding Magensium Citrate to my regime to help things along (I have religiously been drinking my Metamucil and taking stool softeners and drinking as much water as I can). Meanwhile my appetite is plummeting so I am barely eating because I don't want to add more food I need to digest to everything that I am somehow going to have to pass. Sorry for the TMI here). On call Doctor (not my surgeon) said it is a notoriously painful surgery and you just have to "get through it." So I manage somehow all day Sunday, by Monday I wanted to see my surgeon to make sure nothing was wrong so they got me in for an appointment yesterday afternoon. Mind you, logistics where I live is always a problem - with phones, with getting messages, getting someone to drive me into town, etc. It requires planning.
I saw the surgeon yesterday and she said the surgical site is fine and everything was "normal"; she told me to stop everything in my life and do bed rest (which is pretty much what I am reduced to anyway at this point. I can't leave the house, can barely stand up and move around for more than 15 minutes). She reiterated again that everything was "normal" and it is a notoriously difficult and painful recovery. I mentioned that I missed one dose of the Oxy because I was afraid that it was part of the cause of the constipation and I was going to try to start using less of it. She said don't worry about that since I am taking all the stuff to combat the constipation that often occurs when taking it. So I agreed to try the Miralax she recommended and left there with my friend who drove me into town. We went to a Walgreen's on the way out of town so I could pick up the Miralax. My friend asked if they had given me a new prescription because I will run out of the pain meds in a few days - they hadn't, and since we live so far away I called the office back to see if we could go back and pick it up the prescription (that is the only way to get pain meds anymore - a written prescription that you hand deliver to the pharmacy) I could get it filled now because I will run out over the weekend and it is a 60 mile round trip to go to the pharmacy. They agreed, so we went back down the street to the office to pick it up.
We then dropped it off at my CVS where I get all my prescriptions filled and instead of waiting for an hour, my friend needed to eat lunch so we left for a bit. By this time I am already in a lot of pain just being in the car; I can barely sit on the donut cushion and have to have the seat reclined all the way back). When we got back to CVS they said they couldn't fill it because I still had the prescriptions from the surgery and the ER. So much for trying to be efficient, so we left. I do completely understand that they are trying to crack down on prescription abuse.
By the time I got home from Santa Fe, I had a nightmarish three or four hours of alternately sitting on the toilet screaming and crying, then lying in a hot bath. Must have done that regime at least six to eight times. By midnight, I was so completely exhausted, spent and miserable I took an Oxy 10 and an Oxy 5, so for about two hours I was on somewhat on top of the pain, getting a little much-needed relief. I was lying in the dark with my phone and came across a website called "hemmoroidectomy surgery stories" and came across a whole slew of people, for whatever reason, did not tolerate the surgery well at all, and every single one of their symptoms matched what I have been experiencing exactly. So I am not the only one who is having a completely horrible time. I should add here that my surgeon said yesterday that she has never had a patient have such a difficult time with this than me.
So by this morning my boyfriend (who has been taking great care of me) is really pissed at the surgeon for lack of better aftercare from the surgery (I get the feeling that after she's done the cutting, everything else is someone else's responsibility, hence me having to go to the ER to get better pain relief because everything is supposedly "normal." So the BF called the doctor office this morning to tell them how difficult this has been for me, having me screaming and sobbing in pain, getting weaker and more exhausted, not eating, feeling like I am dying all because I need to take a dump and can't. Apparently the physician assistant (because the surgeon won't talk to us) told him I was non-compliant about taking the meds (all because of the one dose I didn't take because of my worry about constipation???) and that I had tried to take yesterday's new prescription and get it filled at several different pharmacies (which is a complete and outright LIE - my friend who drove me can back that up, as we only went to my usual CVS).
All they could offer to help me was to tell me to go back to the ER if it is that bad, thereby absolving themselves of the responsibility of treating my pain. In a perfect world, this is what I want: enough pain killer so they can do an enema and get me cleaned out without me passing out from the pain. That is really all I want. When I am in the thick of the pain I could see how dying would be a nice alternative, it's that bad.
Teacher Terry
1-29-19, 5:45pm
That is so horrible! It’s their responsibility to take care of you during recovery. The lying is terrible and the fact they don’t care about your suffering. After reading this thread I am never having this surgery. It seems like common sense is going out the window. First they hand out meds like candy and now people in severe pain can’t get help.
Do you have a stethoscope to listen to your bowel sounds? Did they listen to your abdomen? Are you passing gas? Hearing rumbles in your own belly?
These are important things to have happen - you don’t want to develop an ileus. That’s when everything stops moving in your bowels - including air. If you go to emergency again, talk about your bowels and make your pain complaint secondary. That will change their perception of you and it also is honestly the primary concern.
How long since your last BM?
I am sorry this is happening to you, SiouzQ. Just a few days ago there was a protest at our state capitol by those patients on opioids with chronic pain and their family and friends. The patients felt they were being treated like drug abusers when in fact they need this medicine just to stay alive and functioning.
I know there is an opioid crisis but I'm frustrated for you and others who have to be treated as guilty until proven innocent. To have to endure all of this and to be labeled as "non-compliant" on top of that? That's worse than no aftercare at all.
I went back to the ER last night and luckily I got the same doctor as the other night ~ he is great! He actually really listened to me and I said it felt like if I could just get an enema to clear things out I thought I would feel A LOT better. But the ONLY way I was going to tolerate an enema is if I had a decent dose of pain killers before hand. He totally agreed, but wanted to do an x-ray first to make sure I didn't have an obstruction. The x-ray went fine; he said that actually there wasn't that much stuff to pass - not surprised, as I have barely been eating.
I got a really lovely nurse who took great care of me before, during, and after. I had to have quite a bit of pain medication, as it was absolutely excruciating. If I had waited it out like the surgeon said and had a BM on my own I feel like I would have popped open like a cork and I am quite positive I could have ended up passing out and dying way out here in Madrid with no land line to call for help. It was THAT bad.
So, I have a lot to think about when I go back to deal with the surgeon for my follow-up. And, as someone pointed out to me, her office manager broke a HIPPA law by telling my boyfriend the outright lie that I was "pharmacy shopping" for pain meds. I just might speak to a lawyer about that.
This morning I am making myself eat some scrambled eggs so I have something in my belly finally. I hardly ever lose my appetite - maybe I'll lose that damn 10 lbs. that's been evading me since I moved here. I am still pretty weak, exhausted and in pain, so another day or two of taking it real easy.
Thanks all for listening; at this point I almost feel like I am doing a PSA for Metamucil ~ drink your fiber daily so you can avoid ever having to go through this!
Wow. What a terrible story. I'm so glad you are finally getting a little relief.
Good advice from Tammy, also. Because pain is so subjective, when opioids are concerned, yes these days doctors are very, very suspect.
Here's a similar story: DH had a minor accident a couple of months ago. He broke three ribs, and has also been experiencing back pain radiating to his legs. The ONLY thing that relieved his pain was a combination of gabapentin and 5mg of oxycodone. He took them absolutely as directed, and in fact, saved them for when he really, really needed them--such as "the grandkids are coming tomorrow and I don't want to be in pain so I'll take one then."
Nevertheless, over the past couple of months, whenever he asked for a refill (which was 2x since November), it was the same type of suspicious/concerned reaction from the doctor. He was referred to pain management, where they said they would NOT prescribe oxy unless he had cancer but they would give him a cortisone shot.
He got the shot last Thursday, and he was literally awake for 4 nights. He'd drift off for 5 minutes or 10 minutes at a time. So I looked online to see if sleeplessness was a side effect. Mayo Clinic didn't mention it, WebMD didn't mention it, but there were fifty patient reports about how awful it has been for them since the cortisone shots.
We left a message for the doctor to ask if that was common, and he got back to us the next day, but by that time DH was starting to sleep a LITTLE more (like an hour). So we're dropping it, because we could tell the nurse was already thinking we were a little nuts.
Doctors treat over 200 patients a week, and unfortunately they can't know all the nuances of every patient. That's why I think it is so important to speak out and be your own best advocate. Don't think anything is too stupid to mention, and if you're not taken seriously, move on.
iris lilies
1-30-19, 1:31pm
Aww, sweeite, so sorry this has been a super ordeal.
Catherine, check into osteopathic doctors in your area; they're trained in adjustments as well as conventional medicine.
"The difference between an MD and a DO is in the approach and focus of the medical education they receive. Both DOs and MDs need an undergraduate degree, plus at least four years of medical school. Osteopathic medical school emphasizes the whole person, and the connection between the musculoskeletal system and disease and symptoms. Osteopathic physicians cover the same curriculum as MDs at osteopathic medical schools, plus, they receive an additional 300 to 500 hours of specialized osteopathic training, studying the musculoskeletal system."
mschrisgo2
1-30-19, 3:12pm
What a horrible ordeal! It sounds to me like you might benefit from taking a magnesium supplement. It does several things, most notably helps moves bowel routinely, and Lessens Pain. My DO calls it "natures analgesic." Whole Foods, Trader Joes's, Vitamin Shoppe, are usually a better source than the drugstore, which usually only has magnesium citrate.
I know several people who routinely take 200-400 mg/day. One was prescribed for migraines- after absolutely Nothing else worked- and it works very well to prevent them! Another for a friend with chronic back pain, another for chronic leg cramps. If we were all able to get and consume a healthy dose of greens, that were grown organically, every day all year long, probably no one would need to supplement... Give it a try if you can get some.
iris lilies
1-30-19, 4:57pm
What a horrible ordeal! It sounds to me like you might benefit from taking a magnesium supplement. It does several things, most notably helps moves bowel routinely, and Lessens Pain. My DO calls it "natures analgesic." Whole Foods, Trader Joes's, Vitamin Shoppe, are usually a better source than the drugstore, which usually only has magnesium citrate.
I know several people who routinely take 200-400 mg/day. One was prescribed for migraines- after absolutely Nothing else worked- and it works very well to prevent them! Another for a friend with chronic back pain, another for chronic leg cramps. If we were all able to get and consume a healthy dose of greens, that were grown organically, every day all year long, probably no one would need to supplement... Give it a try if you can get some.
She doesnt need to move her bowels necause she hasnt eaten.
What she needs is mf competant health care!
mschrisgo2
1-30-19, 7:43pm
Iris Lilies, it also can significantly LESSEN PAIN.
I hope that this is just a bad memory with the passage of time.
Ha, like childbirth? I don't get a lovely baby in the end, but I did poop today, WOOT!
Ugh, I overdid it yesterday. I just had to test myself to see where I was at in recovery and now I am paying for it. Probably a back-to-bed day, though I do have a few errands to run in Santa Fe today. No, I am not going to drive myself...
just a thought - not discounting your pain levels, but there's a maximum safe amt of opioids that can be taken at one time....it doesn't sound like your doctor was withholding pain meds from you. I guess they could have hospitalized you for intractable pain and given you IV morphine around the clock; that would control your pain but have other side effects. I hope you are continuing to heal and have less pain every day!
Glad to hear you're feeling better!
I am doing better, I have been back to work for the past two days - granted, my job running a gallery is pretty damn easy, especially this time of year when it is very slow. I am lucky enough that I can lie down in the back (where I live) and rest when I need to. I have a bell on the door to alert me to customers walking in.
My last painkiller was two nights ago. I swear last night I must have had some mild withdrawals - I woke up sweat-drenched, weird dreams and achy hips. I am still having a lot of pain at times but managing it with Tylenol and Ibuprofen. I even took a short walk yesterday.
Now I am trying to figure out how to broach my dissatisfaction about certain issues regarding the surgeon and her office. I am going to be asking to see my chart to see if they marked me as "a patient who was seeking out painkillers." That has very real repercussions as far as getting any pain killers for any future painful occurrences. I am going to let her know (or maybe she knows already) that I find it very disturbing to have false accusations made against me by her office manager and will get a lawyer involved if I need to, to have that false information erased from my chart. I never knew how disturbing it is to me to have an accusation like that - it quite bothers me. It makes me wonder if they made false assumptions about me regarding where I live and what I look like - I live in a funky artist town (known for its partying ways and certain segments of our community have drug issues), in addition to me having waist-length dreadlocks. I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case...
will get a lawyer involved if I need to, to have that false information erased from my chart
If that notation is there, make sure it is expunged from the records of any other organization they've worked with (pharmacies, insurance companies, etc.).
Also glad to hear you're feeling better!
Almost four weeks since surgery ~ still a significant amount of pain during certain bodily functions, some bleeding but on the whole, SLOWLY (too slow for my likes) getting better. I have been off the pain meds for at least two weeks and just relying on Ibuprofen when I need it.
After going through this hellish experience, I am here to tell you, DRINK YOUR METAMUCIL! You DO NOT want to end up having this surgery. Way too painful and disruptive to one's life. I sure hope I get to the point that I think it was all worth it in the end....
On a brighter note, last week I decided to splurge and bought a plane ticket for Sanibel Island, Florida next month so I can visit with my mom and sister while they are there vacationing from Michigan. It will be very nice to get away from all this snow we are having in New Mexico and I need a break from all the stuff I've been going through.
Teacher Terry
2-19-19, 11:52am
Glad you are getting a vacation. You have been through the wringer. I use miralax once a week. I have hemorrhoids that bleed occasionally and that’s bad enough.
Sad Eyed Lady
2-20-19, 10:13am
I have just today saw this thread and I must say, I cringe at the level of pain you were experiencing! I am so glad you are doing better and the upcoming vacation will be so good for you. One thing I kept wanting to ask reading through you ordeal was, did you ever apply ice to the area? I know it might be like putting a band aid on hatchet gash (thinking Lizzy Borden for some reason!), but it does have some numbing ability and shrinking swelling. I hope you keep improving and never ever have to go through anything like this again.
I just can't win these days...I have another 'roid, on the other side from where they repaired the first one. No surgery planned for this one for the time being; I was way too traumatized from the last one.
Teacher Terry
3-20-19, 8:33pm
I would never have it after what you went through. My broken wrist has been painful enough.
Apparently I am somewhat of an anonmoly according to the surgeon. She said most people recover quite well from that surgery. I have mostly recovered from the original incision but unbelievably another one cropped up on the other side (everyone has three separate columns of hemmeroidal tissue in there). I guess it's a bit unusual for a new one to crop up so soon after getting the other one repaired. Leave it to me to be the exception...
Teacher Terry
3-21-19, 12:33am
My friend had it done and now has more hemorrhoids and not doing a thing.
I thought I'd bring ya'll up-to-date about the problem that no one wants to talk about; I don't really want to but I am trying to think of it as a public service type thing for anyone else who may suffer the same malady.
I FINALLY was able to get into see the top colo-rectal surgeon in Albuquerque (which really means the top-rated surgeon in all of New Mexico, according to other doctors polled). So four months after the original hemorrhoidectomy, and two trips back to the original gastro person, what is really going on is that I have a very deep, into-the-muscle fissure down there. It is excruciating. I've been on a special nitroglycerin ointment, muscle relaxers and pain meds ~ a couple weeks ago I had two weeks where it really felt like things were healing, hardly any pain, so I went on a little camping trip and by the time I got back home it all came back with a vengeance. I am scheduled to get a Botox injection up in there (yes, they will knock me out for it) to get the muscles in there to stop spasming and hopefully allow things to heal. Yesterday I finally got my PCP to prescribe me some decent pain meds for the chronic pain (imagine feeling like you are being brutally violated for four months - sorry, I don't know how to say it without being totally gross).
So, we'll see. I am hopeful because the doctor said it has been very successful for most of her patients and she only had to do the more invasive sphincter surgery five times last year (and she is a VERY busy surgeon). Man, I just want to put all of this BEHIND me (pun intended)!!!!!
rosarugosa
5-30-19, 12:35pm
Wow, how awful that you had to go through so much unnecessary suffering and get treated like some kind of low-life drug addict. I'm glad they got to the bottom (since we're doing puns) of the problem and I hope the less invasive approach resolves your issues.
iris lilies
5-30-19, 12:47pm
Does your original surgeon get an update on what your real problem is, with the pain and physical situation? She should.
So sorry about this!! Question: Does a fissure need to be surgical closed? Or can it just heal? good luck SiouzQ! You deserve a break, for sure!
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions Inc. All rights reserved.