My Hemorrhoid History

I've been asked by a few people for some additional details on my history, so here is some background.

At the time of my surgery, I was 42 years old.  I was pretty active, running/biking regularly and active around the house with kids, work, etc.  I weigh approximately 165 - 170 pounds, so by all accounts pretty healthy.  I am also a healthy eater,  occasional drinker, and don't smoke.

I had been dealing with bleeding hemorrhoids for a number of years.  Looking back I should have sought treatment much earlier than I did, really dumb on my part.  Lesson #1, when you are bleeding out of your butt, go to the Doctor immediately!!!

When I went to see my doctor he tried a few other treatments including Sclerotherapy, where a substance (phenol mixed with olive oil) is injected into the internal hemorrhoids causing them to shrink. The procedure takes about 5 minutes and is painless, but a few tries at this resulted in no relief.  Finally, we decided the only option was surgery.

When I went in for my pre-surgery testing it was determined that I had anemia.  I had bled so much from going to the bathroom!  My numbers were so low that my Doctor was surprised I could still walk around.  Meanwhile, while I was tired on occasion, I just figured it was the result of a busy lifestyle of work/kids/exercise, etc.  So I had to run through a number of sessions of Iron IV therapy until my numbers stabilized, putting off the surgery for a little while longer.  So lesson #2, bleeding hemorrhoids are more than just an inconvenience, they can actually cause other issues.    So get them checked out as soon as possible.

Once my numbers returned to normal I was cleared for surgery.

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Someone also asked about my post-surgery diet.  I describe my diet for the week or so after surgery in the other postings here .  After the recovery, I returned pretty quickly to my regular diet, which, as I mentioned was pretty healthy already.  But I would say for the next month or so at least, I kept up on the use of Metamucil once a day; I just mixed in with some water in the morning.

One Year Later - Sept 10, 2013

Sept 10 2013

It's been over 1 year since my surgery and I thought I'd provide an update.

I've had absolutely no issues since recovering last year.  I feel great and I am so glad that I did the surgery.  It was completely life changing for the better.

Since last year, I've competed in 2 triathlons, did a 100K charity bike ride, ran in a 10 miler, and am doing a half-marathon in November.  There is no way I could have done any of this without the surgery.

I've had no pain, no issues, and have made a full recovery.

I've heard people say that this is the worse kind of surgery to have, and I believe it.  But my experience, having come through it is very positive.

I hope anyone that is having this surgery will read this and feel a little better about the prospects post-surgery.   I wish you a quick and speedy recovery!!

Please post your story in the comments so that others may also learn from your experience.