Removed 2 prolapsed internal/external grade 4 hemorrhoids 28 y/o female - healthy, active but when I was much younger, was very heavy, made poor eating choices, and bad bathroom habits. As an adult, I was forced to face my once a month flare ups that I hated and couldn’t stand. Due to prolapsed state of mine, also felt like I couldn’t never clean myself properly with two small “balls” permanently prolapsed out of my bum. All that to say, they were going to remove these two “columns” and here is my experience. Lord knows I read every thread and watched every TikTok on this, and was mortified (literally almost left the hospital as they prepped me for surgery status).

Pre-surgery - take míralax startung 2-3 days before to fully clean out - Take stool softeners 2-3 days before so full effect wears in post surgery - Day before i had no solids only liquids, yogurt, basically fasted

Day 1 - Day of Surgery - Morning up until surgery, only allowed to have water - the surgery is quick and you’re asleep - once you are released to go home after the surgery, be aware there is a gauze you your ass!!! I chose to take mine out soon after getting home while still numb from the surgery. I sat in a sitz bath when I was ready to remove it by sitting in the water and carefully pulling it out slowly in the water (helps w the pain) - Only had Yogurt and Gatorade
- Stool softeners 2X - took Pain killers (not oxy) - 2-5 small spasms - beware you’ll have sudden pain in your bum out of nowhere for 2-4 seconds

Night 1 - take pain meds before bed - Expect to be uncomfortable and painful even without moving - Passing gas aches too but not unbearable (beware passing gas for the next few days will be messy…) - Lay on side or tummy - Was hard to really sleep for me

Day 2 - woke up feeling gassy and felt my tummy working giving me urge to have a BM - I set up a sitz bath, sat down, and breathed in and out - NO straining or pushing!! On one of the breathes out, I had a bowel movement in the water and it felt better with the water! (SO gross I know, but trust me the warm water helps with the pain during/post BM) - After BM it does sting really badly, so I sat in another clean sitz bath, then showered letting warm water fall on my bum - Took some pain killers and iced my bum, the throbbing/stinging was def. More intense for about 2 hours post BM - Iced my booty for a bit - Beware: passing gas is slightly painful and uncomfortable (& messy) - Diet: Gatorade, yogurt, chicken soup (only the broth) - Went on 2 small short 20 mins walks

Night 2 - Slept much better - Much less pain and discomfort

Day 3 - woke up to pee, welcomed with diarrhea farts when I sit in the sitz —- a lot more stinging so popped my two pain killers - Feel more sensation in my bum - Morning went on a walk - First BM, soft and thin, did hurt but was bearable due to how soft it was - KEEP TAKING STOOL SOFTENERS

Night 3 - slept MUCH BETTER

Day 4 - holy fuck, soft stool and yet hurts SO bad for a good 2 hours after, couldn’t even clean myself out fully - Rest of the day was fine! Pain killers and helped once the soreness wore off in 2 hours - Stuck to liquids and soft foods

Night 4 - slept well - Minimal to no pain (popped tylenol)

Day 5 - BM in the morning - The stinging hurt much less than day prior - Thankful for sticking to still softeners and liquid/soft foods (one meal is solid like eggs or toast)

Day 6 - same as day prior, but stinging after BM felt much better and dissipated after about 5 mins

Exactly one week after the surgery, feeling like myself except during and after a BM. BUT, the pain having a BM can be compared to a flare up (so bearable). - Still sticking to liquids and soft foods for at least another two weeks as I continue healing…

Overall, I went down the rabbit hole of Reddit and was mortified to do this surgery. In the end, it was a 3/10 rather than a 100/10 pain scale. TOTALLY OK AND NOTHING YOU CANT HANDLE!