This is my first time ever posting in this thread—actually, it's my first time even using this forum—so please bear with me if I don't quite know my way around everything yet.
Honestly, during my own "darkest hours," this forum and its most dedicated members have been such a massive help to me. I really mean it—a huge thank you to everyone here, but especially to Michael Diaz4... he’s been like a mentor to me, a real lifesaver through it all.
Here’s what I’ve been through and how I see things:
I’ve been dealing with hemorrhoid issues since I was seventeen—though, honestly, maybe it’s just my genetics playing tricks on me? It makes me wonder... how much can we actually distance ourselves from our DNA? Like, to what extent can we really step away from that genetic blueprint and become the true masters of our own bodies and lives? I guess it's a bit of a deep question, but I've been thinking about it lately.
Ever since that happened, I've completely cut out anything spicy or intense—I'm actually a vegetarian now, and I don't touch alcohol, coffee, or cigarettes either. But, I guess even with all those changes, any kind of excess or just... general life imbalance, can still throw everything off. It’s funny how that works—every little bit of chaos in your routine might just be enough to trigger some kind of health issue or internal imbalance. It’s all connected, I suppose.
I guess I was actually doing okay with my hemorrhoids—like, they were staying just under that critical threshold—until this past January hit. It all started with this totally minor cold, but then things spiraled... you know how it goes. Some mutated bacteria, an ear infection that just wouldn't quit, and then those brutal antibiotics—which, honestly, are so hard to stomach if you aren't taking decent probiotics. Without that support, everything just backed up. I ended up dealing with massive constipation, total blockage, and then the fallout: Grade 3 hemorrhoids, a fissure, a polyp, and a whole mess of old and new external skin tags. It’s been a lot.
The pain was just... unreal. It was this intense, relentless ache that hit right after every single bowel movement, and it just wouldn't let up—I mean, I’m talking about a solid nine hours of misery, from early morning all the way until maybe 5 or 6 in the evening. Honestly, words don't really do it justice. But then again, I guess everything is relative and subjective anyway, isn't it?
So, like I was saying before—if you listen to what the expert Michael Diaz4 says—you aren't really ready for surgery until the pain becomes absolutely unbearable and things just get totally out of hand. Of course, that’s assuming you're actually dealing with at least third-degree hemorrhoids. Until then, I guess you're "lucky" enough to try conservative treatments first. But honestly, you have to be careful... if you leave second-degree stuff untreated, or if you're living a chaotic lifestyle with pretty bad eating habits, it's only going to make everything worse.
I'll be honest—I went into that surgery with a massive amount of fear in my eyes. I was genuinely terrified.
So, I had my HAL RAR procedure done back on April 2nd, 2015, over at the Lastrić Clinic—it was with that specific doctor we were talking about. Honestly, the whole experience was just... great. Everything felt incredibly professional, but they were also super friendly, which helps with the nerves, I guess. And the best part? It was totally painless. Just a really smooth, wonderful experience all around.
I have to say, my recovery was honestly pretty brutal—just as painful as everything leading up to the surgery itself. It’s hard to explain, but you just have to understand how intense it can be. I mean, between the artery-vein ligation, that internal polyp resection, fixing the fissure, and then the whole external reconstruction of the area (the RAR), there was just a lot going on down there. It wasn't exactly a walk in the park. It actually took about a full month before the pain finally started to drop off significantly. Even now, sitting for long periods is still a bit of a struggle—I guess that's just part of it. My best bet is usually lying on my side or just taking a light stroll around the house. But hey, I actually managed to show up at my workspace today, which feels like a bit of a win.
From what I've seen, it usually takes about 45 days to really get back on your feet—I guess it just depends on the person, but that's my experience anyway.
After everything I've been through, I honestly feel like a completely different person—like I’ve finally left all that weight behind me. That intense pain... man, it was such a wake-up call. It was my body's way of forcing me to actually sit down and think about things deeply. I guess you could say it was like a tough little life coach, which sounds weird, but it was necessary, really. Without it, I don't think I would have realized how much my own internal systems were out of sync with the world around me. It’s just one of those things that feels undeniably true now.
So, even though I’m a vegetarian, it feels like my emotional life and my diet are just... not in sync at all. It’s like there’s this huge imbalance there. My food isn't really diverse enough or even quite right for me—I tend to eat way too fast, when I should probably be chewing much more thoroughly. Everything feels off, either too much of one thing or not enough, which I guess creates this constant disruption between the yin and yang, or that whole balance of acidic and alkaline levels. It's a bit of a mess, honestly.
I honestly think that what we put on our plates matters more than most people realize—like, really matters. You need a solid, diverse diet—lots of fruits, veggies, plenty of fiber, inulin, and you just have to stay hydrated. It’s all connected, I guess. The way we eat and even just our general lifestyle choices... they directly impact the lining of our digestive tract. If that mucosal barrier gets compromised or damaged, then everything changes. Suddenly, your bloodstream and your entire system are basically wide open to these harmful pathogens that were actually living in harmony with your body until things went sideways. It's kind of wild how much balance matters.
From what I’ve seen personally—and honestly, I think modern science is finally catching up here—probiotics and prebiotics are really the future of how we should be treating ourselves. It feels like we rely way too much on those harsh antibiotics that just wipe everything out. They kind of wreck the whole system, you know? They destroy that delicate harmony and the entire microflora—that balance of microorganisms living in our digestive tracts—that we basically need to function. Without that little ecosystem working together, it's hard to maintain actual health, I guess.
I should probably mention—and I really think this is worth looking into—that Turkish oregano oil (*Origanum minutiflorum*) is actually a pretty fascinating broad-spectrum natural antibiotic. It’s one of those things you don't hear about constantly, but it seems really interesting... I guess.
I’ve been thinking lately—and maybe this is just me overanalyzing things—but I feel like anyone dealing with issues related to blood circulation or even just hemorrhoids... there might actually be an underlying emotional component at play. It’s almost like we have this habit of suppressing things, you know? Like we aren't being entirely honest with ourselves or the people around us. We tend to lean toward this false sense of tolerance or just take the path of least resistance by bottling everything up inside. But honestly, how can we truly love other people if we haven't even learned how to love ourselves with our whole hearts first?
After reading through all these posts—especially from people dealing with recurrences—I’ve come to realize that my proctologist did exactly what he was supposed to do, and he did a great job. Honestly, I think any consequences from my surgery will just be a direct result of how I choose to live my life and what I decide to eat moving forward.
Well, I guess we'll see how things shake out!
"Watch your thoughts, because they become your words.
Watch your words, because they become your actions.
Watch your actions, because they become your habits.
Watch your habits, because they become your character.
Watch your character, because it becomes your destiny,
your reality, or your illusion." (Anonymous)
I also think you have to watch what you eat, too... since that eventually becomes part of your body, your health, or even your potential illnesses.
Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks again to everyone here for being so helpful and sharing your own experiences regarding this topic. It really means a lot.
Don't lose hope—everything comes to an end eventually!
