Dealing with hemorrhoids

Steven Martinez7 said:Dr. Gojevic is fine; I've been seeing him at Rib for two years now. But honestly, I wish his exams weren't such a pain.
I went to the Sun clinic to see Prof. Chavcic. Great guy. The exam $100 was totally painless because they actually use plenty of anesthetic—unlike those folks over at Rib who skimp on it or just don't bother entirely.
Unfortunately, they can't do the fistula surgery I need there, though they do tie off hemorrhoids—not sure what the cost is. He advised me against getting the surgery under local anesthesia like Dr. Filati does for $833, since you really need to be relaxed for the procedure to work right and prevent it from coming back. If it were under general anesthesia, I'd go in a heartbeat, but as it stands, no way. Back to Gojevic, I guess.
Anyway, my experience at Sun was great. Highly recommend the professor; the man truly has "golden" hands.

Can you even get fistula surgery done under general anesthesia at Rib?

So, I've been on this therapy for a week now and honestly? Zero progress. It’s just more of the same... I've got my follow-up in another week, and I'm definitely telling the doctor to fix this one way or another—because right now, it's making everything impossible.
I seriously can't deal with this little stub...

Ronald Lopez3 said:Can you actually get a fistula surgery on a Rib under general anesthesia?

Yeah, I can, but here’s the thing—I’m breastfeeding right now. It makes staying at the hospital for more than two hours a massive headache, let alone being stuck there for two days. Honestly, just dealing with the pain for the last five months has been enough to break me. That’s why I’ve been hunting for a private clinic where I can get this done quickly. To make matters worse, during my last check-up, Dr. Gojevic gave me some "great" news: he says I need a colonoscopy. My absolute worst nightmare. I’ve been trying to keep my spirits up by reading about everyone's experiences here on the forum; hopefully, I can pull through this. I’m going to look for a place that offers short-term general anesthesia if possible. I don't care what it costs, I'll pay whatever it takes to get it over with.

dustyowl29 said:I’ve been on therapy for a week now but there’s absolutely zero progress, everything is just the same... I have a follow-up in another week, and I’m going to tell the doctor to fix this damn thing however he can because I can’t get anything done like this..
I seriously can't live with this little nub sticking out..

Hang in there, man. It takes time for things to actually heal. I spent ages dealing with my own issues long before all this crap started. Just make sure you don't end up with more shit piled onto your plate like I did.

The vein just sits there staring me down—I’m massaging it, soaking it, sticking to my diet, popping all the pills... and absolutely nothing happens.
Honestly, I don't think anything's going to change without some kind of actual procedure...

fingers crossed, maybe you'll finally fix this once and for all
good luck

Steven Martinez7, have you actually been through a colonoscopy before and seen how it goes down? Is that what’s scaring you... or is it just constant pain that makes the whole idea feel even worse?

Look, I actually went along with my mom when she had this done, and let me tell you, she said it was absolutely terrifying. Honestly, the whole thing freaks me out so much—not just because of her horrible experience, but because this damn thing already hurts like hell. Now they want to shove a colonoscope in there without any anesthesia? I’m not sure I’d even survive that.

I’ve got a gut feeling that this therapy is actually working—the lump feels about 30% smaller now. Could that be a sign I'm finally turning a corner?
Though, to be fair, I've only really noticed it over the last two or three days...

I’m pretty sure your TH levels have definitely dropped since you were last checked, but you’ll know for sure once the doctor goes over the results at your follow-up. As for me, I’m starting the whole prep process tomorrow—all those tests before the colonoscopy and surgery. Honestly, just thinking about it gives me the chills... brrr!

Ouch, that sounds awkward—so what's the actual issue you're dealing with here?
And I can't believe it—mine has shrunk by half!!

Hemorrhoids... heh, in short: a lifelong battle!

I had surgery for external ones when I was about 22. During my follow-up, the nurse asked if I’d given birth, and I just sat there during the exam with wide, panicked eyes saying, "Please, did I give birth? Oh wait, no, not yet..." and she just casually added, "Well, you still have plenty of suffering ahead of you..."

But let's get to the point. To put it mildly, my general practitioner at the campus clinic really messed me over. It all started innocently enough with a little stinging sensation, but it wouldn't leave me alone, so my doctor told me if it just stings a bit, I should just apply some cream. So, I applied it, and applied it... but the lump just kept getting bigger day by day!! A month later, I'm back seeing her, and I say quite bluntly, "This is getting serious," and in that same deadpan tone, I add, "I'll take my pants off so you can take a good look." She looked, and just said, "Keep applying the cream." Not long after that, I finally snapped and asked for a referral to the hospital in Chicago. I shuffled in there, and in front of a huge crowd of students, I took an interesting position for the exam, to which the doctor remarked, "Where on earth have you been until now?" before casually adding, "Shall we go straight to surgery?" Imagine me—it was practically my first time ever hearing what hemorrhoids actually were or how they happen, and this guy is already suggesting we cut them out right away!!?? 😲

He told me that for about a week, I needed to stick to a strict diet, use all sorts of creams, do chamomile soaks, maintain extremely meticulous hygiene... etc. I was so incredibly angry that my GP hadn't properly educated me on this, but unfortunately, nothing helped.

Seven days later, walking to the hospital in Chicago with my roommate on my arm, I made it to the table. The doctor was wonderful; we joked around so much that I was actually tapping away at something while he performed the anesthesia, clipping, and ligation. After half an hour, it was "bye-bye!" We called a taxi, and in a sort of semi-reclined position, I shuffled back to the room, picking up a bunch of medications along the way and praying that the first trip to the bathroom would go smoothly! 😁 The surgery itself isn't the issue; it's the pain afterward, but you forget everything once things return to normal and, after months of agony on the toilet, I swear you'll be able to handle everything with a smile!!

Someone said it perfectly: the moment you notice that first sting, you need to immediately think about how to prevent and treat it! Even today, I stay vigilant; as soon as I feel any strain, it's straight to the fiber-rich foods... You learn to live with it.

How a person gets them varies: let's say it's a bit genetic, combined with a poor diet, sitting too much, and stress, stress, stress...
Today, I'm talking about this as if I'm describing how to make lunch. No matter how uncomfortable it might be for someone to talk about, it's even more uncomfortable when you're collapsing on the toilet from the pain or blood loss. Everything else is a joke!!

So, my whole situation is this fistula—basically an unnatural tunnel connecting my colon to the skin. It all started after I dealt with an abscess, which was basically just a nasty sore near my butt, and honestly, it’s all because of the hemorrhoids and fissures I’ve been battling for years. Things really went south after I had my baby. Hope that makes sense, but yeah, it's pretty much a total disaster. I was at the clinic today for an X-ray to see how deep this connection goes, but the doctor wasn't even sure, so now she wants me to get a pelvic MRI. Instead of actually enjoying my maternity leave, I’m stuck dealing with this constant nightmare down there.
Robin King2 was spot on when they said that a few years ago, I would have never dreamed of talking about this out of pure embarrassment. But now that I realize just how many people are struggling with the exact same thing, it feels a lot better knowing you can swap stories and maybe pick up some decent advice. My primary care physician is honestly useless; she actually told me I was the first patient she’d ever seen with this! Can you believe that? The woman has zero experience with this stuff, so I’ve basically had to navigate the whole mess on my own. As long as she hands over the referral, I guess I’m on my own to figure out the rest, though I can't even bring myself to be truly angry at her.
At the end of the day, I think the most critical thing for those of us dealing with this is fixing our diet. Dry, processed food is absolute death for digestion. For the longest time, I lived on nothing but that crap because it’s impossible to eat properly when you're at work—we don't have a kitchen, you're grinding all day, etc...

Yeah, it’s kind of awkward to bring up, but honestly—half my circle has dealt with Hemopropin at some point... so I know I'm not alone here.

edit:
Just got back from a checkup, and the doctor says things are looking way better. That’s a relief, obviously—another week at home and then I can finally head back to work. Staying on the same therapy for now though..

I’m seriously so glad you’re feeling better—honestly, I’m hoping I can say the exact same thing about myself pretty soon.

I’m really hoping it recedes completely—it still peeks through a little bit, which is honestly pretty distracting when I'm trying to get things done... My doctor says it’ll clear up, it just takes some time... I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he's right.
Good luck to you too...

I think I’ve developed an internal hemorrhoid. It bleeds every two or three weeks—basically whenever I spend all day on my bike or when I'm straining during a heavy bowel movement. So, what's the move here? Am I supposed to just rub some Voltaren gel in there or something? Starting today, I’m sticking to the guidelines: no alcohol 😢, keeping things clean, avoiding spicy food...
One thing I don't get, though: how can I actually bleed? Like, how do I know if I have enough of them to cause bleeding?

Honestly, I’d say just bite the bullet and go see a proctologist—don't be shy about it. They’ll figure out the best treatment plan for you, and while other stuff might offer some relief, getting a professional exam is really the most important step here.

Look, I don't think you can just suddenly bleed out from nothing, but bleeding can get pretty heavy sometimes, and if that happens, you seriously need to get to a doctor ASAP. You’ve got to fix your diet—that’s the biggest thing right here. Now, I consider myself quite the foodie, but I had to stop going overboard with the prosciutto, those greasy sandwiches, Mexican food, and all that stuff. Every now and then I'll try a little something, but you really have to be disciplined. And make sure you drink some Ensure; it’s actually super healthy and works wonders at softening things up, if you know what I mean.

I just got back from my appointment with Dr. Gojevic, and we’ve decided to put the surgery on hold for now. Still, I can't dodge the colonoscopy forever—it's happening one way or another. Yesterday was actually a total win because he didn't even try to perform the exam, which was a relief, but today? God, today is absolute torture. My backside has been killing me since I woke up; it's enough to drive anyone insane. I really hope the rest of you guys are doing better than I am. As for me, I'm off to scout for some kind of painless scope option.