Banding is better than cutting!

I am 38 YO white male and have SUFFERED from internal hemorrhoids and external anal fishers for about 3 years. They would burn and itch, especially at night. I could not sleep without taking hot bath (even 2-3 time per night near the end) and long trips in car were out of the question. I could not work comfortably or exercise. I tried everything that is available in the US and a few products from China and from the Middle East. Lidocane (5%) ointment I purchased from amazon helped me a lot. I got the most relief from the product I picked up in Beirut Lebanon. It was called Procto Synalar manufactured by Grunenthal. On the box it labeled as a mixture of Lidocane and Flucinoloni acetonidium, which is probably a steroid. It was miles and away better than the Hydrocortisone suppositories I got in the US. Once the hemorrhoids reach a certain stage there is little else you can do but get the surgery. I finally relented and got the banding surgery. It was 769$. Insurance usually covers 50-80%. I prepped for the surgery by making sure I was "cleaned out" by taking Metamucil and making sure I drank a lot of water to ensure soft stool before the bands are in place. I also took Tylenol before and after the procedure. Avoid Ibuprofen since there could be bleeding from the operation. The actual procedure takes about 2 minutes. They insert a metal cylinder to hold the anal cavity open then band the hemorrhoid. I had three. They won't do more than 2 at once because of the discomfort so I had to return 3 weeks later to do the last one. There is a lot of discomfort and moderate pain for the first day. BUT THE BURNING AND ITCHING WAS GONE ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. It feels like you have to go to the bathroom really badly. Try and resist this feeling as much as you can. Take a warm bath as soon as you get home as this helps relax the anal muscles. Try and find something to do to keep your mind off the pain for the first few hours. I played my guitar. The pain gets much less by the second day and by day four I felt fairly normal. Bowel movements can be a little tough so make sure to keep drinking water and taking stool softeners. It was worth all the discomfort to be free of these horrible things. And the discomfort was not as bad as the pain from the hemorrhoids themselves.