Pilonidal Abcess

[SarahWakefield]

hi everyone. in november of 2004 i had a pain at tghe top of my bum! but anyway i didnt think anything of it until a week later when i couldnt sit at all. so me and my mum went to pinderfields general hospital wakefield. i had it checked and they said it was an abcess and needed to be drained. so on the 14t november 2004 at 9.30 i had an operation for the abcess to be removed! i woke up a couple of hours later laying on my side pain free (only because of the morphine though) i went to sleep fine. the next morning i woke up in hospital in agony obviously because the painkillers had worn off! then at dinner time the nurse came round sayng write sarah your going to have to get in the bath now and remove your packin, she said im not going to lie to you it will be painful. so anyway off i toddled to the bathroom. i got in i felt my bum oh my god i thort. i started to pull out the packing and it was so painful i started to cry i managed to get it out and i swear to god it must have been about 60 cm long! but the nurses did say to me 100ml (a bottle of calpol) ofpus got drained! anyway laterthat day my mum came to pick me up and we went home where my mum had sorted out the sofa and made it all comfortable for me! anyway im march of 2005 i had to have the operation again because it still hadnt healed so they thought if they made it larger and put some stitches in to pull it together it mite have made a difference.so a couple of weeks later i felt ok still abit painful though! then in may of this year i went tothe hospital again and the surgeon said he might have to do it again but my argument is ive had the operation twice now and it hasnt made a difference! so now 6 months on i amstill not healed and not a very happy bunny! oh and in this time i have got district nurses coming everyday to my house to pack my wound! anyway if anyone else has had the same problem please tell me your story i would love to know about anyone else with the same problem!

[SarahWakefield]

well has anyone had one?

[squarelady]

My best friend has (I think) had the exact same thing! She's had three operations because of it and has been off for about 10 months while her wounds been healing. It's still not healed completely.

[SarahWakefield]

thanks so much for replying. well they do take a long time to heal mine is 6 months now and still not healed!more people reply plz xx

[Treacle]

This sounds extremely painful. I wouldn't have the operation a third time though unless it would solve it forever.

[SarahWakefield]

trust me it is painful. its the worst painever! especially when you have to have it packed and disturbed everyday and cant sit on your bum properly. its well and truly awful!

[squarelady]

thanks so much for replying. well they do take a long time to heal mine is 6 months now and still not healed!more people reply plz xx

So what happened? My friends first operation was just to remove it and then didn't do it properly so she had a second and then a third to make the wound bigger so it would heal better (if that makes sense). She only had stitchs the second time. She had a district nurse everyday at home and now she goes and gets it packed at the doctors everyday.

Did they tell you how they thought it had happened or how long it would take to heal? We just thought that it was the hospital that had done something wrong. We had no idea anyone else has this problem! My friends was the same, same place and everything!

[Treacle]

If I couldn't sit down I'd scream the whole house down.

[squarelady]

If I couldn't sit down I'd scream the whole house down.

My friend just layed on her side for months until she could sit down properly.

[SarahWakefield]

well when i was in hospital the surgeon said it would tek 1 week to heal and i wouldbe back at work! but then the nurse at the hospital sed it would take 8 week. so none of them arerite! im getting really down about it now! everyday is the same get up get a bath go to the doctors for it packed come home have pain for a couple of hours cos they ave distured the wound! its sssoo awful i feel like crying all ofthe time! but people say they reoccur! i really hope mine doesnt

[SarahWakefield]

they said the cause of mine was through ingrowing hair because that is the main cause. like you dont realise but wen u brush ur hair it goes dwn ur bum! and also dont shave in the bath or wen u do do itat the end and stand up then wash the remaining hair off with a jug! thats what i do now!

[squarelady]

well when i was in hospital the surgeon said it would tek 1 week to heal and i wouldbe back at work! but then the nurse at the hospital sed it would take 8 week. so none of them arerite! im getting really down about it now! everyday is the same get up get a bath go to the doctors for it packed come home have pain for a couple of hours cos they ave distured the wound! its sssoo awful i feel like crying all ofthe time! but people say they reoccur! i really hope mine doesnt

My friends has taken a year and it's still not healed. After the first operation she had about a month off and then went back to work and then she had to leave because it got worse and then had another opertation.

If it's any consolation like I always say to my friendly I think people who go through any operation are incredibly brave. I'd be a nervous wreck. And it will get better. It's taken my friend three operations and nearly year but it's really healing well now and she is allowed to go back to work in the next month.

I'm sure things will work out for you too. If you ever want someone to talk to my e-mails in my profile. I know I haven't gone through it but I've supported my friend and I know it'll get better. I hope you're okay!

[Treacle]

This is the most unusual medical ailment I've ever spoken to somebody who's a sufferer of it about. Sounds terrible. I sincerely hope it all turns out okay in the future.

[squarelady]

This is the most unusual medical ailment I've ever spoken to somebody who's a sufferer of it about. Sounds terrible. I sincerely hope it all turns out okay in the future.

I thought it was wierd when my friend got it. She was confused because she thought it was just backache!

[SarahWakefield]

well i just thort id bangedmy self in bed or something but i had a shock wen i went to a+e and they said i would need surgery

[Treacle]

I would be proper freaking out.

[SarahWakefield]

anyone else had one of these occur oh and by the way ive still got it (todays date 30.08.05) on 14th november 2005 i will have had it a year!