Personal Stores Archive #14

May 30, 2003

Story

Well I'll update you guys. I had the doctor look at it today and he said it didn't need anymore packing because the bottom of the wound has closed in. He told me it looks pretty good and I feel a lot better. There's just a slight sting to it when I sit down. The Idoform Packing Strips work really well with the Cephalexin because it has only been packed twice since he cut me open and there is no infection. Crystal, I don't think you'll have to worry about your dancing abilities. Be careful with it for the next year. I am pretty much back to doing everything I normally do and it has only been a week. I can agree with you though that being cut open with a scalpel and hardly any anesthesia really hurts (in my case at least he couldn't really inject any because it was adding to the pressure & pain even more), although you're glad you went through it afterwards. JP

Date:

May 29, 2003

Story

I'm 20 years old, and about to give up a full ride scholarship to a dance intensive program this summer. :-( I found out early in January that i had a pilonidal cyst. I had it drained (Which was the worst pain i've ever experienced, but was well worth it after it was over with) and for the next two weeks, had a hard time cleaning it and re-packing it. I'm upset at the fact that I am giving up this scholarship. I struggled throughout the semester not to do situps or anything that involves direct contact with my cyst. I don't have the stomach the other dancers have. Poo that!! I have to get surgery done now because i will be teaching in 3 months. I am hoping this will not affect the way i dance, and am so scared that the surgery is going to be as bad as the draining was. Please wish me luck!! Crystal*

Date:

May 28, 2003

Story

Well I am still in the middle of this problem, but it has gone surprisingly well thus far. On May 22nd I ended up having an inpromptu surgury in a Doctor's Office to remove my Cyst with a bit of Local Anesthetic. Believe me if you need surgery, try and get a General Anesthesia because having one of these so close to your tailbone makes a local anesthesia almost pointless. It hurts. The Doctor told me he had never seen one as big as mine. It started to swell on Monday and by Thursday it hurt so bad I couldn't stand, Crawl, or Sit. The surgery was one of the most painful things I've been through, but the rest of the night I felt much better. I even went Camping over the Memorial Weekend, and hiked around despite there being a inch long laceration next to my tailbone stuffed with Iodine impregnated gauze. I think the Alcohol and pain killers a friend gave me helped. That's right the doctor didn't even prescreibe any pain meds. Today is May 28th and all the swelling has gone away. From the descriptions on this website, the wound is doing fine, and hopefully it will heal well. I'll admit the doctor I went to wasn't very helpful other than getting the infection out of me, but I'll manage. It sucks to not have any health insurance, or the doctor I went to would have sent me to the hospital. He did his best to help, and I am grateful to him for doing what he can. At least it was free less the cost of the Cephalexin Antibiotics. I am allergic to Penecillin, and Cephalexin is a related Antibiotic, but I haven't have any rashes develop since I started taking the an May 23rd, four times a day, so I can attest to all those who are allergic to Penicillin that it is safe. Anyways, I'll write another piece to let you know how it's going later. JP

Date:

May 27, 2003

Story

This is to the girl who wrote on the 25th of this month. I don't know where you read about possibly dying from an infection. True it can happen but the chances of it actually happening are slim to none! Please don't worry about dying at 14 from an infection after surgery. I had one and I am still alive! Good luck hun and if you need more support go to the board! There's a lot of good people on there!

Date:

May 26, 2003

Story

Hi everyone. I'm a 21 year old female, and just today learned I have a pilonidal cyst. Like many of you guys out there, I thought I had a broken or bruised my tailbone. I did in fact fall at a dance 2 weeks ago, and thought it was only a little weird that it took almost a week for any pain to start. I actually first noticed the pain during my commencement ceremony, and cursed those pre-dance vodka shots I did that caused me to fall in the first place. During the past week, the pain grew, and I went to see my doctor. It hadn't started swelling yet, and he, like me, thought it was a bruised tailbone (after a very painful shove to my butt...)And like many of you, the pain was excruciating. I thought I had a high tolerance for pain, but this brought me to tears because I couldn't walk, lie down, and of course, sit. Anyway, throughout the weekend the swelling began, and was very rapid. I quickly learned that my advil was no longer working, seeing as I was up to 10 a day as of yesterday. This morning after a sleepless night,I begged my roommate to take me to the hospital early this morning. As soon as I got there, they knew exactly what it was. I didn't like the sound of what was coming. And i think you know what I'm talking about. Ugh. Drainage. I really thought I would prefer an ass amputation. That's an unpleasant experience I think I'd like to not repeat, but surgery may be lurking on the horizon...Turns out, it runs in the family, and my mom had to get surgery. I called her after the hospital, and she said, "Oh I feel for you honey. But hey look! Now we share something!" I wish I'd gotten her eyes. Well c'est la vie. And at least I feel about 1000 times better and have some percaset to keep me company. I wasn't prescribed antibiotics, but have the lovely antibiotic packing still in there. I'd never heard of this disease before, and really thought I was crazy that a tailbone injury (ha) could hurt this much. I'm glad I'm not alone, and wish the best for everyone's collective asses :)

Date:

May 25, 2003

Story

Hi, i'm fourteen and i just got a pilonidal cyst about three days ago. I went to the doctors and they said i caught it in time and they gave me antibiotics that would "hopefully work" (not exactly what you want to hear), but at that point i would take anything. I see a surgeon on tuesday and they decide whether or not i need to have surgery done, and i'm really nervous. I haven't had pussing or draining like some of you...and no offense but i hope it stays that way. It made me so embarrassed to read that this is a guy disease! I was like oh great so basically i'm a he-she with a hairy ass! It hurts so much in general, not to mention having to sit and try and get comfortable! Any time i put pressure or stress on it i want to just scream! My doctor told me i could go back to work...but i don't think she knows that i work in a grocery store, i could NOT stand for that long, so i asked to go home early, just as i was leaving, some one i worked with, who didn't know how much pain i was in, jumped up and kicked me, RIGHT IN THE BUTT! i started to cry i tried to hide it and just said "thanks" and walked out of the store. It was so strange i was in like hysterics it hurt so bad. I read on this website that after surgery if it gets infected the effects could be fatal, that scares me so much. I'm fourteen, i don't wanna die, especially not from having surgery on my butt. Well, anyway, i'll write back to let you know how the meeting went with the surgeon.

Date:

May 23, 2003

Story

For all those who are contemplating surgery or are nervous about it, my story is a positive one. I suffered on and off for about 5 years with this condition (it came and went with weight loss and gain) and never went to the doctor out of embarrassment. Finally my boyfriend convinced me to go to my GP. He referred me to a surgeon, I had the surgery done and it was the best thing I did. I went home from the hospital the same day, was off work for about 2 weeks with minimal pain (nothing compared to childbirth) and have not had any problems since (more than 10 years ago). jnotenberg

Date:

May 20, 2003

Story

I AM SO GLAD I FOUND THIS WEB SITE TOO. I HAVE HAD TWO FLARE UPS AND I AM SET TO HAVE SURGERY ON MAY 30, 2003. I HAVE TO ADMIT I AM A LITTLE NERVOUS ABOUT THE ENTIRE PROCEDURE, I DON'T DEAL WITH PAIN THAT EASILY. AND TO TOP IT OFF I'M PROBABLY GOING TO MISS ABOUT 3 WEEKS OF WORK BECAUSE ALL I DO IS SIT IN FRONT OF A COMPUTER ALL DAY. I ENJOYED THE STORIES THEY WERE VERY SUPPORTIVE.--TYB

Date:

May 19, 2003

Story

Im a 21 year old female . I started having the flare ups when I turned 16 the doctor told me it was due to me being born with spina bifida. The first one was very painful but being 16 I didn't tell anybody until I was laying in bed with 103.1 fever and not being able to move. It was drained and it was instant relief. Second one was real big so it didn't get drained the doctor just went ahead and cut it open with a scalpel had local anesthesia so it didn't hurt. After that I kept getting them every 3 to 6 months. I just squeezed it out myself and felt a little bit better being too busy with my high school life I just dealt with the pain. Anyways to make a long story short I got frustrated by just getting drained all the time that i decided to change doctors after that on my first flare up which was last week she send me to a surgeon who said surgery was the best option but since Im 7 months pregnant i cant do anything but wait. However on saturday i ended up in the ER they couldn't operate or even put anesthesia because of my pregnancy so the doctor ended up sticking a scalpel with no drugs whatsoever up my butt and releasing the infection it felt so good. Now I only have to wait until 4 weeks after i give birth to finally get rid of this thing hopefully for good . Good luck to everyone.

Date:

May 19, 2003

Story

Hello all, I am a 23 year old male in Texas that has suffered from the Pilonidal Cyst. About a month ago I had a small pain at the top of my buttocks that kinda felt like a scratch or something. Well a couple of weeks passed by and we went out of town for the weekend and on the way back it was really bothering me. I was really uncomfortable and when I got home I went to sleep because I had to work that night. Well when I woke up to go to work, I was in so much pain it brought tears to my eyes, and I would say that I have a pretty high pain tolerance. Well the next day I went to see the doctor and he said it just looked like an infection under the skin and gave me antibiotics (Levaqyn). I took this for 2 days and it didn't do a thing. I got to where I couldn't find a comfortable position to lay and I was breaking out into cold sweats and every time I stood up I felt as if I were going to pass out. Well after 3 days of this I decided to go back to the doctor. He decided I needed to be admitted to the hospital and have it drained. This scared the living bejeebers out of me because I have NEVER been in the hospital before. They put me in and have me some pain medicine that was wonderful. The next day they took me in for surgery. In the operating room they gave me the wonder drug and the last thing I remember was them taking my blood pressure. Then I woke up. Didn't feel any pain like I was before I went in. Well the next day the nurse came in at 5am to change the dressing and re-pack it. Well she said it might hurt just a little bit when she pulled the packing out because the doctor had to pack it really tight. Well let's just say she was right. I think I woke the whole hospital up. It hurt so bad when she pulled it out I was in tears again. And I think I just about squeezed the blood out of my wife's hand. Well after 2 more days in the hospital they sent me home. So far so good. I was home for a week out of work and right now I am at work. The pain is no longer the same as before. I just have a hole in my buttocks..lol. I am glad that I got the surgery and just hope I don't have to get the follow-up surgery also. I just couldn't stand the unpacking again...lol I sit all day at work so I am not sure how that is going to work, it is kinda uncomfortable. I will let everyone know how it goes.

Date:

May 19, 2003

Story

:::::::: 6 WEEKS ON ::::::::: Hi, I'm writing this in the hope that perhaps other people can glean some information from my experience. I had a pilonidal sinus excised 6 weeks ago today. It appears the sinus was there since childbirth, no one ever knew until I got the usual nasty abscess at the pilonidal area (top of the buttock cleft). This burst and drained off about a year ago but the surgeons advised on the excision as it would only reoccur. Fine I said, let's get it on! So under the knife I went, before the op the surgeon told me how he would stitch the wound if it was clean and lay it open only if it was infected or 'dirty'. As the abscess had drained the site was stitched and I went home that evening. Within 3 days the wound became infected. Initial antibiotics (Augmentin) didn't work so my GP put me on Co-amoxyclav.....to no avail. 12 days after the op I went to my local 'NHS Walk-In Centre' to have the stitches removed. The nurse was shocked to see just how bad the wound was infected and referred me to hospital for a review. At the hospital the stitches were removed and the wound dehiced (opened) completely. Then I was informed the cavity was 6 inches long and 1 inch deep straight down to the bone running the entire length of the butt cleft. Well, I couldn't help but think of those proboscis monkeys with the pink backsides you see on the wildlife shows! I was also informed that it would take between 4-6 months to heal!!!! So then it was decided to lay open the wound to heal. On 2 sets of antibiotics (Co-amoxyclav + penicillin) the infection subsided after 2 weeks whilst Kaltostat packing twice a day soon encouraged granulation. After 4 weeks of this treatment I am now in the words of the nurses 'only a week or two away from complete closure'. My advice to anyone who has been or is about to go through this, is first and foremost read up, do your research and question everything you are told by the medical staff BEFORE AND AFTER THE OP. Had I known 90% of these wounds become infected I would have thought twice about having it done. If you feel that laying open the wound is for you, and you and your employer can handle the absence from work, ask the surgeon if he can do this, and if not, why? The downside is it will take longer to heal, but has more success than stitches. If the wound is sutured, you will be advised not to wet it, making it a nighmare to keep clean and free from infection. I was told to dress the wound once every 3 days, it smelt foul, a mixture of sweat, pus as well as the normal glupe a wound exudes. Cross-reference and ask questions. If you have researched on the web, try and print stuff out to take in with you, present it to the surgeon. It will make you look informed, don't be pushy, but make them justify what they are about to do. Demand good service. I live in London, England and had it done on our NHS. Upon my discharge, I was given 3 little dressings which wouldn't have covered the wound. This meant having to go and fetch the correct dressings the following day as well as antibiotics as I was only given enough for 24 hours. Don't be fobbed off like this. The last thing you need is to have to be mobile for the first few days after the op. If the wound is laid open, 3 words, cleanliness, cleanliness, cleanliness. That area of the body is naturally prone to bacteria. After bowel movements wash the crotch and around the anus thoroughly and use a clean towel each time. As I said, I'm having 2 dressings a day and before the District nurses arrive I take out the old packing and shower under lukewarm water, spraying well inside the wound. I'm fortunate in that I have no feeling as yet inside the wound so this might not be everyone's cup of tea. Oh if you do this don't use soap or showergel as it will irritate the wound, just plain old water will suffice. If you do decide to take the packing out, wear sterile gloves which the nurses should be able to give you. I've basically tried to emulate everything the nurses do, if they wear gloves so do I, if they wash their hands before and after, so do I. Think of those 3 little 'C' words above. Of course, clean underwear with each new dressing is obvious. If you are having Nurses pack the wound, again ask questions, do the research, if they mention something find out about it. I was told IntraSite or GranuGel could help remove the slough. So I was straight on the internet to research it and then along to the GP for a prescription....and the GranuGel worked too! Ask the nurses how the wound looks, whether it is improving, what you can do to help it along. They all seem to have a wealth of little tips and tricks. One nurse told me that warming the saline used for irrigating the wound to body temperature promotes healing, whereas if it is cold, it drives the blood away from the site and slows healing by up to 1 hour at a time. Being naturally hairy, I have also shaved the buttock area around the site and I know some people are big advocates of this. However I have been told by several Nurses it can in itself encourage more hair to grow and consequently more problems, such as in growing hairs and resultant cysts and boils, but again you decide. I'm not sure how it works in the U.S., but over here, if you are finding the £6.30 prescription charge a financial headache, get yourself a 'Pre Paid Certificate' form from your doctor. 4 months is £31.90 and means you can get as many prescriptions as you like. For around £80 you can get one that covers you for a year, so there is some flexibility. Diet is crucial, I take Multibionta vitamins and cod liver oil caps anyway, but I've chosen to supplement this with 25mg of zinc each day which is a great aid in tissue generation. This will take me over what is the normal daily limit for zinc, but I noticed a dramatic leap in the healing process once I started on them. As a caution I asked the nurses about what I was doing because I was well aware of the dangers of overdosage on vits. They were great about it and said as long as I don't do it for too long or after I've healed it should be fine. Again ask, talk and get advice from your own healthcare professionals. To make new tissue the body needs protein, and I've been getting loads of it. 1.5 - 2 pints of milk a day, eggs every other day and at least 2 meals a day contain fish and/or poultry/meat. Fruit and veg in abundance and no alcohol....any sportsmen and women will tell you that alcohol in the bloodstream will slow muscle and tissue rebuilding. Contrary to medical advice, I have been walking for up to 1.5 hours a day! If it has hurt then of course I've stopped, but my own theory is that getting the circulation going increases bloodflow to the area and aids healing. I probably come across as being a bit extreme to the point of obsessive, but I feel, cleanliness, information, diet, cleanliness, research, exercise, cleanliness, zinc have all played their part, not forgetting the Nurses who have down a wonderful job too. The thought of being off work for up to 6 months frightened the life out of me, but I'm now in a position that 4 weeks after being told this, I should be back at work in the early part of June. Don't take my advice as gospel truth, I have no medical training whatsoever. I've just told you my story, the things that didn't work and what I've done to help things progress. Listen to your own body, you know it better than anyone else does! Good luck to everyone, David London, England

Date:

May 18, 2003

Story

I had surgery for my cyst 8 years ago at age 20... did the internet even exist yet? I happened to find this site as I was searching for heredity information for this condition (I have a baby girl). I wish that I had access to such great information when I was having problems. I fell on the tailbone and had soreness for 2 years that developed into the cyst. I had nearly constant seepage for 1 1/2 years and after numerous doctors finally found the solution. I have had no problems since my surgery. Good luck to any of you who are considering the surgery. It was not that bad for me(I did not have to pack my insicion). MR

Date:

May 13, 2003

Story

I first posted on this website in November of 2002, with my first minor pilonidal flare-up, including pain and drainage. The cyst was just at the top of the gluteal cleft, and was about the size of a quarter. I treated it with applications of 70% alcohol scrubs, 5 times a day. I scrubbed with a DOWNWARD stroke, only. Not up and down, as this would risk introducing bacteria from the lower regions back into the cyst area above, with each upsstroke. I dried the area completely after each scrubbing, again making sure to run the cloth or tissue paper from the cyst, DOWNWARD. I kept this regimen up for about 2 weeks, after the first flare up. When I found this website, I read about the advisability of keeping the general cyst area hair-free, so, every time I showered, I shaved the entire cyst area. I posted an update here in late February, 2003, 3 months later. Cyst-free. Skin in the area where cyst was is healthy and normal. Optimism sets in. Kept up with the alcohol scrub treatment, about two or three times a week. Shaved the cyst area, with every other shower that I'd take. Today is May 13, 2003. Still cyst-free. Skin is still healthy and normal. Keeping up with my February, 2003 regimen. So far, so good. I think I have this thing beat. If I haven't beaten it, I believe that at the very least I can live with it, and that any further flare-ups will be mild. I can always go back to the original, more aggressive regimen. I'm wondering about the advisability of getting electrolysis treatments to remove all hair in this region.

Date:

May 13, 2003

Story

My name is Emily, I am 20 Years old(barely, 4/18/83.) As far as I can remember back to like second grade, I remember telling my mom, "I think I bruised my tailbone again" and never gave it a second thought b/c it would always go away in a few days. But when i was around 16 I remember thinking, " Oh great, my tailbone is bruised, just what I need for this weekend" but this time it didn't go away. It got so painful, I could barley walk. I remember going to an urgent care place and a nurse looking at it and her exact words were" OH MY GOD, IT"S HUGE!!!" but they referred me to a general practice doctor who lanced it with no pain medicine, TALK ABOUT PAINFUL. I know the people in the waiting room thought he was killing me :) So it healed and I went on my merry way:)Then about a month ago 4/1/03, I was at a family gathering running around with nieces and nephews and when I returned home, I couldn't walk. The separation of my legs that are connected to my tailbone hurt so very badly when I walked, that my husband had to take me the emergency room, OOHHH the great emergency room. I LOVED THAT DOCTOR!! I was so nervous of how painful it was going to be b/c of my past experience, so I was trying to prepare myself mentally. So the Doc came in and did his poking and prying at it, and had an epiphany!!....... It needed to be lanced, BUT the good news is I DON'T REMEMBER A BIT OF IT !! After the IV went in with the MORPHINE! I was off to the happiest place I could have possibly knew at that point, I think my husband drove me home on that night, Friday, and I woke up to eat, drink, and take my medicine and woke up on Tuesday to go back to work. I have my surgery appt. on May 28, 2003, I'm not nervous, I am EXCITED!!!KNOCK me out, PLEASE!!;)I'm excited to have some relief from this stupid nagging thing just hanging out waiting to ruin my vacation of life!!! I feel for anyone who is even giving the surgery a second thought. DON'T.. It will be the best choice you will ever make. All you need is a good support team behind you. and a group to help you make light of it like we all do in my circle ..."EMily has a Big hair growing out of her butt that i out of control".... Happy TRails to all who are having a daily, yearly, and lifelong battle with this ugly thing who decides when, where, and who it will rear it's nasty stinky head out on, BAD PILONIDAL CYST, BAD. GOOD LUCK WITH EVERYONE's Struggle and Recovery. EmilyC.

Date:

May 09, 2003

Story

Hey everyone, I just had my Surgery today and it went really well. I had MAC (Monitered Anisthesia Care) and a local anisthesia. somehow I ended up only having to get two incisions both 1/4 inch long to remove my cyst. the pain isn't too bad although the bleeding is. I feel good and get my first re-packing tomorrow from my doctor. Don't let these horror stories on the website worry you. They worried me before I had surgery and it turned out to be way better than I imagined. Hang in there everybody!-B

Date:

May 08, 2003

Story

DATE: May 8 2003 I first noticed an odd anomaly just in front of my tailbone around January 1st. When the drainage point ruptured a large amount of liquid oozed through 3 layers of clothing. Thinking it was a boil my doctor prescribed antibiotics to see if that would solve it. It didn't It continued to drain and turn the back of my clothing red with bloody liquid. The doctor examined it again and suggested i go to a neurosurgeon because it was deeper than he anticipated No luck after the neurosurgeon I was taken to see a Colon doctor who identified it as a Pilonidal cyst. My surgery is scheduled for May 12 and im scared stiff. I hate IVs and the awful tasting saliva inhibiter. But i know it must be done. Besides, getting blood out of clothes is becoming to much a painstaking hobby. So, we'll see how it turns out. My fingers are crossed for no complications.

Date:

May 08, 2003

Story

My son is 16 - soon be 17 - had the cyst a year before he told anyone - surgery was done in mid January - he hasn't been back to school since. The second surgery was scheduled - then due to lack of funds (- lesson in don't listen to everything the folks at the desk tells you - talk to the office manager as soon as possible!!!!!!) We've been doing this without insurance- until now - Thank GOD for Florida's Children's Medical Services Network!, but I digress. Another surgery is in order I'm sure - now finding the correct specialist is the next phase - that will accept the insurance or payments for the rest of my life... but more importantly someone who is more familiar with the disease and is current on treatment. The first surgeon closed the wound - said everything looked good enough. From all the reading that I've done - I would NEVER close it! I will make sure that the next surgery isn't closed!!!! The lady who's son is 18 and has had 5 surgeries - I think my son and yours should e-mail each other for support. My son also an honor's student - but has lost his "umph" with the academics, I'm concerned for him(physically and emotionally) - we are also in a "two caution light" town. His teacher's haven't been that helpful, but I now have a "homebound" teacher that's helping. I attempted to do it the first 3 months (I'm a teacher as well), but since his lost "umphh" I passed the gauntlet - we need to maintain a healthy relationship through this! It's waining! I'm having health problems as well - biopsies and the ill faited 3rd kidney stone at the moment - it's tough! I could use some support myself.

Date:

May 07, 2003

Story

May 7th, 2003 Hey guys. My name is Adam and I'm 20 years old. I found out 1 year ago that I had a pilonidal cyst. I went to the doctor in June last year to learn that I could either have it removed or just leave it. I opted for the surgery on July 31st. Needless to say, it was a hard healing proccess. If there is one thing I can't stand it is things slowing me down. So I sure as hell wasn't going to let this slow me down. I went back to my summer factory job 1 day after the surgery and kept up with my weightlifting 2-3 weeks after. I also play drums for a band down in Milwaukee, so I kept at that in mid-August. It has taken a long time for the cut to heal. Apparently my nurse said that mine was quite big. It's been 10 months and it's just starting to close up and scar. For those of you out there wondering about surgery, or are dealing with the healing proccess, just know you are not alone. Even though it's been 10 months for me I am grateful that I got the surgery done. If I can do it, you can too. Good luck to you all! -Adam

Date:

May 07, 2003

Story

THIS ONE IS POSITIVE & OFFERS AN ALTERNAITVE! This site is great! although i only wish i had found it back when i first discoverd my pet cyst. His name is "Horace". Im 21 now, and first had a problem when i was 19. My symptoms were like everyone else, maybe even worse, as my doc. didnt know anything about this disease apparently. All she did was perscribe a light antibiotic and warm baths in epsom salts. The pain was simply untolerable. I sat in the tub for hours and hours and then, only about 12hrs after i was diagnosed, Horace ruptured on his own during bath. I followed the directions for my drug and was very carful about cleaning ect. Hydrogen poroxside, epsom salt baths and ventilation for the next few weeks. Things went smooth for about 3 months then, just as i was about to leave on vacation, it began to swell again. I went to the doc, began taking more baths and was very careful NOT to sit on my tailbone. Like magic, it disappeard. Nearly 3 years later ( dont even remeber when eaxctly it all happend!) the cyst has only occasionally discretely drained . IN CONCLUSION, i have examined my activities and condition at the time of the cyst crisis compared to now, and blame my problem on possibly one of the following: 1. Immidiately pre-cyst infection, i was sitting imporperly for hours in front of a computer. 2. i was overwight. I know, i sound charming don't I? Those are the ONLY differnces between my activities now and 3 years ago. UNlike some people, who seem to think your sentanced to a life of hell (did someone say doctor?), i belive you can pay more attention to your posture and personal health and your problem may be solved. This being said, im sure ill have a relpase as soon as i submit this optomistic essay. Hang on to hope! email your questions & complaints to: "kc99281(at)hotmail(dot)com"

Date:

May 06, 2003

Story

I am a 29 year old female and first otice I had this thing growing off of my rear about 2 years ago. It would come and go and not be very painful. 8 weeks ago, I gave birth to my 3rd child and 4 weeks later, it began to flare up. Well, this time the flare up got so bad that I could not sit, stand, lay down or even hold my new baby !! I went to the doctor,who referred me to a surgeon. The surgeon decided to lance it and drain it. That was on April 11th. For two weeks, I had to drive 45 minutes one way twice a day to have it packed. My last "packing" ws on April 24th . I was packed for two weeks - twice daily. But now, it seems to be coming back. It feels a little inflammed and the pain has started to come back. I may have to have the surgery to remove the cycst... I am suprised that it is coming back so soon - I was hoping for more relief time !! We shall see what happens.,

Date:

May 06, 2003

Story

Norway, 6th May 2003 - bad news for me.. September 2002 I had my first surgery, after living with this for some years...and managing pretty well most of the time. I had my operation while "sleeping" and would recomment this to anyone... they tried to give me a "Local" version first but they failed to find the right spot in my back... My version of the surgery was a closed one..so my butt was stiched together...and after 2 weeks the stiches where removed and the nurse told me all looked very good! 2 days later I "wet" my bed..and...SUPPRISE--guess where the fluid came from .??? I went to the doc again and the nurse checking me over again..and with a gentle push of her finger she "opened "the wound..or better to say the wound opened... The reason where that the wound where still with "running pus" (please excuse my rusty english..) In other word I need to be patient..and waiiiiit.... and yes slowely the wound started to heal...and after 6 months it was only 1cm left... After 7months it was totally closed......and 7,5months I could see in the mirrow...something I DID not like...a TINY hole...YES...you ALL know... :( and this started to leak....slowely and not soo much...BUT more then enough to be a "pain in the butt"..hehe. Soo 2 days ago.....I played a match of Squash...and YES.....the wound opnened AGAIN....80% of the orginal surgery wound... and I think its the same reason....the wound is NOT dry..and running with "pus" again.... Soo what do DO now..... (please tell me if anyone have ANY suggestions...!!!) Well, I have to get to the doc.... so let see and hope the best...but I have my doubts.... Talk to later.......BYE BYE for NOW...

Date:

May 05, 2003

Story

Hi I am a 29 year old wife of a pilonidal cyst sufferer. My husband has had his cyst for almost 10 years. When he first noticed it in college he waited until summer break to have surgery. The first surgery was done by a butcher! She totally messed him up he had to pack his wound for what seemed like forever. He finally had to go to a second surgen and have it drained and pretty much redone. Ever sense he has pretty much had to apply my femine pads every day. His cyst will get better for awhile and then flare up again. He is an attorney so instead of being embarresed by leaking he wares a pad everyday just in case. I can always tell when a flare up is coming on because he gets extremly tired and cranky. I can't persuade him to go to the doctor and see if another surgery would benefit him. I'm worried that prolong sickness will effect him in other ways. I would love some advise and encouragement.

Date:

May 04, 2003

Story

Our son is 18 (yesterday was his birthday). About 2 years ago he began complaining about a bruised tailbone that wouldn't go away. One morning he woke up and told us he just couldn't bear the pain one more day. We took him to his pediatrician, who said it looked like an infected hair follicle, but wanted him to see a surgeon just to be sure. Mind you, our son had never had any drainage, just a slight swelling on the area just above the butt crack. The surgeon said "Whoa! Look at the size of that thing!"(never a good sign) and operated immediately. He made a large incision, which he left open and packed. A week later he removed all the packing, and told us to be prepared to deal with it again in the near future. Sure enough, the open wound refused to heal, and began draining bloody puss. Just two months after the first proceedure, we were back. This time the doctor did a much more radical proceedure called a "Z-plasty", which left his backsides looking like the work of a really perverse Zorro. "Go home and be cured!" his doctor told us. WRONG! Within six months, the incision opened back up and began draining again. Imagine being a 16 year old boy, and having to wear kotex! So, again he had the awful surgery, and again he went through the ordeal of recovery. All the while, he has maintained his status as an honor student in advanced placement classes. Unfortunately, that surgery failed, as did the next two. All together, our son has gone through FIVE surgeries. The last one was so invasive that the surgeon (an expert in this) had to sew plastic braces on the outside of his bottom, all the way to his backbone. He has spent the last two months of his senior year doing all of his school work flat on his stomach. Thank God we live in a small rural town. His teachers have been coming to our home to tutor him. He will still graduate with honors, but he has missed all of his senior activities (prom, awards ceremony, etc.). Last month, he received an Army scholarship offer (his life-long dream), and two days later he received a letter from Army Medical taking it away. Now, 5 surgeries later, He's draining again. He is depressed beyond consoling, and his mother and I are at our wits end. Please pray for him. God bless you all.

Date:

May 01, 2003

Story

I posted once before a few months ago when I was at probably my lowest point of recovery. I am 19, and I had multiple cysts removed last July. The surgery did not work, and in fact, made my situation far worse. I have been living the past nine months with a hole in my tailbone that refuses to close. As the school year ends for me and I will once again be returning home, I have about 45 doctor's appointments. The worst thing now is that I have to choose between three doctors to do this surgery. My big concern is that if God forbid this doesn't work again, I will blame myself. Also, I really don't know how I can have this surgery again and escape "deformity-free." The worst part of all is that no surgeon knows exactly what method to use since my case is so bad. The original surgeon said that due to the severity of my case, he must have missed a cyst, though when he took another look a few months ago, he said multiple cysts remained and that they appeared to have formed. This site has been such a blessing in that I am now so much more informed of my disease and am not walking into a doctor's office with no knowledge of the procedures I will need. This site has helped me formulate questions to ask these doctors so that I am certain that before I go into surgery, I will know what to expect (which was my big mistake last time). I'll let you all know how surgery goes (though the surgery itself won't take place for over a month most certainly). I wish everyone out there speedy recoveries! :)

Date:

April 27, 2003

Story

I am 19 years old and this morning I had my pilonidal cyst removed (I know, I am doing really well to be up and moving around). Luckily my cyst has not been as bad as others I have read about. I have had several "flare ups" in the past year. I am fairly small boned and skinny, so I always thought I just had a bony butt. About 2 weeks ago it got so bad that I could barely sit down. I went to see my physician and he informed me that I would need to have it removed surgically. He scheduled my surgery for Saturday morning. I was a little nervous going into the hospital, because I have never had surgery before. The doctor who did my surgery is a good friend of the family so that help a little and I was ready to get this taken care of. I am feeling surprisingly well right now. I haven't taken my pain medicine, but I probably will soon since we will have to change the bandages before I go to bed. The doctor only had to go 1-inch deep and he said it should take about 6 weeks for the tissue to regrow. This website has been very helpful. I will be sure to keep you updated. ~h/bowling green, Kentucky

Date:

April 24, 2003

Story

me 1, pilonidal 0. hi. i am a 24 year old male, and today i am finished with my treatment! i had surgery 3/14, and after an infection, i had 4 weeks of twice-daily packings, and then a week of once a day packing. and today they couldn't pack it! they said the key was going religiously for the packings. it was an inconvenience, surely, but i got into the groove pretty quickly. surgery was really smooth. it didn't hurt at all until i got infected (five days after), and then when i had the stitches removed that day. the first five or so packings were a bit rough, and i had to walk really slowly. it first appeared jan, 2001. then it reappeared about a year later. and then six months after that. and then three months after that. and then a month later. (see a pattern?) it got worse each time. and then i had surgery. any discomfort i had following surgery is *at most* comparable to each recurrence of the cyst. and i am going to celebrate by sitting everywhere i possibly can! awwww yeah!!!!!

Date:

April 23, 2003

Story

About a week and a half ago, I began feeling a slight pain in my tailbone. My husband told me his tailbone had hurt before but it went away after a few days. However, instead of going away, my pain increased. It came to the point where I had great difficulty sitting. Then, last Friday night, I had great difficulty even sleeping. I gave up attempting to sleep at 4 AM and turned on the computer to begin my search on the internet for "bump on tailbone." I came across this website with all these stories. The conditions sounded a lot like mine, but I was like, "please, no, don't let this be what I have." However, when I finally made it to the doctor yesterday, he declared that I had a Pilonidal Cyst. He said it needed to be drained. He then proceeded to give me some numbing stuff that burned really bad. Then for an eternity he drained the cyst. That was very painful. I kept focusing on my breathing and closed my eyes. That helped. He said my cyst was very large. Anyway, he finally was done. I felt sore but definitely better than I had. It was incredible how painful the cyst can be. I went home and rested and am still resting today. I feel exhausted but at least now I can comfortably sleep. I discovered a co-worker had a pilondal cyst drained last year. She said she wouldn't wish this on her worst enemy. She made me a huge plateful of delicious warm chocolate chip cookies to comfort me during this time. That was very encouraging. My boss's wife made my husband and I supper last night. That was awesome. Anyway, it's been a very painful experience, but this website was awesome because it let me know there are many others out there enduring this condition. This website gave me a heads up before I went to the doctor. So when he announced I had a "pilonidal cyst" I didn't have to panic wondering what in the world that was. This website had already informed me. Also, my husband has been very supportive at this time. He's glad I'm no longer in pain. So am I!

Date:

April 21, 2003

Story

My story seems quite different from everyone else's. My cyst did not drain or cause me ongoing problems. I was diagnosed back in 1991, and over the past 12 years, it has probably erupted about seven or eight times. Sometimes I was able to treat the infection with antibiotics, but on a number of occasions I had to have it lanced. Lanced is really a misnomer. They don't just make a small incision and drain the fluid. They actually cut about a 1 inch circle of your flesh away and leave it open. At any rate, the pain from the pressure of the infection was horrible. It hurt to stand, lie down, and sitting was just out of the question. Without 600-800 mg. of ibuprofen every 4-6 hours, I was unable to function. Finally after having to have it drained twice in a three week period I decided to have it removed. I just had my surgery last Friday. And if there is one piece of advice I can give, is to remember that everyone makes their story worse then it really was when recording for posterity. First, draining the cyst is not bad. It certainly isn't pleasant, but it's 10 uncomfortable minutes of your life, and generally if you have reached the point to where you cyst has to be drained, you have already endured days if not weeks of discomfort. Your doctor will inject the cyst with a topical anesthetic - this is the most painful part. Then he will cut out the small piece of flesh, pack the wound and send you on your way, most likely with a script for an antibiotic in hand. From that point on the most painful part if taking off the tape each morning when changing your bandage. It takes about two weeks or so to heal. The surgery isn't bad either. I had many reservations as I had not had surgery since I was three and don't really remember that all too well. I went to the ambulatory surgical clinic at our local hospital. They called me in, weighed me and recorded my height. They use that info to determine exactly the amount of anesthesia you need during the operation. So don't ballpark it or guess. Make them weigh you. Too little anesthesia and you could feel something, too much and your recovery time will be longer. Then they had me change and the nurse can in to put in my IV. Now I am a fainter. Not at pain or the sight of blood, but at the notion of having foreign objects inserted into my body. My nurse was great. She first numbed the area of my hand where the IV would be placed. From that point on I didn't feel a thing. She was also able to take my blood through the IV so there were no other injections that morning. The anesthesiologist came in to tell me my options. Essentially I could have a spinal, which would have meant lying flat after the surgery for an extended period of time. Given the location of the cyst, I opted for general. My concern about general anesthesia was the process of being ventilated. It works like this. The anesthesiologist will place a sedative in your IV prior to going to the OR. This will relax you. Once in the OR, they will start the general anesthetic through your IV and have your breath oxygen though a hand held mask on over your face. It's just oxygen, no gas, and the mask is clear light weight plastic so it doesn't at all feel like you are being smothered or confined. Then you quickly fall asleep. They ventilate you after you are asleep by placing a breathing tube into your lungs through your throat. This removed before you gain consciousness - you will never remember the insertion or the removal of the breathing tube. My surgery lasted for almost one hour. Before I left the OR, my surgeon injected the entire with several doses of Novocain so that the ride home would be more comfortable. My after care also differs from other people's stories. My surgeon has packed the wound and bandaged it tightly for three days (normally only two, but because of the holiday here in Maine (Patriot's Day, I have to wait an extra day). During this three days, I am can't shower (only sponge baths - which comfort baths work great), and I do not have to change my bandage. I will return to his office tomorrow morning to have the bandage changed and for my husband to learn how to pack the wound properly. The pain to date has not been that bad. Last night, I did forgo my dose of painkiller for the first time so I could see how much pain there really was. I had no problem returning to my painkiller this morning. The doc prescribed 2 tablets of oxycodone every six hours for pain. I have only been taking one about every five hours, and find I am quite comfortable. I have been able to make dinner, bake a cake for Easter, exchange emails with friends, and get up to answer the phone, get the mail etc. I have not sat down for longer than two hours, and while I experience little pain while sitting, getting up is difficult. So tomorrow I wil see exactly how large my wound is and begin to understand better then healing process. I want to thank Sasha for starting this site. There is a lot of good information for a disease that otherwise gets little publicity. However, there are also a lot of horror stories, which judging from my experience I cannot help think are over exaggerated and meant to elicit sympathy and provoke fear. While any surgery isn't pleasant, this experience has not been horrible. In fact, I have been to more painful family reunions! Forgo looking at the pictures. Each case is different, and there is no way to tell how large your cyst is or how large your wound will be until they are able to see it during surgery. Besides, this is one instance where size really doesn't matter. You will have an open wound either way after your surgery is completed, and the pain will be the same whether the it is two inches in diameter or the amazing seven inch gaping holes some of the authors on this site have experienced. Be honest with caregivers that day. If needles bother your, tell them and ask them to numb the area before placing the IV. If you are a fainter, tell them so they can elevate your feet and lower head prior to any injections. If you need a sedative to relieve anxiety ask for it. There are several things that health care professionals can do for you to alleviate stress and worry prior to an operation. In this day and age, health care does not have to be a horror story or a life scarring experience. Speak up and monitor your own care.

Date:

April 20, 2003

Story

Hi i underwent surgery on March 21, pilonidal cyst had been plaguing me for over a year, it really hurt me coz i was a real loner n exercise was my only escape but I couldn't even do it after awhile. .. well the surgery was quick, the doctor said he did a partial closure excision, leaving the top open coz it looked infected. . .i change the gauze everyday n now sometimes i still down but i try to avoid it coz that open part is still real sensitive and sorta hurts. . .its been about 2-3 weeks now, so does that sound like normal symptoms? Any info would be appreciated thanks!

Date:

April 19, 2003

Story

Hello, all. I had surgery almost six weeks ago, and I am in worse shape now than when I went in! The day of surgery I felt fine; I woke up from anesthesia completely wired and demanded tacos immediately (at this point I'd had nothing to eat for almost 13 hours). I felt fine the rest of the week, though I stayed home from school. The following Tuesday, at work over Spring Break, I slipped on some water someone had tracked into the office and felt an odd sensation near the incision site, but it didn't hurt and I was busy, so I didn't check it. Later I got up from my chair and noticed that I had been sitting in a puddle for some time, and ran to the bathroom to check out my wound. You guessed it: my acrobatic act ripped all the stitches out, and I was leaking quite a bit of bloody fluid. Sufficiently scared, I went home and called my surgeon, and she said there was nothing to be done about it now, just go back to work and try to be more careful. I felt fine, so I did. After I went in for a post-op, she removed the rest of the stitches and noticed that I had a pretty good sized cavity at the top of the wound, so we started my daily ritual of having the opening packed with gauze strips. Three weeks later, the wound is still an inch deep and an inch wide, is not healing, and is still soaking through all the gauze within the hour. It's more inconvenient than painful (it really doesn't hurt at all, except if I fall against something), but during the week I have to schedule my appointments around my classes, and on weekends I have a home healthcare nurse come to my dorm and check me over and change my dressing. I wonder what I'll do in 3 weeks when my semester is over and I move back home. Shannon

Date:

April 18, 2003

Story

Hi there, firstly thanks for creating this site. I discovered my Cyst approx a year ago and had surgery to remove the offender 7th of April 2003. The surgery itself was fine with very little pain afterwards and I was able to return home the same day. I had my wound stitched which caused some pain whilst moving around for the first few days. After about five days the area became infected and it was another trip to the Gp for pain killers and antibiotics. He told me apart from slight infection everything should be fine to have my stitches removed on the 17th April. I did and the pain relief was fantastic, just a little bit sore. The Nurse who removed my stitches said 'Have a nice Bath tonight enjoy the weekend and you'll be nice a refreshed for work the following Monday. That Thursday night I ran my lovely Bath sank into the water as you do and "pop" the water turned red as the wound came open!!!! Thanks a lot I thought. So it was another trip to the Hospital that night, a 2 and a half hour wait in A&E, and they decided to Pac my wound too let it heal inside out. I have been referred to an NHS ( yes I'm from the UK) Nurse on a daily basis for the duration to have my dressing's changed. Had my second one today and so far the pack is less painful than the stitch option. They think a wound my size should heal within 2 to 3 months but they did warn me that they do come back! Sometimes. So far I have managed to stay positive about the problem but then unlike some of you on here I've not lived with it for as long as you have and I hope not too. However we are not in a minority! This is a very common problem and certainly not life threatening! There are people out there worse off than us so If we all help each other and share our problems we'll all get through it. Look on the bright side, really it's just a 'pain in the arse'............Thanks for a great site.

Date:

April 17, 2003

Story

Hi my name is Christine from NYC. I am turning 21 in about one month. My story sounds basically like everyone's i read. I felt my tailbone hurting about 4 days ago. And I don't recall hitting it anywhere or anything. So that's why i thought maybe i just strained it somehow. Then the next day I woke up with more of a pain. Then that same night, after coming home from work the pain became almost unbearable, the infection looked more red and was very hot. It was also accompanied by a mild fever. The pain was so annoying, I couldn't walk, sit, sleep, lie down. I was laying on my side for about 2 days. So I went to my regular doctor, who prescribed keflex and also vicotin for the pain relief. He told me i had to get it surgically removed right away. I made an appointment with a rectum/colon doctor who I saw this afternoon. He saw the cyst and assured me that it was pilonidal disease and it was already very infected, it had spread on both sides, but luckily he only had to drain one side of it. All i know is that it hurt soooo much. So he drained the puss out and then put a dressing in it. He wants to operate on me in about 6 weeks. I am not thrilled at all about this, but if its most likely not to come back than its worth the extra pain. So after the drainage im feeling a little better at least i can sit down for a while. And im still on my medication and taking the pain killers. I just wanted to thank you for this website, because ive been looking for information on this disease ever since i learned about it. And this site gave me a lot of information. And I can also see that im not the only one who's going through such an embarrassing and veryyyy painful situation. thank you again, and good luck to everyone. Best of health. Christine

Date:

April 16, 2003

Story

I'm a 24-year-old male currently deployed with the US Army Reserve. I noticed a small hard lump on my tail-bone years ago (honestly can't remember how many years ago) and thought I had just bruised my tailbone or something. I knew someone in college that had this, but I didn't really talk to her about it, and certainly did not think I had the same thing. Well, after driving around for 8 months in an old HMMWV (hummer) with bad shocks on extremely rough roads at times (high speeds too), I think I have finally done it. It has become difficult to sit down now, and I can't even sleep on my back. My Team Sergeant told me to go to sick call, thank God. So I went to the doc this morning and as soon as I dropped my pants he said, "oh yeah, you've got a nice pilonidal cyst there". He put me on anti-biotics and 800 mg ibuprofen for the next 10 days. In 5-days I will go back for a follow-up. If he recommends surgery, I will tell him that I am going to suck it up. Why? Because we are supposed to go home soon and I don't want to be a medical holdover and get stuck here for 2 more months (my wife would love that!). It doesn't look too big yet (half the size of a golf ball) and I hope the antibiotics will keep it under control for now. As soon as I get home I will go to the civilian doc and talk about getting surgery. I sympathize with all who have this disease and if you are not sure if you have it or not...GET CHECKED! I think we can learn from a lot of those who have had unfortunate experiences over a period of 10, 15, 20 years or more. If you don't want to go through those experiences, get it checked out and take care of it right away! A little embarrassment is a small price to avoid a lifetime of pain and suffering. Nothing to be embarrassed about anyway really, its a disease, and not like an STD or anything. It is just a disease and it needs to be treated, that's it. Good luck to all with this affliction.

Date:

April 13, 2003

Story

Hi, im Tiff, i posted on here before. Its been...hmmm...about 2 years since my second correctional surgery of my cyst. It feels fine and hasn't bothered me at all. However, i do have one question. I cant seem to find any information or research on living w/ pilonidal cyst and horse back riding. I used to ride horses for 8 yrs, i had a lot of talent, i trained w/ professionals and traveled with them a lot. I haven't ridden in over 2 years because after my first surgery, my doctor gave me the go-ahead to ride again, i did, and it came back, even worse. I haven't ridden at all since my last surgery because that was the worst pain i've been in physically. However, i have a huge urge to ride again, and i just want to find more information, maybe someone who's experienced it before or something. Please help me out here, thanks and best of luck to all the fellow sufferers! ~Tiff~

Date:

April 09, 2003

Story

ok, so, my story is evidently one of the more typical ones, although probably not as painful as some of the ones i've read. about a year ago, i experienced the same thing many others are talking about- my tailbone was sore, and at first i thought i'd bruised it- then, i noticed a small lump. my dad told me he's had them before, but just to wait it out because it's over in a day or two. i waited..and waited.. and it just GREW. evidently it was severely infected, because not only was it not draining but it became extremely painful to the point where it was uncomfortable to sit, stand, lie down and walk. i finally went to the doctor about 2 days later, extremely nauseous and hardly able to stand up. they lanced it and immediately it felt better. yesterday, i noticed again that my tailbone was a little sore. reluctant to bring it up to my parents, i tried everything- a hot bath, hot washcloth, everything. BIG MISTAKE. today was a repeat of the experience i had last year, except i didn't get quite as dizzy and i was able to eat a little. i went to the doctor this afternoon to get it lanced, finally, and was amazed at how much more painful this was. afterward, i felt like i was going to throw up/pass out and had to lie there for about 10 minutes before i could sit up. anyway, as of now i have a consultation with a colon/rectal surgeon on Thursday. while i'm a little puzzled as to why anyone would major in butt medicine anyway and i'm wondering what to tell my friends about why i'm missing so much school, i think i'll be glad to get it over with for sure. fingers crossed!

Date:

April 01, 2003

Story

Hi My name is Wendy. I am over 50 now but do have a story to tell. In the early 70's I was all of 19 years old. I can remember everything about what happened to me as if happened today. I,like everyone else, started to have soreness at the top of my buttocks. I don't remember injuring or falling on my butt. Next the lump and the pain. I couldn't work, I couldn't sleep the pain was so bad and my roommate took me to the emergency ward of one of the hospitals only for them to advise me that it was a cyst and needed to come to a head before they could lance it. I was also very embarrassed being the age I was and where this cyst was situated. Anyway to make a long story short I laid in hot baths, tried to put compresses on it to no avail. Finally after several trips to the emergency wards and no one to lance it I made an appointment with my family physician. Whilst in his office I advised him that I would not leave until he had lanced this cyst as I was in so much pain. Reluctantly he lanced it and as gross as it sounds removed a cup and a half of pus from my cyst and the relief was instantaneous. He packed me with gauze and sent me home with antibiotics (penicillin at that time). My cyst cleared up but I ended up being highly allergic to penicillin. I have about a 2 inch scar at the top of my butt but have never had any further problems. At no time did anyone advise me that I had this pilonidal disease. I am very pleased that you have this web site as the reason why I was so inquisitive was now my son who is 23 years old has had the same thing happen to him. The last flare up being December 2002 and also at no time did anyone mention this disease or could really explain what the heck was going on. So now I realize that maybe it is congenital in my family to be passed onto my son. The only reason I was able to find out about this site was when I called the surgeon's office to find out when my son was scheduled to go for surgery she mentioned "Oh he is the one with the pilonidal sinus!" His surgery won't be for a few more months unless he has another problem. I will keep you posted. Thanks again for this web site.

Date:

April 01, 2003

Story

Hi! My name is Rebecca. My story isn't finished yet, but I want to share it because it's been good so far! I was unusual because my cyst was in my armpit (yuck, yuck) although I have a second one in the more usual place. I had noticed the swollen lump about a week ago and assumed it was an ingrown hair. Over the weekend it became horribly inflamed and painful to the touch - I was crying it hurt so much, and the infection was giving me terrible headaches. I went to the ER and after waiting for hours - and being forgotten by the nurse! - the doctor lanced it. I didn't feel a thing! I was given Lortab (sp?) and Tylenol first to relax me, then the doctor gave me an injection to numb the area. That did sting a little bit, and actually the puncture started the draining. The doctor opened it up, cleaned it out, put in packing material, and prescribed me antibiotics and painkillers (Cephalexin and Hydrocodone w/ aspirin.) I feel a million times better. The antibiotics are making the swelling in my other cyst go down, and the incision under my arm is not very painful. I have a follow-up appointment tomorrow, but the doctor was confident that I should be fine without further surgery. Thanks for this site, and I hope everyone can have an experience as good as mine!