Personal Stores Archive #25

Date:

February 27, 2005

Story

I had my first abcess when I was 17 ( 26 now ), it was removed right after my high school graduation. Itwas a VERY large one that had tunnelled down around and under my tailbone, I have an approx 3 inch scar in right down my crack. Originally after surgery it was stitched closed, but tehy later re-opened it to heal from the bottom up. For all these years the only problem I've had was some fizzuring in the scar, but this year ( I think because of extensive time sitting behind a desk for nursing school) I have a new flare-up. This one is in a different spot from the first, and swells on the surface much more than my first one. I just had it incised and drained today, and will be going back for surgery once my health insurance kicks in. Luckily for me, all the doctors in this small town are familiar with the condition because of my original episode all those years ago - the surgeon presented it to everyone in the medical community as a freak occurance of a young girl with "hairy man/pregnant woman disease"....med students were invited up from Dallas! But it means that the doctor and nurses I saw today recognized it immediately and knew what to do! Here is hoping for the best in my upcomming surgery! K. Talbott, LVN Wichita Falls, TX (moxygecko@yahoo.com)

Date:

February 27, 2005

Story

HEY EVERYONE, I AM A 24 YO FEMALE AND HAVE HAD MY PILONIDAL FOR 2 YEARS NOW. I HAVE HAD 2 FAILED SURGERIES AND AM GOING ON #3. YEP #3. I HAD MY FIRST ABSCESS IN MAY 2003, AND FIRST SURGERY. IT WAS A CLOSED "Z-PLASTY". WELL NEEDLESS TO SAY IT DID NOT HEAL. I THEN WENT TO A DIFFERENT DOC (IN A LARGER CITY). I HAD MY SECOND SURGERY IN NOV 2004. THIS DOC SEEMED SO CONFIDENT THAT THIS ONE WAS GOING TO WORK. WELL, IT DIDN'T. (BOTH DOCTORS STATED THAT IT WAS THE LARGEST PILONIDAL ABSCESS THEY HAD EVER SEEN..........LUCKY ME!!!) SO, FOR 2 YEARS I HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH PAIN, DRESSING CHANGES, EMBARASSING LEAKING STORIES, AND NOT TO MENTION A CHANGED SEX LIFE!!!!! WITH THE HELP OF THIS WEB SITE I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO A LOT OF RESEARCH ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. MY NEXT SUREGERY HOPEFULLY WILL ME IN OREGON, BY THE INFAMOUS DR. BASCOM!! I AM STILL WAITING FOR A RESPONSE FROM HIM. I JUST E-MAILED HIM 3 DAYS AGO. MY DOC SAID HE WOULD GIVE ME A REFFERAL, SO HOPEFULL HE WILL ACCEPT ME AS A PATIENT. ANYWAYS, TO ANYONE DEALING WITH THIS I STRONGLY SUGGEST TO FIND OUT AS MUCH INFO AS POSSIBLE AND PICK YOUR DOCTOR WISELY. THEY ALL DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT.......TRUST ME. WELL I WILL GIVE YOU AN UPDATE AFTER THE NEXT SURGERY.......HOPEFULLY IT WILL BE A GOOD ONE!!! GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE OUT THERE!!!

Date:

February 26, 2005

Story

I found this site from a post on a message board I belong to. The person asked if anyone had this and I clicked on the link to see what it was. Lo and behold, I have had this 3X before. I'm surprised people have surgery for this. I have had the sinus kind and mine flares up every 8-10 years, certainly isn't chronic like it is for many people here. I thought it was a boil on my bum as my doctor never gave me a name for it. It was VERY painful, hard to sit and clothing rubbed on it. When I went to the doctor, she gave me antibiotics and instructed me to take several hot baths a day - as hot as I could stand. Doing that for a day or two did the trick. The thing popped, excreted a disgustingly smelling discharge, yellowish/brown/bloodish in color. For such a small "bump", I could not believe the amount of discharge! It was absolutely disgusting. I will never forget that smell. I had to sit on a towel for several hours, and even then, it didn't completely drain for another few hours. Mine don't seem as bad as what others have experienced, but I'm surprised your doctors lance yours or recco surgery. Mine have cured through antibiotics and very hot baths. I haven't had one since 2000, so I'm sure I'm due in another few years. Don't know what causes mine - perhaps ingrown hairs. I don't know. Has anyone else used this easy treatment to get rid of it?

Date:

February 24, 2005

Story

September 17, 2004 here. I have still not gone for surgery. I have had this cyst since I was 12 yrs old. I am 52. I have experienced various levels of discomfort from a small itch to an all-out, can't sit, stand, lie down or move at all. I guess I don't have as large one as some of you. I do know that the couple times I have seen a doc about it, they want it to not be infected in order for surgery. This always gets me out of the office with follow up left up to me and I am a procrastinator of the worst sort, obviously. So once it doesn't hurt anymore, I leave it alone. In 1995 or so, a doc lanced it (owuuwwoo) and ever since then when it gets a flare-up, it drains and quits hurting right away. A few tips: keep it dry; keep it clean; if you can, use iodine on the sinuses after each shower or bath. During a flare-up, sit in a HOT bath or use a hot pad on it and it will go away sooner. It will never "go away" but the pain goes away until it gets another infection. The infections can be small or large. The large ones are unbearable. I have had to take a week off work a couple times when I have had a large infection. I am lucky since I had the first large flare-up at age 30 with my second pregnancy. Then I did not have another large one till about age 45. Since it was lanced, it gets infected lots more often, but it never gets too huge anymore; it drains out before it gets real hard and hurts sooooooo bad. Knowing that it is a cyst and has roots gives me a vivid imagination. I figure after 40 years, it is deeply implanted and I am afraid to mess with it. I will let you all know if I get the nerve and what the outcome is. Keep it clean and dry for the least problems. The infection enters through the sinus(es). The worst of it is my little grandson has the dimple at the top of his buttcrack. He is doomed to have one. I have already advised my daughter to keep him clean. I think they form when particles get caught in the dimple and then are forced under the skin during sports of some sort when we fall on our butt or like was pointed out in this website, riding horses, which is what I loved to do and skating, always down on the butt.

Date:

February 21, 2005

Story

Hi there, my name is Arthur and I found this web site right after I first heard the name “pilonidal”. I didn’t know at the time but I have this disease since early teenage times. I first found it when I was having sports at school. Suddenly I was experiencing pain in the sacral area while we played soccer and in a short time someone noticed that I had some sort of dirt on my butt and I thought it was something that I have set on. Later that day I noticed all that yellow stuff in my underwear mixed up with blood. As I was a teenage boy at the time, I was afraid my friends would make jokes about it and make fun of me so I keep it as a secret for a very long time. One day I decided to show it to my father and he made me go see a doctor. I can’t remember very well what happened in the doctor’s office but I’m pretty sure he didn’t make a big deal out of it and told us to schedule a surgeon to have a look and we never went. Time has passed and suddenly after so many years I went to another doctor’s office for a regular checkup on Monday the 20th of December 2004, and he saw my medical history and asked to see my cyst. I, of course, let him have a look, and he said that my cyst was “calm” at that moment and if I ever wanted to have it removed, that was the perfect time. So I decided to go with the doctor’s opinion and we scheduled the surgery to Wednesday the 22nd. As I read all about it in this website, I drank lots of water on that Tuesday so that the spin-block anesthesia wouldn’t become headaches afterwoods. He opted to use the closed surgery technique and I agreed. I went to the hospital right after lunch, about 1:00pm, and they showed me my room and told me to wait there. About an hour later a nurse came and made me follow her to a little room where I would take all my clothes off and put what they call “the nice gown” and I did. After a minute they took me to the surgery room where I laid down and started chatting with all the nurses and doctors. Was a good time, they make fun of themselves all the time. One of the doctors came to give me the spin-block and I asked if they would use the Limberg Flab technique and the answer was: “Oh! You wanted with the Limberg Flap? Show me your tongue so I can take off the Limber flap.” Then I found myself in the middle of their jokes. It took about 10 minutes for the anesthesia to work and I turned over, had my sacral area shaved by a nurse and then the procedure began. I could feel my skin being cut but painless. He took about 30 minutes to remove the cyst, close the wound area, do the outside cleaning and put the famous huge bandage. As I was completely awake, I asked to see the cyst and he showed me. Something bigger then an inch and looking like a nut. They did inject a painkiller in my veins that hurts more than the whole thing. It was the worst part for me. Then I was sent back to my room where my mom and my girlfriend were waiting for me. I stayed there for about two hours and friends came to visit. I didn’t want to spend the night so, as I live near the hospital, they let me go. My mom took me by car but I ran out of anesthesia the pain hit me. I was told not to shower that evening and so I didn’t. I slept pretty badly that night. On the following day I had a shower. Not the nicest but I did. I had to protect the bandage. On that Saturday I took off the bandage with scissors. Not easy at all. The hair doesn’t help. I spent Christmas and New Year ’s Eve all stand up and all could do for the next 2 weeks was lay down and stand up, no sitting at all. About using the toilet, it was easier than I thought it would be. Didn’t hurt that much. After some time I managed to sit without using the tailbone, not very comfy but better for meal time. No driving and no physical activity could be done. I was told that if I did stuff that make me feel pain, it would contribute to make it come back and result in another surgery, so I’ve been very careful since. I’ve lost a job opportunity because of my situation and I still can’t work as hard at my actual job. It’s been 2 months and I’m still experiencing pain. The doctor said that after 3 months if the pain doesn’t go I might need another surgery. This is my story Thank you all. Arthur Souza (artarts@robynet.com.br) João Monlevade, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Date:

February 21, 2005

Story

Hi. I'll be 21 in a week or so and i've had a polonidal cyst since i was 16. I hid it from my parents for at least a year, afraid of what it might be. My cyst never bled much, but when i would have a strenuos trip to the bathroom it would bleed. I thought about talking to a teacher or my parents, but never did. When the bleeding got worse though, and blood began to drip into the toilet i became more worried and finally told my parents. I've now had surgery twice, the last time being about a year and a half ago. Needless to say, neither surgery was a success. In both cases, they closed the wound, and in both cases, a small opening appeared within a month or two. After the second surgery, i was hesitant to have another, due to the cost it put upon my parents. Even though they have insurance, it still put a lot of strain on my parents, who aren't that well off financially. The good news is my cyst is rather small, compared ot many accounts i have heard, and doesn't cause me extreme pain. Obviously, it's still a pain in the ass (forgive the pun), but i can live with it, and i've even discovered that if i lay on my back and bring my legs up, i can clean it myself with a que-tip, with the help of a small adjustable mirror positioned on my bed. So now i no longer have to have daily visits to the student health care center at my college. Since it is small, my doctor doestn' recommend surgery, as long as it isn't causing my unduly pain or problems. I just hope it doesn't become worse.

Date:

February 19, 2005

Story

Hi all! This is my second posting. CHAPTER ONE--Last November (2004), my cyst went into high gear for the second time in my life. The previous time it reared up was back in 2002. In November 2004, it went crazy, generated enough infection and fluid to create a (12cm long) track across my right buttock that required emergency surgery to clean up and eight weeks of recovery. In my last posting, I made it a point to say to you all that what caused my cyst to go to this extreme was diabetes. I didn't know then that I had it at all. No symptoms at all. My hospital routinely checks patients for diabetes and diagnozed me as having it. I asked my doctor (surgeon) how many people who experience problems with their pilonidal cysts may have diabetes or the early onset of it. His response was scary--perhaps upwards of 75%. I'm not saying this to scare anyone or to suggest that if your cyst is acting up that you definitely have diabetes. But I urge anyone with cyst problems to also check your blood sugar levels. If I had known about my type 2 diabetes, I could have shut down my cyst completely before it had a chance to "explode". I saw someone else use that word, and I love it because that's exactly what it feels like. CHAPTER TWO--just had my second surgery 2 weeks ago to actually remove the cyst and its nastiness. They couldn't do it last November due to the high levels of infection. It is such a peace of mind to have it removed. The healing is going well. It is an open-healing process requiring packing, but the pain is minimal and virtually no discomfort. SUMMARY--If you have a pilodinal cyst, get it removed. DON'T WAIT! It will only get worse over time. Plus, you may have diabetes and not even know it which, combined with the cyst, can kill you with infection. Mine almost killed me--literally. The infection was THAT BAD. Take care all. I'll do another posting later to update my progress on healing. I should be back to normal in just a couple more weeks. Yeah! Signed: HS in Atlanta (age 43--male). PS--my surgeon has a 100% success record of zero recurrance. It helps to have the right specialist. Bye for now.

Date:

February 19, 2005

Story

Almost 8 years ago (April 1, 1997), I was 15 and had my pilonidal cyst removed. The typical swelling and pain had been occurring off and on for almost a year before that. Of, course, I was too embarrassed to tell anyone about the puss draining. I actually pulled hair out of the tiny opening once or twice. Finally, my mom noticed that I winced in pain every time I sat down, and playing softbal became almost unbearable. She took me to my family doctor. Man, was I embarrassed!! He knew what it was and suggested seeing a surgeon. We saw the surgeon. He suggested immediate excision of the cyst because of the risk of it blowing on its own. This scared me. I didn't want my rear-end suddenyl exploding, so I agreed to have the surgery. All I remember that day of the surgery is afterwards being in excrutiating pain. I wish they had kept me in the hospital over night so i could have had stronger pain meds. When I came to in the recovery room, the nurse had to give me two times the regular dose of moriphine to cut the pain. The ride home was awful. I stayed on my stomach on the couch for about a week. I returned to school for a half day, but the return was short lived. The next morning I got in the shower, and blood started pouring down the back of my legs. I came very close to passing out. My mom took me back to the doctor who told us that the wound would need packing and lots of neosporin. It took about month for the wound to heal good enough for me to be back to almost normal. I went from being an active, athlete to a sedentary, "scared-to-move-for-fear-of-splitting" teen. I must admit, I look back and see that much of my life changed from that point on. In retrospect, I am glad my parents made me have the surgery. But, to my dismay, just yesterdat afternoon, my scar split in three tiny spots. Needless to say, I am freaked out by this! I thought this was all "behind" me. Ever since my wound "healed", off and on I have had pain and swelling back there, especially after strenuous exercise (like using a rowing machine). Well, I called my doctor (the same one I had at 15), and he told me to use Mederma for 2 weeks and then come in to see him. I bought the Mederma, but the box said not to be used on open wounds, and the scar is still bleeding. So, I am keeping it clean, using neosporin, and being very gentle with that area. Hopefully, this is not a full reoccurrence of the cyst. Thanks for reading- ANL

Date:

February 18, 2005

Story

My first experience with "boils" as they were mistakenly diagnosed was sixteen years ago, when I was fourteen. My rear end just hurt a lot, and I could not comfortably sit. My mother finally noticed that I constantly sat in chairs backwards (which relieved the pressure), and asked what the problem was. After a quick look, we were off to the doctor (general practicioner) who said I had a "huge boil" on my tailbone. He lanced it with no anesthetic whatsoever - it was excruciating pain which left me screaming as the nurse held me down. It smelled like a corpse, and the doctor said that he removed a huge "core" that was as large as his little finger. The "boil" was packed, and I was sent home in a mix of pain and relief. Everything healed up (or so I thought), and I was left with a hole on my tailbone large enough to stick your fingertip in. The doctor called it a "flesh-eating boil" which was left untreated long enough to kill tissue. I had subsequent "boils" in the same area over the years, which my mother and I treated ourselves. I just figured I was prone to boils in that area. In September 2004 my original "hole" began to bleed and ooze pus on and off. I didn't have a lot of pain unless someone pressed on it or I sat down wrong...just a lot of itching and tenderness, which I've had since the beginning. I went to my general practicioner (not the Nazi lancer of 16 years ago). He took a quick look at my tail, announced that I had a pilonidal cyst that I was most likely born with (what???) and that it was just going to bleed and be a pain. I was a little surprised, needless to say. I was nervous about it being open and becoming infected (it comes into direct contact with the toilet seat whenever I go to the bathroom), but he just said it was something I'd have to live with. Six months later it is still bleeding, still oozing, and still making me miserable. I was at the doctor again a few days ago (different guy - mine was playing golf), and I mentioned it to get his opinion. He looked at it and probed around, saying that the area was very hard and he could feel a large area of abcess under my skin. He referred me to a general surgeon, saying that removal was my best option. The thought of surgery does not excite me, but I'm willing to try just about anything to get rid of this thing!!!

Date:

February 18, 2005

Story

Um... I think this is what I have. About ten days ago I started having pain in my tailbone. I figured I'd done something to it in my sleep or whatever and that the soreness would go away on its own. Except it didn't, and it kept getting worse, and finally I snapped last night when 800 mg of Advil wasn't enough to calm the pain so that I could even sleep. Went to the doctor today, and she lanced it and gave me a course of Keflex and some Vicodin. I've had Vicodin a couple of other times and usually just one is enough to take care of the pain AND knock me out. But I've just taken two so that I could go to bed and I'm still waiting for it to kick in. I have never felt pain like this before in my life and I just thought it was some freak thing. I don't know what I'm going to do if it comes back--which it sounds like it might. And I'm only 24--wtf am I supposed to do for the rest of my life?!

Date:

February 16, 2005

Story

well, id say lets start at the beginning, but im not actually sure when that is. i cant remember when this thing actually popped up, but it did and i dont like him!! late september of last year (when i was 14), i noticed the cyst was getting irritable and would bleed frequently. id never really paid much attention to it before, but one not it start bleeding A LOT and just wouldnt stop, so i told my mom. she took me to Patien First the next day and they said it was an abscess (sp?). they gave me antibiotics and said come back in 3 days. so i went back that friday and the doctor said i'd need to see a specialist. i really had no idea this thing would be that much hassle. so my mom made an appointment for the specialist the next week. when we walked in the building, the door said "surgical specialist" and it freaked me out. i didnt have any clue that surgery was an option. i had never been operated on and it made me nervous. i saw the doctor and he told me that id need to have surgery. most definitely, no doubt about it. i didnt even get to choose. if i would have known then what i know now, i totally would have said "screw you" when he said surgery. so i had my first surgery two weeks after my initial visit. the beginning was ok. they took my blood (which i was so not ok with bc i hate needles!), got me in a gown, i stayed in a bed for a while, hooked up my iv, then my doctor came and took another look, then it was to the OR. i remember them wheeling me out of the room i was in and the girl told my mom to go through the doors. we went around to corner and i thought i just blinked but when i opened my eyes, i was in the OR. soon after i fell asleep. when i woke up, it was the worst feeling in the entire world. i couldnt talk, i couldnt move, i couldnt do anything. the blood pressure cuff would go off every few minutes and it scared me. i didnt know where i was. i was so confused and scared and just plain out of it. a nurse asked me how i was and i tried to groan, but it just didnt happen. she gave me some water and i felt like i was going to throw up. come to find out they had given me percocet and that makes me sick. so they took me back in the room i was in to begin with and my mom got me dressed and i hopped in the back of the car. when we got home, i slept for 4 hours, woke up for one, and slept for 8 more. i was on the couch for a week. i couldnt walk, i barely ate, i slept all day and all night. i missed so much school that i got 4 f's on my interim. between october 27 (the day i had surgery) and december, i went to the doctor once a week. when he had to take the stitches out, it hurt sooo bad! i almost cried. little did i know there was much more to come. the week after my 15th birthday, they told me i had to have surgery again because it wouldnt heal. so i had another surgery december 23. this one was mch better. i remember more, when i woke up i wasnt sick and i wasnt confused. i could talk, they let my mom in, i ate and i drank. but then they told me i had to stay the night. i was scared at first, but learned that it really wasnt as bad as i thought it would be. but of course, both my parents stayed the night with me and my family visited. i called all my friends and talk to them. telling them i was in the hospital. my dad's coworkers had baked me cookies and my parents bought me magazines and balloons. and the dinner was actually pretty good. the only thing i didnt like was that when i first got in there, every half hour a nurse would take my vitals (temp., blood pressure, etc), then it was every hour until midnight when she said she'd let me get some "sleep". of course, they were back at 4:00 AM. my doctor came in at 6:30, and at 7:00, changed the packing. i think it was the worst pain i have ever felt in my entire life. i cried like a baby it hurt so bad. but once it was over, the pain was over. i left the hospital around 10:30. christmas was good, other then the fact that home nurses came twice a day to change the packing. it went pretty good until recently. i fell one day last week and today i went to the doctor: the first time in a whole month. he said that the place where i had surgery (which everyone already knows is my butt, but the incision wasnt just at the top, it went all the way down my crack, about 3-4 inches) has began to crack open again (and the top of my crack is completely open) and that if it wasnt bc of the fall, then i would have to see a plastic surgeon. i was like, what? what is a plastic surgeon going to do to my butt? what he said is that they will try various healing methods first and if they dotn work, then at the top of my crack, the entire fold will be taken out and it will be flat (kind of like an extension to my back). i was so bummed. i thought this was all over with. ive had enough. although, i felt that i was going to have to have surgery again. i felt it coming. i guess its just something you know. so i go back next wednesday. really sucks for me bc this thing hurts and it itches and it drains and it is VERY UNCOMFORTABLE!! but i dont have to tell you that, if youve got one you know what im talking about. so, if you havent gone to the doctor yet, then best of luck to you. i hope your experience goes better then mine has. -ashley, 15 years old, richmond, virginia

Date:

February 16, 2005

Story

Well, I'm sitting (barely) in a hotel room in Thunder Bay Canada and wishing that I could see my own "butt" in the mirror and that I had a good sterile needle. This guy flared up three days ago and I don't need to tell anyone here the pain involved. What I can't beleive is how such a small insignificant boil could cause such limited mobility -- getting in and out of truck is a huge ordeal. This is a difficult one to tell your friends and employer about: "Can I have the week off to see a surgeon 'cause I have a huge zit on my ass?" Unless you've had one, you cannot appreciate the pain. My sympathies to all of you -- I currently feel your discomfort. Some of these treatment stories make me bloody nervous -- I get the impression that the surgeries aren't neccessarily as good as just lancing and draining. I can live with the "oozing", it's the prelancing pressure that's the killer. I get my butt pierced tomorrow and cannot wait -- I'm debating going to ER right now -- you all know why. Take care all -- I'll let ya know what the doctor says. "Ass-zit man"

Date:

February 14, 2005

Story

I had my first cycst about 7 years ago (was 15 then, im 22 now) and I thought i had it fixed when he cut it or something. It came back 3 weeks later and I haven't been back since. It bothers me every couple of weeks and will drain itself, or I rip it open when its swollen to let it drain. Usually a bloody mess After reading all of your postings,I hate needles and doctors, I dont think im going to go under the knife, or tell my doctors it exsists. Good luck all.... I know it hurts

Date:

February 13, 2005

Story

It all started about two years ago when i had a friend tell me this HORRIFIC DETAILED story about this "cyst" she once had, and feared that it was returning. During this story of hers, she started to mention the signs and symptoms of a Pilonidal cyst. "black and blue feeling on the tailbone, a pimple size lump, itching on the tail bone, redness... etc..." It was at this point of her story when i stopped and thoguht to myself "OMG I HAVE THAT!!!!!" I recalled NUMEROUS times when i would lye back and feel as if my tailbone was bruised. I would sometimes feel around the area and sometimes there would be a small lump there, but i always just thought it was a pimple. But now I was wondering if these symptoms were more than what i thought. Nothing ever really came about. The symptoms came and went, and i never gave it much thought. Till just recently. I woke up one morning with EXTREME black and blue feeling on my tailbone. The pain was tollerable, BUT much more obvious and much more painful than ever before. I knew right then and there, a pilonidal cyst is on its way. The very next day the pain was much more intense and there was now a lump right on my tailbone the size of a nickle. -Still the pain was tolerable, and i was HOPING it would just go AWAY!... all i could think of was that terrible story my friend told me 2 years prior. I DID NOT WANT TO GO THROUGH WHAT SHE WENT THROUGH... ALSO NOT TO MENTION THE FACT THAT I'M 6months pregnant! Day three came, and the once nickle sized lump turned into an oval sized mass of swolleness and PAIN!... I called my OB and told them I fear i have a Pilonidal Cyst, and I was afraid of what could, and could not be done to fix this problem because i was pregnant. I went into the office was officially diagnosed with the cyst. The doctors were surprised that i knew what it was without ever having one before. I owe this to my dramatic friend and her intense story. (It never left my mind) The doctor then said i had to go see a surgeon ASAP and get it Lanced. Seeing that I am pregnant, getting the cyst completely removed wasnt a good idea. Its a Very painful procedure, and it takes a good 3-6weeks to recover. So in the mean time to relieve the pain and pressure of the cyst i would just have to get it lanced, which is basically just having it drained rather than DUG OUT. I went to have it lanced the very next day. By this time it was day 5, and the pain was just too ridiculous. I could barely walk, sit, lay down, i couldnt do ANYTHING! The only thing i could do to relieve the pain was take a wash cloth, soak it in HOT HOT salt water (salt, as well as heat, helps to draw the infection to the surface of the skin.)and i also used a heating pad on top of that to give SOME RELIEF. Any other time its advised to just soak in a really HOT tub of water, but i couldnt do that because i was pregnant, and HOT WATER could lead to pre-mature labor. Durning the lancing process, i was lucky enough to have a really good doctor who had a good sense of humor. IT REALLY HELPS TO RELAX YOU, and to have a problem in such an embarassing area, HUMOR REALLY IS A GOOD REMEDY! He numbed it onced with a needle, The needle itself didn;t hurt, but the fluid going in was what was the painful part. But its quick. Then he sliced the cyst, (which i felt, the numbing didnt kick in quick enough, but it was doen fast enough that the pain was tollerable.) from that point on all he did was squeeze out the infection. (AND MAN DOES THAT SMELL! I felt bad for the doc to be FACED with THAT!...but like he said "its just the smell of infection..") About 5 minutes later he was done draining and then packed the incision with some gause. That was a little uncomfortable as well, but it was also quick. Then he taped some gause on, and i was on my way home only to return 2days later to have the packed gause removed (which was not painful... just a lil sting) and a 10day prescription for amoxicillin, (which is the safest antibiotic to take when pregnant, and the best to fight infections) The bad part is i left knowning that it will most likely return again.. only because i did not have the complete surgery of having the cyst and its roots removed. So when that unfortunate day comes, i will have to have it removed. The pain of the whole process will be worse compared to just having it lanced. And the packing and un-packing of gause will last EVERYDAY for approx. 6 weeks at the most. (stiches won;t do because it has to heal from the inside-out) So some pointers: -DONT WAIT TOO LONG! get it done as sooooon as u have a lump! (the doctor told me he saw some that look like BANANAS!AND TENNIS BALLS!... ew!... NOW THATS PAIN!) -Soak in HOTT BATHS if you can..or use hott water packs.. to draw out the infection, try to get on an antibitotic ASAP to also help with the antibiotic. (salt water works miracles) -and don't be embarassed, they are more common than u think.

Date:

February 12, 2005

Story

First let me say that I am so glad that this site is here. I wish I had this information 20 years ago. I was 16 when I first developed my Pilonidal Cyst. When I first noticed the hole that drained I was too embarrassed to tell anyone. Finally I told my mom and off to the family doctor we went. He said it would be a simple surgery in his office with a local anesthetic. With what seemed to be a very long needle he began sticking me in my crack until I didn't feel it anymore. The first few was excruciating pain. He removed what he said was the cyst which was about the size of the end of his little finger. He sewed me up and I thought that was it. WRONG! A couple of months later it came back. This time no hole just pain. When we went back to the doctor he was not in so we saw a different doctor, which did outpatient surgery at the local hospital. He too sewed me up. Once again it came back. Once again, outpatient surgery and sewed up. I then went to Tennessee to go to school and once again, it came back. However my sister was living up here and she happened to have one also but a year before I had my first. We decided to go to her doctor. He did not sew her up and she had no problem. He said he didn't sew up because the cyst needed to finish draining. He had me in the hospital for three days. Of course I had to wear a pad back there for a few weeks (can't remember exactly how long). It was extremely embarrassing being in college and all. Well it again came back, I once again went to my sister's doctor and he kept me in the hospital for one week. He said he wanted to make sure it didn't come back. I am 39 now and it has not come back (as I am knocking on wood). I have had times I thought it has come back but it hasn't. Both my sister and I have had, at times, these weird feelings back there but thank God we have not had it again. Unfortunately though her 18 year old daughter as now been diagnosed with one. We know though, whoever she decides to do the surgery (ours is retired)to make sure they DO NOT sew her up. To those who are living with this, my thoughts and prayers are with you and remember YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!!

Date:

February 11, 2005

Story

Hello, On Oct. 19, 2004 I went to the doctor as a request of my wife. So I went to sick-call and immediatly the IDC knew what was wrong. The numbed the area and removed a hair and a cyst. The area removed was about 2cm deep 6cm wide and 6cm long. I was given 10 days SIQ(sick in quarters) and Endocet for pain. I came back to sick-call every day for 10 days twice a day for dressing changes. I continued to do this untill Dec 18, 2004. The IDC looked at the wound and said it was almost healed, but I still had alot of drainge. A LT. looked at the wound and recommened i was sent to a surgeon for further care. On Jan. 17, 2005 I was put under general annethesia for my Polinidal cystectomy. The doctor made a 7in incesion and dug down 4in to find a polinidal cyst the size of a peach or fist. It is know Feb. 12, 2005 my skin did not grow back together and I still have 4 holes in the area 1 is a pen size hole. 1 in about 2 cm long, another is about 1 1/2 inch long and the last is 2-3 inches long. All are very deep and cause me daily pain I am going in for aother app. this mon. so hopefully something good will come of it. Just a word to everyone else, if you think you have a bruised tailbone or you think you just sweat alot you might want to go to a doctor just in case because it could be something much worse.

Date:

February 11, 2005

Story

I am 26 year old female and had surgery for two pilonidal abcesses at christmas. At first I didn't know what the pain was so went to the doctor and he gave me anibiotics, these did not work. I saw the doctor another 4 times before I was finally sent to hospital. The pain was worse than the pain caused by giving birth. After the op the nurse came to my house to pack the cavitys and keep an eye on the wounds, she was amazed at how quick they were healing as the surgeon has said they were the biggest abcesses he had seen. I was so pleased as I had gone through so much pain. Now 6 weeks after the operation I have pus oozing out of both scars. The doctor gave me antibiotics again but he said I would probably need another operation. This condition is so depressing, I missed my kids Christmas day and now 6 weeks on I am still constantly worrying about what is going to happen. I didn't even know pilonidal abcesses existed until it happened to me and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

Date:

February 08, 2005

Story

I got one of these stupid things about 3 and a half years ago. Of course, not knowing any better, I went to the ER of one of the local hospitals and had to endure a very painful week of lancing and gauze packing(a total of 4 trips to the ER). This was quite possibly the worst pain I've ever endured(I highly recommend against going to the ER if possible). They may as well have forgone the local anesthetic because it didn't do any good(one visit, they game me two shots of the anesthetic...to no avail). After the final ER visit, they upped my dosage of the antibiotic and got the runs for 2 weeks :/ I went to see the surgeon husband(who seemed pretty knowledgable about these things) of my regular physician and he said that unless it recurred, I'd be fine. Last friday night I started feeling this little pain in the same area and thought to myself, "NOT AGAIN!!!!!" I woke up Monday morning and it hurt so bad that I could barely walk. Went to the doctor this morning and got on a pretty strong antibiotic, but it's really looking like I'm going to have to get this thing cut out. I still see the same doctor I saw back then and she's going to talk to her husband and schedule a surgery for the end of this week if needs be. Wish me luck!

Date:

February 08, 2005

Story

Feb 8, 2005 My son had surgery June 2003. The doctor said it was very deep. It would not heal. We tried a bleach and water solution, sulfer sticks, oitments just to name a few things. Finally, they had him use the whirlpool 3 times a week. It finally healed and he was released Jan 2004. This past Dec (2004), it popped open about 1 1/2 inches. We are going back and forth to the surgion again. I feel so sorry for this 16 year old or any other person with this. Bonnie S

Date:

February 08, 2005

Story

I am 22. I had Open Surgery on June 25th, 2001. My cyst, from what the doctor's told me was larger than normal. My scar goes from my hip-line down close to my rectum. The scar is about 10" in length. When I was stitched up, my dressing was actually sewn to my body so I could not take it off. After gettng that removed, it was quite a relief. The following summer, 1 year later, my back was doing quite well. One random day, it burst open while going to the bathroom and when I stood up I noticed the whole bowl was red. I got quite nervous and seeked my surgeon's help. They attempted to cauterize the wound (Silver Nitrate melts body tissue and skin and can "bond" it together). I went once a week for 10 weeks to get it cauterized. He said it was good. I had no problems for about 1.5 years. I said another blood spill after that, but I kept maxipads handy and kept it clean and it slowly stopped leaking after a couple weeks. A year later, and I found about a week ago that I had another blood burst. The doctor's are stressing baths again, and rehashing cleanliness. I am doing what I can with my schedule to fit in keeping it clean. It hurts to sit (even with good posture), and it has been leaking since. The only thing I can think of is that the cyst was so large that it is taking this long to heal, and it is healing in waves. It is itching, and I am seeing some green/brown/yellow dead-cell fluid, so I know it is healing. Unfortunately for me, this surgery cost me my Lacrosse career, my love of Volleyball, and I have gained 60lbs from not being able to work out as much as I want to (and trust me, I've tried. I still attempt to play volleyball once a week for an hour). If anyone has any suggestions, or has dealt with overly large cysts with surgery of this magnitude, please contact me at mgoffin@gmail.com. -- Mike

Date:

February 04, 2005

Story

I am 18 years old now and i had my cyst removed when i was 13. Thank god my mom is a nurse and could help take care of me.It took a few months for mine to heal where it didn't need to be packed any more. AT that time I was very athletic and too afraid to play sports. I had no problems at all until i was 15. It flared up again, so i went to the doctor. He just said keep it clean and i'd be ok. Two more times last year during my junior year in high school i went back to the doctor with a lot of pain. Once again pain is back. I used to have one little permanent hole that drained. I now developed another little whole that drains puss and blood. Since the last time i went to the doctor and he told me there isn't anything he could do, and it would heal on its own, i accept this annoying pain. I'm 18 and i feel like i'll have this pain in the butt my whole life. Does it ever go away? hot_pink33@excite.com I'd be happy to talk with anyone with similar problems. It is awesome to think i'm not alone.

Date:

February 04, 2005

Story

I just had my second piloniday surgery on November 13,2004. My wound is still draining to this day. The drainage is very foul and there is still pain, but no swelling and the pain is nowhere near as bad as before the surgery. Is it normal for me to drain for 10 weeks? If you know, please email me at pink_scorpion1908@yahoo.com

Date:

February 02, 2005

Story

I had the open wound pilonidal surgery back in early December and my wound is all healed up now, 8 weeks after going under the knife. I had a spinal done in the operating room and the recovery took about 2 hours for me to feel my legs again. I tell you, this website was a great source for information and for anyone looking to get this surgery done, take a week off of work, get yourself a cocyx pillow, and get it over with. This is a HUGE quality of life improvement and don't let any of the messages on this board discourage you. (They almost discouraged me!) JUST GET IT DONE!

Date:

February 02, 2005

Story

I just found out I have Pilonidal Disease. I've actually had small discomforts on my tailbone off and on for maybe the last 10 years (which is a large portion of my 26 years), but they would only last a day and did not interrupt with my life. I just figured it was another annoyance of the female body. No big deal. However, a month ago one of these discomforts grew much bigger. It went to the point I could not bend to sit or stand without pain, and even walking was a slow, painful process. I saw my doctor who immediately gave me some antibiotics and a mild pain killer. The swelling grew to the size of a tennis ball and the pain had me in tears. It finally "popped" and drained for three days, during which I kept a feminine napkin on the back of my underwear. When it finished draining, I was pain free and figured it was over. My doctor had a different opinion - he told me that though it had stopped draining, it didn't drain completely and would certainly grow again for me. The surgeon I was sent to has decided to remove the gland completely. The surgery won't be for another three months. I have never had surgery before, and so I do not know what to expect. I have a desk job, so I don't know how long it will be before I will be back at work after surgery - the surgeon suggested two weeks. Many people, including my doctors, husband and parents are shocked that I have lived with this for this long. The truth is, it was just a minor annoyance until this last episode.

Date:

February 02, 2005

Story

I am a 21 year old female. I first found out that I had a pilonidal cyst last summer. I noticed some uncomfortable pressure on my tailbone when I sat down. However this first time I guess it somehow drained itself because the pain soon went away without treatment. Then about a month later I started having this pain again, and this time it was worse. I had no idea what it was, or if it was even something I should go to the doctor for. But when I was unable to sit in a chair without a pretty high level of pain (but not so severe as some of the stories on here), I decided to go to my doctor. She immediately diagnosed it as a pilonidal cyst and sent me across the hall to a surgeon. I had no idea what I was in for. I thought I was just going in for a little bump, but it turned out to be a very painful procedure. The surgeon told me she would have to lance the cyst to drain out the fluid. She gave me a shot of numbing fluid right into the cyst (or very close to it). As you can imagine it is very painful and uncomfortable to have a shot in your crack. To make matters worse, the numbing liquid burned VERY bad. It almost made me unable to breathe it hurt so bad. Thankfully it only lasted a few seconds and I was numb. Then she sliced me open and let it drain. Since I was numb I could not feel this part at all. Then she dressed me with some gauze and sent me home. I went back about a week later to make sure I was healing right, and I was. Ever since then I have felt fine, until yesterday when I was doing Pilates, sitting on a hard floor and I felt the pressure again. I though "Oh no." I knew the cyst had come back but I did not want to think about it. I am going back to the surgeon again tomorrow. This time its very small, and I hope that catching it early might eliminate some of the pain that I had last time. I guess I will see if the surgeon says I should have surgery to have it removed. I hate surgery, so I hope there is another alternative. I feel nausceous even thinking about haveing that numbing shot again. Wish me luck!

Date:

February 01, 2005

Story

I'm a 27 year old who first experienced this about a little over a year ago. In December of 93 I experience some pain in my lower back one day and thought I had bruised my tailbone. The next morning I couldn't get out of bed. I couldn't sit up or move it was like I was paralized. I got to the doctors the same day and he told me it was a Pilonidal abcese and gave me antibiotics to help it go away, he said if it got bigger to go to the hospital and have it drained. Two days later it was so big I couldn't sit down. I went to the hospital and had it drained and I thought all was well. Thoughout the next year the area itched off and on, but no big deal untill October of last year when the abcese came back and this time it was two. I took medication and it went away but my doctor reccommended the surgery because he knew it would come back and be worse. I got the surgery on Jan 13 of this year and experienced very little pain, just awkward sitting and sleeping, even took no pain killers. BUT my doctor decided instead of have it packed he just stiched me up and hoped for the best. He did worn me about the chance of infection and infected it is. I had to go back to his office a week and a half later and have the stiches removed and now it gets packed everyday. Why he didn't just pack it in the first place I'll never know, but if I ever have to get this done again I will be requesting that he pack it from the beginning. All in all this experience hasn't been so bad there isn't much pain for me just an inconvience. I hope this doesn't come back but from reading some of the stories I'm prepared for it to. I feel so bad for those of you that have had horrible experiences and I hope all goes well from here. This web site has helped alot, though I must say if I had found it before my surgery I probably would have been scared to death, luckily I found it after.

Date:

February 01, 2005

Story

Hello fellow pc members I am 27 just diagnosised with pc about a month ago. It started with what seemed to be a simple hair bump then developed into pain followed ny more pain. I went to the er and they told me that it was an abcess or a boil. i thought eeeeewwwww. I had heard of people having them I was not happy. Had to wait for it to become soft then went to a sergon to have it drained. It was fine for about an hour until the pain meds wore off then all hell broke loose. I cried when my husband changed the bandages because they became stuck to the blood and puss coming out of the cyst. A tip for all USE PEROXIDE IF THE BANDAGE STICKS TO WET IS INSTEAD OF JUST TRYING TO PULL IT OFF!!! save yourself the pain. It took about a week for it to really begin to heal and after the sergon took the packing out of it the pain was really gone. The doctor advised surgery. I am soooooo sacared I had never had surgery before and i am such a baby when it comes to pain. But I don't want to deal with this for ever it is really a pain!!! Hah feel free to e-mail me feliciacarter20@hotmail.com

Date:

January 31, 2005

Story

Im 19 and I have had 5, yes FIVE, surgeries. Started when I was a Freshman, 15, I had some pain while i was sitting. Felt like I was sitting on a golf ball. I waitied untill the end of my sophmore year before I told my parents anything. To me it was just some pain from playing basketball, but one day it popped, and the toilet was full of blood. I must say the little surgeries did not work for me. I had 2 out patient surgerys, one the last week before school let out my sophmore year, the next at the same time my junior year. Neither worked. I then waitied untill the end of my Sr. year to have the next surgery. Ths one was a BIG one. I was in the hospital for 17 days on a special bed that felt like I was on a cloud. I was not alowed to get out of bed for 16 days!! So surgery number 3 was a bust and i was stuck here still with the cyst. Then came surgery number 4. This one was a much smaller surgery just going back in to clean it out AGAIN. After thi sugery i was put on a WOUND VAC. Supposably very successful. Work for ohh id say about 2 weeks. Then the whole was back. So here cam surgery number 5. I just had that one 2 months ago. So far its not going very well. Still bleeding and still have 2 holes. They say skin graphs are next. NOOOOOOOOOO. Hopefully mother nature will take its course on me. Too make matters worse, my younger brother has recently complained about the same symptoms, and guess what.... there is two holes on him also. If you want to talk about my experiance, or if you have any questions being a new found victim of this cyst feel free to email me at cjk803@yahoo.com. Good luck to all of you that have to experience this stupid cyst!!

Date:

January 30, 2005

Story

I am a 25 year old female and I have been experiencing these uncomfortable things since i was in high school. First as just a sore tailbone which i thought i brusec a few times. Then about 4 years ago I went to the ER in tears where they first told me the problem. That day they drained it(lancing it with little to help the pain so i felt everything and inserting a saline wick informing me to have it removed in 3 days) and sent me home with motrin 800. After 2 days the wick fell out and everything felt as normal as it could be. Now since then it happened once each year anf then 3 times in the past 2 months. For me that was it I spoke to my doctor and he recomended me to a surgeon. This surgeon told me it was the poorest excuse for a pilonidal that he had ever seen. I left and took him for what he sai he went to school for this not me. A week later I was back in my doctors office in pain again and I told him what that surgeon said to me and he recomended me to a fabulous female surgeon who has now completed my surgery 10 days ago. I was put completly out which was ok with me and I will admit the pain is not the greatest. I actually go back for a follow up and to check my status of my stitches at 3:30 pm tommorrow. I will keep you informed.

Date:

January 30, 2005

Story

To the ones without the pain, you are EXTREMELY lucky. I just had to say that. But I have a question.... if you already have the cyst how can it get infected all of a sudden?

Date:

January 29, 2005

Story

I am only 15 and I have it!! Got surgery for it the otherday and it's healing :-) Funny thing about it though, is that I'm extremely lucky - because I had no pain assosciated with it at all. I havent needed 1 pain killer (at hospital or out of hospital) at all.

Date:

January 29, 2005

Story

Hi there, I too am another member of the pilonidal cyst club. I noticed a pain approximately a year ago and treated myself with antibiotics and warm compresses. I spoke to a local surgeon and we discussed the options of conservative management vs surgery. He told me that the surgery is not curative. It may still recur. I have another episode right now and I am in pain. I started the antibiotics yesterday and I am praying this will get better in time. I am so depressed about it. I know I am not alone. Being a woman makes this even more embarrasing to explain this to anyone, let alone your boyfriend. I just don't know what else to do at this time except wait. I read this website today and I am grateful for all those of you who wrote in with your stories. I hope this never happens to us again. Take care.

Date:

January 28, 2005

Story

I'm only 19, why is this happening to me? About six months ago I had a sore back, which became more painful as the days went on. We were vacationing up north when it started to hurt extremely bad, and I noticed a bump on my back, right at the top of my crack. It was the fourth of July, and we went to the emergency room because no clinics were open. There they told me I had a pilonidal cyst, and it was very common among people my age. (Right, then why haven't I heard of it?) Anyways, they told me they were going to do an "Incision and Drainage, or Irrigation and Drainage" which just sounded wonderful to me. They cyst had popped while waiting for the doctor, so most of my pain was relieved, but there was an awful stench that replaced it. They gave me a local anesthetic, which didn't do anything at all, and proceded to cut open the cyst and flush it out with iodine, or saline, or something, and packed it with gauze. It hurt almost worse than having the actual cyst. But once they were done I felt wonderful, just a bit sore, and it hurt to sit down. They gave me a script for Tylenol-3, and told me to bathe the following morning, and pull the gauze out. So, the next day, I was soaking in the tub, and had to pull the gauze out. It hurt so bad to pull it out, even worse than them cutting it open. But after it was out, I was ok. I had to cover the wound with gauze and tape it down for about a week until it healed. Everything was all fine and dandy until about three months later. My back started hurting again, and it felt like I had a tail. It would hurt when I sat down, and especially driving in the car. So I went to the doctor to get it checked out. She said it hasn't progressed enough, at that point, to cut it open again, so I was put on some antibiotics, and suggested that I think about excision surgery. So I decided to have the surgery, on December 27th, yes two days after Christmas, but it was the earliest the surgeon could get me in, and I wanted to be all healed to return to my classes. The Day of the surgery. I was as nervous as anyone could have been. They hooked me up to an IV, and started a saline drip, or something. As it got closer to the time of surgery, I started to freak out more, so they gave me some stuff to calm me down. It went straight to my head, and I was flying high on the clouds. They wheeled me into the OR, and the next thing I knew I was in recovery. When I got home I laid on the couch all day. There wasn't much pain because the anesthetia was still in my system, and I was on Vicatin. They didn't sew up the incision, but they put Dermabond on, which is like a superglue, kinda. I was told to lay down for a week, and don't do any sitting. About a week after the surgery, the would opened up, and I went to see the doctor again. He said to cover it with gauze, and soak in a tub twice a day, and come back in a week. I did, and the next week, he said it wasn't healing and that we needed to start packing it. Now, that I was not happy to hear. I was on this website the day after my first experience in July, and had been reading all the horror stories of how excrutiated packing it would be. But he packed it in the office, which didn't hurt that much, just stung a bit. We set up for some home health nurses to come by the house twice a day to change the dressings, and the teach my mom how to do it. It wasn't bad really. The first time they came, it hurt a bit. The worst was when they pulled the gauze out, because it was kinda dried, and stuck to the would. Then she poured some saline solution in it, which I couldn't feel at all, then soaked a small piece of gauze with the saline, and stuffed it in the would with a long q-tip, that hurt a little too. Then covered it with gauze and tape. So, that's what happens twice a day now. We were packing the would for two weeks when I went back to the doctor, he said everything was healing very well, and that it was fifty percent healed, and it shouldn't be more than another four weeks of packing. But a little part started to close up, so he had to open that up....that hurt...ouch. That was a week ago. We're still packing twice a day, my mom does it, but a nurse comes once a week to pack it, and to look at it, to make sure everything still looks good. There is virtually no pain when it's being packed, or when I'm sitting or doing anything. So always take the horror stories on here with a grain of salt. Some people are just out to scare others, and some people are just wimps. I have no pain at all. The nurse came to change the dressing tonight, actuallly about an hour ago she was here. She said everything it looking good. When the would opened up after the surgery, I was pissed. I even regretted getting the surgery in the first place, but now, a month after surgery, and healing well, I don't regret it at all. And after I'm completely healed, there's like a 5 percent chance that the dreaded cyst will come back, so I'm happy with it, and I would recommend the surgery to anyone who has dealth with a pilonidal cyst more than once. And while I was debating about the surgery, I wish I had had someone who has had a cyst or the surgery to talk to. So if any of you have questions about it, feel free to email me at Kris21585@yahoo.com. But of course, talk to a doctor for important issues. I'm just here to be of assistance because I went through it, and I am still going through it, and I just want to be here for moral support.

Date:

January 28, 2005

Story

It is so encouraging to know that there are so many people with the same condition. I am now 27 and first noticed a problem in my backside when I was in high school. Sometimes I would slouch in my chair and as soon as my tailbone would contact with the seat..YEOW!! I thought I had bruised my tailbone. It would be sore for a while and then go away. At the time I didn't have the sinus holes. I never swelled up, just had a painful "bruise". I continued to do this and eventually I didn't slouch. All was fine for a couple of years until I decided to take a trip to Canada when I was 18 and we drove in van with bad seats. Needless to say I was hopping from one cheek to the next and sitting on my pillow trying to relieve my bruised tailbone. Finnaly recovered after the trip but I still had nothing visible happening to make me go the doctor. 6 years, no problems. While working I started to have serious back pain and my tailbone hurt again. Had my boyfriend look at the top of my behind and he says everything looks normal except you have two buttholes. I had him taking pictures of what he would laughingly call my alien probe hole. Let me tell you, that feels just great, no embarassment there! Went to the doctor and she said that my constant lifting for 12 hours a night had pulled muscles in my lower back and had injured my sciatic nerve and I had probably bruised my tailbone (it was common). So while brushing off my direct questions about my tailbone and my alien holes, she doped me up with muscle relaxers and pain pills. After having the worst bowel problems and pain because of the meds I quit them and eventually the pain went away on it's own. My poop took nearly a year to return to normal though. So now I had problems with my sciatic nerve and back pain every once in a while though x-rays showed no problems. Two years later I get pregnant, and married. Yeah! Everything was fine until my last month except for some sciatic problems that could probably be blamed on preganancy. Two weeks before baby I notice this horrible smell when ever I go to the bathroom or take off my clothes. It was just barely there but I could definitely smell something ( I have a good nose). Well, eventually I rub my backside and I feel something wet and green and, yep, smelly. So I call in my trusty husband to check it out since I am so big I can hardly see behind me. He says that my alien hole is leaking and is totally grossed out. So I do what feels natural and push above it to drain whatever this thing is. Well then it really starts draining and starts to hurt. I call my OB/GYN and just from my description over the phone says I think you have a pilonidal cyst and just let it drain. I was to come in if it didn't get better. I looked on the internet and found this site. I continue forcibly draining it and in two days it feels better. A week and half later I go into labor. It lasts 2 days and stalls out. LOTS of pain. I finally get admitted to the hospital because I am not getting past 8 minutes with my contractions, they are 2 minutes long and I haven't slept. They get me drugged, break my water and start pitocin. After 5 hours and and hour of pushing I have my daughter. I get moved to my room and my epidural wears off. That is when I notice the unbelieveable pain where my cyst is. I thought I was over with pain but oh no, I can't even lie down on my back. They roll me over and I have a golfball size lump just to the left of my crack for lack of better term. I finally get up to go to the bathroom and when I push on it to see if it will drain there is this poping feeling and, I am unsure if I just imagined it, a popping sound. Horrible green bloody pus pops out and goes everywhere. So there I am trying to clean it up while barely able to stand due to baby and cyst pain but embarassed. I didn't want nurses or family smelling and seeing that. During my two day hospital stay I have to stay on my side and my daughter, who was having latching problems, couldn't breastfeed. I really wanted her to but I couldn't get in a position to help her get the nack of it. So I have to start bottle-feeding her. Finally my doctor comes to see how I am doing and sees my behind and orders a general surgeon to come look at me and gives me some pain pills. The surgeon comes in, looks and says it will have to be removed when I recover from the baby and gives me an antibiotic to clear up infection. By the time I go home, no pain in my behind, no pus and golfball feels like a dried prune. Well, my husband and I both get laid off from our jobs and no insurance now. I haven't had a problem with the cyst until just this week, a year and a half later. I have also develpoed a nerve condition in my legs that makes them restless sometimes and I have to contantly move them, this usually happens in the car but sometimes when I am just sitting. I do have two more sinus holes now and my cyst is hurting again. I can't sit on the couch and sleeping is hard but no draining yet. I am really hoping it goes away for now. I am looking for a job and this condition has made me look at insurance as a priority. I am just hoping that I won't have another serious problem until then. I believe that my back, sciatic nerve and now leg problems are probably a result of this condition since it may affect your spine and nerves. I see only one solution and that is total removal. From what I have heard, a lancing is usually just a quick fix in most cases. As soon as I can I am having the surgery no matter what horror stories there are. The pain, embarassment and possible side effects of this condition makes it worthwhile to have it done. I will post any news I have when I have it done. Thank you so much for this web-site, it has helped me so much.

Date:

January 27, 2005

Story

My name is Angel and I am 27 years old. I was grateful to find this website about two weeks before I had my surgery on Jan 17th and it has been a great help. It's was great to find out that I wasn't the only person suffering from this painful and dredful disease. My problem started back in highschool. I think I was in the 10th grade when I first notice the my first "bump." My inital sinus (or boil as my family believed at the time) wasn't located on my tailbone but my inner left cleft. I remember being in so much pain that I couldn't walk, sit, or go to school. My doctor had given me meds and I was to take warm sitz baths to help bring the boil to "a head". While all of this was going on I wasn't eating so late one night I started throwing up the meds I had been taking on a empty stomach and my grandparents took me to the hospital because I felt faint and was very miserable. The people in the ER thought it wasn't a big deal and that I should wait and see my doctor the next day but my grandparents inisted and they eventually lanced it. After draining they packed it and told me the packing should be removed the next day and to continue to take warm sitz baths. I never got another sinus (boil) in that exact spot again, but they came back in several other spots on my buttocks. Over the past ten years or so I have had more sinuses or boils that I can remember. Sometimes I wouldn't have an episode for a year and other times I would have them reoccuring like once or twice a month. Eventually I just stopped going to the doctor because it seemed pointless since no one was every able to tell me what was wrong with me and why was I getting these "bumps" on my butt. Recently I started getting sinuses almost every week and I started handling these reoccurances without the help of a doctor. But once my current boyfriend saw them he urged me to go and see a doctor and I did. As soon as I showed my doctor the sinus that has been coming up on tailbone area he immediately told me that I needed to see a surgeon and have surgery. From this point on I became scared because I still didn't know what was wrong. When I went to see the surgeron he lanced it and packed. He informed me that would haveto continue to repack the area until scheduled surgery. He was also the first and only doctor to tell me the peoper name of this disease. I had my on January 17th and I have been home from work ever since. Although I had the closed surgery I haven't been able to sit for a long period of time because my stitches do not come out until Feb 1st. Unlike many others I'm not sure exactly what the doctor did or how long the procedure took because I was completely knocked out before hand. After my doctor stitched me back up he stitced on this long piece of firm cotton over the wound so I dont know exactly how long or wide my incision is. So far I haven't had any major problems because I have gone above and beyond what the doc instructed. After surgery he told me no bathing/shower for two days and I waited five (I did take "wipe offs")and even now when I shower I try not to get my lower back wet. I'm also suppose to dry the area with a blow dryer until my stitches are removed. I know this is long but believe me this is the short version of my 12 years of dealing with my Pilonidal cyst. I will update afte mt follow up appt on Feb 1st.

Date:

January 27, 2005

Story

Hi, My name is David. I have had my cyst for about 3 years. When it first started, it wasnt really that bad. But now it's huge. It feels like there is a huge hollow space in there. I'm going Crazy trying to find a doctor who will accept my cheapskate insurance. If anyone has any advice, id love to hear from you. Thanks

Date:

January 25, 2005

Story

Hi, my name is Kim. I have been dealing with Pilonidal Cysts on the base of my spine for about ohhh 2 years. I have had 5 lancings. The idea of surgery kept coming up as a way to stop the painful swelling, and the draining, and the lancing. I just kept saying no, no thanks. For one, who was going to help me after the surgery? Who was going to help me pack it and keep it clean? Most of all, I had heard plenty of people tell me how painful their surgeries were and how long it took them to heal. Well, as luck would have it, my little friend, came back again, and well I knew it was time to just have the surgery. I have someone special in my life now and that person eagerly and lovingly agreed to help me take care of it. So, just this past Friday I had the dreaded surgery. YES it was as painful afterward as everyone had said it would be. Before the surgery, the anesteciologist came in to tell me what would happen. I thought I was going to be totally out. Nope, they were going to give me something called a saddle block. This is the same thing as an epidural. It numbed everything below my waist. Anyway, trust me, even though they gave me something right before the surgery to relax me and to make me sleepy and not so aware, I could feel the intense pain of the needle puncturing its' way into the base of my spine. YIKES!! I remember actually screaming in the OR lol.. Oh well, it hurt. That day I got to go home, but I had to wait until the feeling in my legs came back. Trust me, that was interesting. I was worried I would never feel them again. Finally getting home, I was drugged up on prescription pain pills but the pain in my lower back and in the base of my spine was overwhelming. I was having trouble walking still. Anyway, I had to wait to take out the 4 inch packing they stuffed inside of me. All the while doing this, my lover held me tight, afraid I would pass out or something. It didn't really hurt, just felt creepy coming out. I finally got a good look at it, it is a deep deep wound, long and just looks horrible. Apparently the dr. took out everything that would cause it to possibly come back again. Though he did say there is a ten percent chance it could come back again. Well, it is now Wednesday, and the pain is not half as bad, but is still there always is. I still can't lay on my back, can only sit for short periods of time, but all in all it is far more tolerable than yesterday and the day before. My love is still helping me pack it, and has been extremely understanding. I can't do alot, hurts too much to do certain things yet. I admit, it is a little depressing for me, I cry here and there, but the support from my love has been overwhelming. Well, I have a long healing ahead of me, but I feel in the end it was worth having the surgery. If you are wondering on whether or not to have the surgery, my opinion is to go for it. It is better than having to keep having it lanced!

Date:

January 23, 2005

Story

I am a 15 year old female (young i know) and i just recently had one of those horrible things removed. I wasn't embarrassed at all to tell my mom about it. The problem was, it kept getting worse and my mother didn't believe that I was actually in so much pain. Then it started snowing and my doctors office wouldn't answer the phone. So we rush over there after much begging and pleading. My mom took me just to show that nothing was wrong, but she was badly mistaken. The doctor said I had a Pilonidal Cyst and it was already badly infected and needed to be treated immediately. I was sent to a hospital where they explained what it was and how it came to be and all that... then he said "You need to go down to the ER for emergency surgery and you have to go now". I asked if I had to stay the night at the hospital ,he said no. I was very happy with that(I have a little fear of hospitals). I get down there and the doctor down there says that I have to stay overnight and be admitted to the hospital and I would be put under. It all happened sooo fast and I was so scared. I had never stayed in a hospital before. I was on the table after like an 45 minutes. The day after I spent the night, I was told that it would be very likely to come back. I was so upset and I think its comin back again because I feel that bumb there, it just doesn't hurt and I hope it never will... that was some of the worst pain I have ever been in. I couldn't even walk for like 2 weeks and missed a whole week of school.

Date:

January 21, 2005

Story

Hi, My name is Beverly and I first was diagnosed with a PC the summer of 1981, I was 23 and in the Military in Germany. I had surgery to remove the cyst, was in the hospital a week and out of commision for a month. Even with the sitz baths, the packing and so on mine never healed. I had a second surgey the summer of 1982. Once again it never healed and in 1982 I was discharged from the Military and somehow ended up with a 10% disability becuase of the PC that still had not healed. Finally in the summer of 1984 I had my third surgery at the VA in Durham, NC. My doctor was from Duke Medical and he was very good. It turned out that the other doctors only removed the "drain pocket" that had formed at the end of my tail bone and had missed the cyst alltogether which was at the top of the "crack" (for lack of a better word). I have no idea just how deep he had to cut but I can only say that I was able to touch my tail bone and when I asked the doctor how deep he had to cut all he would say was "You don't want to know", I decided he was right. It took a long time to recover and it was very painfull, however I did recover and have not had any problems since, that was 1984. Recently I have been terribly ill, for over a month and one of my cheif complaints is lover back pain (just at the top of the crack and to the right). I have been to the doctor twice with no relief. It just occured to me today that it could be the PC come back to haunt me. Over 20 years without a problem. I have the utmost sincere sympathy for anyone with this problem and I pray that is not what the pain is. Even though I had three surgeries I would never agree to have the cyst lanced, it will always come back and is not worth it. If you have to have surgery I recommend you find a good doctor who will get all of the cyst, not just the drain pocket. Follow ALL of their instructions to the letter (yes taking a sitz bath three times a day is a pain, but worth it). I also recomend adding betadine to the water, it may stain but so what, it really helps. Also put some on the dressing that you pack in the wound. I hope that everyone who finds this site is helped in some way and I hope that my story will help someone. I have an apt. with the Dr. Feb. 3rd. Will post a followup when I find out anything.

Date:

January 20, 2005

Story

I am 21 years old. I have had this cyst for about 4 years unsure of the cause. When I first noticed the cyst I did not want anyone to know, so I didnt say anything. It was very painfull and drained for about 6 months. The draining and swelling went down so I thought that "The Thing" had gone away. I went to Basic Training for the Army and had no problems. 6 months after coming back home, I was in extreme pain from a cyst located at the lower region of the buttock. What had happened was the cyst at the top had made a infectious track down to the bottom. I had surgury at a military hospital in dec. 03. The day after surgury I was in so much pain and the bleeding was very excessive. I rushed to the hospital and a blood clot had formed, so they had to do emergancy surgury to remove the clot. They used stiches to close everything up. I returned to work in about 2 months. I thought all was well until we were deployed to Iraq in August. I have had requring flare ups that come and go. we run 24-72 hour combat patrols south of bagdhad. the constant missions have made it almost impossible to keep everything clean. i would never wish this disease on anyone it has been such a bother, and i dont know if there is an end in sight. i am on leave from iraq and am trying to get the problem addressed but the doctors dont seem to think it is an issue.

Date:

January 20, 2005

Story

I am a 59 year old white female with black hair and lots of it. I started shaving my legs in 4th grade. I was born with a pilonidal cyst the size of a golf ball. It was lanced and healed, and no trouble until age 14. I dealt with lancing and draining for a year, and finally had it removed surgically at age 15. This was in 1961. I guess it must have been just a self-contained cyst without complications, because they sutured me up the midline, and I have not had any problem since, although the area still feels "funny" kind of a cross between numb and tender. Now my youngest son at age 27 has the problem. I am surpised at all the controversy, complications, failed treatments I am reading about on this website, because mine went well 44 years ago, before all the so-called advanced medicine now. I have two other sons, one age 29 who was born with the "dimple" but has had no problems and another age 32 who has never had any trouble. The youngest who is suffering now has dark thick hair, the other two lighter and less. I think the susceptibility to develop a pilonidal cyst must surely be hereditary or congenital. I have a male cousin who has had one also; he is fair-haired. I am trying to help my son out by finding the latest thinking on treatment, but I am getting more confused because of all the different opinions. I ache for my son. It is so hard to function when you are in such pain, let alone to have to deal with researching treatments, finding a good doctor, etc. The doctor he has seen is impatient, not compassionate, against surgery and against antibiotics. He has done lancing on the midline twice, and now my son has two large holes, has developed 4 boils in the area and some on his face, is still in a lot of pain, and the vicadin given him does nothing. From what I have read, it sounds like the best way to lance and drain is laterally away from midline, so it seems my son has had the worst possible care and is now less likely to heal anytime soon. I am distressed, frustrated, and angry.

Date:

January 20, 2005

Story

I am a 29 year old female who is not hairy at all. I was first diagnosed in September of 2003 when I was 27 years old. I had never heard of a Pilonidal Cyst before! It started with a few twinges here and there and being an active person, I assumed I had injured my tailbone. As the weeks went on the pain got worse and worse. I called my doctor and she said I probably did hurt my tailbone & to just take 800mg ibuprofen. I did this for exactly one day after which the ibuprofen wasn't helping & I called my doctor again in tears. I made an appointment and went in on a Thursday. I had no bump/lump but my doctor did find two pits (they look like two little pin sized black holes) right where my butt-crack begins. She told me I had a Pilonidal Cyst, put me on Keflex and I made an appointment to see a surgeon the following week. By Monday morning not only did I have a lump -but it was the size of an egg. I went to the surgeon that day and had it lanced. I admit I am a BIG baby when it comes to medical procedures and the lancing was VERY painful for me. As the abcess was very large I had to have multiple novocaine shots, whcih when in an abcessed area hurts like you wouldn't beleive. My surgeon packed the guaze and told me to bathe as much as I could over the next two days at which time I was to remove the packing. The removal of the packing was not as bad as she had made it seem (I have to say looking back it was probably all of those baths). As my surgeon said I had a 50-50 chance of it comming back after lancing - I decided to take my chances. She told me that if it does come back it can come back anywhere in that area as cysts tend to grow. Everything was fine until January of 2004 when it came back - I immediately took Keflex & it subsided. It then came back 4 more times April - October (two of which I treated with antibiotics, the other 2 it just "went away"). I thought I could go on this way with no problem. After all, I did not want surgey (being the baby that i am) and reading all the stories on this website I thought I had a mild case - no big deal). Boy was I wrong b/c in December 2004 I got the flu - and wouldn't you know it as I was recovering my little friend showed up again. Unfortunatley this was over Christmas weekend & I could not get any Keflex. I ended up in the ER (both my doctor & my surgeon were on vacation) Thursday Dec 29th for another lancing. This time the lancing was even worse (though the abcess was much smaller, probably about the size of a walnut). This doctor told me not to bathe until the wick was out. This time I could not take it out myself - it was SO painful. My boyfriend had to do it for me and I almost FAINTED from the pain!! I decided then and there that I could not do this to my body anymore. Looking back I am pretty sure that my immune system, trying to recover from the flu, just couldn't kick in to fight the abcess. Asking my body to fight this infection all of the time is just too draining. Since I was diagnosed I am no longer active (fear of hurting my cyst) and I constantly make "adjustments" to my lifestyle so that the cyst will not inflame. I have an appointment with my surgeon on Jan 24th where I will set up my excision surgey - I just can't live in constant fear of my next episode. By the way - I dod suspect that this is genetic - my maternal grandmother, brother and first cousin all have a Pilonidal cyst. My brother & cousin have both a cyst & a draining sinus. My grandmother & I both have no sinus (no draining). My grandmother had two lancings & then the cyst never flared up gaian (+50 years). Both my brother & cousin are just "living with it." They are both in their low 20s and have yet to suffer the joys of a lancing. For all of you out there - keep your chin up! I will write a part II after surgery!

Date:

January 19, 2005

Story

I am a 31 year old female, with an abundant amount of dark body hair. Like many of you, I discovered a small bump on my tailbone during a road trip that became painful. I ignored it for awhile, thinking it would go away. And to be honest, I was too embarassed to go to the doctor, let alone tell anyone! That is until the bump became more and more painful, and eventually got larger and started to drain. This completely changed my entire lifestyle. I felt I couldn't go swimming and I couldn't wear light colored pants in fear of the cyst leaking and staining my clothes; I thought that I was alone and a complete 'freak' with a missing tail! My boyfriend of several years was the only person I confided in and it was his genuine concern for my health that led to the phone call to the doctor after 8 years of suffering with the cyst. I was immediately referred to a surgeon who was able to determine at first glance exactly what my problem was. He wanted to start by administering anti-biotics, with no success. I was advised that surgery was going to be the only option. I researched all I could on this disease, the surgery, and the results that I may have, and came across this website over 2 years ago. I felt absolutely relieved that I was not alone!! Thankfully, the surgeon believed in going about this with a conservative approach to minimize scarring and disfiguration. I had the surgery, and to my surprise wasn't in any pain. The most pain I had from this surgery was changing the dressing over the removed cyst, laying on my stomach, and the drain I had in my back for 2 weeks! I have an understanding employer who let me take as much time I needed for recovery, and I was back at work 2 weeks after my surgery. During this time, I also discovered that not only my father, but my brother as well had pilonidal cysts removed. I can't tell you how happy I am now that I don't have that annoying, painful, and embarassing cyst on my bottom; it was well worth the two weeks of after surgery recovery!!

Date:

January 18, 2005

Story

They say your 21st birthday is supposed to be your most memorable, well i will certainly never forget mine!, i spent it lying on my front in bed squinting at the pain of the distict nurse changing my dressing from where i now know once was my pilonidal sinus. My story started on my way home from university for the Christmas holidays on 18th December. The drive home was for some reason fairly uncomfortable as it felt like i had bruised my tailbone, on further inspection i could feel a small lump at the top of where my buttocks part ( i was going to say bumcrack but i thought i would try and be more polite) i thought it was just a bruise and would disappear in a few days...was i wrong!, Over the run up to Christmas day it started to get more painful until it got to the point where i couldnt sit down or even lay on my back. I went to the doctors to get it checked out, she took one look at it and said it was just an absess, nothing that some antibiotics couldnt sort out. So i went home with the antibiotics and painkillers still not knowing what was really bubbling beneath my skin. After 5 days of taking the antibiotics i was getting worse, i was hot and cold and starting to get very dehydrated, it felt like i had the flu, then i woke up on boxing day and just collapsed at the bottom of the stairs, the room was spinning and i had a high pitched screaming noise in my ears. After i came round after a few minutes my mum managed to get me into the car (lying down on the backseat it was to painful to sit up) and took me straight to hospital where they immediatley diagnosed me and put me on a drip to start to rehydrate my body and took blood and urine samples. I still didnt fully understand what was wrong with me, but when they said i needed and operation immediatey to get the lump lanced because it was poising my whole body (hense the passing out)i knew it was more serious then i first thought. After coming round from the general anesthetic i felt better, i couldnt see what they had done as i was lying on my tummy and my bum had a huge dressing over it. The doctor came to have a look and told be they had made an "X" shaped incision at the top of my natal cleft (bum crack)and removed the pilonidal sinus. Because the incision was fairly deep they had left it open to heal by itslef because if they stich it closed it could cause and infection or it wouldnt heal properly. Ok, i thought this isnt so bad, a quick dressing change and i will be outta here! The nurse came in and closed the curtain around my bed and asked if i had taken any painkillers recently, why? i asked its not like a dressing change of a little hole was going to hurt was it? Three words...OH MY GOD! (sorry if your reading this about to have your pilonidal lanced!) but its was more painful than before i had the opeation! Because mine wasnt diagnoised as soon as it should have been it had grown really deep, i reached out to grab my mums hand as the nurse took a pair of tweezers and pulled out (as what my mum described as she had the stomach too look) as i super sized tampon out of my back. The wound itself was infact about nearly 5 inches deep and about 3/4 inch across. And from that moment on i knew the next few weeks of my life was to be put on hold to recover and let my body heal from the shock of this alien thing that they removed from inside me. I spent a total of 3 days and two nights in hospital, usually after this operation you are able to go home a few hours after you come out of surgery. I tried to get up of the bed but couldnt move my legs apart because it hurt. After about 5 minutes of wrigglingand squirming i managed to stand upright but suddenley i passed out again and collapsed back onto the bed, the nurse took my blood pressure and discovered it was very low and that i also had a raging temperature. They didnt think i was recovered enough to go home that night so i stayed...and stayed again the next night as my blood pressure was still low. Eventually i was stable enough to leave, i left the hospital the same way i arrived, lying on my tummy on the back seat of my mums car. When i got home my younger brother said i looked like a penguin becase of my waddling little steps i was taking to move around. I went straight to bed (of course on my tummy) because just walking from the car to my house was exhausting. That was about 3 weeks ago, im actually writing this from my laptop still layed on my tummy in bed. I have just managed to start sitting down and walking properly. The wound is healing up nicley according to the district nurse who comes to my house to change my dressing every morning. She still thinks i have another few weeks of changed left though (they dont hurt anymore either). In relation to what other people have said in their personal accounts i am now 21 (i had my birthday on January 4th) im a normally healthy active female, 5' 4" weighing just under 9 stone and completley fair haired. I have light blonde hair and hardly any hair anywhere else, i mean i can go without shaving my hair on my legs for weeks because its so light and fair you can hardly see it! So from what i have researched i am the most unlikely of people to get this pilonidal sinus thingy!!! The odds of a women getting alone is 1 in 1000 anyway! let alone a non hairy non obese woman! and from reading other peoples accounts im not alone.Im thinking maybe they need research a bit more into this....My aunty even asked if i had a hairy bum and that maybe i needed to start shaving it!! its not true!, the exact cause of pilonoidal is unknown, there are alot of possible reasons but nothing exactly spot on. When my friends first asked me what it was they removed i was to embarassed to say "oh yeah it was a hairy sinus in my butt that got infected so they took it out, oh yeah and only hairy men with hairy butts get it" but looking at this website has made me feel alot better about my experience, especially knowing im not alone with the condition that i had. Thankyou to everyone who has shared their personal story and made me feel so much better. Victoria Symons, Reading, England. Enchanted29@hotmail.com p.s - i know my mum will read this so i want to say a huge thankyou to her because i wouldnt of got through this without her love and support (i will never forget the laughs we had trying to wash myself in the shower!) you really are the best mum in the world, i love you loads xxx p.p.s - dont worry, when im fully recovered im going to have the best late 21st birthday/christmas/new years party ever! :)

Date:

January 18, 2005

Story

I'm a 20 year old active male, who had his very first battle with the cyst two weeks ago. I had been on tour with my friends band around the South Island of our country (New Zealand), and got back on a Monday evening. Waking on Tuesday afternoon (tours take time to recover from, hah) I noticed that my arse sure hurt alot. I put it down to a bruised tailbone from all the driving I had done. Wednesday wasn't much better, with increased discomfort. Thursday I noticed swelling and extreme tenderness, and decided that I would go to the Doctors in the morning. Well, Friday morning came, and I swore when I woke up, that my entire lower back was on fire - just INTENSE pain. I went to ED, and the duty surgeon just prescribed me some anti-inflamitories, and sent me home still limping. It was Saturday afternoon about 2pm when I was occupying the couch watching movies, that the abscess burst and I pussed everywhere. After cleaning up aftermyself, I went back into ED because I didn't stop bleeding from the hole it had ripped itself. After the usual wait, I was admitted to the surgical prep ward, and told not to eat anything. 4pm Sunday I go into theatre. 5:15pm I wake up, with a gaping hole at the top of my arsecrack! I got home the next day on Monday, and was glad to be back in familiar surroundings after the week from hell! I'm currently still being seen by the District Nurse, who changes out the packing and wound dressings after I've had my soak in a salt bath. I plan to go back to work next week (2 weeks post-op). There are a few things you become amazingly tolerant of, with having this condition... pain, the tape holding the dressing on ripping out body hair, and baring your arse to total strangers!!

Date:

January 16, 2005

Story

Hi my name is Angela and I have had two expierences with "my pilonidal abcess". I first developed it with I was 19 years old and a very embarrassed teenager. I did not understand what it was or where it came from. I let it get way out of hand and unlucky for me, mine never drained on it's own. But instead swelled like the size of two golf balls on either sides of my butt checks. After dealing with the pain with no medication for a week I finally went to the hospital. The smell and the pain was so overwelming, I just knew that I would surely die. But I did not and here I am 24 almost 25 years old and I am dealing with my little friend again. It came back a year ago and only hurt on occasion and not often. So I was not concerned about it, because I knew that in time, it would grow. And it did. They drained it 8 days ago and I am still packing it because it was so deep. And probabaly will be for a couple of weeks. My wonderful fiance is taking care of the packing part for me. When I told him that the hospital wanted him to come with me the next time to have it packed because he needed to learn, he did not hesitate. It seemed that he would be the logical person, since we did live together. I am told that the only way to heal this problem is to have what they call the "tract" removed by a surgeon, which I thought I had done six years ago. So for all the other women who are dealing with this problem, My name is Angela, I am 24, a working woman, and I understand. The pain is unbearable, and the location is embarrassing, but do not hesitate to get this taken care of immediately. Good Luck to all of you.

Date:

January 15, 2005

Story

I'm a 23 yr old female.... My story begins this summer, I notice a boil on my shoulder, but I just thought is was pimple, so my boyfriend popped for me then it just kept coming back full of puss, (gross). N -e- wayz it took a month for it to go away.. Well around july I planned a trip to Las Vegas for my b-day, so my friends and I drove which took about 16hrs to get there, so the whole time I could not sit right in the car... I kept complaining that my back and bottom hurts really bad..Well the pain got so bad that I started to annoy my friends, so they gave me pain pills... Well when my b-day hit, I was in so much pain I did not leave the hotel room. On the way home i had gotten worse... So when I got back home, I complained to my boyfriend that I was hurting really bad and he told be that I might have a abcess and if I go to the doctors they will stick a huge neeedle in my bottom to releave the pain.. I gotten so freak out from what he told me, so I did not go to the hospital that time. Well the next day I was like forget - I could not walk, talk, eat, sit down, use the bathroom, drive, lay down, and even get myself dress - the pain was so unbreable... Well I went to the ER , so you already know there was a long wait, I was hurting so bad that I started throwing up in the ER.. Well when it was finally my turn the doctors had to hold me down to cut me (lance the abcess) I was screaming so much the whole ER sector could hear me.. I did not care what anyone thought of me. (it hurts and it's not on their bottom.)Well after the doctors lanced me, they gave me some antibotics and pain meds and I was fine after that. I figured that I had another boil on my bottom that was similair to my shoulder.. (i did not know the difference) or (basically not knowing what i really had until now!) Then around September i had gotten another one, this one was right my vagina area, under my buttocks area.. well I could tolerate the pain a little better, because I adapted to the first episode.. I told myself not to cry or scream this time.. Well eventually the pain gotten bad so I went to a different ER, because I was embrassed from the other one... Well I was lucky because it open on it's own and I did not have a scar, unlike the first one.. Well It's the New Year 05 and one of my new year's resolution was no more hospitables and pain pills. Nope!!! I received my third one and this one felt like it was on my tailbone, I could not even sit down in the chair at work and some of things I mention but 10x's worser. This time I tried to work with doctors by telling them they half to put me a sleep.. Well what happen was every time they touch me I scream!! Call me a big baby, but this much pain is unesscary.. So finally after 2hrs dealing with me, they agreed to put me to sleep- yeah :). Now I'm in recovery, because I had surgery to drained the abcess/cyst. It sucks because the packing you have to do every day and going on with life.. From what I heard from other people you can not wear tight clothes because it can come back and eating pineapples can help with dealing with the pain ( a natural way instead of pain pills) When I get packed my mom has to use numbing cream because I will not let her touch me with out it, I guess it's my new best friend. I know my story is hella long, but you uderstand what I'm going through.. It's like you would like to take the time to fully recover, but either you have work, kids, school and whatever else you have to do... please email me with more feedback other methods you have came up with to deal with the pain and recovery.. :) lcarter@ywcapiercecounty.org

Date:

January 15, 2005

Story

Hello all. My first experience with my cyst was two years ago when it flared up, then opened and drained on its own. That was a messy experience. It healed up, and I assumed (wrongly) that it was an isolated incident. I had no idea what it was or why it occured. Being a typical guy, I told no one and went on with life. However, this past November (2004), it flared up for a second time and was much, much worse. I went to the family doctor who correctly diagnosed it, then proceeded to open it up and drain it at his office. That was painful--I still have a small scar on my left hand where I dug in with a thumbnail while he was draining it. However, unknown to us was the fact that my blood sugar was racing out of control. We didn't do any tests, so we didn't know. During the week after my draining, the fluid from the cyst continued to get worse and I started feeling pain in my right buttock. By Thursday, my right leg was starting to swell up and we made an appointment to see the family doctor again. He was greatly alarmed by what he saw and admitted me to the local hospital that day. Once at the hospital, they began running all sorts of tests, including blood glucose tests. We discovered that I had the onset of diabetes, and that my high blood sugar (over 380 when admitted to the hospital), had aggavated the cyst to a point where it had abcessed fluid into my right buttock and was destroying tissue there. The surgeon did an excellent job removing all the dead tissue and fluid, but the resulting hole in my right buttock was 12cm. (length) x 5cm. x 6cm (deep). I am now in my 7th week of healing from that and it's looking good. Nurses coming by once a day to change the dressing and packing--I simply WILL NOT do that myself. It's too risky, hard to reach and it's easy to overlook a potential complication. I admire those who do this themselves, but I won't do it. Now, my only remaining problem is, they could not remove the cyst during all this--too much infection. So we are now planning a second surgery to remove it. This site has been very helpful. Best of luck to all. If I have any advice to offer, it is this: cysts, like any infection, are serious. In addition, if you have diabetes, think you might have it, or if you have a family history of it (I don't), DON'T WAIT to get yourself diagnosed and fixed up. A small cyst can escalate into something MUCH WORSE. Hugh in Atlanta. ****

Date:

January 14, 2005

Story

I am a 17 year old female, blonde haired and not at all hairy! I live in the UK, near London. I had always had a small lump at the very base of my spine, and thought nothing of it! then I discovered it was growing on Dec 26(5 days after having general op to remove all 4 wisdom teeth!). I was a little embarassed to tell my mum cause of its location! Anyway I remember right at the beginning it kinda oozed clear stuff. then it grew and grew and grew until I could only lay on my front! I was having hot baths etc...went to see my doctor who told me I needed it lanced. I went to hospital that evening (3Jan) and they said I would get blood poisioning if I left it much longer, as it was "huge". He said he would put me under general anaesthetic and drain and clean it all. So thats what he did. The sinus was only pinprick sized all my life so I never noticed it, but then it opened up after the surgery and its the width of a pencil. he left me with an open wound ( 2ins long and 1 inch deep) and I have it cleaned every day, it hurt so much at first but its all good now! I have had 2 weeks off school.Its now healing great, around a month until its healed altogether - but still have the sinus!!:-( I havent had the big surgery to remove all the tissue or whatever yet, but I hope I can have it for the reason that I do not want another abcess!! But They didnt find any hair in my cyst which apparently is usual in women. I feel so unlucky. Had never had anaesthetic until 21dec, now I had 2 in 2 weeks. But I have had a lot of support from friends and family which is cool. We will see what the future brings. Don't let it get you down!! x xxxcoraliexxx@aol.com --> feel free to e-mail me!!

Date:

January 11, 2005

Story

i am a 23 yr old man. i had first noticed these pilonidal sinuses in 7th grade after a football injury had upset these two little holes right at the top of my butcrack. At first i thought i had bruised my tailbone untill i had noticed some leakage coming out. I had no idea what it was and the swelling went down on its own so i left it alone. The leaking occured quite regulary and I wrote it off to be because of my active lifestyle and my hairy rear end. a year or so later my older brother was treated with an emergency surgury removing his abcess which had inflamed out of control and the surgen had removed it entirely rendering him unconcious first. it had taken him about a month to heal and he was back in action. Being my senior year of high school and me being deathly afraid of the hospital i was reluctant to get the surgery. i was use to the discomfort of the draining holes which would get irrated about once a week or any time i had gotten sweaty. Being without insurance after high school i put my bum problem out of sight and mind untill last year when i had my first serious inflamation. the holes seemed to stop draining and major swelling persisted. Scared of the pricy surgery bill i treated it my self by using hot presses and trying to squeeze the puss out of my two sinuses. That was a bad idea for me. That seemed to intensify the inflamation and by the next day i could hardly walk. I finally took myself to the local Royal Oak Medical clinic in michigan. The onstaff doctor was a general surgean and was able to lance it for me but advised me to get the other surgery done asap at the hospital. The lancing was only $210 with my non insurance discount. That wound healed well and i was back to work in days. I regretably put the surgery off untill a month ago when i had to go to the emergency room to get it lanced because my abcess had gone to deep for them to do it with out anesthesea. My advice is to find a good doctor who are familiar with this. My emergency visist is a whole other scary story all together. They never have time for you and most of the time I was left waiting in the blind not knowing what to expect. Finally the residents came in, did a smash and grab operation on my ass and sent me out to the bathroom to clean myself up with papertowel. Anyways the abcessed was lanced again and now I am awaiting it to heal so i can have it removed all together. Well the point of the story(which is much longer than I intended) is that if you have one of these save the trouble and take care of it as soon as you can. These would save you a lot of discomfort. Oh yeah cleanliness is definately next to godliness when caring for this highly infectious are. Best of luck. (any questions donut2o@yahoo.com)

Date: January 09, 2005

Story

This is for the poster on 28 Dec 2004 who reported being from the UK and now in Japan. That's me too, or was in Jan 2003 when my cyst appeared (for the first time, at the age of 46). Dr Fujii of the Tokyo Medical & Surgical Clinic correctly identified it at once. He lanced and cleaned it and it settled, but I decided a few weeks later to have it fully excised. Dr Fujii did the procedure himself at a hospital he works at (he is a surgeon) with primary closure. It healed as hoped for with no ill effects. Returned to UK July 2003 and have not had a problem since. Don't know if you are within reach of Tokyo or, if you are, whether you are in a position to consult Dr Fujii - this is an expensive expat-oriented healthcare institution and cannot accept Japanese public health insurance - but if you are I could certainly give him a hearty recommendation. The clinic is very well known and in all the guidebooks and on the web.

Date:

January 09, 2005

Story

Wow. I can't believe how common this is. I'm a 25 year old female also with a painful pilonidal absess. My story starts out a few years ago when I was sledding down a hill in the snow. Every few months my tailbone would start bothering me....didn't think much of it at that time. Then it got to the point where there was discharge coming out of it but being very afraid of doctors, I just thought to myself that it would eventually go away and I wouldn't have to worry about it. The one time it was so painful that I talked to my doc who sent me for xrays, not even looking at the problem. Obviously the tests came back with no problems. One flare up was so bad that my husband dragged me down to the ER so the doc on call could just diagnose it for me. On December 19, 2004, I was having trouble sleeping. I had had a big of redness and tenderness during the day but it wasn't a big deal. I took my temperature and was running a 102F fever. I wasn't eating and in really rough shape. In Canada, we have telehealth where you can call up and speak with a nurse for free. She said that the fever wasn't anything to be worried about but since my cyst was flaring advised me to see a doctor within 4 hours. We called my doctor's office who got me in within a couple hours. I was really worried when he immediately called the surgeon and sent a fax over and told me to go the hospital right away. I had a red section about the size of a cd that was solid as a rock. I couldn't sit and just felt awful. Over to the hospital we go. I noticed on the copy of the fax that my doctor sent to the surgeon that it said "PLEASE SEE TODAY". The nurse immediately tells me to drop my pants and get on the table (I am very conservative but knew it had to be done). I was confused though....my doctor just said that the surgeon would just talk to me first. When the surgeon was ready, he came in and immediately gave me a needle so I wouldn't feel anything. The needle was so painful....the nurse grabbed my arm to hold me down and my hubby said that he would hear me scream out in the hall. As I can't see the actual hole, I'm told that it is about the size of a cork. Home Care has been coming to my place every day to change the bandages and flush the wound out. I've been to the surgeon once since then and am heading there again in a couple weeks. They have been packing about 2 ft into the open wound. The RN has found a few sinuses. I've been in a bit of pain again as they have found a pocket of pus/infection that has burst meaning they must pack it as well and have now been warned that the surgeon will probably cut more again. It's definitely a downer for me. I had hoped that everything was going smoothly but I guess not. A piece of advice to anyone that is putting it off: DON'T PUT IT OFF, GO GET IT DONE NOW!

Date:

January 09, 2005

Story

Hi I'm a 19 year old female. This is not the first time I've run in to this problem but the last time 3 times it occurred under my arm. I had the first one drained back in 2001. No problem it healed. It was a HUGE one though. I could barely move my arm and I was only 16, and I have never heard of these cyst things. I felt much better after they drained it. That I guess is the first step to dealing with these things. I'm not going to lie it hurts.. real bad but you feel so much better after. The next two times I just took antibiotic and the swelling went down and the pain went away. I didn't have to have those drained because I caught them early. but no one ever told me about possibly getting them removed. Well on Dec. 22 2004 I noticed a pain right above my tail bone. I had just driven 4 hours home, so I thought it was normal back pain from driving. Nope! Dec. 25 the pain was really bad I couldn't sit right and I just had this constant pressure. I spent the night waiting in the hospital ER. They just told me to take some antibiotics and some pain killers. So I did. I had planed a vacation up to TN and I wasn't going to miss that for the world... I figured a little discomfort is worth it. So I drove 14 hours up to TN my butt felt fine because they had given me pain killers. So here I am in TN and the pain becomes unbearable! My butt was so swollen and red on one side. It hurt to talk. So I went to the ER. They just told me to come back in two days because it wasn't ready and if they lanced it they probably wouldn't get anything out of it. Ok ok so I go home and I know what needs to happen. I was really scared. I had never had one "there" before... It just kept getting worse bigger, redder, and now it started to puss. I found a small yellow stain on my underwear so I went back to the ER and the Dr. took one look at it, got his supply's and started draining it. To me the numbing shots hurt more than anything. Everything else you just have to breath though. It was a lot deeper than he thought. There were two "pockets" of puss because he had to take a Q-tip and shove it in there and open it. Now comes the fun part you just had it lanced and they got to put packing in it. It looks like a shoe lace and they have to put it in centimeter by centimeter. So then I have a small incision on my butt and a tail because they leave the packing in for about two days then you have to have it repacked. You have to leave the packing in until you see very little puss on the pad. I'm back home now and the packing was removed yesterday. I'm looking into having the surgery done but I still need more information. I would really like to call someone who has had the surgery done and ask them some questions. I'm really worried because the first week of school is this upcoming week and I don't know what to do. If anyone has had the surgery and wouldn't mind me asking them some Questions please E-mail me. at Melyjmhdf@aol.com.

Date:

January 08, 2005

Story

Oh, WHAT a pain in the *** It's been ten years since I had surgery to remove that little problem! I'm hear because my friend thinks he has one and we're looking up more info on it. Mine statred out small on top of my tailbone and slowly grew. I came down with a fever and chills and went to the doctor. The Doc took one look at it and said, "you know what that is!" He bolted down the hall to his office because he had to look it up! Of course I was immediately concerned. He came back and said "congratulations, you're the proud father of a polynadal abcess!" I had the procedure done to remove it which was in and out same day. Recovery was tedious and you REALLY need the help of someone to change the dressing, given it's hard to reach position! At the time my daughter was 3 months old and the doc suggested I use part of a diaper to cover the gauze packing. Yes, I had to have my diaper changed three times a day by various members of my family while I was kicking and screaming like a BIG baby. Nuff Said. The pain definately makes my top 10 harshest experiences. And my wife accidentally kicking me there while we were sleeping definately qualifies as number ONE! Good luck and follow post-op instructions word for word. Not everyone will have my degree of discomfort as mine was of the larger variety. Lucky me. I have had a noticable dimple scar too that never filled in; well worth it though!

Date:

January 08, 2005

Story

Hi I am a 20 year old female, that had a Pilonidal cyst on my rear end at this very age. I just had it removed a week ago today January 8,2005. It was very very painful. But now I can say it's not because it's gone. I also had hidradenitis supperativia, in the year 2000, I had that removed. That was located under both my armpits. The doctor said my sweat glands were swollen, but he later diagnosed it as hidradenitis and now i feel like a new woman.

Date:

January 08, 2005

Story

Hi, i am a 23 yr-old female and i recently had a pilonidal cyst. It was on Dec. 24,2004 when i began to feel pain on the bottom of my back/top of my butt. I felt a small bump and thought i had fell down or something, so i rubbed some bengay on me. well, needless to say, it didn't help, and that weekend i traveled (drove) to my apartment from home to bring back my clothes and stuff because i go to school and i was home for the holidays. well, the pain was so bad and on dec. 26 (on my way home) in the car i could not sit because i felt so much pressure, inflammation, and pain. when i got home, i told my mom, and no one in my family took me seriously. then, my mom decided to look at it, and saw a big red bump, when she felt it, it was so hard. so she got scared and called my dad. well, he said i should see a doctor the next day. well, my mom decided to put ice on it and covered it with a towel. when she came back to look at it, pus began to discharge (it was thick, gold color, and smelled bad). i finally went to the doctor on dec. 28, 2004 (i don't have "real" insurance, only emergency care at a clinic, so that is why i kept postponing the visit). as soon as he looked at it, he prescribed me augmentin (antibiotic) and percoset (pain killers). then he referred me to a surgeon that night. i was really scared and nervous. on top of everything, i had a fever, and felt like i was going to faint. when i went to the surgeon, he is old-school, but made me feel good. the lidocaine (numbing-local anasthesia) hurt like hell, but then it was better. he told me to keep the open wound open, and change the gauze pad 3 times a day after taking warm baths. i did this and it's feeling much better now. my only concern is, where did it come from? did something dirty come on me and went inside? who knows....at least now, i'll take better care of myself and shave everything!! good luck to all everyone else w/this disease. this felt so good to write my experience.

Date:

January 06, 2005

Story

My grandson is 18 and had surgery last December 2003 for a pilonidal cyst. It was really an ordeal with nurses coming in every day to dress this monster. 1 week before Christmas 2004 the Doc said it was cured. No more trips to hospital and seeing nurses. Well January 5th it came back and he was under the knife again. Back to the nurses and visits to the clinic again. Now its worse than ever as he cannot hardly sit down and guess what he's taking a computer course at College. Where do we go now. how does he get rid of this monster? Any help would be appreciated. Grammy

Date:

January 06, 2005

Story

Mine is a good story (so far), so I thought that I would come back and let everyone know. My cyst started in college, although I didn't know what it was at the time. I'm convinced it was from constantly slouching in my chair. I felt a lump that would occasionally be painful when I put pressure on it. Over the years it seemed to get bigger, but I never had much pain. About four years after first noticing the lump I had my Dr. look at it and she tentatively diagnosed it as a pilonidal cyst and referred me to a general surgeon. I never went to see the surgeon but about six months later the cyst got infected and started to become very painful over the course of a week. I had it lanced and drained in the emergency room once the pain had gotten really bad. Getting an infected cyst lanced hurts . . . a lot! It healed, but two months later was starting to get infected again. I went immediately to a colorectal surgeon and he cut the top off the cyst and cleaned it out. The hole was probably a bit bigger than a quarter, and about twice as deep as a quarter. So not too bad. The surgery was not bad either, it was outpatient, local anaesthetic - far less painful than the lancing. I had to pack it for two weeks, then it healed. I don't think what I had was the full cystectomy that a lot of people on this site talk about. But it seems to have worked for me. It has been two years and I haven't had any trouble.

Date:

January 06, 2005

Story

i am a 47 year old female, that had a pilonidal cysts on my rear when i was 26, and although the dr lanced it several years later i learned i had hidradenitis supperativia...which is like having the cysts all over me...under brea