Personal Stores Archive #29

Date: October 30, 2005

Story

I'm so glad to have found this site. I've been having what I thought were regular boils in the crack of my butt for a few years without much worry. Although my flare ups are sometimes painful, more often they are just annoying as I have a high pain tolerance. I usually just treated them as a huge pimple and massaged and squeezed it until it drained. Tonight, I noticed the stench in the fluid that came out and decided to google coccyx and boil and found myself here at this site. It makes me feel more comfortable to know that I'm not the only one to have the condition. I told my wife who was aware of me having boils and she brought up a good point when she asked me when I got them. I told her a few years ago and she then asked if it was when I was taking Dehydroepiandrosterone, a performance enhancing drug know commonly as DHEA and widely available in your local health food stores. My flare ups did in fact occur at that same time. I was taking DHE for about 2 weeks and this drug also caused severe acne and absesses in my groin and upper thighs that needed to be treated by a dermatologist and have never come back. I'm wondering if anyone else that has this condition may have abnormal hormone levels as mine may have been caused by this drug.

Date: October 28, 2005

Story

Hi, Im 16 years old and I just discovered that I have the pilonidal cyst im kind of nervous and scared about it. I just want to know how long does the operation takes,it hurts so much?

Date: October 28, 2005

Story

Hello, my name is Sandra and I am 35 years old. Before I tell my story, I would like to say how grateful I am to have found such an informative website on pilonidal cysts. It helps to know that I am not alone in this battle. I have suffered with pilonidal cysts from my teens but did not seek out a doc until I was in my early twenties. My first experience having the cyst lanced was very painful and the doc did not prepare me for what to expect afterwards.

I believe that because of that I did not seek out help for quite some time after that. Anyway, things seemed to worsen in my late twenties. I made several trips to the ER to have my cyst lanced but it kept coming back. Finally, in 2000, I decided to have the cyst excised. I was informed by the surgeon that the cyst was the size of a golf ball (ouch) and I was left with a crater in my butt. Due to the fact that I was starting a new job a few days post-op, my surgeon decided to stitch up my incision rather than leave it open. I was back in the ER the following week with a severe infection and the stitches were then removed and I had to start wet packing. It took forever for the hole to heal. I had not had any problems since then until this week.

I noticed a couple of days ago that same old pain and it has progressively gotten worse. Knowing what a horrible experience it is to have a cyst lanced, I have decided to wait this one out. I am using Iodex as recommended on this website in hopes that it will draw out the infection. I have a couple of questions for anyone who would like to respond. First of all, can anyone recommend a good doc in the Charleston area? I live across the bridge in Mt. Pleasant and would greatly appreciate anyones advice. Second, I know there seems to be a link between your period and flare ups. My questions is this - does anyone have problems with bowel movements during flare-ups? I've noticed that it is difficult to go (not constipation), but like something is blocking things from coming out like they should. Also, does anyone have problems with a lot of mucus in their bowel movements when they are having a flare up? Sorry if this grosses anyone out but I need to know. Please email me personally at welchfamily1@webtv.net.

Date: October 26, 2005

Story

Gday from Australia, I have been suffering with this crap problem for over a year now...First got the tell tail signs of extreme pain and lump appearing. Had it opened up and packed for 10 weeks and thought I was in the clear. 2 months later it opened up again closer to my a hole and I had the Karydakis flap done, being told a 4 week recovery and it would be gone for life. Well, how wrong the surg could be! Sutures split open after week and was back in hopsital with heaps of blood and fluid coming from the wound, 14 weeks later, lots of packing and silver nitrate I gave up on my surgeon as he basically gave up on me and said I would just have to live with a 3inch long 1.5inch deep open wound!

Saw a new surgeon, opened it up, packed 10 weeks later, almost healed, a new opening appears even closer to my a hole, so opened it up, packed it for 4 weeks and now it seems to be a superficial wound that is not that deep, just and inch wide, but as it is so close to my a hole it wont heal over....this surg is saying that if it is not right in a few weeks, i will need another karydaksi flap done! Has any one else in Australia had this done successfully? Who was your surgeon? I am going mad, have not been able to sit since feb! Does any one know a Surgeon in Australia who is an absolute specialist in this field?

Date: October 25, 2005

Story

Hello this is Vicky 14 again. Sorry I forgot to add my email address if anyone needs a chat. HUWVIC@aol.com

Date: October 25, 2005

Story

My name is Vicky. I'm 30 years and I've had this condition for 15 years!! I'd never heard of this condition until I was diagnosed at the age of 15. After I was diagnosed my sister and friend had the same problem, which is when I realised how common this problem was. At that age however I was too shy to tell anyone when the symptoms first appeared, because of the private area that this condition affects. Once it was evident that it wasn't just a menstrual problem, I sought out medical help and was rushed to hospital. The first treatment I had was very frightening. The surgeons were optimistic that they had cured the problem but after some time the wound started to excrete again and I realised that it had come back.

I won't bother you with the rest of the operation details as they were the all the same procedure, but I have since had thirteen operations with no long-term success. This proves that this condition does not only re-occur in men, and I am not hairy in that area! I have tried every treatment, every trial, and have had regular shaves of the area to prevent hair growth. I will admit that my case is extreme but if there is anyone with similar experiences, you are not alone! They have decided that the flap surgery is now my final option and I prey that this will work. I am now married with two children so life does go on but it would be a hell of a lot easier without this condition!

Date: October 25, 2005

Story

Here I am again on this website trying to remind myself that I am not the only one with this horrible pain. I am a 25 yr. old female and I am currently suffering from my fifth pilonidal cyst. I have had the four previous lanced in the ER and packed, all of which were extremely painful. I have gotten sick of waiting in the ER forever so now I don't even go back and have the nurse take out the packing, I just do it at home myself. A few months ago I met with a surgeon who recommended I have the open surgery, but I have done nothing about it yet, I am just too scared, plus I am not sure if I could miss that much work for recovery time.

So, here I sit(well sort of sit) with another flare up, it started on Friday and is just getting worse. I really don't want to go and get it lanced again, but I am sure I will have to. Like all of you I just this thing to go away, I am so sick of dealing with it. Unfortunately in my case it is hereditary. My grandfather and my mom both had these and they so kindly passed it onto me! Every morning I cry while getting ready for work b/c I sit all day and it just sucks so bad. Plus lately none of my clothes fit b/c I can't work out since I am pretty sure that it irritates the area and I think is what caused this flare up. So if anyone has any advice or just wants to talk about anything email to: MSkeen780@hotmail.com! Good luck to all!

Date: October 24, 2005

Story

After reading the stories on this sight I have realized that the medical resources and procedures for this particular problem simply are not working. I have had two surgical procedures done on my pilonidal cyst. The first one was when I was 17. I was put under anestesia and the wound was left to drain out of TWO holes, one the doctor created. This literally made the problem worse. The cyst came back immediatly and now instead of having one smelly discharge sight, I had two. So I stuck it out for about two years until I was 19. Then, I just got sick and tired of having this fluid drain out of me. I told my parents I wanted to get it removed again, so we decided to get another surgery. I went in, didn't get put under, and the doctor cut it out in under an hour. The procedure was reletivly painless. It healed up great and I went on for 4 years without any problems.

Then, a week ago, I felt a little bit of pain back there. I didn't think anything of it until about 3 days ago when the pain was just excruciating. I can bearly sit down or lay down. It isn't draining either, so that makes it that much more painful. I am going the doctor to get it drained, and hopefully have it surgically removed, for the third time. The problem is I am in between insurance coverage right now, so I may have to tough it out for a couple of weeks before I can do anything. This sucks so much, its like this thing waited to come back till I couldn't pay to have it treated. Any comments or suggestions would be great, my email is connors@augsburg.edu Good luck to all who suffer from this horrible problem.

Date: October 24, 2005

Story

Hey, i am 18 years old and discovered that i had a Piolanidal cyst about 4-5 months ago. I was just sitting on my couch watching television when i noticed i coudlnt' sit right. So i ran my hand around the area and felt a small little bump. Thinking that it was just an ingrown hair i decided that i was going to try and pop it like a pimple.... "WRONG IDEA!" I felt the most excrutiating pain that i have ever felt, i felt as though someone had just stuck a five gauge needle in my behind. Really worried now, i put tripple antibiotic on it (i really hate going to doctors unless it is completley necesary) and took vitamins... Somehow truely believing that it would cure the probelm.

So i waited about a month with, and started truely seeing that it was a problem. By now i could no longer sit comftorbly, i wasn't getting any more than 4-5 hours of sleep a night, it was really just insane. So i told my mom, and she thought a first that i was just exaggerating, and she felt the area and almost fainted. I went to the doctor the next day and they immediatley suggested a lancing. My substitute doctor (my real one was on vacation) took me into the operating room and had me disrobe. She told me that the infection was so large that using anything to numb the pain would be useless. Hesitantly, i decided to go along with it, I could feel as they cut it open and man did it stink! But worse then that it hurt like no other. But real honestly, after the fact when i left, i went and sat in my car and noticed that it didn't even hurt and i honestly for the first time in my life cried because i was soooo happy. That was about a month and a half ago, now...... My cyst is comming back, and i have discovered a fully blown new one right by my anus, and i think another one is comming in.... That is three!!!! Wish me luck, im going to see my doctor tommorow, and probably go to surgery!!! Bye

Date: October 23, 2005

Story

Hi Everyone - This is a follow up to my procedure... I had the surgery September 2, 2005, right before Labor Day, and it was an open procedure. It wasn't too painful to have it removed, but it was bizarre to have a hole back there.. I was conscious of it all the time. I started having home care nurses come to change my dressings once a day, this continued for just over a month. (I was only out of work for 1 week - I was too bored to stay at home any longer and the surgeon said it was fine) At my 4 week check in with my surgeon, she said I was "overhealing", and burned off part of the wound with silver nitrate to ensure that it would heal properly. I was upset because I thought I was almost done. However, at my 7 week check in, I was completely healed. She said it looked great and healed wonderfully, so hopefully I never have to go back. To help the wound heal, I tried to eat foods with antioxidants and started taking Vitamin E pills, as well as daily multivitamin. I'm doing well and healed, although the scar itches from time to time.

Date: October 23, 2005

Story

I first discovered that I had a pilonidal cyst when I was 21, summer of 1996. I was at work and started to get this pain in my rear end (literally and figuratively) I couldn't sit comfortably but I certainly couldn't stand either, which being a cashier at a busy store was not a good thing. When I finished my shift my mom had to go to the grocery store. All I remember is not being able to walk through the store I was in so much pain. I even woke up that night in the middle of the night and demanded that someone take me to the hospital, which of course I was told to wait until morning, nice parents I have. So in the morning we go off to the hospital. That was the most painful experience of my life, seriously. I had to have in lansed and all the local anethesia in the world couldn't make that baby hurt any less. I swear I felt everything. After though, it felt good enough for me to go to work that night.

So off to University I go and what happens? I have another flare up. So not cool, had to get it lanced again! Didn't hurt as much this time, I think I was prepared for the pain. Of course, I am allergic to penicillian so they kept giving me the wrong meds..that didn't help at all. After a few more flare ups, with yet another lansing, my doctor finally told the surgeon to do something about it. In the summer of 1998 I finally had my surgery. Unfortunately I had a flair up right before so had to go the open route, which meant home nurses coming to my house every morning for a month to change my dressings, yes that was fun having the whole world see my rear end.

Needless to say it is 2005 and until this past summer everything has been fine. I recovered from my surgery fine, it all healed great. This past August and then again yesterday I can feel it coming back, except this time lower down. Here's hoping that nothing comes of it because now I'm living in Taiwan and darned if I'm going to be able to explain it to a Chinese speaking doctor and have the sort of care I am use to. Don't want to scare anyone here with my story, I just wanted to share my experience with you so you know that there are people worse off than yourselves...because trust me, the amount of times I was in and out of the hospital, I am worse off. My advice to you is to get the surgery done as soon as you possibly can! Seriously, it will end your pain and suffering faster for longer.

Date: October 22, 2005

Story

Hi, I just got my first sign at the beginning of this month. It was a pretty scary thing to happen and as great of a welcome this site was it still scared the living day lights out of me. Anyway, it has gone away totally without surgery. I had a Pilonidal Sinus that was able to drain it completely and I also saw some hair come out of it. Does that mean that if I do everything right with hygiene, it could not come back? The total time of peak pain and draining was 8 days. Or will it just get worse and worse over the years? It just seems like surgery is bad news from the stories I have been reading. Also, are there levels of severity to this disease? Like with a heart murmur there are five different levels I think… Anyway, feel free to email me at jutto_111@yahoo.com. Thanks so much, and good luck to you all! John

Date: October 22, 2005

Story

Dont really know if I have this disease but every so often I get these episodes which do not last long of pain in the rectum (near the outside) These are far and few between and after I take a Pain Killer it goes away and may not comr back for months all I can say the pain is worse than child birth. Wonder if this is Pilonidal Disease? There are no excreations and no lumps. But this is going on for a few years.

Date: October 21, 2005

Story

(I am 17) About a week ago, I developed a pain in my natal cleft, on the upper right side. I didn't really think anything of it however, seeing as the pain wasn't that bad. My family and I travelled up to Tallahasse to see my sister whom is in College up there, and all weekend, the pain started to get worse. Monday of this week, the pain was much worse, and now a bump had appeared. It was red, swollen and I was in great pain. So much so that I couldn't sit, lay down, walk or stand for long periods of time. It was only on Wednesday (2 days ago) that my friends at college told me that I should get my mum to make an appointment for me to see a doctor, seeing as I was in so much pain. That day, my mother made the appointment, then the next day on Thursday (yesterday) I went to see my doctor, Dr. Ravi Tak. He examined me, and wasn't too sure what to do with my polinidal "cyst" (it wasn't actually a cyst I had...it was an abscess full of pus).

He referred me to Dr. Samuel DeJesus, who works for a Colon and Rectal Clinic not to far away from where I live. He wanted me to see him as soon as possible, and I ended up going to see him also yesterday. He and another doctor (very friendly and caring men) examined me and told me that I had a polinidal abscess. I had to have surgical treatment straight away, and so the doctors had to lance my abscess and drain it of all the pus that had gathered there. The procedure was quite painful. I was injected several times with a local anesthetic then cut and sqeezed to make sure that all the infection was gone. The doctors packed me with gauze and then sent me home. I am so thankful that my abscess is now gone. Eventhough it's only been one day since my procedure, and I'm still feeling stiff and bruised, I'm feeling extremely better!! :) My pack is out (I was only instructed to have it in for one day, then soak in a bath and let it come out), and I can now heal up on my own. I can also sit, walk and lay down for as long as I like!! Jodie

Date: October 21, 2005

Story

My new husband has a Pilonidal Cyst. We just found out what the name of it is but apparently he has had this condition since he was in his early teens. Luckily I came along :) and I was the first person he ever told he had this problem. I suspect the pain of a severely swollen abscess helped. I have one of the hardiest stomachs and so I drained it for him. We knew nothing about it but eventually I noticed this little "vortex" (as I call it) right in his crack and a hair sticking out of it. I pulled out several long hairs and the cyst began to grain its self. For about two years now together we have prevented any serious flare-ups by my putting pressure on the cyst and draining through the sinus and pulling out any hairs. He recently scheduled a doctor's appointment to possibly have another surgery (he had it drained and partially cut out several years ago with NO anesthetic!! This doctor is very sadistic) but I think compared to what his pain and suffering could be we will opt out. He is also a diabetic which doesn’t help and I am afraid an open surgery like that will have dire consequences on his health. I hope those who read this post will know that they shouldn’t be embarrassed to the point of not sharing this problem with loved ones. Had my husband not known I happen to have a particular hardiness (he would say fondness) for gore in general, I don’t think he would have ever told me and his situation could be much worse.

Date: October 21, 2005

Story

Interesting to read all the stories out there. For the longest time I believed I was one of few people who had this. Anyway, my "problems" began when I was in Jr. High School and I had my first surgery at the age of 13. I have had a total of eight surgeries, two of them only 6 months apart. My last surgery was when I was 21. Now 17 years later I am experiencing a rather horrible flare up. I don't go to the doctor about it, mainly because the last doctor I went to see suggested another surgery to "reconstruct the scar left by the previous 8 surgeries." I opted out of that. Over the past 17 years, I have been dealing with the area draining, sometimes bleeding, etc, to which I just take extra care. I try not to sit for too long of a period, I find regular exercise does help and I also soak in a bathtub of hot water combined with the contents of one bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide, combine that with a good book and a glass of wine, makes for a nice way to spend about 30 minutes. I also find that if I am carrying a little too much body weight, this has a profound affect on the amount of flare ups I get, don't know why. So I try to keep my weight down as well. It is a chronic problem, but one that can be lived with and adapted too. I personally would not have another surgery, there's not enough fiberous tissue left to allow that. And as most of the literature I have been reading, most doctors are not well versed in this type of thing. Good luck to all of you who are also dealing with this.

Date: October 19, 2005

Story

I just turned 30. I had my first flare up a few months after a bad fall in the Army. I was 21. I had an open surgery (I think). I just had a local anestesia. It had to be packed every day. A couple of years later, I got another flare up and was devistated! I've been avoiding surgery. I'm scared. This is very embarrassing to talk about. I try to "wish" and "Pray" this disease away. I'm currently experiencing yet another flare up. I thought a little antibiotics would make this stop happening. Maybe I should reconsider sugery. I was told that the chances of it flaring up again were 50/50. That's why I opted not to have it. It seems like I've been having a flare up every year. My Dermatologist said it was like a big giant mutant zit! I feel like a basket case! :o( Please advise!! Nikki

Date: October 19, 2005

Story

Stacy from SC, do you recommend your doctor? I'm from Charleston too. Please email me loyalty314@yahoo.com

Date: October 15, 2005

Story

Its very painful

Date: October 15, 2005

Story

Hello, I had my surgery in june. I want to tell you that surgery isn't so bad. No pain at all. The recovery is long but no pain. The packing at the beginning hurt a litlle bit but I tooke advil to kill the pain about 1 hour before packing. After one week and a half I was sitting with no pain. The whole healing time take 8 weeks but when there'a are no pain you can live like before the surgery ansd do the same thing almost (you can't go to a swimming pool or sport). So I write this because I dont want you to worry. I had open wound surgery and the hole was about 2 inch long and 4 cm deep. And I got this cyst for 5 years before the surgery. The worst part of this experience was when the doctor drain the lump in his office to drain it. After that, every thing is ok. So good luck :)

Date: October 13, 2005

Story

I had my surgery done on September 7th. A pilonidal cystectomy. The doctor told me very little of what was going to happen, other than I'd show up in the morning and leave in the afternoon. It turned out that I left at night, and it wasn't until two days later that I removed the initial dressing and found out that I had a closed wound, sutured shut. I was given almost no aftercare instructions other than I could shower 48 hours after leaving the hospital. To be on the safe side, I kept a bandage over it to prevent stuff from getting near the wound, and to help keep the wound clean. All was going well, and after about a week and a half of lying around on my side and stomach, I found myself able to sit for a little bit, so long as I leaned forward. The day before I was to go see the doctor, though, I noticed blood. This was a surprise as I had no blood and no drainage prior to this.

When I saw the doctor he told me that the wound had separated a bit, and not to worry. We left the stitches in, and I returned the next week. He also kept me on antibiotics to stave off infection. Again, I was still bleeding slightly, not much, but a little. The next week he took out the top part of the stitches as that had closed up well, but left the bottom stitches in. That next week, I started feeling pain, and experiencing some drainage. A yellow-ish, sticky kind of substance, which I believe was the start of infection. When I saw the doctor again, he confirmed that was the case, and said that a hair was getting into the wound, causing the infection, and preventing it from closing. He cleaned the wound thoughly, and I removed ALL hairs from the area with the assistance of a loved one. It's now been a weak since that time, and I'm still experiencing bleeding. Not as much as before, but some. The plus side is that there's no yellow drainage anymore, and there is also no pain, so I believe the infection has been thwarted. My concern though, is that the wound still hasn't closed all the way, and there is still bleeding (albeit small ammounts). Is this cause for concern? Also, is it problematic that it's the bottom of the wound that hasn't closed? As of a week ago, the wound was open about a centimeter, and I'm not sure if it's smaller now. Any information or insight would be appreciated: matt@saltparrot.com

Date: October 13, 2005

Story

Hi Iam only 14 years old and I had a Pilinodal abscess in early september I had no Idea what it was I heard it runs on my dad side but for me to go threw that much pain at 14 was pretty scary I was scared before the surgery I couldn't even lay on my back or sit up straight it was painful it was about 3 to 4 days in pain before i actually got the surgery I was screaming at the top of my longs because it hurted my mother stuck by my side the whole time I had to go to the ER thats how bad it hurt to sit back after the nurse was done packing it now that hurt alot I went home moving as slow as a turtle went to sleep I laid on my stomach for about 3 days then I was in and out the doctors office for 2 weeks but Iam fine now just waiting to go back to see if it healed properly I say to my self Iam strong for going threw this at this age and I think every other person who has it or had it should keep there head up it for the best

Date: October 12, 2005

Story

Hi! I'm a 36 yr-old female, had my first pilonidal in May, had it lanced and packed, and like most stories, spent two weeks on my stomach recouperating. My 33 yr-old sister had the same about two years ago. I'm stumped why this surfaced at this age - most literature shows a significant decrease / lack if incidence around age 40. Now, I'm feeling it return, my sister recommended rubbing my thumb down the spine toward the natal cleft (butt crack) to drain it - I guess it works for her. My scar opened to allow some draining, but it's draining light blood. Is this common? And, the "rubbing" has further aggravated the lump, and it's swelling a little more. Has anyone shared this experience? I thought I was fine, the surgeon said there was a <5% chance of reoccurrence - which I should've taken with a grain of salt. The only thing I can think of is I just returned from remodeling a rental house, did a LOT of heavy lifting and 12-14 hour days - has anyone else aggravated a pilonidal through physical exertion? Any advice is appreciated - I'd prefer not to spend another two weeks on my belly adding to this message board :-) My email: g_lundy@msn.com

Date: October 11, 2005

Story

Hi. I have recently (within 3 weeks ago ) had my 2nd pilonidal incision and drainage procedure. I am a 33 year old male, big boned and slightly chunky in the middle. I drive a sales vehicle for a living so dealing with this second one was painful but manageable due to my 1st experience. I have felt very intense pain in my tailbone for the whole year of 2005 and had told my doctors that I knew it was coming. They ran blood, felt my old wound, prescribed zpak, some pain meds and off I was. I suppose it was the 7th time I returned that they decided that an MRI, CT scan, and more bloodworkwas in order. Everything came back normal, cyst-wise. They say that I have bulged discs and have contact with right nerve root on s1-l5. I saw a neurosurgeon and he ordered therapy for my discs. Two days later, I'm in the office with a cyst that is KILLING me and wants OUT NOW!! Funny how MRI couldn't see it. Anyway, I still have open wound, it's clean, and my tailbone is starting to get that "pressure-pain" again. I really don't want to think that #3 is brewing when #2 is still trying to heal. I need a vacation.

Date: October 11, 2005

Story

Hi my name is paddy 21 from dublin.i just found out i actually have this pilonidal thingy.im a bit nervous about the whole thing to be quite honest.its the whole healing period i think that bothers me.you know with college and work, are you really confined to your bed for a month?if anyone could give me any more info i would really appriciate it my email is x00042593@itnet.ie regards, paddy

Date: October 11, 2005

Story

I will make my story short however; I can’t say the process was painless. I am on of the hairy butted men who have had this problem and I fought it for years. The first time I went to see the Dr. about it in college this 60’s hop head told me it was left over from when we all had tails. Now I can appreciate a good Darwin theory as much as the next guy but come on! Needless to say I put up with this condition for years. It would surface, POP (VERY GROSS) then the process would start all over. I finally went to see another Dr. some ten years later. He sent me to a surgeon who removed it. The surgery isn’t the bad part. The recovery IS! I was on my tummy for two weeks. During this time, the incision became infected and the sutures tore out. I then had to let the wound heal on its own for week with tape holding my buttocks together. Finally, the Dr. sewed my back together. Three weeks with the silk holding me together, I was all most as good as new. It has been 4 years now and I have not had an issue. The process is a drag and the recover is just not pleasant. Then again, the pain of that cyst rearing its ugly head every so often over 15 years was not fun either. Don’t be embarrassed about it. Just get it taken care of. In the end it will be worth it.

Date: October 10, 2005

Story

well, im now a 24yrs old female who has had 3 surgeries to remove my pilonidal cyst. The first time i had a prob i was 13yrs old, it started as a very itchy lump which never seemed to go away. My parents took me to the er 1 nite and they told me i needed to see a surgeon. I met w/ the surgeon who didnt really explain to us how these cysts form, anyway, i went in for my 1st surgery back in 1994 and when it was all said and done i had an open whole in my back that was big enough to put a fist in, i had to have a home health nurse come to my home for the 1st month to show my mother how to pack it, all the other stories tells how there wounds healed with 1 or 2 months, i was ass side up for 9 months, it took 9 mo's of laying on my stomach, having the damn thing packed, having follow up visits w/ the doc's poking and probing in my wound, and how irritated my ass got from the tape is unheard of, my ass was sooo raw it bled.

Finally after 9 mo's of it healing i was back in school for what was left of that school yr, then in 1995 it came back once again. My parents took me back to the same surg who said yet again, "this needs to be removed again", i wanted to die. I'm saying, "how can i get this again?" So here i am, now 14yrs old going in for my 2nd major operation and once again, since the wound had to heal from the inside out, i was ass up for another 9 1/2 mo's, another gruling time w/ packing, oozing, bleeding, follow-ups, and my ass being raw as ever. Once it healed i hoped for the best. 2 yrs went by until, yup u got it, it came back. We finally went to a different surgeon who said "yup, this needs to be removed" and he guaranteed me that i'd have the wound stitched up, that put my mind at ease alittle.

The day of my 3rd surgery in 1997, when i woke up, the surgeon came to me to say, "well honey, i couldnt stitch it, you have an open whole again", i just laid there in the recovery room and cried. I remember my mom breaking down in tears when he told her cause she new what we had to look into for the next 9 mo's again. Well, its been 8 yrs since my last surg and haven't had any major issues, every once in awhile it'll get irritated where the scar is but my md starts me on antibiotics rite away to clear up any infection before it starts and that goes away w/in afew days. Now, i just recently heard that pilonidal cysts are linked to spina bifida, that its extra skin that had closed over the open lesion on the spinal cord and instead of being debilitated w/ that rare disease, we're lucky enough to go through these surgeries

Date: October 10, 2005

Story

This is a follow-up to my surgery. The surgery went well and the wound itself is almost healed. The wound started out about 3 1/2 inches long by 2 inches wide and 2 1/2 inches deep and you could see my tail boan when they took the packing out. They had me on a wound vac which helped alot but my body didnt like it and would get infected and they would have to take it off. Needless to say the wound care Doctor told me I have about 15 days left to heal. The wound took about 45 days to heal and the Doc. said that evrybody heals different. If you have any questions or concerns please feal free to e-mail @ daletracey69@hotmail.com. Thanks this is the most painfull thing I have ever been through.

Date: October 09, 2005

Story

Hello people!!! Whats up!? well, im just this 16yo guy who found out he had this Sacro-coxigeous (aka pilonidal) cyst about a year ago but he was too embarassed to tell his parents (you know , with it being down there and all...altho you could argue it technically isn't the ass but thats another day's topic) I had an open wound surgery, which is supposed to be the most painful (pffft painful my ass... that's complete bs!) I wrote a huge story about this whole thing but it got deleted somehow so I'll do a resumé (resumé what a weird word...is that even english? lol!) I went to see a stupid doctor that said that I had a big one (cyst) with multiple sinus holes and that I had it since I was born (which is not true). And basically he told me that it was a complicated thing and made me feel bad, so I told my parents that I thought he was a jackass and we went to see another doctor, and this one was cool.

A couple of tests later (blood and just lookin at the thing, nothing to worry about) he scheduled the surgery for september 20th. Two weeks before surgery I was very anxious and nervous because of the anesteshia, the procedure and having to shave my butt! >:( which wasn't that hairy anyway! Reading the horror stories on this site didn't help (there were a couple of good ones tho) Now I know I was being stupid because there was nothing to fear...nothing at all. The three forms of anesteshia (Local, General and Spinal Tap ("these go to eleven" cool movie lol!) are very safe and their applications are pretty much painless. The procedures are all good cause I had the open wound one (with marzupialisation I think) which is supposed to be the most painful and I didn't feel a thing! And the packing and unpacking of the wound is nothing to worry about either, just some gauze and tape (I reccomend transparent hypoallergenic plastic ones) down there, it doesn't.

About my surgery: well I don't remember much, they connected the IV with the local anesteshia to me and some oxigen and then I "woke up" when they were still doing something there but I didn't feel a thing and it lasted what seemed like 10 seconds. They took me to my room and that was it. It was all painless and after the surgery they give you some painkillers (altho I think it's not that nessesary) so it's all good. Like I said the packing is nothing to worry about, the first time it might hurt a tiny lil bit but then they put less gauze and change the type of tape so it doesn't hurt. And after 1 week and a half of packing the doctor said I didnt need it anymore, just one gauze and no tape for the next months. And here I am 3 weeks later I can do whatever I want. The whole experience was nothing to get nervous about. Im positive that more than 90% of the people with this cyst had a succesful recovery and generally painless experience with it like I did. They just dont take the time to come here a write stuff like I did. Sorry for my bad English. It's not really my native language. Still you can send me whatever you want to guitarhero7@gmail.com peace out! and get jiggy with it! (so 1997..I know...)

Date: October 07, 2005

Story

Hello everyone: This is a follow up letter from Oct 1 re: dissolving sutures. I am finished, healed and out of here! Forty days time from surgery to finish. Good luck everyone.

Date: October 06, 2005

Story

im an 18 y/o male. i had my open surgery in july 2005. when i went off off to college i thought the wound was completley healed. i was wrong. the wound ripped opened and i had a big hole again where the scar was. so we had to pack it again for 2.5 more weeks. went back to the doctor he cleared me. a week later noticed some blood in the area. went back to the doctor he told me it ripped opened again. now im so mad. i cant live a normal life anymore. im 18. we have to pack it again and im going back to the doctor again in about a week. All i want is this thing to heal up. its destroying my life

Date: October 06, 2005

Story

My name is Al, I am a 23 year old male who enjoyed going to the gym, I'll not bore everyone with the beginning of the episode as everyones' experience begins about the same. I had my first operation in December 2004, they used the dissolving sutures and over that they placed a big pad that they stitched into my skin. The pain from this, even with medication, made me sick. The pad was in place four days then they removed that and the surgeon declared me healed...prick. The scar broke down and we tried packing it with Aquacel but and it did heal up but then it reached a stalemate.

Second operation was in March 2005, different surgeon but he decided it would be best to stitch it closed...prick. As soon as they removed the stitches a couple of weeks later my wound opened and it was back to packing. This time there was hardly any healing from the packing and the two holes that had opened along the line of my scar formed a tunnel. Third operation in June 2005 was a bit different. The surgeon was determined for me to get better so he excised the scar from the previous two operations, stitched it all closed, kept me in hospital for 5 days after the op and on antibiotics and with a drain in me. Got the stitches out 2 or 3 weeks after op and all seemes well, then one morning I woke up to find 2 small holes had formed, "caused by a build up" of stuff from the internal healing process i.e. the waste stuff needed a place to go and through the scar was the easiest way.

I knew a fourth operation was inevitable but I kept going daily to my treatment room where the nurses used many different types of wound-packing. A very successful one was Promegran, the wound healed excellently but as Promegran doesn't ward of infection like Aquacel or Aquacel AG would, it became infected, even with daily bathing and shower irrigation. So I have just had my fourth operation, the first to be "laid open". The wound is about 6 cm long and quite deep. Here's Hoping Al.

Date: October 06, 2005

Story

Hey All!!! I am a 34 year old woman from Charleston, SC and I just found out what a Pilonidal Cyst was. Back in July on a vacation trip, after riding in a car for 11 hours I noticed my tailbone hurting like crazy!!! I just assumed that it was from sitting on my rear for that long amount of time. On the way back home from vacation, I noticed it again and just thought that after a few days it would go away. Well, here it is, October 6th, and the pain has gotten worse. I have to ride on a bus from the parking lot to my job everyday and the pain is just unbearable. I finally asked my mom about a month ago what this could possibly be and she gave me the news, lucky me!!! Then she preceeded to tell me that both of my Grandparents and both of my Uncles had the same thing, all had surgery to get rid of it.

My Grandmother's was the size of a softball and she waited 20 years before she had her surgery and her abcess was totally wrapped around her sacrum!!! UNBELIEVABLE!!!! I finally went to the doctor about it 2 days ago and he immediately sent me to a Colon-rectal surgeon. From what I have been told by my mother, you are apparently born with it. I have 2 children 10 years and 2 years. My baby has the exact same "dimple" above his crack and now I am worried about whenever he gets older. These things just don't show up later on in life. I guess it depends on the lifestyle you live and the type of work you do. I am scared to death to find out what this specialist is going to do because I have heard about how painful the surgery and lancing can be. My abcess has not drained nor can I even see it. But whenever the doctor a couple of days ago was digging around, it sure hurt like HELL !!!!! I go to the specialist tomorrow to find out the rest of the story and I will keep you posted. I told my husband that this will definitely be a test to see how much he really loves me because he is going to be the one taking care of me after surgery if that is where I am headed!!! I will write more tomorrow. Hope everyone is doing well and best of luck to everyone out there!!!! Stacy/Charleston,SC

Date: October 05, 2005

Story

It's the 34yr old male from Indiana again. I was reading the other story's and saw a sugestion from Steve Fisk about starting a yahoo group. So I have one started at http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Pilonidal_Support/ if anyone is interested. I have already put a link to this site on the yahoo group. Ray R. from Indiana

Date: October 05, 2005

Story

Hello all. I'm a 34yr old male from Indiana. My story starts a long time ago. Way back in high school I used to notice that when I sat in the hard desk seats that I would have some pain and tingling in my tail bone. It didn't suprise me to much because I already had a scar there from a spina bifida surgery when I was 6 months old. Well in my late teens I started to notice a small amount of drainage and some bad smell from the area. I was embarrest by it but never had it checked out. After some time it seemed to have gone away. I still had pain from sitting to long but still didn't worry about it. Well about a year ago it finally started getting bad. I was in pain from just walking. I told one doctor I was going to for a arthritic disease. She sent me to get a MRI but nothing showed up. So I continued to deal with it and it just got worst. Well about 5 months ago it really started to drain.

So I went to my family doctor. He was worried because of my problems as a baby so he sent to a neurosurgeon. This guy took one look at the MRI and decided that since he couldn't see anything that it was just a tight muscle. I was mad when I left his office because I knew it was more than that. I went back to my family doctor in early August he sent me to a regular surgeon near my area. he checked it all out and said that the sinus pitts were from pilonidal disease. I had a closed surgery on 8/16/05. He built the tissue up and made a stitching that looked like a Z. He had to take out about 4.5" deep of deseased tissue. About to weeks later The draining from the scar got worst and smelled bad. Guess what? I had a staff infection. He tried to use medication and keeping a drainage area open for a couple of weeks. That didn't work so on 9/22/05 I had to go back to surgery. He left a area open that messured 1 1/4" wide 3" long 2 1/2" deep with a tunnel going down 3 1/8". So the first five days after I was packed as normal. Then they decided to put a KCI wound V.A.C. on me. Now I see The wound specialist 3 times a week to change the foam that is used to pack the wound.It is shrinking the wound rather quickly. She said I will probably have to wear it for the next 2months.Well I pray this will be the end of the story for me. I wish you all luck with this ugly disease.

Date: October 03, 2005

Story

Hello everyone. I have read your testimonies on pilonidal.org. I have questions on what the surgeon has performed on me. In 2002, I went to my primary doctor because I thought I had another boil. She said it is a cyst about 2cm. big. She refered me to a surgeon, however, I had to wait 2 weeks to see the surgeon. Between seeing the primary doctor to the general surgeon, the cyst grew to as big as a small orange.

The day of the appointment to see the surgeon, the cyst was just about completely gone. She poked the area and said I would need surgery and she would have to also get deep under the cyst to make sure everything is gone. She cut me in the middle of my buttocks to almost where my tailbone is. It took 7 weeks to completely heal because of all the packing and cleaning of the wound. Now years later and ever since this surgery, my body is not the same. My girdle area (buttocks and upper thigh muscles) are sagging. I have lost some weight for other health reasons and now matter how much I lose and tone, my thigh and buttocks shape isn't changing; everything is sagging. My upper buttocks is nearly gone. My thighs look thicker than they normally should. When I wear pants or jeans, they would sag off my behind because nothing is holding them up again. Also, when I wear pants, they fit tight around my thighs because everything is sagging that way and the basicly show my underwear. I'm so disappointed in what happened to my body. I have been very depressed. I'm planning to see a plastic surgeon on this to possible do what is called, "Buttocks Augmentation with Fat Grafting" My questions to everyone is: Has anyone heard of the surgery of what the doctor performed? Can anyone explain to me why my body is sagging this way? What does anyone suggest? Does anyone know any doctor that I can see to discuss this? I'm not going to see the general surgeon anymoe. Please help me to understand. Your advice is really appreciated. My email address is: ashlynnicole@yahoo.com

Date: October 03, 2005

Story

Hey Everyone!!! MY EMAIL IS BIGTOOZY@YAHOO.COM IS U WOULD LIKE ANY HELP !!! Like many of you out there, i got my first pilonidal cyst as a teenager. I was a sophomore in high school and i noticed a great sensation of pain around my tailbone, i thought i just bruised it or something, so i left it alone. The pain and soreness would stay for a long time and go away sometimes if i was not sitting directly on it. About a month later i saw a bump and it drained everyday and i thought that it would eventually just go away if i went easy on it. But i was in school and that was no fun, having to favor it. I went thru the summer with it and didn't tell my parents cuz i was embarassed, i kno that was REALLY STUPID!!!! i went swimming almost everyday and went on with my summer but that turned out to be a dumb move.

I went thru my whole junior year with this cyst until finally i told my dad and we went to a doctor the next day, he told me what i had and we set up an apoointment with another doctor. He told me to take baths 2 or 3 times a day for a month. A month later i went back to him and he said do it again for another month, so i did and went back for a month and he said its gotten worse. I needed surgery a week later on Augst 3rd, 2005. I was reallly nervouse and scared but i went thru with it cuz i knew my doctor would take care of everything, i trusted him a lot. And surely he got rid of it and left me with 25 stitches all from the top of my tailbone all the way down my buttcrack. It hurt like hell for a week or 2 until i got all of them out, but now im in my senior year and lemme tell u ALL IM DOING GREAT AND IT HASNT COME BACK CUZ MY DOC TOOK EVERYTHING OUT,. ALL THE HAIR AND INFECTED TISSUE AND HE DID A GREAT JOB BECUZ WITHOUT HIM I STILL MAY BE SUFFERING, SO SUCK IT UP, TELL SOMEONE AND GET RID OF IT BECUZ IT WORKED FOR ME... GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE!!!! IF U WOULD LIKE TO EMAIL ME FOR ANY HELP OR QUESTIONS ABOUT PILONIDAL CYSTS... MY EMAIL IS BIGTOOZY@YAHOO.COM I WILL ANSWER AND HELP ALL OF U OK BYE!!!!

Date: October 03, 2005

Story

Like many of the folks who've shared their stories, I first noticed my abscess in my late teens/early twenties. Thought my tailbone was just sore from doing abdominal excercises without a mat at the gym. It would swell up here and there and would eventually go away, so I finally figured it must be a boil of some kind that just really liked that one spot. A couple of years ago it flared up and hung around. My husband lanced it and got a nasty reward for his efforts, but man did it feel better. Healed up too, so I figured it was just a really persistent boil. This spring it came back and stayed. Lancing helped when it got really swollen, but it never really healed up again. I also noticed a wierd hole where there shouldn't be one, and all the gunk seemed to be draining from the hole instead of the abcess.

The sinus is what finally drove me to the Internet. I thought, surely somewhere someone has heard of this. I felt like and idiot when I googled "boil hole butt crack" and was stunned to find this site, spent hours reading everything I could and was still crying when my husband got home. For the past six months I've been coasting on the pain,inflammation, drainage cycle and debating over what to do. Pain from lancing is the worst, so I let it run its course and hope I'm not wearing white when it bursts. Am 33 and have never seen a doctor for this condition. We do not have health insurance, and even if we did I doubt that I would go. I'd feel better about it if it would just heal up like it used to, and if I could make my husband understand the potential expense and possibility of recurrence involved with surgical treatment. It is helpful to read others' accounts, but I always feel sick to my stomach when I do.

Date: October 03, 2005

Story

Hey everyone... I'm 20 years old, female, and live in Northern GA. I first noticed a sore spot above my tailbone about 6 months ago, and went in to see my OB/GYN, because I felt more comfortable with her in "that area." She confirmed for me what my father had suggested it may be, a pilonidal "cyst" - yes, I realize it's more of an abcess. Anyhow, she sent me the same day over to the General Surgeon, because it had become infected and was causing a great deal of pressure and sensitivity.

When I got there, he informed that he would need to lance it, and then put me on antibiotics for 2 weeks, then head to the OR, because if I didn't, we would just go through this process continually throughout life, and if I let it go over time, it could tunnel further and make worse complications over time. However, summer was coming up, and I had a lot of plans scheduled, so I convinced him to let me just do the lancing, then schedule the surgery at a later date. The lancing wasn't pleasant; they tell you that the shot to numb it isn't bad and that it will not be too bad after that, but I can tell you mine hurt badly, I guess because of the infection. He had to put 2 or 3 shots in it, and even then I still felt the pressure of him pushing around and draining it. It eventually went numb enough that I could drive myself home, and he gave me some pain meds and antibiotics. For the first hour or so, no real pain, just sensitive to sit, but after about 3 hours out of his office, the pain set in. It hurt. I didn't expect it to hurt *that* badly with just a lancing, but it hurt bad enough that I had to have help with my children for a day or two after that (I have a 2 1/2 year old and a then 6 month old.)

 Everything seemed to heal okay, and I got to wait through the summer as I had hoped, so that I could go on vacation and stay at the lake. About 1 month ago, I started feeling that familiar pressure and pain, and called my general surgeon again to tell him I thought I was ready for surgery, but the nurse said he would need to see me to make sure it wasn't infected again, and that he may have to lance it one more time before he did the surgery. I went in, and luckily, it wasn't acutely infected or anything, so I made the surgery for 1 1/2 weeks later, after taking antibioitcs again. All this weekend, I was worrying myself sick about this thing, especially after reading some of the horror stories on here, so I was having major doubts about this surgery. But my husband made me stick to it, worried that it may get worse with time. He has been a big help. Any support helps, because most people don't understand what you are going through with this, and just think it's not a big deal... :( Today was my surgery, had to be there at 7 am for pre-op, where they do the IV and give you some Pepcid and talk to you about what's gonna happen. Right before they wheeled me to the OR, they gave me some Versed/Valium (happy-to-go-with-you) drugs through my IV to help me relax. At that point, I needed it, no arguing with them. Then I get to the OR, and they give me the oxygen mask, which is tainted with some sleeping stuff, and I just remember taking a few breaths, wondering when the stuff would kick in, cause I definitely didn't wanna be awake for any part of that operation, even the part where they transfer me to the Operating Table, and then the next thing I know, I'm waking up woozy in the Recovery Room. Couldn't get awake very easily, but managed to get out a mumbled "yes" and "no" to my nurse occasionally.

Finally the room starts getting a little more clear, and I realize I have on the oxygen mask and that I'm out of the procedure. They go get my husband and mom, and they come visit. I probably said some silly things to them, because I was still kinda out-of-it. After being awake about 25 minutes, I became aware of the dressing on my bottom, and started to feel a little pressure. The nurse had me sit up and take off the oxygen, and helped me get dressed after I was fully awake. It was kind of difficult raising up the first time, and it was somewhat like a "pulling" sensation down there. My general surgeon did the closed procedure, and said there were quite a few stitches, and there is a huge dressing on my backside... To be honest, I'm a little worried about how I'm gonna use the bathroom, because I'm not allowed to take it off, at least not until 48 hours, which is also when I'm allowed my first shower. That sucks for me, because anyone who knows me, knows that I have to always take a shower in the morning, and even sometimes another at night... *sigh*... But I guess I gotta do what I gotta do. It's been about 6 1/2 hours since my surgery, and right now, I'm still feeling decent. Can't bend down or anything, and sitting to pee isn't wonderful, but nothing unmanageable. I believe they used a long-acting anesthetic, so I'm sure it will all kick in by tomorrow. Got sent home with some Vicodin, no antibiotics, and I'm supposed to take it easy for a while. Not allowed to pick up more than 20 pounds for 2 weeks, which will make it so hard because of my kids. I know they wonder why I can't just pick them up on demand like usual, but I know I better just do what they say, or it could be worse. Right now, I'm hoping for the best, and if the rest of my recovery could go as smoothly as this, than I know I'll be fine. But I'm kinda worried about when the real pain sets in, and when I go back in 2 weeks to have the stiches removed. I'll update and let y'all know how I'm doing. All of you with this crazy annoyance in your lives also, are in my thoughts and prayers... wish everyone the best! Brittney Cornelius Blue Rigdge, GA

Date: October 02, 2005

Story

I had my surgery in the last week of August 2005 and am on the road to recovery. Like others, I was very nervous about having this infection and was on antibiotics for two weeks before I was told to go for surgery. As this was my first major surgery, I took some advice from experts in this field such as Dr. Bascom who appear on this website. Several weeks after, I am definitely feeling a lot better and am thankful to Dr. Jeffrey Sternberg (based in San Francisco) for doing the surgery and providing continuous time and support in the initial weeks. For all those out there facing similar problems, I advice you to visit a colon & rectal surgeon, and read the website thoroughly as it was a helpful guide from the time of the surgery to post-recovery. Please feel free to contact me if you any questions or concerns at kapilbm@gmail.com. Below are contact details for Dr. Bascom & Jeffrey Sternberg: Dr. Bascom – jbascomr@pacinfo.com Dr. Sternberg – (415) 923-3020 / (415) 668-0411 (Based in San Francisco)

Date: October 01, 2005

Story

i put my first "story" on here on august 11, which was one week after my surgery... my doctor had told me i would have three weeks before we would be done packing, no luck there, two months later and we're still packing gauze, the good news is that the "extra hole" in my behind is now only about the size of a blueberry and we cant get the gauzed to stay in it so i guess that's good, it's been a trip having to do this, and kinda depressing, but i've made it through and i bet that anybody can... if there is anybody that needs help dealing with this, i'm a good person to talk to, my email is alexdrozd110188@msn.com, i'm 16 years old and i live in texas. i was the one who was convinced to have it checked out by my boyfriend.. and for everybody who is just now dealing with it... i truly do feel your pain =)

Date: October 01, 2005

Story

Hello everyone: this is a follow up letter from Sept 19. I have dissolving sutures. I have healed so well the home care nurse now only comes twice a week and just 3 more visits have been scheduled. In between, my husband changes my bandage daily, just gauze and tape. The only thing is occasionly the incision gets itchy when there is a suture rubbing. My pilonial sinus was shallow, only 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep in places. Maybe this is why the sutures worked for me. I will keep reading everyone's letters and post a follow up of my own the end of October. Good luck.

Date: September 29, 2005

Story

I am a 27 year old female from North Carolina.The first time I had ever heard of a pilonidal cyst is from my father.He had one that started when he was 18, he promptly had it drained and went on with life , it was 10 years before it flared up again, he had it drained again, then 5 years later it flared up again. He decided to have the surgury to get it removed, and to this day it still gives him trouble.Now, about 3 years ago I started getting pain, and when it got unbearable I went to the doctor, he lanced it,(I had to lay on the table for 30 minutes afterwarda, I was so nauseous from the pain, and same thing when I got it repacked).About 6 months later it swelled up again, I was so scared to go back to the doctor, but tthank god this time he just told me to soak it ina sitz bath. He scheduled me for an appointment to have it removed.When I went for the consultation, the surgeon told me that sometimes the cure is worse than the disease, that it can come back, even if it was supposedly removed, so I did not go through with the surgery.Now about every 2 months or so it drains, sometimes its more painfulk than others, but it always opens up and drains itself, so i think as long as it keeps draining itself, I will never go through with the surgery, I think that is an experience I could live without, because the way it is now, might be a little uncomfortable, but I can never forget the pain when I first had it lanced, and I asume surgery would be alot worse than that.stacyhabanec@yahoo.com

Date: September 28, 2005

Story

I will tell you all, that we all share the same stories. I have read all of them, and I am one of you myself. I read below that one of you gained a bunch of weight and it was depressing you. You are not alone, we all gained weight. It is impossible not too, we cannot do anything for months. Depression comes with weight gain, they go hand in hand. I was also very depressed. I worked out 5 days a week for 7 years. This cyst took me out of the gym for three months, and I gained 20 pounds. It was something I was not used too. None of my cloths fit any longer. I went out and bought new pants( only two pairs though), I knew I would be back in the old ones. Pretty much what I am trying to say is, it does get better. I have had two this year, and have missed 5 months total from the gym. One two month section and a three month section. It sucks beleive me. It is best if you have someone to support you. My girlfriend was very helpful, she changed the gauze twice a day everyday for two months, ( Good Girl). But, without her support I would have been in bad shape. She kept reminding me that it was temporary, and that I would be able to lose the weight no problem. Not just the weight, but my serotonin was low from not running or lifting. I am better now, and I hope all of you now it will be better, just keep positive.

Date: September 28, 2005

Story

i have read plenty of stories and posts on this site, and i must say i am thankful that my experience, so far, hasn't been nearly as bad as ones i've come across on here. so maybe my experience will help others by not freaking them out as much as maybe some of the others. im a 20 year old female, who has never even heard about this until a few weeks ago. i started to notice this pain when i at down. i figured it was just my tailbone because i've fallen before & it was a similar pain, but i couldn't recall myself falling or hitting my tailbone recently. as the days passed, the pain got worse & it was very hard for me to find a comfortable position to sit in, i just had to lean on either side. i started to feel around the area & i noticed a lump right around my upper part of my butt. after a few days, i searched up online to figure out what this could possibly be, and i came across this site. the description fit perfectly, so i told my parents. they didn't really say/do anything about it. so a few days later, the pain was intolerable. i couldn't sit, walk, or even lay down without this paralizing pain. i took tylenol & ibeprofin but nothing helped. after a night of tossing & turning to try & find a position where i could stand the pain, i went to my parents, bawling my eyes out saying i couldn't take it anymore, so they took me to the er. when i finally got to see the doctor, he looked at it, felt it, & immediately said he is going to have to cut it open & drain it because it was really infected. i have read in a lot of stories/posts on this site saying people have had theirs drain or burst, but mine hadn't been draining at all, i guess it wasn't to that point yet?

 so the doctor gave me 2 shots to numb the area, which he said was going to be the most painful part of the procedure, but compared to the pain of him pushing on it to drain it, the shots were nothing. i think i cried the whole time, and i have a pretty extreme pain tolerance. it was extremely painful when he had to pack it with gauze as well. i was put on keflex & percocets for pain. the percs worked pretty well for the most part, while the keflex ended up giving me a yeast infection, which i hadn't noticed anybody mention anything about that happening to them. it was a little sore to sit down after getting it lanced, but it was definately a relief. i could just feel the pressure released, and the next day i was able to sit normally with only little discomfort. i had to go back to the er 3 times to get the gauze changed, which i made myself so sick over getting that done because i just thought it was so painful. about 5 or 6 days after getting it lanced, i had an appointment at the wound care center at the hospital & the nurses measured my wound, & had said it was pretty deep, so that kinda freaked me out. i had a follow up appt with a dr to check it out to see if i was going to need surgery or whatnot.

when he checked it out he said it was healing nicely, & i didn't have to get it packed anymore with gauze but to keep it covered because it was still draining a bit. he said i don't need to have the surgery since it is healing, but that it would be the best to get it done so that it might not come back again. so i have a follow up appt with him in 2 days so he can check it again, & to let him know my decision on if i want to get the surgery or not. i think im going to go for the surgery, because i really don't think i can handle going through this again. the pain was just too horrible. but so far everything seems to be going well, and im thankful that i went & got it taken care of right away. i urge you to go to the doctors as soon as you can when you find out you have this. the quicker it gets taken care of the better.

Date: September 27, 2005

Story

My story started back in 1989 when I was 19 years old. My tail-bone had been sore and then it got extremely sore. I thought it was a boil that had gotten infected. At the time I was in college, which was 2 hours from home, and had to drive home in a standard car (the kind you have to shift)on a very sore butt. When I arrived at the doctors I was diagnosed with a pilonidal cyst. Apparently it was infected. The doctor told me that a pilonidal cyst is a type of birth defect and that it forms inuteral during the 4th month of pregnancy when the skin is forming over the spinal area and a hole is left. Then during puberty, when all the oils are forming it fills and gets infected. I was put on antibiotics and had to soak it in epsom salt and water 2 times a day. After a while it began to drain. After it completely drained and the infection was gone I had it surgically removed--flap style (as I've heard it called-where they cut up from the top of the butt crack and curve over to the left-nice scar) and 2 tubes were inserted in on each side of my upper buttocks to where the cyst was for draining. I was told the cyst was the size of a grapefruit. The only issue I've had over the last 16 years is numbing around the scar and surrounding area and occasional breakouts (kind of like large blackheads). I didn't realize that there were so many others who have had the same thing. Nice to know. Teresa

Date: September 27, 2005

Story

I am so sorry to hear of all the pain and surgery that so many have suffered through. I didn't even know that my condition had a name and I was very lucky that I didn't have to seek medical attention. My PC flaired up over 35 years ago. I thought I had hurt my tailbone but after a few days, I decided to have a look at the area. There was a bump and something that looked to me like a blackhead. I assumed it was an infected pimple (I was prone to some pimples but I had never had one there!)so I was determined to get it out! Finally after a few days, something the size and shape of a wooden kitchen match came out. I remember that I almost passed out from the pain while I was pressing on this thing and I also remember the immediate relief I felt once it was out. I don't recall any puss but who knows -- it felt so much better I didn't care. My point is this -- I have been careful with that area, not sitting down too hard or on hard surfaces for long periods of time and I have NOT had any other episodes, no lancing or surgery of any kind. I feel blessed after reading so many horror stories. I wonder if doctors aren't just a little too eager to do surgery? Of course if you have abcess after abcess, you should seek some kind of solution, but keeping that area especially clean, being careful and waiting it out seems like a good idea for some of us.

Date: September 27, 2005

Story

I just had my cyst removed one week ago and the surgery went well. I had no pain and everything seemed to be great as I was on the road to recovery, until last Friday when my wife was changing my packing. She pulled out the first of three peices of gauze and I began to shoot blood all over the place. It was gushing out like a waterfall. I was rushed to the hospital where they determined I had a "pumper." That's where blood shoots out of you with your heart beat. To fix the problem, they had to pick the clots out and use "Silver Nitrate" on the clots. This stuff burns!!!!!! Even though the doctor said it won't hurt a bit. Anyway, I've been doing ok since then and I hope to never experience this again. The doctor said it was not my wife's fault and we did nothing wrong. These things just happen. If this happens to anyone out there, don't be scared and get to a hospital. Oh, and use an ambulance. You'll get service quicker! I did not and sat bleeding in the ER waiting room for 90 minutes.

Date: September 27, 2005

Story

I AM 19 YEARS OLD AND FROM THE UK, I AM NOW RECOVERING FROM MY SURGERY. aT FIRST I JUST THOUGHT THAT I HAD BRUISED MY BACK AS IT WAS JUST SORE THEN OVER THE NEXT SEVEN DAYS THE PAIN GOT MUCH WORSE UNTIL I COULDNT SIT DOWN OR WALK ABOUT PROPERLY, MOST PEOPLE THOUGHT I WAS OVER REACTING BUT SLOWLY BUT SURLEY MY ABSCESS BEGAN TO SHOW UNTIL I HAD 2 SINUS HOLES IT WAS THE MORNING AFTER WHEN I COULD NO LONGER WALK SIT OR STAND THAT I FINALLY WENT TO THE A+E WHO DIAGNOSED A PILONIDAL CYST STRAIGHTAWAY AND REFERED ME TO A HOSPITAL EQUIPPED TO DEAL WITH THIS THE SAME DAY I ATTENDED THE HOSPITAL WHO ARRANGED SURGERY FOR THE NEXT DAY, WHERE I HAD A GENERAL ANESTHETIC AND MY ABSCESS WAS REMOVED.

I NOW HAVE A 3 CENTMETRE HOLE IN MY BACK THAT IS CURRENTLY BEING DRESSED DAILY WITH KALTOSTAT (AKA SEAWEED) AND IS APPARENTLY HEALING NICELY. FOR ME THE WORST PART NOW IS HAVING THE DRESSINGS CHANGED IT IS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO PAINFUL THAT I HAVE TO TAKE MY MORPHINE BASED PAINKILLER BEFOREHAND AND SOME OF THE OTHER DRUGS THAT I HAVE TO TAKE HAVE BEEN GIVING ME STOMACH CRAMPS. BUT COMPARED TO SOME OF THE STORIES I HAVE READ ON THIS SITE I FEEL EXCEPTIONALLY LUCKY TO HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED AND TREATED SO QUICKLY AND HOPEFULLY I WONT BE POSTING HERE AGAIN TOUCH WOOD BUT IT HAS REALLY HELPED TO READ THE STORIES ON THIS SITE AND TO HAVE FOUND SUCH ALOT OF INFORMATION IN ONE PLACE. GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE ON HERE I HOPE YOU GET THINGS SORTED SOON AS I KNOW HOW PAINFULL AND DIBILITATING THE ABSCESSES CAN BE.

Date: September 27, 2005

Story

Hey I'm 18 yrs old from boone north carolina, I had my first pilonidal cyst when I was 16. I was coming home from a church youth trip and noticed an extreme pain in my tailbone area. I thought maybe I had fallin down and bruised it. When I got home I looked and there was a small hole about 3 inchs above my tailbone. My dad thought it was a spider bite lol. Well I went to my family doctor and he told me it appeared to be a cyst and recommended me to a specialist. When I went to the doctor he told me it was a pilonidal cyst and it needed to be removed. The surgery was horrible mainly because of my fear of needles. It was open surgery. The cyst was huge, or so i thought. He didnt give me much advice on the after care. He told me it wouldnt take too long to heal.

So about 6 months and many many check up appointments it was closed and still hurting. About one month after that a small hole appeared again. I went back to the doctor and he said "Oh, I must have missed some" so I had my second open surgery. Again the surgery sucked and was a pain in the ass (no pun intended) and this one was larger and took 6 more months to heal. Oh yea silver nitrate gives me horrible nightmares. So at this point I had a whole year ruined by this crap not to mention I had gained about 20 pounds do to my lack of activity which wasnt helping my morale. I missed about an entire month of school from being depressed about it (I dont know if any of yall have suffered from depression over it but I sure have). Finally it healed. Thank God. Well I went on with life as normal, back to lifting weights, and had lost all that weight plus more I went from 210 to 183lbs and was happier than ever until about 4 months ago in June 2005. I had a bunch of swelling in the same spot. I went to the same doctor and he said I could either try to deal with it using anitbiotics or take it out again.

So I knew it wasnt going away so I had him take it out again for the third time. So know 4 months later I am still not healed and it has started to swell up again and I dont know what to do. I'm still goin to the doctor for check ups and I have one this week. I feel like i'm never gonna get rid of this and it really has me down. If it has come back for the fourth time I'm going to another doctor even if it doesnt matter. I'm just so tired of this. My last 2 years in High School sucked and now college is the same. If anyone has any advice or just some words of encouragement please email me I really need it right now lljsmitty@yahoo.com

Date: September 25, 2005

Story

Hi everyone, I am 26 year old male and this is my second surgery in one year.In March of this year I had my first surgery, and they closed it with stitches, to make the long story short, never actually healed properlly, it was bleading sometimes, i had a small hole that never would close. The only one thing that would make me feel better was to shave all the hair around it. Now I am laying down on my couch after the second surgery that was performed 3 days ago, and yes "Open" surgery, in my opinion, the best and only way to go. This time different doctor, different hospital. The first doctor would say "It looks good, there is no infection, it's healing up slowly" Just imagine 20 + visits same story every time. Anyway, I feel good and it's only my third day after the surgery. I'll keep you guys posted on how i am doing.

Date: September 24, 2005

Story

Hi, This is my first post - I am a 26 year old female, for the past 6-8 years, usually annually I have had a sore tailbone, the pain is only noticable when I sit and only lasts around 5 days. When the pain is present, I can feel a small lump on the inside, there is nothing protruding (like an absess/cyst) I finally went to the Doctor this week and he told me that I had Pilonidal Sinus..... However, upon examination, he told me that I had a small sinus hole. I am a little confussed as to what to do? he didn't mention anything about having it removed. There is never any discharge etc... Has anyone else had this problem?

Date: September 23, 2005

Story

Hey. Well I'm a 16 year old female from the Uk and in the middle of this glorious experience. After having noticed a lot of discomfort in the area for a couple of years (though I thought it was my tailbone as I had previously broken it) one day, on the train, the abcess burst - nice and messy. After the original diagnosis in December it was 9 months until my actual operation - during which the abcess got infected a further 7 times. Had the operation 13 days ago now. I was in day-procedures so came home after an hour and for the first few days all was good and I didn't feel a thing. But on day 4 the pain intensified and the wound started to bleed, more and more each day. 3 days ago I went to have my stitches removed, only to asked 'Was it supposed to be an open wound?'. So, now my stitches have fallen apart and I have a 3 inch open hole in my backside and no one seems to know what to do. It would have been nice if the doctor told me he only stitched half the wound up or told me/the nurse what to when the rest broke. I've been told the wound is falling in on itself and is now infected and I need 2 more weeks of school but nothing else - not how to care for it or if I need more stitches or to pack it. That's the NHS for you.

Date: September 23, 2005

Story

I actually have an encouraging story to share! My 17-year old son had what he thought was a boil last November and he had been ignoring it, hoping it would go away. It started abscessing and draining and he mentioned it to us (his parents) - so we took him to a dermatologist who dug in there and tried to clean it out. We were told it was a Pilonidal Abscess. It kept abscessing, so he took him to a Colonl/Rectal Doctor in Atlanta (Board Certified - always make sure your Doctor is Board Certified Colon/Rectal Surgeon who does a lot of Pilonidal cases).. In April, he had surgery to clean out the abscess area and it was stitched back up, in the flap style. It took 4 months of returning to the doctor's office every few weeks to get it checked and hairs pulled out so it could heal, sometimes with the application of silver nitrate on a Q-tip, and it did continue to drain in one spot (and then two spots) that would not heal. We were feeling frustrated, thinking that he would have go undergo another surgery, to clean it out again with the "open heal" type of surgery - Then, 4 months later, it DID heal, stopped draining, and seems to be just fine and normal for a month now - apparently gone. So don't give up hope - !

Date: September 21, 2005

Story

Hopefully, my pilonidal story is drawing to an end. This has been the single most irritating experience ever. I've always had the bump, just never bothered me until about a year ago. I flew home to visit the folks and it just went nuts. I went to the emergency room and they diagnosed it as a pilonidal. They gave me a shot and some pills and told me to get to a surgeon to have it removed. So I did. I went in for my consultation visit, and they said that they could do it right there. But they also said that it was not what I had been told. They said that it was slightly off the midline, so it couldn't be. They told me that it was a sebacious cyst. Sure it was... They just gave me local and about half an hour into the surgery he says it's not a sebacious cyst, it's some sort of tumor. Nothing threatening, just some silly tumor. So he took it out, stitched me up, and sent me on my way. It sucked for a little while, felt better for a little while, and then, about two weeks later, it sucked. I went in and the surgeon said that the wound abcessed. He opened it, left it open, and had me pack it for a few days. Again, it got better, then worse. I went back, and he said that it just closed too quickly and abcessed again. This time, he opened it and cut a pretty big circle of skin away around the wound. He said that would make it heal fine. And it seemed to. For about two months... Then it abcessed again.

Can you see why I'm irritated? To make a long story short, here I am, two weeks post op, and finally free of my pilonidal cyst. Yes, that's what I said, pilonidal cyst. Path reports prove it. So, the moral of this pilonidal story is: just because they're doctors doesn't make them right... I educated myself, read up, knew what I was talking about, and still let them strong arm me into thinking I was wrong. Be picky about your doctor. You deserve it. So, if anyone is in the area and curious, do not go to either Dr. Miller or Dr. Dumire in Johnstown, PA. If you do, yell at them for me. If you're in the metro detroit area (where I'm going to school), go see Dr. Seigel. He seems to know his shit, and he's taken the time to listen to mine. Like I said, I'm feeling better than I have in quite awhile. Alright, that's it. The End.

Date: September 21, 2005

Story

This is my update from August. I had my sinuses drained for a second time. Everything I keep reading is from people who had their cysts removed. Has anyone had any success with draining only? This is all getting very old-gauze is irritating and makes it difficult to work out, etc. They now have me on this ointment that actually eats bacteria so my largest sinus will heal up. Back to see the doctor in two weeks-hope to show signs of improvement. I need a positive drainage story-please!

Date: September 21, 2005

Story

While reading through all of our stories on here, I noticed many of us have included our emails in our stories. I think this is a great idea and a huge support system for fellow sufferers of PD. I had an idea of my own, but I'm not sure how to go about doing it. I think a yahoo group dedicated to people with PD would provide a great place to meet and share our experiences in a more "real time" way. This site is AWESOME and I would never take anthing away from it. I just thought that a yahoo group would only add to the tremendous service this site provides all of us. Maybe it's a dumb idea, but I just thought I'd throw it out there and see what anyone thinks of it. Thanks for reading, Steve Fisk goateedbear2000@yahoo.com

Date: September 20, 2005

Story

Hi. My name is Steve. I'm a 39 year old male living in the Chicago area. My first pilonidal cyst occurred more than 4 years ago. Like many others on here, it began as just a small, red, sore area at the top of my butt crack (sorry for not using the medical terms in my story). It became very painful very quickly. I didn't think much of it until my doctor said it was actually an infection. I took special note of this, since I have been a very brittle diabetic for 21 years and know the dangers of infection. At that first meeting with him, he said he would lance it, right there in his office. After numbing it up, which hurt much worse than I had thought it would, he carved an "X" shape over the cyst and was able to drain a pretty good amount of pus out of it, which immediately relieved the pressure. He sent me home with a small dressing and a bandaid. Everything was fine until this past June.

I should also let you know that I had a kidney transplant 2 years ago, so my immune system is very low due to the anti-rejection drugs I now take to protect my new kidney from being rejected. So, when I noticed my cyst had come back much bigger and painful this last time, I was scared. I let it go to far this time and ended up with a very high fever. My wife took me to the local ER to have it looked at. The doctor on call there said I needed to have it lanced again. So, there I was, face down, teeth clenched, waiting for the lidocaine shots. This time, I had the pus drained and the doctor cut some of the tissue away that had surrounded the cyst/abcess. Here's where it went terribly wrong. Instead of packing it/dressing it, he left it open and sent me home without any antibiotics. That was on a Saturday afternoon. By late that evening, my temperature had sored to 104 and I was throwing up and having severe diarrhea. Early Sunday morning, we went to Loyola University Medical Center in Cnicago, the hospital that I had had the kidney transplant. When I arrived in their ER, my blood pressure had dropped to 60/30, my temp was 104.5 and my blood sugar was hovering in the high 600's. By all accounts, I should have died. I was rushed to a private room and had the whole lancing procedure repeated, less than 24 hours since the last one. Again, face down, 10 shots of lidocaine this time and much more cutting. I ended up with a hole about the size of a nickel in diameter and 1/2 inch deep.

They packed it very tightly and I remained in the hospital for 4 more days. Every morning, the nurse would come in at 7am sharp to change the packing. I remember the first time she ripped the iodoform from the wound...I thought I was going to go throgh the roof!! And packing it hurt just as much. I was finally sent home on IV antibiotics for 2 weeks, which I had to learn to administer myself. My wife took over the packing duties. To her credit, she tried her hardest, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. I ended up enlisting a few close friends to come over once a day and unpack/pack my wound. Things settled down for two months, until last week. The cyst/abcess is back again!! I called my surgeon and he wants me to come in next Monday to look at it and schedule the surgery to finally remove the entire thing.

After reading some of the stories on here, I have to admit I am scared to death. I have a high threshold for pain, but I don't know how I'm going to get through this. I can't imagine having a hole in my butt that big. I have no idea which surgery he will preform, but I know that there are no painfree options at this point. Being a diabetic, along with the low immune system, I am counting on a very slow recovery, not to mention a painful one. I know I'll get through it somehow, I don't have any other choice. But that doesn't change the fact of how afraid I am. I appreciate reading the other stories on here, even if they make me more scared than I already was. I'll keep you posted on the progress of my surgery/recovery. If anyone would like to email me for moral support, I'd greatly appreciate it, hearing from someone that's been there and is actually doing a lot better now that it's all over. My email is goateedbear2000@yahoo.com Thanks for reading this and sharing your own stories. I wish all of us luck while going through this ordeal. I think that people who have never had this kind of problem see it as just a sore on your butt. We all know it's much more than that. I'm scared to death!!!! Steve Fisk

Date: September 19, 2005

Story

Hello all...I'm a 19 year old female and it has been 3 years since I discovered my abscess. Upon discovering the abscess, I had it drained in the emergency room because at that point the pain was so unbearable that I could not sleep. A few months later my doctor decided to perform my first surgery. I thought that all was well, but two surgeries later I realized it was only the beginning. The last surgery that I had (about a year and a half ago) was the hardest to go through and to recover from. The wound was left open to heal from the inside out, which in my opinion is painful but a good choice. Recently, I noticed that the abcess is coming back and even though this is not the first recurrence, the shocked feeling is still the same. So what I want to say to all of you dealing with the same thing, is to keep your spirits high and eventually things will look bright again...at least we all hope. Good luck to everyone! -Jennifer, Cincinnati, Ohio

Date: September 19, 2005

Story

Hi, I am a 35 years old male from Sweden. Laready in June, notice a "pimple" at my lower back/cleavege that did keep "nice" by emptying itself with minimum force and adstringant solutions. But end of July I noticed it grew in size and also started to sink down, leaving me abit in discomfort til the first of August, when it was litterally down and getting deeper and leaving less and less pus out, why I booked a time at the Surgeon't at our local hospital. The pain started to grow rapidly too...Good - they had a time two days after! What I wasn't prepared of was the "judgement"; that whatever classification it may be, it needed an emergent surgery. This was the 10:th of August. Up to a ward, pre-OP showers, IV put in, morphine given to ease the now really bothersome pain. AT 6 pm I came to the OR, and were beeing prepped by a fantastic staff, treated like a king, reassured I was going to sleep very deep, got more drugs I.V as pre-surgery procedure. Surgeon was abit late up so we had alot of chit-chat meanwhile. At 6.30 it was time...I saw the syringe emptying into my arm and was told to take a few deep breaths of "the bad smelling gas" and off I was. I noticed the time clearly - 6.30. At 8 pm I started coming around at the post-surgery ward and as I ws getting more concious, the more I really noticed *id been "handelled" in my behind...aoch... Here they give initially Propacetamol, wich is like acetaminophen, but in a tiny bag, to empty in around 10 minutes, white the nurse gave mg by mg of morphine.

When I was completely awoke and had no pains at all, I was taken back to the ward, where I got more painkillers with acetaminophen/paracetamol tablets and left folowing day, after all necessary paperworks like prescriptions, advices etc. After that I have had a "hell" literally. The pains have been so intense - mainly at cleaning the wound out in the shower - that I was prescribed Oxycodone 10 mg.s to take together with the Tylenol 3 I already had - I just couldn't do anything, as I was just vibrating of pains in the shower. The docs were most considerate and understandeable. After this, it was status quo for about 3-4 weeks - wound looked like from beginning, I could se the muscle tissues in the cavity...I had to plan such simple things as going to the toilet - take the pills about an hour before, do the necessary stuff like emptying myself, then into the shower, ending it all with showering the cavity out. I called for a re-visit, could come same day to the hospital and told that I had the same pains as from beginning and that not even my spouse could see any improvement. They told that the healing of in particular in between the cleavage CAN take time due to the lack of underlaying tissue but had no explanations to why it still was hurting so badly, but took it all seriously. New script on Tylenol 3 and Oxycodone 10 mg, padded on the back, and told "Just call if you feel bad or so - we are here for you!"

12:th of September I started noticing that the pain was diminishing - and that the wound finally had started to get smaller in size. Alot of excudates (non-smelly) in the wound dressings, I could stop taking Oxycodone for the cleaning process, now take only Tylenol 3, and noticing that even that pain is diminishing. And that the excudates get lesser and lesser. And I feel SO releaved. It feels like i've been indoors just wataching the summer pass by in front of my eyes, and all the days beeing so long. Isn't it strange how time seems to distorts when beeing in pains? How pain also can almost remove hunger so that you have to force yourself to eat properly? Today its the 19:th of September. It doesn't hurt much at all, and my GP thinks that I can start working next week - taking it slowly. He treated a boil I had sliced open same way two years ago aboutr 1 inch from this one and told from the files that that one healed well within three to four weeks, not like this one. It is now almost completely closed...I more fel the wellknown feeling of itching as it does when wounds heal and that feel marvellous. I actually have had a hell (sorry can't describe it any other way) but has been given alot of aid from the care along the way. But now I just want to forget two theese two months of sickleave. But for you guys that may have wounds that close slowly - hang in there. If you hurt more than your tablets can prevent - do ask for stronger medicines. It is just temporary, but can be oh so rough to handle anyhow. Now - I hope never to get it again! Enough! Notes: Paracetamol is same substance as acetaminophen in USA. Tylenol 3 is 500 mg of paracetamol with 30 mg codeine. Patrick

Date: September 19, 2005

Story

Hello everyone: This is a follow up letter from Sept 13. My surgery involved disolving sutures. It has been 7 days and my incision is really healing well now, in fact, it appears theat the healing process has taken right off now,considering it was so slow the last two and a half weeks. I no longer require daily packing, just gauze with saline and a bandage. Soon this will all be over and life will be back to normal. I hope my letter will give someone a light at the end of the tunnel. Good luck everyone.

Date: September 18, 2005

Story

Hello all.. yet another tale of the great pain in the ass with which we all have to live with. I am a 25 year old male, and I'm a custom bench jeweler and watchmaker, and own my own shop- which means I often sit in the same spot for 10+ hours a day, which I am sure caused my condition, but you've gotta pay the bills.... About a year ago, I noticed a hard spot there around my crack, but didnt think much of it, I thought it may just be nothing, and it wasnt hurting, so I left it be.

WELL, aout 6 weeks ago while working on a big-money job, it got to be a little sore, so I shifted around till it got comfortable and continued working. When I stood up about 2 hours later, I damn near fainted from the pain and the pressure. So I left the shop and came over to the house to have a look in the mirror, and on the right side, it was swollen up like a ping pong ball. I am "fortunate" enough to have 2 pilonidals, one on either side of my coccyx. Well the one on the right was badly swollen and obviously full of liquid, and since at the time I had no idea what it was, I figured it was a boil of some sort. So, me being me, I located a diaper pin in the medicine cabinet, dunked it in some iodine, and just stuck it in there like you would with a blister on your foot. Well, those of you who have had yours lanced with anesthetic in a doctors office know how bad it hurts under that scenario, you can imagine the pain that shot through me at that moment. Let's put it this way- 3 years ago I took a 9mm bullet in my collarbone in a robbery attempt, and that was like a stumped toe compared to this. It ruptured, and ruptured good. Kinda freaked me out to be honest with you.

So after I regained my composure, I got in my jeep (funny how the doc called it "jeep drivers disease") and drove to the hospital, where I had to explain to the nurse just why I stuck a pin in my ass. Well, to make a long story short, I got my diagnosis and they wanted to do surgery the next day but due to work constraints I scheduled it for january. In New Orleans. Well, the hospital in new orleans is gone, so I'll be having it done closer to home (Pensacola, FL) on January 12th. wish me luck.. and maybe I won't do any more self-surgery before then :)

Date: September 16, 2005

Story

Here is my story it is a copy of a letter I sent to a doctor that has a column in the newspaper. Thought it might interest some of you with the problem. Hi Doctor: I just read your article in our local Daily Press and it brought back memories of my operation for a pilonidal cyst in the 60s. I had a very good doctor then just out of internship. Long story short when he operated after he removed the cyst he sewed it open like butterfly wings so it had to heal from the inside out. I went to his office twice a week so he could put silver nitrate on it. It would burn at times during the day and lucky I had a job as a store manager so I did not have to set down. He told me after it healed that if I ever seen signs of it returning to make it back to his office stat and he would fix it. About a year later I felt a lump like a cyst so I went back. He lanced it treated it with silver nitrate and today 45 years later it has not come back. I know you will not get that kind of special care from doctors today because of their workload, but I am forever grateful to him. I read where he has recently retired and his son is also a doctor. Respectfully D. J. M.

Date: September 15, 2005

Story

It simply amazes me how often somebody puts their story on this site. A part of me wants to think that there are just a lot of people out there that just want to make something up to see their name on a webpage. However, who in the heck would want to have their name on a hairy-butt pimple site? Apparantly a bunch of us with hairy-butt pimples.....go figure. I know, I know, it's not a pimple, it's not a cyst, it IS an abcess. I've had mine for a little bit over a year now. I noticed one day in the shower. I just figured it had to be some kind of zit or something. Much to my amazement though, my doc diagnosed as a pilonidal cyst. It has now been 4 months since he looked at it and i'm still awaiting surgery to have it removed. Pain insues daily. It smells wonderful when it drains let me tell you (yes......that was meant to be sarcastic!) I can't wait to get rid of this thing. I can honestly say that there is some degree of relief knowing that i'm not the only one out there that has this condition going on. Thank you for the site. To this day, it is a running joke that nobody knows when i'm going to get my tail cut off. I'll see about posting again after i get my butt cut up. Ryan - 27yr male in the United States Navy

Date: September 14, 2005

Story

Well hello everyone, I'm sure you are all here for the same reason I am! Well, where to begin. Three weeks ago I felt a pain in my tailbone, I figured it was just a minor bruise and that it would go away. Well it didn't! It started to get worse, until the pain was unbearable. No matter how much tylenol I took, the pain was terrible. I could barely walk, had to sit and lay on my side, and definitely couldn't drive. I went to the doctors and they said "yep its a pilondial here is some antibiodics and some pain killers and you'll be fine".. well I wasn't fine! Two days and alot of baths, warm compresses, crying, and agonizing pain, I went to the hospital. They said my cyst wasn't ready yet, so they said come back in a few days. I think I spent more time that night in the bathtub then anywhere else. That morning, bright and early, I went to the doctors where they lanced my cyst. The pain was terrible. I was told "the shot would be the thing that hurts the worst and will go away seconds after".. well the pain didn't go away, I felt them cut my cyst open, then felt a warm sensation on the back of my thighs. My cyst shot up, like a little baby peeing, a 1/2 cup of liquid! But it felt so much better. I am still in the recovery stage. Was able to return to work within a week. I am taking epsom salt baths regularly and it seems to be doing the trick. I am planning on a closed surgery in December. I will post my results of that when I can move again. I am hoping I will go flare-up free until then. Wish me luck!

Date: September 14, 2005

Story

so i figure i may as well share my story. let's see, about 3 years ago i was in a ridiculous amount of pain. it was a strange "i've pulled a muscle" type pain that went from my shoulder blades to the backs of my knees. oddly enough... the actual site didn't really hurt, it was just sending pain throughout the aforementioned parts. i never had any issues with draining so i really hadn't even discovered the cyst until i went to see the doctor. not too sure how i didn't discover it because by the time i did get to the doctor it was the size of a grapefruit (why are cysts and the likes always compared to citrus fruit?). anyway... he put me on heavy duty anti-biotics and pain meds and advised hot baths several times a day. it eventually burst and you all know how horrible and painful that is. i've had 2 flare-ups since... only one rivaled my first experience... the 3rd go around i couldn't even stand up-right. i had to walk hunched over and sitting down or lying on my back were hardly an option. haven't had any problems since...

Date: September 13, 2005

Story

mel here... it has been almost a month since i posted and guess what i have healed! but wait theres more... as soon as i healed... 2 days later well hello there mr. abscess!! (ITS AN ABSCESS NOT A CYST! IF YOU THINK ITS A CYST YOU NEED ANOTHER DOCTORS OPINION!!!!!!) Anyway... my uncle had the same problem and my aunty was told to use MANUKA honey on the problem area... you simply place the honey onto the lump 2 to 3 times a day and it pulls all the gunk to the top and after about 3 weeks max of application the problem should be gone... you must keep the honey in the fridge though and it must be MANUKA honey if it isn't MANUKA don't use it... you can get it from a naturopath or your local pharmacy where i got mine... im not guaranteing that this will work... it worked on my uncle and it seems to be working on me... however it may not be for everyone. But as with me im sure your all willing to try anything that doesn't involve surgeons cutting holes in your arse anymore... trust me... ive got an extreme case and if its working for me it must be worth the try... and guess what IT DOESN'T HURT! theres a slight... and i mean slight throbbing when draining but it is nothing at all compared to the rest of the pain... its actually a good pain compared to anything else we have all been through... So yes that's my advice... give it a go... Peace out Mel xxx

Date: September 13, 2005

Story

I'm a 27 year old male. I fist started to notice my cyst about 1 year ago. My cyst was always very small, never bigger than the tip of my little finger. I experienced some drainage and mild discomfort. After about 9 months I went to my GP. He knew exactly what it was and perscribed some antibiotics. They didn't really do much as far as I could tell. Since I was not in any real pain I ignored the cyst for a few more months. Finaly I just got tired of the dang thing and I went to a surgeon. He told me that his son had cyst not too long ago that he removed (that made me feel a little better). Anyway, he took one look and then numbed me up (local only). He excised the cyst and left me with a 4 inch long cut about 1 inch deep. He packed it and left it open and sent me home. That was three weeks ago. I'm healing nicely and there don't seem to be any problems. I did have to take a week off work which was a big inconvience. Anyway, I hope to never see that think again.

Date: September 13, 2005

Story

Hello everyone: I am a 44 year old female who recently had a pilanidal sinus removed on Aug 29/05. I have had this bump since I was 17 years old. Like everyone else's stories I have read here, it started out as a tiny pimple that was itchy and oozed every once and while. In my twenties, it became an annoying cyst that my then GP said to soak in hot baths and that it could be removed if I chose. It settled down with mild flareups over the years. I have a new GP now and it was reccomended that the bump, which now has sinuses, be surgically removed. I now have a 2 inch vertical incision, maybe a 1/4 inch deep, in the cleft of my buttocks with dissolving sutures. A home care nurse comes daily to pack the incision;there is no infection, but the tissue is reddened and is slow to heal. I have no pain, just tenderness during packing, and only needed tylenol with codeine for 24 hours after surgery. I consider myself fortunate. I don't know if waiting this long was either the right or wrong choice, but it's done and over with now. The nurse tells my the incision is healing from the bottom up now, and she hopes that I'll soon be on every other day instead of daily packings. Good luck to everyone .

Date: September 13, 2005

Story

Hi I am a 19 year old girl from Manchester (UK) and have had THE worst 18 months of my life. I started as u all did with a very painfull abscess. I dont know why people are calling them a cyst (it is NOT a cyst). I had the drainage of the abscess (the very same day rushed in, in an ambulance)woke up and there was no pain. One of these is supposed to heal after 2-4 weeks. Four months later it still had not so then i was taken back in and had another 3 abscesses under the wound. A total of 4. 2 operations and 18 months later i am still struggling with a whole the size of a fist. I have seen 3 specialists who don't know why i am not healing. I am going to see someone who can either stitch it up as this open wound business just does not work. I am now considering plastic reconstructive surgery on this. How any one says the whole ordeal is not painful i do not know. Obviously their cases are not as severe as us WIDE EXCISION patients not just DRAINAGE patients. I think it is demorilising having to get your backside out everyday to nurses. And it stil never gets better. If no one can re-operate i am going to stich it up myself with whatever i can find! Lets hope the next tiem i write i can say it has healed but i doubt it i bet i have this for the rest of my life! Great! Take care, Lucy and her disgusting bum with a unsightly open wound

Date: September 12, 2005

Story

Found this site and thought I'd post an optomistic note. I discovered my condition when I was 16 - very athletic, big kid, high school sports, etc. No infection, just mild discharge. Off to the GP, the referral to a general suregon who did a closed procedure. Big removal. Lot of stitches (I thought). Never infected. Healed strong. No further PC. Have used good cleaning technique. Travelled the world on business and military, still very athletic, still big and powerful, just a bit slower. The surgery was 40 years ago. Address the issue, then your life goes on.

Date: September 12, 2005

Story

Yet another member of the club. I began having problems four or five years ago. I don't recall any injury that would have caused this problem so I'm not sure how long it existed.I always thought that it was just a pimple on my tailbone. My cyst became infected and I began running a fever about mid June. I had surgery on June 28 and was the bearer of a golf ball sized cyst. I was in-out of surgery and back home in about 3 hrs. I must be one of the fortunate ones. My doctor was straight forward about the procedure and about care for the wound. I had a clear understanding of what I needed to do from the beginning. I'd have to say that I got tired of the baths (4 times a day, 20 min. each), but it was worth the time. I have had virtually no pain during this entire process. I had no need to take the pain killers prescribed and swelling was minimal. I was surprised at the size of the wound and I did think that it would heal much faster than it did, but all in all my experience was uneventful.

Date: September 09, 2005

Story

Hi, this story is about my son who at the time was 16. He had played a soccer game on a Tuesday night in October and fell on his backside he complained the next couple of day of his tail bone hurting and I just thought it was due to the fall. Well, on Saturday when he got up to go to the league champship game he was bleeding and when I checked it out I could not believe what I saw and the smell. It was so gross! I really didn’t know what it was. I have never heard of a PILONIDAL CYST before. I tried to talk him out of going to his game but he just had to go. He said that it didn’t hurt anymore must be because it was opened up. So I packed it and he went to the game. They won the game and Monday he was in the doctor’s office and that is when the HELL began.

 He had his first surgery on Dec. 6, 2004 and I thought THAT WOULD BE THAT by the 28 of December I had him to the doctor twice and then two more time by January 20th. And the last visit to this doctor he said to me at least it was not cancer. It might not have been cancer but it was infected three different times. So, on the last visit I call another doctor and I found out that the first doctor knew that it was not going to heal because instead of leaving it opening he stitched my son CRACK together and the cyst was still there. And by this time my son had four sinus cavities on his crack so we tried to heal it by packing it on March 7 he underwent surgery again and this time they left it open. My son missed his indoor soccer season, track and spring soccer season. And here he is a senior in high school and in line to miss his senior season of soccer and 6 months after his last surgery I had him to the doctor because it is still draining and just doesn’t look right and now he may have to have another surgery. Well, we are going to a different doctor again. Each time people tell me that this one is the best. Will I hope the third time is a charm. I HOPE I NEVER HAVE TO HEAR THOSE WORDS AGAIN PILONIDAL CYST. This is a cyst from hell! Say a pray or two for him. BMC PA

Date: September 09, 2005

Story

I suffered a rather extreme case of Pilonidal disease, and thought I'd share my story as sort of a comforting reassurance to those of you who have had much more minor brushes with this nuisance of an ailment. Chances are, 99% of you will never experience a case of Pilonidal abcess as bad as mine... and be very thankful for that!

When I was 17, during my senior year in high school, I noticed a small lump forming just above the cleft of my buttocks... just some minor swelling and a little discomfort depending on how I sat. Examining the area revealed what looked to be a small pimple, and I tried to ignore it. About a week later, there was a sudden growth of the bump and fluid started to ooze from it... just a few droplets of almost clear liquid. Within another day, the swelling had increased even more, and a rather vile smelling fluid was pouring out of what turned into a large round gash in the cleft of my buttocks. And it came with quite unbearable pain (A couple years before, I also had the misfortune of suffering a severe case of testicular torsion... that actually hurt *much less*!).

Obviously at this point it was time to see a doctor, since it was clearly much much more than a pimple, and worsening by the hour. I managed to get an emergency visit to my family doctor late that afternoon and upon seeing the wound, my doctor immediately sent me to the neighboring hospital to be admitted, with excision surgery scheduled for the next day. I was put on IV antibiotics and morphine. The next day the excision went ahead... this was far more extreme than the usual outpatient surgical procedure described on this site. It was full anesthesia with 2 days in hospital to recover. The pathologist was utterly shocked at the amount of material they had to extract to fully excise the cyst... I never heard if the number was verified to be the largest pilonidal cyst ever extracted, but the pathologist was quite certain it was... there was just under *2 pounds* of abcessed tissue extracted! And it turned it wasn't really a single "cyst," but there were actually multiple abcessing cysts... the doctors weren't sure of the precise number, due to the rather mangled mass of tissue they pulled out, but there were at least 4. What looked to be a single channel from which the cyst had been draining was actually a confluence of several channels. The doctors were utterly amazed, and they said I was extremely lucky they operated when they did, because I might have had one of the few rare cases of pilonidal abcess that could have led to a life threatening infection if left for just a few more days. The surgery left a hole in my lower back and upper buttocks that was about 3.5 inches in diameter and deep enough to actually expose my tailbone.

After the surgery I had to stay home from school and work for almost an entire month, and that was just for the initial stage of healing. The wound had to be packed with fresh gauze on a daily basis for almost two months and incisions had to be made in it several times to prevent it from healing improperly and leading to another cyst (there still is the possibility of it re-forming). After about three and a half months it was fully healed, leaving a massive scar which luckily isn't too unsightly. My doctors weren't sure how the disease had developed so quickly and to such an extreme... in about a week and a half I went from having no history of pilonidal disease to a record-setting case of it. I at least had the "luck" (if you could call it that) of not having to constantly explain my condition to my classmates... it turned out there were 2 other students from my very same high school who had surgery to remove pilonidal cysts at about the same time. So at least I wasn't the only one suffering... though I certainly had the most extreme case by far. So there's my remarkable story. I guess the moral of it is, if you suspect you might have a pilonidal abcess, go get it checked out immediately... while rare, it can develop into something quite serious, and consider yourself very lucky that cases like mine are definitely an exception to the norm. - Jon M., Madison, WI

Date: September 06, 2005

Story

I visited this site last April after my doctor told me I had a pilonidal cyst, and probably like many others, I was shocked at the horror stories I read here, and ended up in tears that night. I've since had surgery to remove the cyst and wanted badly to get back on here and let people know its not all that bad!! I was aware of a tiny lump on my lower back from the age of about 16, but since it was never sore, I didn't do anything about it. At the beginning of this year, (i'm now 23, and female by the way) it started to seep a tiny bit, and even though there was still absolutely no pain involved, I decided to get it checked out (better safe than sorry...) I was put on antibiotics for a week which cleared up the fluid, but was told by the doctor that I'd have to have surgery to get the entire cyst removed for good.

It seemed like a big deal to get rid of a tiny problem but I just wanted it to be gone for good and so the surgery was scheduled for last June. The operation took about an hour, I was given the anesthetic and what seems like seconds later I woke up and it was all over. I didn't feel a thing when I woke up, the painkillers were great, I was walking around about an hour after I came back from surgery, but stayed the night in hospital just to be sure I was ok after coming out of the anesthetic. I felt fine the next morning and went home (lying down in the back seat of the car) and spent the next two weeks lying down in bed or walking around the house - the surgeon stressed that it was important not to put any pressure on the wound to give it the best chance to heal up as quickly as possible. The surgeon had excised the area from the cyst right down to the bottom of where the pits had been (less than three inches in length). It was stitched up very neatly with two sets of stitches - I got the first stitches out after one week, and the second set out the following week.

Before having the surgery, I was completely freaked out by needles, blood, stitches, etc., but to my surprise I found that I had no worries re-visiting the doctor to get the stitches out, and found the whole experience is nowhere near as scary as I had imagined. I can honestly say that I did not experience any pain whatsoever after the operation. The area around the wound was quite numb so I barely felt a thing the whole time, even when the stitches came out. I did have to get a tiny bit of the wound packed as well where it had not joined up fully, but my Mum did this for me, and it healed up completely after about 3 weeks. The surgeon is confident that the cyst will not return - he assured me that he did his job correctly and once the pits were removed and the area healed over then there is very little chance of it coming back. I have to share his optimism as there's absolutely no point worrying about what might happen - as far as I'm concerned, the problem is over and done with. There is a slight scar but it fades more and more every day and besides, its in a very inconspicuous area anyway!

Since I had the surgery, I've discovered SEVEN different local people I know who have had it in the past - four of whom were female - so it IS a common condition and it DOESN'T just happen to guys! It isn't a nice thing to get, it's not great having young male doctors looking at your ass but I got used to it! I know I was lucky that I didn't have any pain at any stage - before or after the surgery - but I believe this is down to the fact that I did something about it before it got too late. If the area had become infected it could certainly be painful - so anyone who suspects they may have a cyst like this, I would advise them to get it dealt with sooner rather than later! Don't be afraid to have the surgery done - its not that bad! The surgeon also told me that the pits (which cause the cyst) are formed before birth when your spinal cord is developing in the womb - so the condition is not brought on by lack of hygiene, or pressure on the tailbone etc. Hope this has helped anyone who is in a situation like I was and feel free to give me a shout at donny.ky@gmail.com if you think I might be able to help with any questions you may have.

Date: September 05, 2005

Story

I am a 28 year old male who has been dealing with a pilonidal cyst for about 4 years. During my first flareup, I had an incision and drainage done. The procedure was terrible. The pus had swollen up to the size of a golf ball and the local anestesia did nothing to ease the pain. Afterwards, I went back almost everyday to have the Dr. clean it with a Q-tip. This was also unpleasant, but the cyst did not bother me for several years. My original Dr. recommended surgery, but I didn't want to mess with it after such an ordeal. About 9 months ago, the cyst started to bother me again and it had some slight drainage. I went a few months and decided that I needed to have the surgery. I made an appointment with a good surgeon in town and had it done. The surgery itself wasn't bad at all and I was under general anestesia. I did everything the Dr. recommended, by packing the wound and soaking in a tub twice a day. It has been over 5 months since my surgery and I still have an open wound that I have to manage. The wound has healed some, but the time and effort that I have put into the thing is bad. It hasn't gotten infected, but the darn thing just won't heal! This website says the open healing process takes 6-8 weeks, but I am now at 20 weeks and am a little bit discouraged.

Date: September 05, 2005

Story

I have had the cyst for 3 years and it never went down it would pop and drain and then it would come back. They gave me all kinds of medicine and antibotics and they never really helped. On Sat. 3rd of September, I started hurting realy bad around 4pm and went on and finished my day at work which was at 9pm. I then went to home and called my surgean who had been lancing the cyst and told me to go to the ER. I arrived at the ER around 10pm and they admitted me in to the hospital. On Sunday around 9am they took me down to surgery where my surgean met up with me and said that he was going to remove the whole cyst instead of lancing it again. He advised me the surgery would take about 30 min. from the time the first cut was made. One and half hour later they had finished the surgery and I was in recovery.

About 2hrs after comming out of surgery I was stood up for the first time without pain or the pressure in 3 years. I started crying fealing so much relief was awesome. On Monday the surgean came and saw me and told me that this was biggest PILONIDAL CYST he had ever saw, he thought originally it was the size of a golf ball but it turned out to be the size of a baseball. The wound care doctor came and saw me and then I was Discharged from the hospital upon my request. The next day I went to the wound care center and the put a vac-pump back there and then I was in the Er that night with a high fever and they took the vac=pump off and so far so good. Tuesday I go back and have the vac-pump put back on. We will see what happpens then. The only advise I can give anybody about this very painfull cyst is dont wait to have it removed do it immediatly, DON'T WAIT LIKE I DID VERY, VERY PAINFULL.

Date: September 04, 2005

Story

Hello fellow sufferers of the most annoying pain in the ass (literally) disease. I am a healthy 29 year old female. My first episode of PC occured when I was 17. Over the course of 3 days, pain around my tailbone increased to the point that I could not sit, stand, or walk. Laying down was hell unless it was on my side. I had no clue what it was but the next day went to the doctor. She took one look at my butt and sent me immediately to a surgeon. The next day, I had surgery. I am not sure if they lanced it or removed it, but they left it open and it had to be packed with gauze daily. It healed up in 2 weeks and I was back to normal.

EPISODE 2 Exactly one year later, another one flared up. This time not as painful, but the surgeon recommended cutting me open again. This time it did not heal as fast, but it did.

EPISODE 3 8years later, I had another episode. Again not as bad, but a different surgeon lanced it and closed me up. When I went back for a recheck, the surgeon noticed that the incision looked funny. When he removed the stitches, the wound just split wide open. Apparently it was not healing, so he just left it open and we had to pack it while it healed from the inside out.

EPISODE 4 I had a flare up 2 years ago, but took antibiotics and it went away. I feel another flare up today, and will call my surgeon tomorrow for antibiotics. I cannot feel a bump and see no redness, but I feel some pain on my tailbone. The past 3 months I have been doing a lot of sitting, due to being on bedrest before having my son. He is one month old now, but I sit around a lot while on maternity leave. I think it is because of sitting and putting pressure on my tailbone. I wanted to share my story with you because after 3 incidences of having this thing cut on, it still plagues me. I have read many of these stories and have learned a few new home remedies. I would rather deal with it on my own unless it becomes too painful to handle. It is comforting to know that there are so many of us plagued by this pain in the ass disease.

Date: September 04, 2005

Story

Hi, great informative site, ive learned a lot from it since stumbling upon it after a web search. I'm male 34 and recently had my second surgery. The first surgery I had was much like everyone elses ive read on here, i.e cyst/abcess being on my tailbone. My last surgery though was in the perineal region (didnt know it was called that untill the surgeon told me)but for anyone that doesnt know its that space between your anus and your scrotum (different on the ladies of course)

Has anyone else had the same as I have not heard of anyone having it there ? Even my Doctor says its uncommon !! Very very painful before and after surgery and caused a bad infection. It started off as a small lump i found while in the bath and i really thought nothing of it. After about 2 weeks the lump got quite big so with where it was situated i started to get a bit concerned and went to the Doc. The Doc at first though it might be a sebacious gland so tried treating it with some anti-biotics, then after about one week I had to go back to the Doc again as it was a lot bigger and so tender and sore i just felt like crying. The Doc sent me away with some stronger anti-biotics but the following day i could take no more and went back. I seen a different Doc on this occasion who immediatley admitted me to hospital where i had emergency surgery that night. I was in the hospital for 3days and the surgery was left open and packed. After about 10days teh nurse that had been coming round to my house to do teh packing said it was almost healed up to teh top and no more packing was needed. Less than a week after she told me this i was back at the docs with same thing all over again but in a different place, same area but around one inch away from teh previous one. This one I was lucky with and it went away after a course of antibiotics. I am told that this is a chronic recurring thing that could come back at any time. Something NOT to look forward too.

Date: September 03, 2005

Story

i had the open wound surgery on the 5th of july. i allready wrote a story on here. im back because after my last and final post surgery check up my surgeon said the wound was allready healed and i did not have to pack it. Well a week later i noticed a lot of blood when i was going to the bathroom. i called the surgeon and he told me to come in. he looked at it and told me i ripped opened the newly healed skin/tissue. He said i have to continue to pack the wound for another week, he will see me a week later. i thought this was all behind me but i guess not. this is such a pain and im sick of it!!!

Date: September 02, 2005

Story

This site was so helpful to me about a year and a half ago when I first noticed an odd bump on my rump. I'm a 27/f and have been working at a desk job for 5 years (which I've read can be a contributing factor), and my father has also had a cyst as well. Anyways, the bump kept getting bigger and painful so I went to my primary care dr. who recommended a surgeon. Shortly after that though, the cyst popped and all this gunk came out and it went down. Although there were scars from it, it went away for quite some time and I forgot about it, and never saw the surgeon. This past weekend, it came back in full force and I was unable to go to work because of the pain it cause to sit down. I had surgery this morning to remove the cyst and the abscess, and she said it was rooted quite deeply. I was told to change the packing twice a day, but since I can't see it, I was told to go to the ER to have them change the dressings. It doesn't really hurt that bad, although they did give me pain medication if I need it. I was expecting it to be much worse - but the testimonials on here have helped me feel better since it's such an embarrassing condition!!

Date: September 01, 2005

Story

Hi there, Kate here. I am a 24 year old teacher who has just had her first run in with the “bump” as I like to call it. I fell during a ski trip a few years back and noticed a bump on my rump. I always figured it was b/c of the fall. A few weeks ago my mountain bike came in and I took to the trails. You guessed it... up popped the bump. I thought it was an ingrown hair (as I'm prone to those) so I sort of... picked at it a little. I was surprised when instead of a hair I found lots of... white smelly... stuff. It's gotten a bit sore (mostly from my smashing it in, I think) and because of the Band-Aid I put on it my skin is all red and itchy. It's not really swollen but it is feverish. I went to get my hair cut today and sitting in that barber chair was soooo not my idea of a happy fun time. I'm going to the doctor tomorrow. I only pray it'll go away with some antibiotics and very thorough care. Anyways, just wanted to thank you for sharing all your stories with me. It makes me feel better knowing I'm not the only one. Take care, and good luck! E

Date: September 01, 2005

Story

Hello. I have just been diagnosed with PD TODAY!!! It started with waking up one morning last week with (what seemed like to me tailbone pain) and I thought nothing of it. I thought maybe I had danced a little to hard and bent something out of shape. I'm 21 by the by. It sort of went away but frequently reminded me with a sharp pain that it was there when I sat down too hard.

Last night at about 10pm I decided to feel back there and lo and behold i felt a lump and it felt a little itchy. By midnight, it hurt to sit, stand and walk. I decided to call this AM to my doctor and was referred to an Injury Clinic. The physician that seen me was extremely nice. He took one look and feel and said seems to me like a Pilonidal Cyst. I was taken to a procedure room where the Doc proceeded to put Iodine and some other liquid to help numb me and help with the pain of the needle. I barely felt the needle thanks to that funny liquid he put on me. He talked to me the whole way through while numbing me and made the incision. I felt NOTHING. He proceeded to squeeze like you would a zit and it presented a foul odor (infection). He packed it with a long strip of gauze and had a Medical Assistant bandage me up. He said he was going to refer me to a Surgeon for evaluation for removal of the cyst. He said I should do it just to avoid another painful recurrence. I have to go back Saturday to get the packing removed. He also provided me a prescription for Vicodin and an antibiotic, Keflex. Nice Doctor. I will be back to update on the possibility of surgery. P.S. Having a bandage on that part of your bum is iritating. It doesn't quite cover everything and since I am a bleeding from the cyst and incision, it tends to drip.