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Date: August 29, 2008
StoryHello all...
First, I would just like to say that this has been a very helpful website. I'm a 21 year old female from Canada. I just had a surgery for the excission of pilonidal sinus on Aug 21/08, and it has been a week...i'm still feeling pain (i had the open wound surgery). The worst part of it all is when the nurse changes the dressing...i take a pain killer before she comes,however, i'm running low on them and i'm very scared.
I had the bump for over 3 years, and it was just uncomfortable..it used to drain so i decided to do it at the end of summer. I hope i'll be feeling better for school next week. THis is the first time I have had surgery. My sister had the same surgery, so this disease in my situation is genetics.
The worst part is that I may not be healing correctly, b/c there is a smelly wound. I'm not sure if it's an infection, but I hope it all goes well. I just want to heal. I will re-post how my healing process goes, but I have to admit that this experience has been PAINFUL yet relieving to get it out of me. Finally, I would just like to say that this is a great website for patients with pilonidal sinus. take care
Date: August 28, 2008
Storytrust me . . . the surgery is nothing to worry about...there is honestly no pain untill after the surgery and thats just because you will have stiches for 3 days ... the surgery never bothered me but the pain before and sometimes after....i had to have the surgery twice and have nurses come to my house every other day for 5 months and im pretty sure its still not closed lol...damn...the other thing was that i couldnt work so i lost my job and my house ... now im back to work... i do flooring which probably isnt the best thing to do after 2 cyst surgeries but im getting out of it january and going back to school...i have 5 cousins that have all had the same thing they will tell you that it will only take 2-3 to heal... but be prepared because i have had it...and pretty sure i still do for the past 2 years ...ill just live with it i guess...best of luck to all of you .... trust me i know how bad it sucks but the surgery isnt really bad at all...besides you get vicodin and some other good drugs
Date: August 27, 2008
StoryRule #1, be positive! Life is certainly not over with this condition.
I had a pilonidal sinus for 6 months before I conjured up the guts to seek medical advise, and going to the doctor was the best decision of my life. Don't worry about showing your butt to a doctor, you will get over it and they see this condition and worse all of the time, its their job and they get paid to fix us.
Rule #2, buy some Nair and get rid of all of the hair in the affected area of your body and keep the hair away! (This was advise from my surgeon and I think it was really good advise because almost immediately, my infection seemed to heal a touch)
I had my surgery a week ago, and based on stories on this website, the recovery time really varies based on both the extent of the
pilonidal sinus and the best practises of the surgeon.
After my surgery (closed wound surgery), I could walk immediately and took pain meds for only 2 days, I must admit that you can't sit but you'll soon discover ways to keep yourself busy. If you go for surgery, don't even try to put pressure on the wound because you want this to heal as safely and quickly as possible!
After a week, I do still feel a little pain on the wound from time to time but it really looks to be healing quickly. I get my stiches removed next week and after that, I expect another week of staying away from a chair before I sit for long periods of time.
If you go through the surgery, I suggest that you shed all of your shyness and tell people the truth of why you got surgery to make people aware of the condition and it may even help to prevent it in someone else (I do this, I am an extremely happy man)!
Good Luck, and remember whenever you feel upset about your cyst...
1. Other people have the exact same problem
2. Doctors treat this all the time
3. The sooner you go to a surgeon, the quicker you get this fixed
4. While you can't sit post surgery, think about all of the positives after everything heals
5. Remove that hair and never ever sit for long periods of time so that the sucker doesn't come back
Now some people may have horror stories about their experience, don't be scared, just take things one step at a time and be happy to still be alive!
Date: August 20, 2008
StoryI want to thank the members of the forum and website owner for having this support alliance. I had a pilonidal sinus for 3 years that was sometimes painful and had the usual beeding/weeping. 6 months ago I went to my primary care Nurse Practitioner and she told me to "live with it" unless it got extremely painful because the surgery was very "rough". I bought into this for a few months then started doing research myself. That is when I found this website. The folks here helped me have the courage to get what I consider a very embarassing problem taken care of, and that I do not have to live with this. I actually found a specialist who's clinic listed in the Georgia doctors section. He was great and I will post details in the georgia section. Yesterday I had my cyst excised. It was a 30 minute procedure and it went well.
Once again, thank you to those who have posted here with their stories and support. Jayberry.
Date: August 17, 2008
Storywell i am a 17 year old girl going into my senior year in high school. i currently live in a group home and have been for a full year now. i have been to two group homes. the first one was in the summer of '07 witch i got to in late august.
Everything was fine when i got there. i was 16 at the time and liked to go for walks, amusement parks, swimming, and all of the other teenage things. i had never had surgery before and i was planing on keeping it that way until i became an organ downer, aside from one day getting rid of my wisdom teeth.
Then in late September, early October, i started to get pain in my tail bone area. i wasn't worried about it yet though. so when i took a shower, a few days after the pain started, i decided to feel it. so i touched it with my fingers. there was a bump, and being a teenager i thought it maybe had just been acne or something.
After a few more days i looked at it in the mirror and i could see a bump, and sill thinking it was just on really big/bad/blemish i tried to pop it, witch made it hurt even worse.
Like i said i was in a group home so there was a nurse there, but i didn't think to tell her about this weird thing on my tail bone because when i tell people things that are medical they don't always believe me because i worry a lot about things so they thought i was a little bit of a hypochondriac.
About a month latter i was out with my mom getting my hair cut and highlighted. when the stylist sat me at the hair processor helmet thing, it started to hurt really bad. my mom is a doctor and so she started asking questions. eventually she told me i may have a Pilonidal Cyst. then she explained it to me. so she told the nurse to look at it.
When the nurse finally looked at it it had already burst and the bruising had gone away. however she did think she saw a small hole for draining. so all i could do was hope it never came back.
Then very early in January of '08 it came back. this time i told the nurse ASAP. then a doctor looked at it and prescribed 870mg of Augmenten to get rid of it witch worked.
So then i was brought to a new group home, one with more freedom. so my mom took me to a surgeon at Shady Grove hospital.
On march 28th, 2008 i had surgery to remove my cyst. i thought everything was fine, until the surgeon, one who is apparently a very respected surgeon, took out the stitch (he only did one long stitch going all the way down) the whole thing was on big open wound. witch he didn't tell us had a 30%-40% chance of happening until it happened. and as if that wasn't bad enough he made the cut on the crack witch he shouldn't have done as well as the fact that he made two cuts and then made them one big cut so really there was no way for it to close.
So then i faced four months with an open wound that had a tunnel at the top going under the skin that wasn't open. so for those four months there was skin that grew over then riped open then grew over then riped open. i had to go to the wound care center after that were they had me pack, or stuff the tunnel, witch someone had to help me with, and then have the rest covered with gauze and taped. and before all of this it had to be flushed with saline (salt water) and then the next day take a shower and do it again. then again the next day. and so i had to base my showers around when my wound care instead of the other way around.
4 months passed and we finally found a doctor to do a different surgery to fix it. so 4 and a half months latter, on August 8th, 2008, i had the surgery. well now it has been a week and 2 days since the surgery. and last night the entire thing riped open again. its almost like theres no hope for it closing for good.
So this is all very hard for me and it caused very many emotional problems and my dad when i cried at a doctors appointment before we found our second surgeon called my mom and said he didn't know what to do when i get like this and he just didn't get it. i am so sick of hearing doctors telling me "i don't know why this is happening" or "I'm not sure what to do" or "ill see you next week and see how it looks and then maybe well have a better idea" or anything like that. i am so sick of it. i want answers and i want to know what to do.
Like i said in the beginning there are very many things i enjoy doing, but because of the wound i cant. i couldn't/cant go to the pool, or on walks, and i missed out bigs outing at the group home...going to six flags. so instead i have spent a majority of the summer inside doing nothing. i just want answers.
Date: August 16, 2008
Storyhi, i've been to this site lots of times, but i'm not sure i ever wrote anything. i'm a female so blaaaaaaaaaaaaah-anything that involves a doc looking at my butt just plain SUCKS. four years ago i got my pilonidal cyst and i had NO idea what the heck it was. there were weird stains showing up on my underwear and i was freaked out. i went to the doctor and they told me it was a pilonidal cyst and when i looked it up online i just wanted to barf to be perfectly honest, and i have a really high tolerance level when it comes to hearing and seeing disgusting things. the fact that it usually inflicts hairy guys just added insult to injury. i was really upset by it, but now even though i don't let myself worry about it, i'm still too ashamed to talk freely about it, like to my boyfriend for example. anyhow, i got the surgery (not the kind where you have to stuff the area with padding on a regular basis, the less invasive kind.) i thought all was well but three years later it became infected again and hurt like HELL. (there were times before that that i felt a little pain, but it was never major or persistant.)
I went to the doctor again, but this time i couldn't take a week off to recovery from the surgery so i just did a drainage i think they call it? it felt better and i prayed that it never would return.
Now fast forward to THIS summer and it sucks because it hurts again :( it is nothing, absolutely NOTHING like last summer's pain (last summer I literally could not walk straight or sit down normally, and wore a heating pad in that area and was taking pain medication.) But it still hurts if i sit down a certain way or sit down in anyway for extended periods of time. i try to put minimal pressure on it, but it doesn't always look normal to sit in a way that does that. anyhow even though the pain wasn't that excruciating, i went to the doctors because i wanted to take care of it before i went abroad. (that visit was after approximately a month of feeling minor pain.) to my surprise, he said it was not infected and i shouldn't do anything about it. he gave me antibiotics but instructed me to take them ONLY if the pain got really bad while i was abroad and wasn't able to find a doctor to drain it. and he didn't charge me for the visit which i thought was very nice, because he easily could have. he has been a good doctor i have to say in terms of making me feel comfortable during the visits. anyway, i figured the pain would eventually go away on its about but it hasn't. it hasn't increased since then either (that was about 2 months ago) but it also hasn't gone away. it really bugs me. its not pain that prevents me from doing things but i just wish i could sit down like a normal human being without having to adjust my behind-area every two minutes to alleviate the pressure. there is no drainage, or smell, or anyhing unusual looking, and i just wonder what the heck is going on...why does it hurt again when it apparently is not infected? and btw if i am standing i don't feel it all, it is ONLY when i'm sitting, and sometimes when i'm lying down. has anybody else gone through this? feeling pain only when you sit, and a doctor verified that it is not infected?
Date: August 16, 2008
StoryHi. I live in Georgia and I am a twenty-six year old female with a third flare up on my rear in almost two years. I have to admit I am somewhat of a homebody and avid game player, which keeps me sitting for most of the time that I am home. I am an animal enthusiast and I work as a pet groomer (which isn't the cleanest job in the world, but I still love it) at a veterinary hospital. Until I started at my current place of employment, I have always had a hydraulic grooming table (one in which I can easily adjust the height). All I have available to me now is a stationary table of which a part of the leg occasionally falls off due to a missing screw and leaning dogs. This leaves me to groom all of the larger dogs by sitting in the floor--great pyraneeses, saint bernards, giant schnauzers (which are the worst because their hair is so coarse and prickly)--which can take several hours. My grooming room is small and hot and the flow of decent air conditioning is lacking to say the least, it's always humid which makes me sweat even during the winter months, and the air flow of the driers keeps tiny hairs flowing throughout the room.
The only other thing I worry about other than trying to keep myself extremely clean are hair splinters. I get them underneath my fingernails way down into the quick which makes my fingertips sore, as well as between my fingers, in my elbows and elbow creases, my upper arms, my knees and on my chest. Sometimes I even wash my face after grooming certain dogs because there is a multitude of dog hair on my face which almost looks like I'm trying to grow a beard. So far, even though I know it is possible, I haven't had any major problems with hair splinters because I usually hunt the suckers down and pick them out. I have even researched barber's and groomers pilonidal abscesses which is caused by these stray hair splinters, most of the time in the skin between the fingers. However, my real problem is much more annoying and painful and embarrassing than having to deal with occasional splinter removal.
What I would come to know as my own little slice of hell started a couple of months before new year's of '07. I was sitting on the couch reading for quite a while when I adjusted my sitting position and noticed that my tailbone felt like it had been bruised. I hadn't fallen on it or bumped into the edge of the kitchen counter in all my gracefulness, so I was somewhat puzzled. The pain came and went for about two days and that was it, so I just dismissed the problem and went about my daily life. It wasn't until the Friday before New Year's that I noticed the pain again. On Saturday my live-in boyfriend, of two and a half years at the time, and I went to my parents' house for dinner. I had mentioned to my mother about the "pain in my butt" because it was still there, very subtle, but non-stop. Saturday turned into Sunday (New Year's Eve) and the pain was still there, however it was even more noticeable. Not being one to really complain, I didn't really say much about it and went along with my night of New Year's celebration.
On New Year's day I was starting to have much more uncomfortable pain not just when I sat, but all the time. I tried sitting in different positions, and even in my boyfriend's hard plastic video game chair. Nothing was working. By Monday evening, the pain was much worse, which had me a little concerned. I called my mother and told her that I had a sore lump on my butt right at the top of my crack. She told me that I had a boil, which I thought was a geriatric person's problem, not mine, and that I would have to wait for it to come to a head before I mashed it. Ahh, good old-timey southern solution to a very nasty problem. Tuesday I went back to work, walking like I had something stuck up my butt. The pain was at this point very aggravating and I just wished that it would stop. I didn't think that anyone noticed but some people did because I wasn't my usual smiley and upbeat self, as much as I tried to be. By the time I got home it was all I could do to even breathe normally without doing the ssssssssss-aahhhhhhhh, ssssssssss-aahhhhhh! I couldn't stand up, I couldn't sit down, I couldn't lean over, I couldn't sit to the side, I couldn't lie down...it was all I could do to keep myself together, which I didn't do very well. I took a warm bath for comfort which also seemed to help with the excruciating pain as I laid in the tub and cried and silently screamed. I found by now that sitting on the hard floor helped the most. By the time my boyfriend got off of work (he worked second shift at the time), I asked him to take me to the ER. After a horrible and embarrassing experience at the ER (I didn't like the doctor much to say the least), I returned home with the advice from the doc saying that my problem was an abscess and that it needed to be lanced but I had to wait until it was ready. THANK GOD he prescribed me two different pain killers and bactrim, which I had to unfortunately get filled the NEXT day on my lunch break since there weren't any 24-hour pharmacies that weren't 20 miles away and it was already almost 2am. Ahhhhhhh, sweet relief!...for the first time in five days! I was actually pretty upbeat for a few hours until I started class at a local community college later on that Wednesday. I hadn't had time between work and class to even change out of my work clothes, let alone eat anything to be able to take my pain meds since I have a sensitive stomach. Not to mention I didn't want to be late on my first day.
My class was four excruciatingly painful hours long. During the break, after the first two hours of class, I went to the bathroom and wiped the abscessed spot which had started leaking (I say leaking instead of burst because there was no actual hole, it was just seeping through my skin at that point). It was a nasty brownish-gray color and had a nasty odor. I was mortified. I returned to the rest of my class hardly unable to walk due to the pain. After class was over, I quickly drove the the nearest fast-food restaurant and ate so I could take my pain killers, which still made me slightly nauseous even on a full stomach. Thursday at work I was miserable. I wanted to cry all day long. The office manager knew there was something wrong with me and embarrassed, I told her what it was and that I wanted to go back to the doctor ASAP. I hurriedly tried to make myself an appointment that day with the doctor I had chosen for my HMO (sucky insurance, but insurance nonetheless). The receptionist on the other line told me that the doctor could not do the packing so I was pretty much S.O.L since I have to have another doctor added to my HMO to see a GP. I wanted to cry again. This couldn't wait any longer. I made an appointment for later that Thursday with another doctor's office where I had been seen before that was fairly cheap comparatively.
I was sitting on the exam table with my boyfriend in the room when the nurse came in to take my blood pressure and find out what was wrong. By the time she left, the small exam room had filled with the stench like someone had horrible gas. I went to the bathroom before the doctor had come in to see me, only to realize that my undies were a mess with the draining fluid from my abscess, which was slightly smaller than a quarter. I went back into the exam room, spoke with my "male doctor" (SO EMBARRASSING!) and he told me to pull my pants down and lay on the exam table, sunny-side-up. At least he left the room for that part, and my boyfriend covered me with the paper cloth while the doctor stepped back out for supplies. To my horror, he stepped back in with a full face mask. I didn't know if he was planning on cutting me or doing some welding on my booty. He injected a local anesthetic and went to work as I squeezed the crap out of my boyfriend's hand. Before I knew it, the whole room reeked, and badly, unlike anything I had ever smelled before. I couldn't believe that odor was coming from me! During the middle of the lancing I even heard a slight rush of air, psssssst! That, also too, came from my abscess. My boyfriend asked me if I wanted to know what color it was...haha, always the joker.
After it was all over, the doc packed it and bandaged it and wanted to see me the next day to remove the packing. Since I was so oblivious and new to this problem, I followed the doc's orders. From then on out it was epsom salt soaks, the heating pad, and just pretty much keeping it covered for about a week. At least I had relief. He saw me again in five days and told me everything looked good, and to call him if I felt like I needed more antibiotics.
At the beginning of February, about a month after the incident, I flew out to Houston, TX to see my parents on my vacation from work. My dad was working out there for several months and my mother had gone to stay with him during this time. The flight was about four to five hours long and was pretty normal, except when I got up to walk off of the plane, I felt that oh so familiar slight pain in my tailbone again. I have a bad habit of ignoring things, hoping that they will go away (dirty dishes, annoying people, things that scare me). Probably not the best thing to do. At this point and for months afterward the pain came and went almost every month and was pretty minimal and nothing ever "arose" from it.
Summer of '07 came and I was starting to get worried. The pain was getting worse and I definitely did not want to have another abscess, so I called my doc again and asked if he would prescribe me some antibiotics. So he did. However, again, a few months later, I still had pain. The only one who ever knew of it was my boyfriend who heard only the occasional complaint. Things went on in this manner until a full year later.
Which brings me to about a month ago. Near the end of July of '08, I started having more severe pains with pressure again at the top of my rear end, but not anything near as bad as my first experience. This time I could feel a slight mushy spot in the middle of the lump the abscess had made. I knew something was trying to come out. I made me an appointment again with the same doctor just to get some advice and he ended up lancing the spot a second time. This abscess was slightly further left than the last one. He didn't find a pocket of infection at first and had to go deeper. This time he started mashing in about the middle of my butt-cheeks and came toward the middle, mashing very hard. He didn't even use a full needle of the anesthetic this time, I guess since it wasn't as noticeably bad as the one I had about a year and a half prior. This time instead of relief from the lancing, I hurt, and bad, for about two inches over from my abscess on the left. I had felt shooting pain in that area beforehand and it at times even felt as if I was having pain in my left hip-joint when I walked. Well, it was even worse after he mashed me so dang hard! No packing for me this time either, just the good old epsom salt baths. Another round of bactrim was ordered with some light painkillers to help me sleep, since I sleep on my back and couldn't do so recently due to the pain, and a recheck in 5 days. My best friend's wedding (of which I was the maid of honor) was coming up in a little over a week so my attention was on preparing for that and planning her bachelorette party. The pain went away in a couple of days and the doc said everything looked good so I thought I was done and over with everything. Finito! Yay-ness! Joy! Surely this was the last of it.........
Finally, back to life as usual. Most weekends, if not every weekend, are double experience weekends on Halo3 (one of the best games out there for those who aren't familiar). So this past weekend my boyfriend and I played online on our 360. Sure enough, on Sunday when I got up to get me something to drink, I felt pain again. AGAIN!! AAAUUUUGGGHHH! Again??? Come on! Seriously? Yes. It didn't go away either....again. By Tuesday I was back to the epsom salt baths and sitting on the heating pad. The spot that was most recently lanced was swollen again and the skin over the soft middle of the lump where it had been lanced before was very thin and puffy. I cried off and on almost all day, not from pain, but more from anger and disappointment. I told my boyfriend that if it didn't pop and drain on its own that I was going to get a sterile syringe from the vet's office and he was going to pop it for me, much to his dismay. I was so tired of this.
Wednesday morning when I woke up, my butt was nasty and grimy feeling. Sure enough it had popped on it's own, which made me (and I'm sure my boyfriend) happy that I didn't have to have him stick a needle in my butt. I squeezed probably about an extra teaspoon amount of bloody pus out of it and immediately got into a tub of hot water and epsom salt. I now have quite a hole (extra hole) in my butt that's about as big around as the tip of my pinky finger. Later that day I felt hopeless. What was I going to do? I didn't want to go see my doctor again because nothing he was doing was helping, not to mention my insurance didn't cover him and it was and is starting to get into my slow season at work. Since I work on commission, money was and is starting to get tight. I called his office anyway and he prescribed me yet another round of bactrim. I had mentioned later on that Wednesday to my office manager that my abscess was back. She told me that her first husband and her niece both had the same thing going on with them, and that it might be a cyst, and that by the time the doctors were done with her husband he had a hole in him that she could almost stick her fist in. Talk about something to be horrified about!
The next day I didn't have any dogs scheduled. Since I live about thirty minutes away from work, there was no real point in me having to go in just to wait around for something to do. So I took the day to do some research. I googled abscesses and through pointing and clicking, came to find this website which has been the most helpful information I have come across yet. It has helped me to realize that I'm not the only person who has had to go through this awful butt-illness, and from what I have read, I'm thankful that my experience so far isn't as bad as some peoples'. I really feel for those people. Who knows how long I would have gone on trying to see my doctor and treat myself before I actually made a decision to have this problem seriously looked at. Unfortunately it has made me have a little less confidence in my doctor, even as nice as he is. But niceness doesn't solve problems. I guess I just figured that since I have had this problem for so long that maybe he would have done some research to help me out if he cared about his patients. Not to mention the fact that he's been to my apartment and he has my cell phone number because he brought his girlfriend's dog to me to be groomed. I had asked him the first time what causes these places to come up and he just told me staff bacteria that gets up under the skin, and that was it. Nothing more. This lead me to wonder about my working conditions--the hot, humid room I work and sweat in, all the dirty dog hair flying about, sitting on the floor for hours wrestling with dogs much larger than me. Now not only do I wash my hands and face several times a day at work, I also have to go to the bathroom and wash my butt-crack.
It is now Friday night. Since my HMO requires a recommendation from the chosen doctor in my insurance plan to see most specialists, the best I can do is to see a dermatologist since they don't require recommendations, and also since I have never even been to see my HMO doctor. I have an appointment for Monday. The vet's office manager even checked to make sure I wasn't going to see the same doctor I had been seeing. Thanks to this website I now know much more about why and how this could be happening to me, and I'm armed with all the right questions I need to ask my new doctor to find out how familiar he is with pilonidal abscesses, and to get a further recommendation if needed.
This website is a blessing and a heart-break all in one. It's nice to know that there are other people out there that have gone through the same thing I am going through, and like I said, I really feel for those who have gone through worse. However, within the past few days of finding this website I have to admit I'm a little depressed, and a little more scared to think that this may end up being recurring for years to come. I know I will have to change my lifestyle, stay squeaky clean, and definitely invest in a tush-cush. I don't think I took this as seriously as what I should have at first and I admit I was slightly devastated from the new information I have found. Many, many tears for the past two days. However, I have not actually been diagnosed, but I'm pretty dang sure of what this is and why it's happening. Now I'm just looking for a cure.
Many thanks to the people who have put the time and effort into this website. I have found it extremely helpful. I hope that others may find out more about their conditions and will seek the medical attention they deserve. I will keep posting as I find out more about myself and the course of action I am going to take to fight this. Thank you.
Date: August 15, 2008
StoryIm 16 years old and just had my pilonidal cyst drained less than a week ago. Lets go back in time a little, i had this pain in my tailbone that i thought was a bruised coccyx but once i grew that one inch lump between my ass i knew something was up. I was in so much pain i was crying, getting up from bed was the most excruciating pain ive ever felt in my life, and sitting down wasnt much better. So i go to the doc and all i have to say is God bless that man, he relieved my weeks of unbearable pain in about 20 minutes.
The drainage wasnt the most pleaseant thing ever but it wasnt a walk in the park either. They shot my cheek up with some drug, and that wasnt even painful i dont know why people complain of the shot it was absolutely nothing. So the doc comes in the office, greets my mom and i, and gets to work. He pulls my shorts down an is face to face with this monster. He immediately slices this bad boy and can feel the pus and blood mixture running down my crack lol. Now this was painful, i was moaning and groaning throughout the whole surgery, i left sweat all over the stretcher and was holding on for dear life. He then began to squeeze it like a huge pimple and that was unpleaseant also, i felt like it was never going to end. He finally finishes up and packs it, the pain of the surgery isnt constant, its that stabbing pain you feel whenever the doc is doing his job and stuff. So the doc finishes and im laying on the table, sweatig and pain-free. The drive home was bearable and so are the packings i have to get every couple days, im currently awaiting a packing right now in the hospital, its okay but not a comfortable procedure, ive gotten to know my doc and nurse, theyre extremely nice people :)
So my question is, how long is the repacking process, usually?
andynimri@gmail.com
Date: August 13, 2008
StoryWell this just sucks. My mom's had this thing, and so has my older sister. I guess it is now my turn.
What sucks the most, though, is that I AM DEPLOYED TO IRAQ. I'm pretty sure the "Doctors" that I have to choose from really have no idea what this is... So I guess I'll have to just suck it up for 3 more months. It feels like I'm growing a tail - I can no longer do sit ups, or sit down for long periods of time.. and I have to sleep on either my stomach or my back.
I'll just continue to pray for it to disappear.
Date: August 12, 2008
StoryHey everyone. This is such an annoying disease, right? Anyway, I had one in 2006, when I was 18 and a wee freshman girl starting off at college. It was painful and I let it go on for far too long, but fortunately when I realized just what it was (which took a great deal of getting over my pride), I got help. Antibiotics and regular epsom salt baths and it went away. Sadly, it has returned and antibiotics aren't working, so now I have to have surgery. Which is, pardon the pun, a really big bummer. But I do have to say that epsom salt baths helped me - somewhat, at least - and that if you think you have one, don't let it go on for a long time. Swallow the pride, paste a smile on your face and allow the doctor to see your bum. Because the one I had in 2006 was beyond painful. Believe me, make sure you get it checked out!
Date: August 12, 2008
StoryHey guys -
I found this website after typing in my symptoms and am wondering if what I'm experiencing is this pilonidal cyst. I hope you cna help.
I woke up Sunday morning and when I showered I felt a small lump at the top of my butt crack, a little to the left of my tailbone. It's now Tuesday and it seems ot have grown and has definitely gotten more painful. Its probably about the size of a quarter now, and the area is red/inflamed and hard. It hurts to sit, and I'm leaning forward at my computer at work - it looks like I'm about to dive under my desk any minute. I will go see a doc as soon as I can get in, but I was wondering if based on your experiences, you think this is a pilonidal cyst? I'm 24, not overweight, and can't think of any type of trauma I might have caused my tailbone. Do you think this is the same thing? If so what type of doctor should I see?
Please help! Thanks everyone.
-DJ
Date: August 12, 2008
Storyim a 19 year old female and got my first (and hopefully last!!) pilonidal sinus april this year. i went into surgery and got it cut out and was left with an open wound (3 cm deep) to heal from the bottom up by packing it with gauze every day. i was told it usually takes 8 weeks to heal? well today i
am still packing, yes, four months later and its FAR from healed.
i do go to a wound clinic regulary and they try and help with different ointments and things but nothing is really speeding up the process. its really depressing, i
just want to cry everyday.
i have to go into more surgery because there is extra skin tissue at the top of the wound (like its trying to close over when there is still a big hole) that they have to cut away.
Any one going through a similar thing (a slow healing wound) with any advice, or anyone that has any questions please email me gemma_dilemma@hotmail.com i would so appreciate it, thanks
Date: August 11, 2008
StoryHi, Amber here. My Pilonidal cyst is really making me stressed. i've had it drained twice and also had an operation. i reacently had a check up with my dotor and he thinks i might need another operation agian. My grandma is a nurse and she thinks i should wait before rushing into another operation. i don't know what to do and even if i get the operation agian it still could come back. this fucking sucks!!!
Date: August 10, 2008
StorySo in the midst of this horrible disease, I feel the need to keep a small bit of humor in an otherwise drab and dreary existence. If we can't laugh about the absurdity every now and again, I figure the cyst has won and I might as well give up. I'll fight this thing kicking and screaming every step of the way; I hope you all feel the same way!
I had a big trip planned to visit family which included a long flight from New England to Denver... there was a lay-over there, somewhere (Atlanta, I think? Some big hub, anyways.) A few days before my trip I could feel my cyst growing. I've had flare ups from time to time, but only once did I need to go see a doctor to have it lanced... they seemed to be a pain in the ass (pun intended, of course) for a few days and then go away of their own accord. But this time was different. I was feverish and felt like I had the flu. The taxi ride to the airport that morning was excruciating and I knew I had the longest of days ahead of me. But come hell or high water, I was GOING. So the first leg of the trip was... okay, it was awful. It hurt like nothing I'd known (if you think driving a car is bad, try flying... where you have no idea when the bumps are coming and can do nothing to brace yourself.) But I made it. And let me tell you, those airport waiting chairs as well as the plane seats themselves. Oh. My. God. Not okay!
Second leg of the trip was the longest. 8 hours or so. I was sitting by the window (which is nice, usually!) and half way through whatever crappy airplane movie they were showing... I felt it. Let go. So what do you do?!?! I am now leaking from ungodly areas. I KNOW the three people I have to crawl over to get to the bathroom are going to notice... that! It kind of felt like I had peed my pants. I didn't mean to, but it was deathly embarrassing nonetheless. So I sat there and shoved a blanket under me to save the seat from the same fate as my pants. And anyone who's been in a situation like this knows... it felt so good, I just couldn't care! I waited for the plane to clear and pulled a flight attendant over to me... explained the situation as best I could, trying not to sound like a crazy person. But hey, if I were them, I'd like a head's up, you know? And she was actually really cool about it. I'm sure she pulled out the biohazard bag at some point, but it was after I left and I was thankful for that! She handed me my carry on that was stored in the overhead bin and I had *thankfully* packed a sweatshirt that I could tie around my waist until I could claim my luggage.
I'm sure I'm not doing it justice by the telling of this tale. But I have to say that waiting in the baggage claim area, I just started laughing. Uncontrollably. It was funny!!! People were looking at me like I had a bomb strapped to my chest (which, ironically enough, I was detained on the way home because a airport bathroom cleaning attendant heard the sound of me in a stall on the way back taping my wound. Apparently the sound of medical tape sends airport personnel into a frenzy! I guess the point of my story is... I know it hurts. I know it interferes with your life. But you have to appreciate the small things that will get you through it. If you can find the humor in this, the horridness that it is... nothing will keep you down. You'll be just fine!
Date: August 09, 2008
StoryHi im a woman aged 24 living in the uk, and i can feel my cyst coming back AGAIN!!!!
i first found out about it when i was 8 months pregnant with my second child i was in so much pain.... i went to our 24 hour emergency hospital and they didnt no what it was as it was just red at that point, and he said he thought i my have bruised my tail bone as that happened to his wife and it will go away ! (MALE!!!) so he gave me some pain killers and a patted me on the head and sent me on my way! RAAAAAAAA!!! i was so upset i couldnt get comfortable most days being nearlly due to drop! how very dare he! So i think i saw two more doctors and they didnt know what to suggest other than a higher dose of drugs....hello did you not go to college!!! so a couple of days and alot more pain later iwas bed bound, i couldnt sleep on my tummy for obvious reasons and i could no way lay on my back it was the size of a golf ball on the outside!!! so god knows what was going on inside my husband called out the doctor and he came at around 3am in the morning and was shocked that i had been left in such pain! and very pregnant lol! gave me some antibiotics keflex and the next day it had burst and the smell was untrue! and i live with some bad smells ( husband he he) so anyway i was left with know further knowledge as to what it was! June this year my arse crack was really itchy and red! and paniced went to the doctors, they gave me some more antibiotics which didnt work cause the next day when i saw a second doc ad he sent me straight to hospital to have it lanced, my scar has only justed healed about 3 weeks ago and OMG! its back i cant cope! is it because im a bit overweight ! im sick as a dog! i hate my arse why cant it be normal !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.........!!!! raaaaaaa! is this gunna happen every time i heal up after surgery!
Date: August 04, 2008
StoryMy husband has been dealing with this for about 15 years. He's almost 40 now. I don't know all the details of the past 15 years, but this past year he has had some trouble with it.
It isn't currently infected but there are two cavities at the base of his spine that remain open all the time. I've helped keep the area clear of hair and last night pulled 12 ... TWELVE... hairs out of the sinus. They were about 1 inch each and straight as an arrow. They didn't seem to be attached. I'm not sure if these were hairs from his head that ended up in there because I assume if they were they wouldn't have been so straight. I was amazed at how many hairs came out of the sinus. On the surface one looks to be the size of the * sign on the keyboard (the little star above the number 8) and the other is the size of the @ sign.
Just wanted to share how gross it was and interesting at the same time. ~JQ
Date: August 03, 2008
StorySo, I started having my pilonidal cyst when I was about 18 and it would only flare up around my period (which was extremelly painful.) When I turned 23 it stopped going away, and eventually just remained an open, oozing, painful lump. Finally, at 25 I got insurance to take care of the problem. I excitedly went into surgery, hoping for the 45 minute surgery miracle...but to my avail since I had let it go so long it had spread like a honey comb and killed most of my tissue on my lower back. The surgery ended up taking three hours. I awoke in recovery with a seven inch sutured up lower back/butt. I literally lost about three inches of my butt crack because they had to remove so much tissue and tried to close it. Tried being key word.
After exactly two weeks after the stitches were removed, the site became extremely painful. One night I awoke to massive bleeding/pus. I went to the doctor that morning and they scheduled me for a second surgery to reopen the wound due to a massive infection. It was mostly reopened (at about 5 inches long, 3 inches wide and 2.5 inches deep. I packed it for a few days then a home health care nurse came to hook me up to a Wound V.A.C. The VAC is exactly what it sounds like...I was hooked to a machine that constantly sucked my body fluid/blood for about 2 months (the burse changed it every other day.) At work I would usually put it in a small back pack with the tubing running up my back. If I were to give anyone words of advice....Even if you are a female (as I am) GO GET IT REMOVED AS SOON AS YOU CAN! Don't worry about your doctor looking at your butt...that's what they do! If you let it go, it only gets worse.
Date: August 01, 2008
Storyhello, my name is jessica and im 18yrs old.
Wow.. so many other ladies like myself have had this thing, my doctors and nurses kept telling me its not as common for girls to get pilonidal sinises. I guess this puts me at ease a bit that i dont have a "boys condition"
my brother had pilonidal cysts and i saw what he went through and i wished that i would never get what he had.. and i was never very nice to him sometimes.. so i sort of guessed its bad karma biting me in the arse.. literally.
I went for my operation in late January and still healing ive got like a very tiny bit to heal, its now august.
I was in hospital for 4 days because i was bleeding alot and they wanted to keep me in manly for obsevations which im glad they did, one of the nites i was there i woke up with blood every where on my bed. i cant remember how deep it was but my mum said you could see my tail bone which i am guessing it was fairly deep.
when i was discharged i couldnt be more happier, but i could hardly walk and felt like my bum was fat as because i had this massive dressing on my bum that felt like a nappy. the ride home was the longest painfullest because i could not sit i sort had to lay which wasnt any better, i never realised how bad our roads were until the road home from the hospital.
one of the worst things about my experience, emotionally, was when on of my friends laughed at me when the found out i had surgery on my bum, so not funny maybe they will find out how much a pain in the arse really is.
Date: August 01, 2008
StoryMy Pilonidal sinus first started when I was still in high school, about 16 years old.
Had the painful bump, which goes away after a while and leaves the hole (sinus) in the skin.
To try and solve the problem I had several surgeries.
After most surgeries, the operation site would fully heal up. Then a couple of months later another sinus hole would appear in the skin, calling for yet another operation.
Once the operation wound did not even heal properly after the operation.
My last operation involved the creation of a skin flap that is used to cover the operation site.
That was twenty years ago.
I find that the following helps prevent a recurrence for me:
1) Shave the area between the buttocks often to get rid of hair. (At least once every two weeks.) Try to keep the hairs down there at a minimum.
2) Wear white underwear to spot any tiny specs of blood indicating a problem as soon as possible.
3) When a problem does arise, and I see a new sinus forming, I shave the area as thoroughly as possible. Then I light a match and keep the flame burning at the top of the match. When the tip starts turning red from the heat, I blow the match out, and burn the hot tip of the match directly on the new sinus opening that formed. I repeat this about three times. For the next couple of day I then wash extra thoroughly with antibacterial soap.
Why this works for me is a mystery. My best guess is that the cauterization injury might cause an immune response in the body to attack the in-growing hair.
I have had to do this about 5 times during the last twenty years, and it worked for me each time.
After about three days the newly formed hole will close up completely.
I think the best thing to do however, is to keep the hair at a minimum.
And of course I pray that God spare me from this horrible condition recurring.
For anyone that must still go for an operation, I would suggest discussing laser hair removal with their doctor/surgeon before having surgery.
Anonymous
Date: August 01, 2008
StoryThis site is great, thanks so much.
I've been doing some research to try to help my boyfried. Its just like your site says, his immune system is constantly battling infection and must be worn out as he also has to fight off other infections or sickness on a regular basis. I can't solve that one so I've been researching ongoing butt care instead. I just wanted to post what I've found in case it helps anyone else.
My boyfriend has been using Savlon antibacterial soap, which contains triclosan. Your site also recommends using an antibacterial soap in terms of a topical disinfectant. I've searched a site known for citing scientific skin care studies (http://www.cosmeticscop.com which says that "Most soaps are considered very drying and potentially irritating for skin due to their alkaline base (i.e., a pH over 8)" (citation omitted). So i considered finding a triclosan liquid wash. It seems that this is the common ingredient in most antibacterial hand washes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triclosan However, its hard to know which antibacterial ingredient works best in terms of this condition. I am leaning towards Betadine (a brand of Povidone-iodine)
as it offers broad spectrum protection and support against
infection.
I've also been looking into which ingredients are most effective in preventing ingrown hairs. Your site recommends a product called Tend Skin or No Bump RX (eg on the "Living with it" page). However I was concerned about the alcohol base and also wondered if AHAs or BHAs (both exfoliants) would be more effective than aspirin based products. I emailed http://www.paulaschoice.com.au/ (Paula Begoin's Australian site) as I appreciate their research. They replied that BHA (salicylic acid) when in a formula that is pH-correct, is the best choice for preventing and dislodging ingrown hairs. You can buy BHA products from Paula's Choice or use other brands formulated the same way. Her products come in gels, liquids or lotions. See http://shop.paulaschoice.com/category/bha-aha-exfoliants (I use BHAs every day on my face. As your skin won't be used to it, its probably best to start off with the weaker BHA and build up very gradually.)
They also recommended one of their products called Skin Relief Treatment. This liquid contains stabilized aspirin and other anti-inflammatory agents that soothe skin and work to prevent bumps and ingrown hairs. They said that Tend Skin is an option too, but has a strong alcohol base which can be drying and irritating to skin.
Just some thoughts. Wishing everyone all the best,
Paige
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Date: July 27, 2008
StoryI'm a 27 year old female. I first noticed I had a 'growth' off my coccyx about a year ago but due to finances and no health insurance I put off going to the doctor for almost a year. During the year the cyst would have a pussy/bloody discharge. I finally got diagnosed with having a Pilonidal Cyst in May and the doctor said my only option was an excision. I had the excistion in July and everything went fine until gauze got stuck in the wound for a prolonged period of time which delayed the healing time and prevented my pain from decreasing and the excision site from healing. Since the gauze has been removed I am completely back to normal and will keep my fingers crossed from developing another pilonidal cyst.
Date: July 23, 2008
StoryI'm an 18 year old girl and I just recently had surgery on my sinus
pilonidal cyst. I found out early june i had it when the infection
created a weird rash, The doctor gave me a cream and the rash still
didnt go away.. so they then found an abcess and sent me for a cut
and drain. When i went to that appointment they told me it was
a sinus pilonidal cyst. This made sense when i looked it up because
i had a pain in my tailbone area i thought maybe from karate..the
weird thing was i never fell on my tailbone area. I just graduated
and decided to have the surgery the monday after my graduation and
the parties so i could still attend them. The surgery went well,
but the night after a vessel popped out gushing blood. No matter what way
the wound was packed it wouldnt stop.. so i ended up in the ER
and had a few doctors and nurses try to stop it. I ended up having
my surgeon have to stitch the vessel and quarterize. I had to go to
the doctors everyday to pack it from then up til 2 weeks after surgery.
I had to get it quarterized one more time after the emergency room visit.
after the first week recovery started. Now im 2 and a half weeks
after my surgery and going back to work tomorrow. I see it has an 8 week
recovery since i have an open wound and im hoping thats all it takes
my college starts the end of august.. it took the whole summer away
but whatever i have to do i guess..
Date: July 22, 2008
StoryI am a 19 year old female and im not sure if im having a Pilonidal cyst. about a week ago i started to feel what seemed like just a syst on my tailbone area its in the middle and slightly to the left as time went on and i took a 6 hour trip it became worse. I already have pcos and diabetes so ive been getting systs for along time, i went to the doctors today and he said hes not sure so they put me on sulfameth something to see if it goes away but im guessing it wont until i have surgery. so now im waiting to see what this really is i hope its not a pilonidal cyst and it just goes away but it sounds like one.
Date: July 22, 2008
StoryI am a 26 year old female who has been dealing with Pilonidal cysts for nearly four years. I had my first flare-up in the fall of 2004, when I was 22. Earlier that year, I had a metal railing fall on my spine, and thought that might be the cause, but I was told that something like that would not have caused a pilonidal cyst. The first flare-up was the size of a baseball, according to the doctors, and had to be lanced. It was recommended that I undergo surgery, but I found out I was pregnant and had to wait about a year.
I had my first surgery in October of 2005. The site was not healing, and I kept returning to the surgeon, but he would just look at it and say, "Come back in a month." After about six months of this, with no improvement, I began seeing a new surgeon. He treated me for a while, but when the area was not showing signs of improvement, he decided I needed another surgery.
I had my second surgery in November of 2006. The surgeon said he removed a massive pilonidal at that time. Healing again went very slowly, and it appeared that the cyst was reoccurring. My surgeon had me pack the site whenever it opened up. He also cauterized the site countless times.
In February 2008, it finally appeared to have healed. I did not return to the surgeon until late June 2008, when it swelled up to a fair size. It burst and drained on its own before I was able to get to my appointment, and the surgeon said that it was healing nicely on its own. It was healed over by about a week after opening. Another flare-up occurred in late July 2008. The swelling was about the size of a golf ball, and again, it opened on its own.
I am currently seven months pregnant, so treatment is currently limited to packing, cauterizing, and antibiotics. After the baby is born, we will be reassessing whether or not we should try another surgery.
-Jen, Age 26
Date: July 20, 2008
StoryI am a 15 year old male, and first noticed my pilonidal cysts (yes thats right, plural) when i was lifting weights. After my have weight sessions, i would notice blood that was draining from my buttcrack. As it persisted, i went to my pediatrician who told me i had pilonidal disease, and if i wanted to find a permanent solution i would have to undergo surgery. I elected to have my surgery, and here i am 4 days later. I could not be more happy with the surgeon who performed this procedure. I have felt minimal pain (so far), and it seems as though i am healing very quickly. I reccomend this surgery to anybody who is sick of the pain, and mess of pilonidal cysts.
Date: July 19, 2008
StoryI first noticed my cyst in January when I was 4 or 5 months pregnant. I first thought the painful lump on my tailbone was from sitting so much...but shortly after I noticed the lump it became very inflamed and quite larger. Then it started draining a large amount of very smelly pus. I went to the doctor and was given antibiotics which I thought made it go away. Now it is July and I just had my baby a month ago by c-section and the cyst is back. I went back to my doctor and she told me it is a philonidal cyst and it will have to be removed by surgery. I am very scared of the surgery, but I'm hoping it will be better for me in the long run. Right now I am in severe pain. I can't sit, stand, and it hurts to go to the bathroom. This really sucks because it is very hard for me to take care of my newborn and I have been having to depend on people to help me out. I hope that this surgery goes well so I can take care of my baby!!
Date: July 18, 2008
Storyi am a 27 year old women. i had surgery to romove a large pilonidal cyct almost three years ago. im left with a gofy looking scar, but so far no cyst. im keeping my fingers crossed.
i stated noticing something was wrong about a year before my surgery. after sitting for long periods of time i would start to feel sore in my lower back, righ above my tailbone. eventually, what looked like a blister formed. it was "squishy" and one day it ruptures. i had no idea what was going on!!! i hate the doctor, so of course i didnt go. i cleaned it up, hoping it would just go away. needless to say, it didnt.
the few months leading up to my surgery day were very uncomfortable. there was alwyas a bump, kind of liek a big pimple there. when it wasnt irritated, i felt fine. but when it was, i was very uncomfortable. at one point, i could no even stand up straight, it hurt so bad. i managed to get in my car and drive home. by the time i got home, the cyst had ruptured (REALLY BAD) and i started feeling pretty ill. i ended up having to go to the emergency room becuase i had developed a blood infection. they pumped me up with painkillers and told me they were going to have to lance the cyust and drain it completely. lets just say, they gave me morphine, and it didnt help...
of course after they drained it, i felt great.
that was when my doctor and i decided surgery was the way to go.
After numerous "home" remedies and twice getting the cyst lanced , drained and packed, it was off to the surgeon. susrgery went off withouta hitch, not actually very painful. awkward though, since it was on my but!!! on day two, i needed to have the gauze removed and repacked, and my mom volunteered for thejob. i think she was more nervous than i was!!! she called the on-call nurse to get better instructions, and was warned that it was probably going to be excrutiatingly painful for me since the cyst they removed was larger that a golfball. i was thrilled. i would have to have the giant hole in my butt packed trice a day for almost 4 months.
luckiliy i have some great friends. one of them is a nurse and offered me a place to stay at her house and offered to help with my daily gauze packing. lets just say, we go very up cose and personal. a cyst on your butt, and a good friend makes for interesting conversation.
Date: July 17, 2008
Story
Hi, 16 year old girl from California here- I first started
experiencing pain probably about 2 months ago. I am really active in
tennis and soccer, and right now I'm in tennis season so I play
multiple times a week. I started feeling some lower back pain during
my practices, but thought maybe it was just a pulled muscle or
something like that. After a few weeks of that, I woke up one
morning and noticed that the pain was significantly worse and that
it had moved and was affecting not only my lower back but the top of
my butt as well. I complained to my family, but only received teases
from my sister and the "you probably just bruised your tailbone"
from my parents. I didn't remember ever falling or bashing my butt
anywhere, so needless to say I was concerned.
My pain kept getting worse by the day and simple things like getting in and out of the car were hard and very painful. At about that time my parents decided to buy me my first car, one which we found from a private seller who lived about 2 and a half hours away. I was so excited to get my car, but the pain on the ride there was almost unbearable! I brought a pillow with me to sit on, but that didn't give me much relief. When we finally got home, I checked myself out and noticed two small bumps on the top of my buttcrack. I was embarrassed to ask, but I knew I had to get my parents to look at it if they were going to get me any help. As soon as they saw it, they called the doctor and made me an appointment. The next day I was seen and the doctor told me it was a cyst (she didn't say any specific kind, just named it as a cyst). They gave me a shot and told me that they thought that the shot would take care of it. That night we layed a hot compress on the area hoping it would help. In the morning when I woke up, the pain was excruciating, to say the least. It was obvious that there was a bunch of crap that had come to a head on the spot, so we drove me in to the doctors. There, the doctors lanced the cyst, which drained for a good 7-8 minutes (it was disgusting and soo painful)! Then they packed it and gave me some antibiotics. For the next few days I had to continue returning to have my packing taken out and replaced. That was unpleasant as well, but not nearly as bad as the cyst itself.
After a few weeks I was referred to a surgeron who finally diagnosed my condition as a pilonidal cyst. I was relieved I could finally gain some information on it! The surgeon was very helpful and told me that depending on how my cyst healed, I would or would not have surgery. A few days ago I returned and everything was looking great, but he still wants me to have the surgery to lower the chances of a recurrence. My family is going on vacation for 10 days, so we scheduled it for after that (he said he thinks it will hold out for that amount of time), otherwise with a gaping hole covered with stiches I probably couldn't have much fun. So my surgery is scheduled for early August, and I am very nervous! But I know it is the right thing, because I certainly don't ever want this thing again! Thanks to this site for all the great info, and it's really nice to share with other people who have the same condition (I'm not a total weirdo, what a relief! lol) Wish me good luck, and the best to everyone with what I've got!
Date: July 15, 2008
StoryHi, I am a 37 year old women, who was first diagnosed with Pilonidal sinus nearly 20years ago!!
I know I hear you all screaming "why have I left it so long before doing anything about it?" well I wish I hadnt..!
I first had a cyst many years ago when I was at college and did the usual and went to the GP and she diagnosed Pilonidal sinus straight away and gave me anti biotics and explained only cure was surgery, hence I switched off..
Since then, the acute episodes I got were dealt with by anti biotics, until recently, when I seem to be having more discomfort and anti biotics werent working and it was bleeding and pussey much more than usual. I was refered to a surgeon, and he couldnt believe I had waited so long.. I ended up with not one but 3!! The postuals had formed a track to another one 5 inches slightly to the left, it was this that was giving me all the problems.
2 weeks later I was in surgery, first time and I was terrified but they were all brillaint. My surgeon had told me he didnt know how he was going to close it up initially and wouldnt know till he got in there. He did end up stitching me which huge stitches and all was fine for the first week. Then the wound started to weep and I had an infection, I had a huge dose of anti biotics, and that didnt work, so I was back in surgery for it to be reopened and layed open.
I am now going to the hosptial daily and have been for last 3 weeks for it to be packed and dressed... i do hope this has worked now....
Date: July 15, 2008
StoryI had my pilonidal abscess removed on July 11th. To be honest it was horrible. After the surgery I had massive bleeding problems, in addition to this I couldn't urinate. At one point I was laying naked on my hospital bed, blood oozing out of my backside and desperately needing to urinate. The doctors had told me I was going to have to go back in the operating room to fix the problem they gave me the impression I was only going to be waiting for 10min. I ended up waiting for about 2.5hours. They were forced to insert a catheder if you have ever had one of these you will know how painful they are. My second surgery the cauterized 4 bleeding points which fixed my bleeding problem, now I am finally home with a massive bandage on my ass (looks like a nappy). This thing sucks take care of it asap and don't wait like I did for 3 years :(
Date: July 14, 2008
StoryI am a 23 year old female who was diagnosed with pilonidal disease 3 months ago. I was having pain in my tailbone, but figured I had just rubbed it raw. I wear thongs often and thought it was nothing and it would go away. Over the next few days it didnt go away and seemed to get worse. I tried everything over the counter but nothing seemed to help. I work in a pharmacy and consulted my pharmacist about what this could be. He gave me a few options of what it could be but after research nothing seemed to match up. So after 5 days of extreme pain (some how managed to work and go to class during this) I finally broke down and went to the doctor. By the time I got there I could barely walk and sitting was unbelievably painful. He took one look at my crack and knew what it was. He took me into the operating room, numbed me, then started to drain me. He said I had a golf ball size collection of pus and it had honeycombed so he would have to cut deep. Most painful and embarrassing thing to ever happen to me in my life. After he was done I felt like a million bucks. No more pain or pressure and I was off to the pharmacy for my antibiotics.
I thought I could avoid the surgery and not have to worry about this as long as I was careful and took care of myself. I was wrong. A few days ago I started having pain again. I figured it was nothing but called the doctor anyways and got put on an antibiotic. Its slowly starting to feel better. Ibuprofen is now my best friend. The best advice I can give to anyone about this disorder is do not be embarrassed. So many people have this disorder yet no one talks about it. The more we talk the more we learn and perhaps more research will be done. Its not fun having this problem, but believe me, not getting it fixed is not a good idea.
Date: July 14, 2008
StoryHi I am a 16 year old girl and i found out i had a pilonidal abcess 2 days after my 16th birthday. When i went to the doctors they drained it and my mom was packing it for the last 3 months. a week ago i went to the doctor and they said it had stopped healing and i would need the surgey and that it was on wednesday which was only 2 days away. i was scared to death about the surgey and the day of the surgery I did not want to go..but of course i did. The doctors and nurses were extremly nice and the surgery went fine..they did a closed incision because i have to go back to school in 5 weeks. Now it has been five days and i am feeling a lot better now i have to go back in about a week and a half to have the stitches removed. so if you have any questions you can email me at bearmont2003@yahoo.com I'd be glad to help.
Date: July 13, 2008
StoryHello, I'm an 18year old girl.. who has had this horrible Pilonidal Disease since I was 15.. It started one day at school while I was in the 10th grade.. it was so bad I couldn't even sit in my desk any longer I had to call my mom to pick me up..
I had went home not knowing what the pain was from.. and laid down.. ended up falling asleep I remember waking up (in the worst pain I have ever been in and,) to use the bathroom.. I had to literally crawl cause I could not walk.
I ended up going to the emerg that night and they had told me I have a Pilonidal abscess. It was cut open and the doctor had drained the puss.. packed it and sent me on my way.. I went to the V.O.N everyday for about 7months then it turned into every other 3 days.. and eventually I didn't need to go any longer my mom could pack it from home.. well as soon as I thought it was getting better it happened again and I was back in emerg, back to the V.O.N everyday.. and then again it stopped..
Now its worse then ever before.. and I'm very scared of what I see when I get up from the toilet seat.. lots of blood.. not only is it draining its bleeding like no tomorrow.. I'm scared of the surgery, cause even if I do get it , it could always come back.. has anyone had it bad like this? what did you do?
Date: July 10, 2008
StoryI had a pilonidal sinus two years ago. It was during a very important school year. I therefore had to leave school for two weeks and complete all my work at home. Extremely difficult having to go through a pilonidal sinus and trying your best to complete every task given to you by a teacher.
My hole eventually closed after 6 weeks. Two years later (now), it came back. I had surgery once again and this time it was even more painful. I have to constantly change the packing and can barely do anything. It has now been 3 months that i'm waiting for my hole to close. Nothing is happening. It stayed the same size for 3 weeks. I was constantly worrying and thinking there was another problem. I went to see my surgeon, and he pressed on an area close to my hole, and what do you know, more puss came out. I have to have surgery again. My second surgery in the past 3 months. However, this time they want to stitch the hole up because they don't know what to do anymore. We tried everythihng, silver nitrate, anything that has worked on his other patients. I seem to be the unlucky one. I'm just nervous to getting the hole stitched because I read that there's a chance of it coming back again.
I'm so scared for it to come back for a fourth time. If anyone has ever had their pilonidal sinus stitched can you tell me the outcome of your surgery. I'm so scared and none of my friends understand what i'm going through. To everybody else who is going through what I am... it'll end eventually. Stay positive!
Date: July 08, 2008
StoryMy son initially developed what we thought was a boil about two years ago. After several months of the pain and drainage associated with it, our doctor finally diagnosed it as a pilonidal cyst and said it would require surgery. The surgery went fine, although the surgeon said that the cyst was the largest one he had ever seen. The healing process went well for the first couple of months, but then it really stalled. During revisits to the surgeon he occassionally did silver nitrate treatments, but never really had any other better solutions than to continue packing with gauze twice daily.
Finally, 7 months after the initial surgery, the surgeon decided he need to go in and "re-excise" the area. The surgery took longer than expected, and when it was finally done the surgeon told us that the cyst had "reoccurred", it was deeper, and it would likely require another more extensive surgery. The plan was to see how it would heal, and go from there. During this healing session, I started reading this website more intensely. I noticed the discussion about infections in healing wounds, and asked our surgeon about this. After discussing it with him a couple of times he agreed to do a culture, and sure enough it had a staph infection in it. He prescribed antibiotics, which he kept him on for a little over a month. This seemed to help, but it was still not healing like we had hoped. I read the section about consulting wound specialists, and we fortunately found one. The recommended HydraThera Blue for packing, vitamins, and Juven (an excellent, but expensive, supplement). Within four weeks his wound is almost completely healed.
My advice to anyone consulting this site is to read the entire thing, and don't hesitate to question your medical professionals about anything. Pilonidal disease is something that they may not have that information about, so refer them to this website. Also pay particular heed to the idea that while you may have a great surgeon, they will not be the expert at wound healing!
Date: July 08, 2008
StoryI am a 31 yo female and had a pilonidal cyst when I was 18. I remember I originally started to feel pain on my tail bone when I would go for a tan in the tanning beds. I would always sweat like crazy from the heat of the lights. The pain eventually became constant. It hurt when I would sit, lay on my back or sometimes when I would run. I would feel around back there and really couldn't feel anything. I just thought I was irritating that area with the tanning beds and sweat, so I laid off the tanning for a while but it did not go away. I was way too embarrased to go to the doctor due to the location of the problem. That was a bad idea.
Sometime later, I just could not take the pain anymore and decided to suck up the embarrasment and go to the doctor. That's when he told me that it was a pilonidal cyst and it would have to be surgicaly removed.
I had the surgery and I remember that I had to change the packing all the time and it took what seemed like forever to heal. I haven't had a problem with it since and hope I never will.
Date: July 07, 2008
StoryI think the first time I remember wonder why my tailbone hurt so bad was after I got off the airplane after a 10 hour flight to Spain. I figured, well I was sitting for a longgg time so that was probably it. I always lay on the floor when I watch tv too and for a while I was fine but I would notice that I felt like my spine was poking through my skin. I never really looked for a sore cause I thought that would be too strange.
I then went to Alaska and after another long plane ride I was almost in tears and couldn't sit for long. The pain would be on and off and my parents really didn't understand what I was talking about and I would try and forget. After starting my senior year of high school and after noticing drainage from my butt crack I figured I needed to tell my parents I really needed to see a doctor. We made an appointment with my pediatrician and she was even quite puzzled with what I was feeling and when she told me to bend over she was quite suprised to see that there were a few small holes and they were draining. They were extremly sensitive and I was so scared they were going to try and put something up them to examine. After a reccomendation to a surgeon, she explained what it actually was and it was the first time I had heard the word pilondal cyst. She explained that it was probably my best option to get surgury and so me and my family scheduled one.
In the mean time my parents put clean bandages taped to my area and kept it very clean. After my surgury I was left with a 2 x 2 inch open wound. My parents were quite shocked that I got sent home from the hospital like this because they weren't sure about how they were going to care for me. My insurance covered 2 visits from an at-home nurse. The first one wasn't very experienced with what she was doing. She came the day after my surgey. She tried her best to pack my wound and then about an hour after she left I started to bleed and my parents got nervous and another very experienced nurse came back out to help me. The next day another one came to teach my parents. They were very helpful once we got a woman who knew what she was doing. My parents eventually learned how to pack my wound with a strip of cause and a little saline solution and then cover it up with a gauze pad and tape. The first few days were somewhat painful, but the most painful part was when my packing had to be changed.
I went back to high school 3 days later and had to sit on a inflatable pillow. It was kind of embarassing but I just told everyone that I had back surgury and then no one really asked any questions. It took me about 2 months for the packing to stop. I was fine for a few months until another hole became present. Me and my parents were so nervous we were going to have to go through this again. My surgeon simply told us to pack it with a little gauze and neosporine and it would close up, and in fact it did. I went to college about 7 months later and experience a breakout two times. My health service gave me antibiotics and they went away within a few days. One time though, my hole swelled up and burst with alot of discharge. I was scared because I wasn't anywhere near home and just lived with it and it eventually cleared up. When I went home for the summer I saw another doctor at home to get a second opinion and she stated another surgury was my best option and I cried because I didn't want it to ruin my summer. She told me if I wanted to live with it then I could take a strong antibiotic whenever I had an outbreak. While antibiotics works in the short run, I still continue to experience outbreaks. I am considering trying surgury again but don't know if I really want to go throuhg with all that again. Im not sure if these cysts will ever leave me but I sure hope someone finds a solution for them soon because I feel everyones pain who has to go through this horrible experience.
Date: July 07, 2008
StoryI would say I am sitting here in agony but perched on the edge of my chair in agony would be more appropriate.
I am a 35 yr old male and have lived with pilonidal sinus and the poor treatment of it by ignorant doctors for 14 years. At first it was just a sharp pain every now and then when I sat down. Looking back, it felt exactly like an ingrown hair and I'm pretty certain that's how it started.
I now live in the UK but lived in South Africa at the time. I went to my brilliant family doctor of 10 years. He immediately diagnosed what he called 'Jeep disease'. How I wish I'd gone for the hard option when he said that as long as I was not in too much discomfort we could elect surgery only when absolutely necessary. I miss that Doctor.
Four years later I had my first flare up. I now realise it was minor but I was concerned enough to visit another Doctor in South Africa. This time he had no idea what I had and had never heard of Jeep Disease and nor had his colleague whom he phoned for a 2nd opinion. He decided that the best way to treat this cyst was to have me lie face down on his examination table as he attempted to 'break' the cyst by applying as much pressure to it with one thumb (by putting his hands together and putting most of his body weight on it) as he could. I screamed as I felt what must have been the abcess rupture and pop. I could have happily strangled him. I left his office with him looking thankful that I hadn't hit him and with me in more pain than when I'd arrived. 2-3 days later the skin where he'd pushed down ruptured and an opaque, oval, egg-like thing came out. I dont know what it was but it was about 2cm long. This rupture allowed it to drain for the next 6 years until I had another much worse flare up.
By this time I was living in Botswana and, on the recommendation of my girlfriends step-mother went to a doctor at a well known clinic. He had no clue. Charging me a fortune, he applied local anaesthetic and tried to remove the scar tissue using a scalpel. He then closed the wound with stitches despite my protests that I had read about it in the FHM (of all places!) and that they had said the doctors couldn't close the wound because of re-infection. I was ignored with a typical doctor-knows-best attitude and given 3 days worth of antibiotics. After 3 days the infection was back, worse than ever but draining through the scar. It was at this point that I decided, having been subjected to the idiocy of two barbaric doctors, that I would live with the problem.
Four years later and I have never felt as much pain as I have this week. The abcess is now huge (6inches long and 4 wide)and not draining. I went to the hospital 2 days ago and was seen by a nurse who prescribed antibiotics. I don't think they're working as the inflammation is spreading and the pain unbearable without the 8 x 500 mg Paramol and 20+ 200mg Nurofen I'm taking each day. I called NHS direct yesterday and was told to allow 48hrs for the antibiotics to take effect. I can't walk, sleep, sit... anyone who's had this will tell you it's agony. I broke 14 bones in a motorbike accident in '98 and this is MUCH, MUCH worse. I want to go back to the hospital but I can't walk even though it's only 2 miles away. If you develop Pilonidal Sinus, please don't allow any doctor or medical practitioner of any sort to treat it unless you are 100% confident that they know what they are doing. I have learned this the hard way.
Date: July 05, 2008
Story My first battle with pilonidal disease was in May of 2001. I had it lanced at the surgeons office. When that healed I went for surgery in August of the same year. And all was well until 3 weeks ago (June 2008). Its back, I cant believe it has come back. It has now appeared about 1/2 inch above the scar from the first surgery. I am going to wait this one out for a while to see what happens. If I survived the first painful experience I know I can make it through this. Has anyone else out there had a abscess return after having it removed? I followed all the rules. Keep it clean, remove hair. It's been 7 years and I thought I was in the clear this whole time. I do not want to go through this again, lancing and then surgery and healing time. I will keep you all posted.
Date: July 03, 2008
StoryHello everyone. 22 year old male here. Bigger guy at about 6'3 230lbs.
My adventure with this infliction started summer of last year when the pain I was experiencing in my tailbone area got to the point (even without putting direct pressure on it) one night that I had to take a trip to a local emergency room. While there they informed me of Pilondial, first time I had heard of it, and they lanced the giant growth protruding from my skin. I have read on this site that even lancing should be done with some kind of sedative. I assure you, this first time, along with the two others I've had it cut and drained, all they did was "freeze" it. A pain so incredibly intense (an intensity not matched by any other pain I've experienced, though I'm still young :D), fortunately only for a few seconds. The last two times I had it lanced, the pain wasn't as bad. But the doctors/nurses forcefully poking and prodding the area for minutes afterward trying to drain all the pus out didn't give me any sense of relief.
I just had surgery done yesterday (excision, open healing), and I am now in the recovery phase. I am typing this while SITTING, probably not the best idea, and while I am indeed limiting the amount of time I do such activities, I am not experiencing MORE pain than the immediate few days before and after I had the lancings. This could indeed be due to me still being frozen in that area, and the pain very well may creep up on me yet.
I am not sure if generally you are given the option of which anesthetic you'd like, or even if you can ask/demand a specific type, but my anesthesiologist informed me a spinal freeze, followed by some sedatives through the IV, was the way to go, I didn't argue. After having to wait over two hours past my scheduled time (apparently my doc had to help fill in for another that day), I was in the operating room by about 3:45, with the surgery actually starting about half an hour later. Apparently it only lasted about twenty minutes, and I was alert and in recovery pretty much right away. Besides my lower half still being mostly frozen and immobile, I was pretty much fully alert (seemingly at least). I gained most sensation back within twenty minutes and after about an hour in recovery, I was sent back to the general area with all the other day surgery patients, and I was told the final test for me being able to leave (besides walking which I was able to do within about half an hour of leaving recovery) was take a piss. This is where the big disadvantage with the spinal freeze came into play... I couldn't go! Nearly three hours later, and approaching the point where I would have had to had a catheter used, I finally relieved myself and got the hell out of there! (8.5 hours after first arriving).
All in all, besides the long wait times, before and after, it went fine. I was anxious going in, but it turns out my fears were completely unfounded. Now I just have to focus on getting this thing healed up.
Cheers,
-J |
