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Date: January 30, 2009
StoryI am a 34 years old female with two stories: The bad treatment and the
excellent treatment.
(Sorry because my English) First the bad: When I was living in Colombia I got a Pilonidal sinus when I was 18. I went to the doctor who sad that a local
anesthesia would do not help, because the infection, so, the very satanic took my sinus while I had a stuff (cloth) in my mouth, then he sad any more and I
went home. next day I could see a plaster at the place of the sinus. I took this out and it came a loong stuff too. I was so scared
because I thought that it was a part of my body, but then I did do not anymore and it close very soon.
The good story is in Denmark, with the danish health system and THIS IS A PUBLIC SYSTEM (No privat). now I am 34, I felt again a sinus and I run to the doctor
IMMEDIATELY. She sent me to the hospital and in the hospital I got operated in the area under full
anesthesia immediately. They told me that the ALWAYS use a total
anesthesia for these cases. Next day I came home and a nurse comes EVERY DAY to change my plaster and a stuff in to the
hole, that helps to come out with the infection. She will come every day until she can tell me that there is no more infection and the
hole is closed. Ladys and gentleman: I present you the public danish health system, very effective and it is payed by our taxes (The taxes of the danes).
Date: January 26, 2009
StoryI am a 23 year old female from the USA. When I was 18 years old I had my first episode with a pilondial cyst. After my second
episode I went to see a surgeon and had the surgery done but even now I have a nasty scar with a piece of nasty skin that sticks out a little. It presents no pain but I am
embarrassed that my scar look so gross. If anyone has heard of this happening to them please share with me. Thank you
Date: January 25, 2009
StoryI have a story and also a question, so please read both:
Story: I had open-wound surgery about two weeks ago. The wound is now healing, and I have been almost paranoid about keeping it clean and free from hairs, etc. I starting taking 50mg of Zinc and 2000mg of Vitamin C daily (as suggested on the website). I like to think this is helping. My surgeon has been nice, but he's old and I feel he may not be communicating as well as he should about the healing process. See below...
Question/Problem: I've noticed pimple-like features on the edges of my open wound. They're very red, round and small...again, pimple-like, but just around the edges of the wound. On my most recent visit the surgeon asked if I was putting any antibiotic cream on the incision b/c he was telling me that someties these things get infected and cause abscess-like features of extra skin. I can't remember exactly what he said...but I bought Neosporoin and now put it around the area and on the pimple-like featues. SO...does anyone know what this is, or have any advice on what to do? Do these pimple-like features go away (I sure hope so)! I'm very confused and also worried. Please help.
You can e-mail me at: kyleguy1121@gmail.com
I'm 23, and this has definitely ruined my "social life". I really really hope these pimple-like features will go away. If they grow they will be embarrassing and I'll never want to be naked in front of anyone again.
I'm glad the surgery is over, but the healing is really the hard part. please help. Thanks and very sincerely, -Kyle.
Date: January 22, 2009
StoryI am a 39 year old that had surgery in Dec 2008--- quite the holiday present. In short... all the time I spent on this website prior to my surgery - I wish I had taken the time to read the stories or maybe not----- the majority of the stories truly would have made me rethink my decision to have surgery supporting what my surgeon advised --- IT WILL BE VERY PAINFUL. I feel all has gone well as even Superwoman would cringe and cry at any of the procedures that deal with this. My surgeon fortunately is very good at what he does - unfortunately needs to work on communication skills but I guess if I were to pick a skill - it's definitely the knife.
I was off 4 days and have returned to work - sit down job. My employers have graced me with premium chairs and I have ordered a cushion and for the most part - it's like a laughing matter similar to smacking the funny bone, not funny. I am still in the healing process and have just now read the "after care" section. I had read it briefly but now I can relate to the majority and I am definitely thankful for all the information and feedback from live sufferers. USA
Date: January 22, 2009
StoryHi fellow p.s peeps! I'm Jo, 22 from
London and i have been dealing with my pilonidal sinus since i was 15.. I first noticed it after a bath but passed it off as a pimple and didnt do
anything about it! Not the smartest thing.
A few months later the 'pimple' grew and burst, apart from feeling grossed out and
embarrassed to even tell my mum, i knew something had to be done. So the next time the abscess became inflamed, i went to the hospital and had it lanced under local
anesthetic.. after a while of getting it packed and dressed at my local walk in center i realised the wound was not healing properly.. but rather than going back to hospital, I LEFT IT (God i constantly ask myself, why did i do that?)
Fast forward to November 2008, the sinus has spread and i realise it is time to go under the knife! After seein my g.p who was shocked i had left it that long, i was referred to a consultant who knows alot about and deals with p.s (dr michael saunders) and just 4 days ago i had my operation! He performed the bascom procedure on me and i felt pretty good when i woke up (apart from the sickness caused by the general anaesthetic). That was, until i saw the wound, its about 6 inches long and 3 inches deep.. NOT NICE AT ALL! It made me realise how important it is to get p.s dealt with as soon as you notice it! 8weeks healing time.. here i come! Thanks for readin! wish u all well x
Date: January 22, 2009
StoryHey everyone. Im writing this 30 minutes after returning back home from the hospital. I spent there 4 days, had my pilonidal cyst totally removed and the wound closed. The doctor said it was as big as his fist and that it was absorbing liquid when in my body. The wound hurts a bit and now I have to wait until the thing heals completely. I'm so glad I'm home again and I believe the cyst just went away forever. You gotta be strong. Brian (26 y.o.), Slovak Republic, European Union.
Date: January 21, 2009
StoryI am a 27 year old female in the UK, 2.5 years since having open wound surgery, and thought it would be worthwhile sharing my experience to calm anyone who may be worried about surgery.
It began when I was 21 and had an accident, falling backwards onto a large wooden plant pot, landing my coccyx squarely on the edge. I thought that I had just bruised my coccyx, but after a week or two a lump appeared, and so I thought I had better visit the doctor to check that I had not damaged anything. I was told that the lump was a boil and prescribed antibiotics. My GP did not want to lance it, but let it heal of it’s own accord. After an excruciatingly painful week and lots of hot salty baths and compresses, eventually it was ready to drain, and I remember spending about half an hour in front of the mirror draining it with a full roll of toilet tissue.
It was then fine for a few years, until I started playing a sport (Having lead a sedentary lifestyle) and I think this must have aggravated it, with movement, and more heat and sweat in the area. The sinus (the hole through which the pus from the boil had drained) repeatedly became infected, and after several recurrences, with antibiotics and draining each time, my GP suggested surgery. (New paragraph) Of course I looked it all up and saw horrific images and read horrid stories on the internet, but agreed to the open wound surgery because the likelihood of recurrence was very low.
I was absolutely petrified before the surgery, thinking that I would be in incredible pain for a long time afterwards. It was simple day surgery and I was advised to take a week off work afterwards. After the surgery, when I got home I felt no pain at all and just wanted a fag and a cup o’ tea sitting comfortably on my sofa! I was given 2 weeks of antibiotics and painkillers, but ended up not needing all of the painkillers. A district nurse changed the wound packing for the first few days, and then my long suffering partner continued to change it daily for a month, after which time it had healed. The district nurse checked every week or so, and I had a final appointment with my GP. I was able to return to work after 6 days, with only a slight discomfort caused by the packing material.
I’ve not had any infections since, and only very occasionally get twinges in the area caused by bad posture, and solved by sitting up straight and not slouching (Which is a good thing anyway) I continued my sport, and now even cycle.
I would definitely recommend going for open wound surgery quickly, if that were your GP’s suggested solution. The inconvenience after the surgery is an easy trade for years of infections and antibiotics, which will negatively affect one’s general health anyway. I appreciate that not everyone has had such a good experience, but the main thing to remember is that surgery is not as awful as you think, the horror stories really are the worst case scenario (usually exacerbated by not controlling the situation quickly) and that you are not alone.
My thanks to this website which was a useful resource at the time.
Date: January 19, 2009
StoryI am a 21 year old female living in Scotland, it was really nice to find a website with all this information on it, if only I had found it sooner!
I had my first sinus operation in November 2007 which, well according to the nurse was the largest wound she had seen due to a pilonidal sinus and I found the packing agonising, but then I did have stitches as well which made the packing agonising because it would rub up against the stitches. It took 6 weeks before I could get back to work, and everything felt fine.
It reoccurred in April/May 2008 which was very painful and as I was a bar manager I found lifting, bending and general moving agonising. I spent 3months on antibiotics before I could get surgery on it (the NHS has waiting lists) but this time the scar was smaller and less painful. unfortunatly my bosses were not best pleased with my decision to have surgery when it just so happened to be when most other members of staff were on holiday so i made the choice to leave, so after the surgery I was unemployed (horrible experience). I managed to get back on my feet and scrape by on my savings before finding a new job and eventually started in November.
Then, on Hogmany (new years eve) it started playing up again and I had to spend all of the 2nd of January at an emergency clinic, I have now been told that I have to have more surgery, the last thing I want to do is tell my new employers about my "arse problems". I really think that unless someone has or has had it and understands the pain, they have no idea what this does to your life. For example; sitting at work, in a car, bus, train is AGONY, going out for a meal or to the cinema is out of the question, exercise makes flare ups worse and is impossible once it is flared up, sex is painful and disrupted if you are on antibiotics and use the pill. In short this reoccuring sinus has played havoc and ruined a lot of the things I used to enjoy. Now I have nothing else to do but carefully get comfortable at home and watch rubbish on TV (not my idea of fun). So fingers crossed that the third operation works a treat!!!
Date: January 19, 2009
StoryLike many other stories I've read, I suffered with my pil. cyst for a long time -- 8 years or so. First noticed it in college but didn't really pay much attention to it until my first bad flare up in 2006. My primary care doctor incorrectly diagnosed it as an anal fissure and recommended I see I specialist. My specialist correctly diagnosed it as a pil. cyst and recommended surgery. I of course ignored that advice until my worst flare up about two or three months ago. I had surgery this past week. Surgery was fine. No pain at all. I had local anesthesia and an IV. Fell asleep and woke up and the surgery was over. Probably took 25-30 minutes. Was out of the hospital in an hour and a half total. I have an open wound and I'm changing and packing the dressings two times a day (though 3 was recommended) -- and doing it myself with the help of a Q-tip. I thought I would be in a lot of pain (especially when packing gauze into the wound) but so far no pain at all and so I haven't had to take any of the pain medicine that was prescribed. There's a little discomfort if I sit in a chair. I'm returning to work tomorrow (5 days post-surgery) so curious to see how sitting at a desk for an extended period will be. My heart goes out to others suffering from this condition. So far I think surgery was much better than dealing with this thing on an almost daily basis.
Date: January 15, 2009
StoryWell i should start here by saying
I'm a 21year old woman who live in the U.K. Firstly, i am so glad about this website, made me feel so much more comfortable about knowing
I'm not the only female to have got this and by the looks of it, not the last. (its shocked me that i have the same name as the creator of this website
as well) I recently had my surgery two days ago and everything is looking up for me now.
It all started with me thinking that i somehow had managed to bump my tail bone, but i
couldn't remember how or if i had done, so i began to just deal with the pain this only started a week ago today, i then just noticed a reddish bump at the top of my 'crack' and began to wonder what on earth was this, the pain got so bad that eventually i went to my local ER
department this was on the Sat 10/01 who took a look at me and advised me that i had a Pilonidal cyst. I was so shocked by this as in honesty i had never heard of these in my life! The Dr. just gave me Anti-biotics and some Painkillers and told me to go home and come back if it got worse....
By Monday 12/01 i was in agony..so off i went back to ER and well to cut a long story short.. after all the OP prep. i was advised there was no beds... i was mortified... so i went home and decided that i should call my private medical who got me an appointment to see a consultant the next day being tues 13/01 who told me i had Pilonidal Sinus and that it was bad.. so 2 hours later i had my
operation... soo all went a little quick... so now its the 15/01 i feel so
much better i have an cut about 4cm long its about 3.5cm deep and the internal width is about 2.5cm. (The nurse had to measure it all today) i am in a fration of the pain i was in, it is
definitely worth the Operation... they have left my wound open and everyday a nurse comes to my house for the next 4 weeks to change the dressing.. i sit in the bath about an hour before she comes to soak the dressing so that it will fall out so that she can pack it again.. its soo much easier to have to bath yourself and take it out yourself as you know your own pain
threshold and just take your time with it, there's no rush!
If anyone is worried about them - so was i - i hate needles/operations - i am a wimp to be honest, but its worth it, i promise you'll feel a million times better.
Hope whoever reads this finds it useful and god luck - you'll be fine!
Sash
Date: January 14, 2009
StoryI had my first pilonidal cyst in high school. I used to always sit slouched down in my desk so I guess that could be what started my problem. I was too embarrassed to say anything back then and it eventually just went away on its own and I thought I was free and clear after that.
But last year while I was in my eighth month of pregnancy with my second baby it came back again. I work in an office so I sit on my but for eight hours a day so you can imagine how uncomfortable it was to have the weight of the baby on this thing all day long. I tried ignoring it at first and thought it would go away again but then I started doing some research and when I found out that the cyst could cause a bad infection if not treated, I started to worry for the baby because I was not sure if the infection could pass to him. Well finally one night finally when the pain got so intense even while standing since I had the pressure of the baby on my back, my husband convinced me to go to the ER. Since I was in my
eighth month of pregnancy, I could not get any pain medication so the doctor had to cut and drain the darn thing just like that. I think the pain from that was ten times worse than giving birth. I would not wish it on anybody!!
Date: January 11, 2009
StoryHello. I've had two pilonidal cysts so far and just recently got my 3rd one. I am going to tell you about my first experience with this horrid thing! I got my 1st one when I was a senior in high school. At first I
didn't know what it was and I left it. Well after a while, it hurt really bad. Finally, about three days before Thanksgiving, I got really sick. I stayed home from school and finally Tuesday night, my mom took me into the hospital because she didn't know what was wrong with me. That is when i found out that on top of the pilonidal cyst which is an infection, i also had a UTI infection so I had two infections in me. I was a very sick girl.
Back to my story, I had to wait for a surgeon to come and look at it. I got on my stomach and went through the horrible freezing part. They made my mom wait outside and I held on to a really nice nurse's hands. Well, the freezing never took and I felt everything that they did. Talk about pain! I was bawling my eyes out and breaking the nurse's hands! I never had that much pain in my life! But the next day, i felt 100% better! My 2nd cyst opened up on itself and I had to go to the doctor for that. So now, I have my 3rd cyst and I am not glad about it! My surgeon is only there Tuesdays and Thursdays and it sucks! Well that is my story! Quite painful one! Im glad there is a website dedicated to these horrible cysts! I wish everyone the best of luck with theirs! God Bless, Jill
Date: January 07, 2009
StoryI also wanted to add a little positivity to the pilonidal debate. I am a 26 year old, healthy and fit female with no serious medical problems. I have had problems with my tailbone since the age of 12 and a self-inflicted tailbone injury (i.e. sliding down the bannister).
In August 2008 I began having more intense pains, especially after yoga and "balancing on my sits bones." I went to the ER on a Sunday night after attempting to wait until I could see my regular doctor. Unable to sleep, I had my husband drive me to the hospital while I laid in the reclined passenger seat on my stomach. I had an I&D with local anesthetic that relieved the pain immediately, began taking antibiotics, and set up an appointment with the surgeon.
We made plans for an open healing by second intention, but since I had been so quick to seek medical help, the day of surgery my doctor came in and told me she could close it back up and reduce my healing time. Under general anesthesia she removed 2 sinuses and a cyst and I went home that day on Percocet. I took one week off of work and was able to return (carefully) to my job as a nurse. I had my stitches removed a little over two weeks later and am now almost completely back to normal.
My scar lacks the elasticity of regular skin, and I am still careful about how I sit. But overall I think the main thing I would tell anyone learning about this problem would be to seek help as QUICKLY as possible and your surgery and recovery will be exponentially easier.
Date: January 07, 2009
StoryI had my surgery in June of 2007 and have NOT had a reoccurrance. Horrray! Well, I still am VERY paranoid about it coming back and I have to be quite vigilant to not let it come back. But, I wanted to post positive news and perhaps some info about what I did for people considering surgery.
Surgery:
So, I had the surgery in June 2007. Dr. Choe, a general surgeon at Kaiser Oakland CA did it. She was AWESOME. Very personable. I had a local anesthetic in my behind and IV of some kind of calming stuff. I don't remember the procedure at all. I was out cold. I just remember being turned on my stomach and next thing I know I was waking up. I guess it took like, 40 minutes. The cyst was the size of a walnut but narrow and deep. I think they dug about 2 inches in. She also cut out a second sinus I had that was halfway between my tailbone and my anus. I got home and slept the rest of the day. Docs gave me Vicodin to take every 4 hours.
Keeping Clean and 'Normal': My mother packed the open wound EVERY 6 hours like clockwork for TWO SOLID weeks. I couldn't have done it without her. I drank about 80 oz of water every day so the vicodin wouldn't mess up my bowel movements (you don't want to be constipated after surgery for pilonidal cyst). I took HOT baths every six hours like clockwork. I tried to time my bowel movements to right before I took a bath so I could stay VERY clean. When I urinated I was VERY careful and used babywipes to clean up. Hmm..what else..did I mention the water was hot? I stayed in the tub for prob. 30-40 minutes to let the packing come out easily. The first 4-5 days after surgery, the gauze really stuck to the blood in the wound so I had to soak it. Oh yeah, I put a NEW bathmat down so cut down on germs. I didn't use ANY soap on my body besides CETAPHIL and I would wash AROUND the wound with cetaphil mostly just to keep the area clean and also to wash off the sticky stuff from the tape that kept the dressing on.
Changing the Wound:
After the local anesthetic wore off, like a day after the surgery, I won't lie, having the gauze change was the worst pain I've ever felt in my life. It hurt so bad I couldn't even scream. I just cried. It was like the air or something irritated it. It felt like somebody first stabbed you with a knife and then lit a match inside the wound. haha. But that only lasted like, 3 changes. My surgeon explained that the pain is just the nerves trying to meet each other. Anyway, I would totally let the wound air out after a shower. Just lay for another 30 minutes without putting more gauze in. Sometimes an hour. Mom would pack it according to surgeon's orders.
Diet and Activites:
Like I said before, I drank water like a fish. They recommended I eat at least 8oz of protein a day. I ate like, 20 oz of red meat a day. I also stuffed my face with broccoli. I'd usually have a cup of yogurt with berries or bran for breakfast. I didn't drink anything but water for 2 weeks. I didn't do anything but sleep, lay in bed, read, and change my wound or drink water and eat meat and broccoli for 2 weeks.
Recovery:
I think because I did what I did, I grew 1/3 cup of flesh back in 5 1/2 weeks instead of 8 like they said it'd take.
The cool thing about the surgery was that when I had a root canal later that summer, I didn't even need vicodin. haha.
I wasn't able to sit back in my seat comfortably until November (so 5 months post op) and it wasn't until April of 08 or so that I was able to sit longer than 3 months without pain.
Making It NOT come back:
I NEVER recline anymore. I just don't. If I'm at home, I make it a point to lay down. Eventually I might see somebody about the 2nd sinus that the surgeon removed. The skin that formed over the wound formed some kind of 'bridge' between my behind's cheeks. The result is that I have a tinnnnnny tie between the cheeks that prevents them from stretching as far as they should. Also, it's true about growing back new flesh - it's never as elastic as it was before. I take 2 showers a day in the summer now (instead of one). I do whatever my 'ass-scar' tells me to do. If it's sore then I know I'm doing something wrong. The only thing that gives me pause and freak is when I'm itchy cuz that's what brought it on in the first place. Hmm..what else... I don't regret doing this. I struggled with this for 2 years prior to my surgery. If I hadn't done it, it would've gotten bigger and bigger. If I ever have children, the minute they come out of me I'm checking them for a pilonidal sinus!
Good luck with your journey!!
Date: January 06, 2009
StoryI am at a loss for words.
This sight has shown me that I am not alone in many ways, but I can't help feeling alone in other ways.
I've read of people having "flare ups" at most every few weeks. While I am seeming to have flare ups more frequently then that. I feel hopeless, and helpless. I've put off surgery for almost 2 years, all while having flare ups as often as twice a week, with barely any time to heal in between. My life has been stolen from me.
My first flare up I went to a local walk-in clinic, and had it lanced and packed. I've read that this should be done under local anesthetics, which I had none. Obviously, that was a very traumatic event. There-fore, in nearly 2 years, I have not returned to a doctor, mostly out of fear, but also because I could barely afford the lancing process, I was billed afterward, for EVERYTHING that came with that process, and just now have finished paying it off. Shortly after my first/last visit, a surgeon was recommended to me. I completely prepped for surgery, and was told that I'd have it on the date of my appointment. When I arrived is when I found out I wasn't scheduled for surgery at all, and that my appointment was only for a second diagnosis. What is that? How could that happen? It is indeed beyond my understanding. But that's beyond the point, the last two years has been spent in a constant flare up.
So since the flare ups were happening so often, my skin never had a chance to heal from the lancing, and it was re-splitting on it's own each time, effortlessly. Until 3 days ago, when another flare up began, this one is just as bad as the first one! I have bit my tongue, and dealt with it, until last night, when finally, it re-split and a remarkable amount of fluid came from the wound. I tried my best to drain it on my own, because even if I wanted to, I couldn't make it to the car to get to a doctor. I feel like there is still a lot in there, but it won't come out. I feel better today then yesterday, but I know I am not in a good state. So today I called a doctor to schedule an appointment to see if surgery is right for me. I believe this doctor only performs the "cleft-lift."
But is that the kind of extraction that is right for me? I am so lost, I don't know what to do. If anyone has any words of encouragement, or any ideas for me.. I'd love to hear it, I am in fact, desperate to hear it. My email is k_worthy@hotmail.com for anyone who has the time. |
