my journey - fearful

I think Hound and a few others didn't have the drainage tube either my surgeon says there is problems that can arrise with it so ur better off with it. My surgeon is a genral surgeon but is also a colorectral and specialises in pilo surgeries and does know his stuff... I do know a few people who have had a cleft lift with him and they all healed fine.. Even he was saying he's not had a reaccurence so far but problem like drainage after a few weeks which sorted themselves out... There isn't a lot of drainage just a bit. The district nurse rang and have booked me in for stitches removal and a check up on monday when I told them how I'm feeling. She said she has dealed with a lot of cleft lift patiants and she said remember liquid spreads so it will be drops and nothing to worry about... She said its a good sign as it means blood is circulating in the area and blood supply will help heal the area

I don't know what's gana happen, time will tell...

Hi Fearful,

I hope it all went well, I just wanted to add my story of colorectal and general surgeons and to be honest it can depend on circumstance it depends if you want to take that risk with a general. My surgeon before I went to see the lovely Ms Senapati was a general who did perform cleft lifts for patients getting fed up with other surgeries and he had a successful cleft lift with none problems whatsoever. It was down to me to either get it down with him or go see the UK specialist and get it done from her.

Good to see you posting post op, happy healing.

I had a long detailed talk with my surgeon about drains. They bring problems of their own, each surgeon does what they find works best over all with their ops. There is no right or wrong with drains, just options. I had no drain. Bleeding and serous drainage is ok, nothing to worry about unless it's a river or looking infected.

Hound it doesn't hurt, no smell, no heat and overall comfortable, and there has been no bleeding since last night! I have also relised that the sofa was too hard and was putting pressure on the area and now thay that's sorted I feel ok. Also do you think I should take the big padding off for some air or leave it on so it doesn't get dirty and catches any draiinage, iv had it on for 24 hours will I be safer taking it off?

well im very happy to hear your doc has plenty of experience with these and that his track record is so well. i think experience goes a long way wen dealing with the lift surgery. i kno u werent asking me but i think it shld stay on till u can shower. the first three days does sooooo much good healing and i dnt think ull harm yourself leaving it on. but on the other hand i dnt think ull harm anything removing it as well. maybe do wat feels better to u.

Its just confusing everyone has a diffrent experience, personally I feel better knowing there is something protecting the wound.. You had removalble stitches right? Did you was the wound in water or did you just wipe the area with sterile water?

i didnt do anything for the first few days. i waited till day three, left everything intact and on shower day, i took my shower and only lightly covered it back up. just cause i felt more protected in case it got bumped or something too.

Yeah that sounds a bit like what I'm advised on day 3 get in the shower and clean the area and dry altho he didn't say anything about covering it but I have bought pads to cover the area

And cricket you was saying about him not lifting it a lot, I dunno yet iv briefly seen the area like from the top bit, I don't know properly how it is because I was more worried about the blood to be honest, but when I have a good look on shower day ill let you know if its still deep or not, I will be very dissapointed if it is still deep... But tbh I think my cleft wasn't that deep to start off with ( I'm quite slim you see)

i shld almost take a pic and post it so u can see two years after how weird it still looks. i literally have no butt crack. i remember my daughter walking in as i was drying off after a shower and saying mom y does your butt look like that? cant u get your normal one back? i told her id rather have a weird looking butt than suffer thru like that another day month or year. some people the idea of deformity really bothers them but i really dnt care at all.

Hahaha cricket same! My surgeon was like you are aware things will look diffrent back there, I'm like I just do not care! I'd rather have a wierd bum then the pilo and other problems with it, and iv only just turned 23, but it really doesn't bother me! My partner will have to put up with it or just move on, accept me as I am haha!

Apart from all the worry I'm okay, mums feeding me like a 2 year old, lots of healthy food lots of protien and lots of refills on juice water and milk! I could get used to this... But I won't be happy when the weight creeps up haha

Also have a bit of constipation I have a terrible tummy ache, have taken stool softners which will kick in soon fingers crossed!

Thanks all! I love you lots mwa x

Mine is different but not freakish, I don't need to be in a tent and charging for entry. I'm happy, a nice bum to me is one without a pilo.

The anaesthetic will scramble your tummy, it will settle soon. Sounds like you are right on track to me, good work!

Day 2 post op

Last night was comfortable, I woke up around 7 feeling fresh, messed around my phone for a while thinking its ganna be another long day of lying on my side...
About 20 mins ago went to the mothers room and asked her to peak through the bandage for blood, she said no, there's no blood its just the old one that a bit dried, and we decided to take the big padding off and lay the wound bare as the hospital has been asking us to do this since yesterday to give the wound some air...
So off came the padding/dressing, the mother did a very scary 'OMG' I panicked 'what what what what wahaaattttttt?!?!' And she's like it looks diffrent and the stitches are about 10cm long... (She wasn't really aware what the surgery is all about haha' I was like 'mum that's a good thing! Pfftt

So I got a mirror and had a look, yes it does look pretty diffrent back there, wierd haha
It looks like stitches are in the midline in the bottom but SLIGHTLY off centre and SLIGHTLY flatter... The top of the cleft is just flat, that's where the pilo and pit was...

And now the bandage is off... There is supposed to be something invisable protecting the wound, I can't see ir feel anything protecting just looks bare to me, there I a bit of dried blood on the wound... He said 3 day to wash... Its 3 days tommorow but I'm thinking of washing it tonight as the dries blood doesn't make me feel to good, and I'm scared of germs collecting
And there is stitches I can see like 2 long threads hanging from the wound that I'm scared of catching

Pain wise.. No pain atall, although last nighy I could feel a bit of pain on the right side kinda of where I expect the cyst was (the midline is to the left)

So now... Mum is off to get a new shower as the old one has gone and broken last night and I might hop in before bed and give it a quick clean and dry with hairdryer or I dunno shal I clean with swaps and sterile water? Or shall I leave alone untill tommorow?
As you all know this was the most worrying part of surgery I don't want to do anything wrong....

Hi so glad surgery has gone well. So envious that you are nearing the end of the pilo nitemare. The dried blood won't hurt I would leave your wound until day 3 as advised and then you can shower it. I wouldn't use swabs at all just water and the shower pressure and dry with the hairdryer. Hope all continues to heal well. Healing thoughts coming your way xxxxxx

Yes WM is right, leave the dried blood. When it dries and forms a scabby area, this is your own bodies way of making a dressing, it seals the area beneath and protects it from bacteria and keeps it moist which helps it heal. Moisture is good for a wound if it is sealed, it is only bad when the wound is open as then bacteria can get in and breed. I know it isn't pretty but what is going on under e dried blood is exactly what you want. Cleaning it off too early will only increase the chance of germs getting to the incision.

About those long threads, if they concern you then there is no harm in putting a dressing over it at night so you don't tug them when you roll around in bed. Just make sure it is al bone dry under there first.

funny thing; im soooo excited u atre now in the deformed butt club and its awsome cause i just know that your nightmare is ending too but as for the damage this leaves behind we never fully recover cause we will always wrry and we will never take for granted wat we suffered thru. im so happy for u fearful

Thanks guys for all the support... Only a pilo sufferer can ubderstand the worry that comes with the package...

I can't stop taking little peaks at the wound and I have relised that the stitches don't go all the way to the bottom near the anus, they stop just over halfway down the cleft... So in a way its like a mini cleft lift...

Iv had no drainage so far... All is dry... I really need to go for a No 2 but I don't want to strain on the loo and rather not go untill I'm allowed to get in the shower that way I can clean the area after bowel movements... I hace been taking stool softners to help me along.. And my has started to bloat aswell

Pain wise I am extreamly suprised that I am still to feel pain... Hope it stays this way... But can I add I am sick of lying on my sides I'm sure I'm going to get sores! Mind you I can sit, walk and go up and down stairs without any pain whatsoever but still I rather stay in bed and let it heal...

I am also thinking of washing the area before bed tonight because if I had surgery on thur then sat is like day 3? Or will that be sunday morning which will be 72 hours post op? Grr I dunno rather clean or wait till tmrwb I can't believe I'm so scared about washing a wound but I'm scared coz its not always best to wash where there is stitches but what the doc says goes... Right?

Just cleaned the wound in the shower... We'll my mum did... She didn't really know what to do and I told her to slightly wipe down with a bit of gauze while the showers running, she let the shower run down me for 1 min then dryed with the hairdryer for a few mins...
We didn't clean it throughly tho... Neither did we use soap... Hope we done it right

The area I noticed is very numb... After washing I can notice the area a bit more then before, been getting a strong itchy sensation all day... Mum is going to put a bit of sterile dressing on for over night in a bit

Also I have terrible constaption, stool softners arnt doing the trick think I will take some laxatives to get everything moving, iv not been since wednesday... Mind you I normally am constipated but it shouldn't be the case when you have a wound in that area...

yeah definitly good to get the bowels moving cause u dnt want to be constipated with your wound so close. im pretty sure it will stay kinda numb forever. mine is still numb as were others on here as well with the cleft. i never did get severe pain with mine. like i said i was chasing four very young kids the next day nd driving by week three. probably cld have sooner but i was too scared to sit on it. the shower thing i think was fine. your not going to disturb anything major. im glad your lovin it and im happy u feel pretty comftorable. oh and bout the bed sores; ull hav to b in bed for alot longer before those occur. i was on my side for four month after surgery number three and still had no sores. your prob just restless cause of the lack of pain so u feel good enough to be up. give it a solid week pretty please? just to ensure everythings great.

Thanks Cricket.. Its good to know I have you guys to turn to for advice! I am pretty active and yes I have no pain which is making me feel really restless... I feel I could even go back to work if I have the chance just doing bits and bobs, but nothing fast paced...
All I am worried about is getting the cleaning right because iv come so far - I never thought I could do it, and I want to do anything in my power for this to heal without problems...
And I am a bit scared to sit on it so I am going to stay away from sitting for a few more days and try to stay on my sides so it can heal better...
So far so good... So glad I had the surgery

honestly i really did nothing special for cleaning and mine healed fine. i was never even given special instructions but in all reality if its going to fail or reacur, theres nothing u can do to stop this from happening. however dont be careless either. its needs to stay clean and dry but wrrying too much will drive u mad. really its up to god now how this goes. not even the surgeons but i believe everything happens for a reason but i believe the surgeons recieve alot of help from a higher power. just keep being positive.