Things can get better. I had my first episode, so to say in 2004, aged about 26. Having been sat all day uncomfortably in a meeting my bum at the base of my spin went a bit numb till I got home that night.
About a week later I had an uncomfortable feeling I thought was piles,over a couple of days it got worse, until I awoke in the middle of the night suddenly feeling more comfortable but a little wet, the infection had exited my body approximately an inch from my bum hole. I went to the doctor, was given some antibiotics and a week later was “all better”. A month later, another meeting, a week later and it was back. I went back to the doctors, got more antibiotics and a referal to the hospital.
By the time I was seen by the general surgeon at the hospital, everything had been cleared up and there was nothing to see. Even had a camera up my bum and of course there was nothing to see either. It was around this time I started doing pilates, like yoga, it works on your core muscles and has an effect on your posture, this I think was very important. 5 years later, due my mother having an operation which needed dressing every day I was helping to care for her, this involved driving her to the doctors everyday and sitting for an hour plus at a time on hard uncomfortable chairs.
Just two months previously due to work I had to give up pilates. Within a month, january 2009 I had my first pilonidal episode in 5 years, unfortuneatly it was down hill from here. The infection had layed dormant in the sinus tract and never actually gone away all that time, antibiotics do not clear the infection away and once there is a sinus tract, there is a sinus tract. I cant remember just how many infections I got before I had my surgery in the July 2009, all i can say is that as soon got over one, at it’s worse, within a day or two I was in pain again, I was continually on antibiotics for several months.
The area where the infection would exit my body became so week that I had a weeping hole all the time. My surgeon, a colorectal surgeon this time, operated on me twice. Given my age and not yet having had children, because the infected sinus tract was so close to my bum hole he did not want to compromise my sphincter muscle potentially causing me continenece problems and with the first operation put in a loose cutting seton stitch. From what little information I found out about setons there a few types and are a newer way to deal with the situation. I had what I can only describe as a non degradable surgical thread looped through the sinus tract and back out my bum hole. The purpose of this was to allow the infection to continue to exit while slowly cuttin gthrough the muscle which was allowing the infected tract to heal close as it was cutting.
I did have to go to the doctors every day to have it packed to keep it open for around 2-3 weeks. This is were a gental considerate nurse can make all the difference, if they hurt you or the wound hurts (because they have overpacked) they just aren’t very good at their job or don’t understand what it is that is required. Getting them to contact the hospital for further information needs to requested. I think I was off work for about 4-6 weeks. I had the stitch removed 6 months later, jan 2010 and the remaining tract was layed open. No daily packing was needed and again I think I was off work 4-6 weeks.
After surgery I was in less pain and discomfort than I had been before and these operations were 100 times better than my laparoscopy or hernia repair. I was seen by my amazing consultant/surgeon a few more times, I think I was his special case, since the use of a seton is/was so rare that he was very pleased with how succesful it was. I was last seen by him in the October 2010 after having seen him 4 months previously . He basically gave me the all clear. There were some concerns over a prolapsed pile, but more surgery was only going to cause more harm than good and to be honest I’ve not really had any problems in that department since.
It’s now september 2011, i’m 7 months pregnant and not had any problems and can sit like a normal person again. There is light at the end of the tunnel, dont mess around, dont delay, dont be embarresed go and see someone and get it fixed.
Nothing can be as embarrasing as being taken on holiday by your in-laws, going to spend an afternoon at their friends and your bum exploding blood and pus in white shorts all over their sun lounger. Goodluck!