First Surgery for HS went terrible!
Posted , 5 users are following.
Hello everyone, I just had my first surgery in the armpit two weeks ago for Hidradenitis Suppurativa which i got diagnosed with 3 months prior. And recently the stitches have burst, and my surgeon removed the remaining stitches saying there was no point in keeping them since it happens with HS and that my body needs time to heal itself. He is going to provide home care nurses for me who will clean n rebandage the gigantic open wound for me. But this just sucks and i feel like im going through some severe depressive episodes due to it. I technically need 3 more surgeries but im not really sure if i want to now seeing how my first one 😦 i have two more bumps on my other armpit and like a lesion under my breast which huurrtssss like a mothertrucker! Just wanted to know if anyone has gone through something like this and can give me some advice. (Also new to this forum thing)
0 likes, 10 replies
rose87429 sukiii.k
Posted
I'm so sorry you are going through this terrible ordeal. May I ask why the need for surgery right after a recent diagnoses? I like to consult other experts in this condition for different opinions before proceeding with any major procedure. HS tends to be so misdiagnosed and there are so many approaches. My experience with an armpit surgery included daily visits to a clinic for cleaning and bandaging for 6 weeks. Even a few weeks after that the wound was still open slightly but was told to leave it un-bandaged so as to naturally ventilate. Eventually it closed. Sadly another bump under the surgical wound maybe two weeks after the surgery. I hope things look up for you. All the best.
sukiii.k rose87429
Posted
Thank you! The reason i needed surgery so soon was that the bump had opened up and skin was bulging out and i noticed a sinus tract that had formed. So they recommended surgery right away to remove damaged tissue n the sinus tract.
gunga64 sukiii.k
Posted
After my surgery for 5 bumps under my arm which I considered were cysts not H.S I had a few for 5 years or longer then over time 3 more showed up. I got rid of them because of size and awkward position. Not pain.
After surgery the stitches broke the doctor just left them open, took over a month to heal big scars but closed up.
The cysts havent showed up since for a year now. But right after surgery I had H.S show up under both arms. After breaking them and getting off a lot of sugar I have been more stable. Sugar causes mine, I just dont eat a lot of sugar crap anymore.
I have had HS on my beltline and thighs for years that werent aggressive but the ones under arms repeatedly came back until I cut off cakes. donuts cookies that had high sugar.
sukiii.k gunga64
Posted
Yes! ive heard much about sugar being a big trigger for a lot of people. and im planning on cutting it out to see if anything improves. Do you recommend any specials diets? I've heard about Atkins and Paleo.
haj5 sukiii.k
Posted
Hi Sukii
Hang on in there! It's horrible! It's rubbish! Excruciatingly painful! But you will get through this! Be nice to yourself and treat yourself well and remember you are not alone. There's loads of us out there in many countries who are going through similar.
HS is so undiagnosed and seems so little research is being done on this but it seems to be infecting an increasing number of people young, and old no matter what our backgrounds and life style. Surgeons and specialists are even confused by what the root cause is.
For some reason which I can't grasp, it seems that it affects certain areas of the body with hair differently. For example, mine isn't in my arm pits or breast area but it has well and truly taken hold in my groin area.
I've got golf ball sized abcesses in my groin which are also termed by the medics as "runners" i.e. they also spread downwards in lines down to my thighs. I've had these for over 6 months when I first got this condition (I'm 3 years post menopause so this should so not have happened based on all the research). These areas just weap a bit but don't go away no matter what I treat them with. Of course, extremely painful and sometimes just walking is a struggle never mind sitting down. I now wear baggy joggers because wearing any other type of trouser is just too painful.
I've done the antibiotics things for over 3 months - no difference other than to stop them feeling ouchie because this is an inflamatory disease. Discovered tumeric tablets after reading this website, and they've stopped the inflamation in terms of it being "ouchie" but hasn't stopped the actual abcesses happening. At least though it means I don't need antibiotics to keep the pain of the inflamation at bay. My dermatologist consultant at hospital also said - if that's working for you - then don't do antibiotics.
Having surgery should work but you need to give it time.It worked for me in the past. Just give yourself a pat on the back for reaching out ... although we can't give you the answers, and stop you feeling depressed, just recognise that it's your body that's trying to work its way through helping you survive.
You are not alone! There's loads of us here struggling with the condition but we're all refusing to let it rule our lives and dictate who we are and what we do.
Like you, I was offered surgery. But having read this forum, and also having experienced cystic acne on my face big time and peri-anal abcesses in my early 20s which was very much like your experience now, where the wound had to be packed etc ... I've decided there is no point unless it's going to cause sepsis which they've confirmed I won't get even though I've got leaking open wounds.
I'm still researching about this stuff ... somewhere at sometime someone will realise what's it's all about.
For now - I refuse to give in - I refuse to let it rule my life ... and I'll deal with it ... so long as I'm not in pain and for me Turmeric tablets each day from a local store has solved that bit of the puzzle.
All the very best to you ... keep strong.
sukiii.k haj5
Posted
Thank you for your supportive words! It helps a lot especially knowing there are people out there that understand this pain cuz its tough with family n friends i just cant explain it to them. And im so sorry to hear about what you've delt with and are continuing to deal with. You are a very strong person! this thing sucks but im trying to not let it ruin my life.
Seamist sukiii.k
Posted
I'm sorry your first surgery has been so difficult for you. I have had a diagnosis of HS for 26 years. I did consult with a surgeon about 10 years ago. The worst part of my rash is the pelvic area. She said it would require a lot of tissue removal, and bedrest for several weeks. So I never got it done because I have a family to take care of, and no one to take care of me for several weeks.
sukiii.k Seamist
Posted
You've been dealing with this for so long and still put your family first! thats incredible. thank you for your kind words and staying strong. ive only recently been diagnosed n i just turned 20 so i kind of flipped out. i feel so self conscious all the time!
Seamist sukiii.k
Posted
Thank you. However, it isn't that I put my family first, it is that there was no one else to take care of my son, and there was no one to take care of me for several weeks of bedrest. I hope some day a cure will be found, and that it doesn't have bad side effects.
rose87429 sukiii.k
Posted
Hi sukii.k I hope things are better for you about the above and your outlook is positive no matter what. Sending you good vibes.