OK now I'm scared
Posted , 3 users are following.
I've only known that I have a pilonidal sinus for a few days and when I was told about it and read about the surgery you have to have I broke down. I'm 19 and at university a fair distance from home. I've since calmed down, been given antibiotics, and the infection has been stopped for now. After all you could be told a lot worse when you go to the doc's right?
But after reading around this forum I've become scared again about the surgery 
Not even that part of it, but the aftercare sounds nasty. Any reassurance that it's not that bad, or is it? :P
0 likes, 3 replies
Guest
Posted
I have been sufferiing with Pilonidal abscesses on and off for 2 years - i had my first surgery 10 days ago - Excision with open healing. My wound is 1 inch wide, long and about 1.5 inches deep. After 10 days it is now about 1 inch deep :D.
I was terrified before my surgery after doing exactly what you know you shouldnt but cant help - research on the web! I was convinced i was going to have a wound the size of my head - lol!
even though my recovery is just underway and i have a distance yet to go, having the surgery is the best thing i have done. I have had little pain, even straight after the op, am fine sitting, the only thing i cant do comfortably is lie on my back, but i can live with that for a while. Even the packing which is the bit i was dreading the most is realtively pain free. 2 tips, take a pain killer half an hour before, and if it is available to you, use Aquacel, or one of the similar dressings available. On contact with water it turns to jelly and literally slides out with no pain! It is a pain having to go to see the nurse eveyday, but i think it is a small price to pay to not have to deal with the flare ups anymore - finges crossed!
Anyway - the important thing to remeber is that the vast majority of people who write on these forums have had BAD experiences. In reality the majority of people having these surgeries heal fine and go onto lead a pilonidal free life!!
Hope this has helped to put your mind at rest a little, any questions please ask!
Good Luck with your surgery! :D
Guest
Posted
My abscess went down very well with antibiotics, and my doctor told me that I should wait until it flares up again to have anything done about it. All pain is gone, it's a proper false friend. All I have are these holes, (which I want to see! But I'm not letting anyone take a pic) which very occasionally discharge a tiny bit of clear liquid, should I be going to a doctor for it? =/
Dawn1
Posted
Glad to hear your abscess went down with the antibiotics. Antibiotics always helped me too!
The little holes you describe sound like 'pits'. Appretnly it is tese little pits which actually cause the abscesses in the forst place as they allow hair, debris, dirt, etc into your bosy, which then get infected causing the abscesses to flare up.
If i were you i would definitely be getting someone to have a look at the area for you. Ask your GP for a referral to see a colon and rectal surgeon who specialise in Pilonidals and ask them their opinion. There is a procedure called 'pit picking' which is apparently relatively pain free, with no real recovery time which could be suitable for you if you catch it early!!
If you need any further informnation check out pilonidal.org which is ana amaxing webiste with loads of information - one owrd of warning though, as with this website - there are a lot of people on there who have had bad experiences and so try not to let it scare you from gettting it sorted out, the quicker you get it seen the quicker you can get it fixed and move onto a pilonidal free life!!
Hope this helps a little!
D :D