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Posted 9/3/2009 1:37 PM (GMT 0)
I am new here and posted this yesterday, lots of people viewed but no responses confused   I have no where else to go asI cannot find anywhere else where anyone has had the Seton done and I am just asking for a little bit of help. Thank you! Here is a copy of my pot:

Hi everyone,

What a relief just breezing through some of these posts have been. I have not been diagnosed with Crohn's as of yet, but had been battling an anal fistula and abcess for over ayear, not really knowing what it was. I had the Seton done 08/18/09 I am just now not erribly sore from it. I was wondering if someone can help answer some questions for me about this-

1. I have to go for a follow up and possible tightening on Tuesday, will this be a painful procedure?

2. Reading more on here see many have a Seton in place for a long time, can you have sex? I am wondering when it is safe. The whole abcess thing really put a halt over the past year to mine and my hubby's sex life and I am hoing we can resume soon.

3.I guess once this heals I may have to have another surgery to close the fistula? Does that sound right?

I was scheduled to have a colonoscopy on 09/01, but they first did an anal ultrasound on 08/17 and the dr said I had a very dangerous infection and he took me in to surgery the next day. He will reschedule the colonoscopy after I'm doing better, he will look for more fistulas and for signs of Crohn's. I have a lot of symptoms, but I am not sure if they are Crohn's or related to my Duodenal Switch w/ Biliopancreatic Diversion that I had for weight loss 7 years ago. (edited to add I have terrible anemia, stomach cramping, fatigue and other symptoms)

Anyway thank you for any insight on the Seton- I am still a little lost about it all.

Stephanie

 

Posted 9/3/2009 4:14 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Stephanie,

I am so sorry you are having to deal with this! Abscesses are nasty things regardless of whether you have Crohn's or not! We have had great threads on abscesses, fistulae, and setons, and one of our excellent Forum Moderators put a number of them together in one place. You can find it at the top of the Topic list -- click on Crohn's Disease Resources. Once in side, find the thread "Living with an abscess or fistula?" You will find tons of information and expereinces with surgery, wound care, adn living with setons.

I personally don't have a cutting seton, so I don't know if it will be painful to you. I suggest you call the Dr's office and ask if you should take pain meds before hand just in case (in that way you will have the meds on-board when he/she does it). My Doctor said I could do whatever activity I wanted as long as it didn't hurt. So I think sex will depend on where you setin is located. But talk to your doctors please!

Take care!
Posted 9/3/2009 8:10 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you so much. I will look at that :-)
Posted 9/3/2009 9:33 PM (GMT 0)
Hopefully you found some answers on that fistula/seton thread... I'm so sorry you're going through this.

I had a "complicated horseshoe abscess" for almost a year and 5 surgeries before I got a doc that could properly diagnose the crohn's disease that was CAUSING this issue.

Please, please make sure that you are in experienced hands. The doc that performs your colonoscopy should be experienced with crohn's, because the diagnosis depends on biopsies, and those biopsies must be taken from tissues with certain characteristics, etc. I know that docs are bossy and might give you a hard time, but please please please - take the time to make sure that you are getting scoped by someone who knows what they're doing when the time comes.

Also, do NOT be afraid to make your doc draw a picture of your seton and fistula in a diagram for you. This was the only way that I could understand what was going on in my butt! But the point is - it's YOUR body. Make them take the time to explain your seton to you. It shouldn't be this weird foreign entity living in your backside (which is how I viewed mine forever).

I never had a seton type that required tightening to my knowledge or memory. If it hurts, hot baths often, and gentle butt rinses with the detachable shower head after BM's helped me immensely. Also sleeping on my belly as much as possible to relieve the pressure on the drain.

If you're cleared by your doc, I would agree that sex is ok as soon as you feel ready to attempt it. If there's an annoying or protruding section of drain, I used to put a large bandaid on it. Lol. I'm sure I didn't look real sexy with my 2" square fabric bandaid on my right butt cheek, but it kept the tube from poking or being visible with my seton. Just a thought in case your seton shows or sticks out in a way that might bug you when you're intimate. Having the bandaid on for brief intervals never seemed to irritate anything for me.

I hope you get some answers and relief soon.
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