fistulatomy surgery

I had a fistulatomy surgery in October and wound has not healed up yet - goes to almost 95% then back to 80-85%. My GI wants me to go on remicade, tells me it’s my Disease that prevents full closure of wound. Surgeon tells me there is nothing else surgically that can be done. My BM are ok, not so much belly pain, but my anal area is pretty sore all the time, I am using proctofoam and Rowasa daily. I am scared to take remicade as I am THE person to catch all infections that come around.

Thanks for responce KEANO , but my fistula track has been cut out - fistulatomy in October. its the wound that is not healling, lots of pain in the anal area. I have no fistula anymore, do you still think Remicade can help?

KEANO - How long have you been on Remicade and have you developed any problems taking it? My son (age 12) has Crohns and had an anal fistula. He was diagnosed in November 2008. He's on Remicade but I keep reading a lot of bad things about it and I just have an uneasy feeling about him being on this.

Yes it has healed. He had a cutting seton put in and also had a temporary ileostomy and started on the Remicade. He got the seton tightened once and before we went back to the dr to tighten it again it seemed like it was healing. The dr explained to me that it would cut through muscle and he had a chance of losing some bowel control. We talked about this and decided to take it out, which the dr didn't really too much like. He said it wouldn't heal if we took it out but he hadn't had any patients that had the temporary ileostomy and on Remicade. His GI dr has talked about doing a paper/study since it has healed while on Remicade and temp ileostomy. It seemed to really heal fast after the ilestomy was done. It's been 6-7 months now and he had his reversal of his ileostomy done in December. I've just started reading a lot on all this and would like to try more other things than just meds - but he's only 12 y/o and it's hard to get him to eat more healthier. (no junk food, etc.) He has done sooooo good since I have eliminated milk from his diet. We just use Almond or Rice milk. Don't really know if it's that or the Remicade really. It sounds like he's not as bad off as some on here. He was diagnosed the first month he really started having a lot of sxs - diarrhea multiple times a day x 1 month. After that and stopping milk and starting Asacol (doesn't take this anymore) he no longer has had the diarrhea. He did develop the fistula 3-4 months after being diagnosed which has been his main problem.
I know the doctors say that foods can't cause Crohn's but I wonder if it didn't have something to do with his. When he was first born he was hospitalized at 6 weeks and at 9 weeks for severe milk allergies. At first they didn't know what was wrong because he had diarrhea multiple times a day and then discovered it was the formulas. We had to special order it because it wasn't sold in the stores or the pharmacies didn't carry it. We were told he would outgrow it. Now that I look back I can remember even as early as 5-6 years old he would sometimes have to run into the house and have to go to the bathroom and sometimes wouldn't make it. (No diarrhea though) I just thought he wouldn't quit playing in time to make it.

KEANO, thanks for the advice. I am going to try Remicade - hope it helps close the wound. How long did it take for your insurance to ok it?

It’s been sooo painful to sit – I have to sit on one butt cheek on a cushion – that starting to kill my back, also after each BM my anal area hurts and sore – sits baths help a little. I think my Chrons/ UC moved down to my rectum from colon - I am feeling sore from my anus to left belly side. I am afraid to eat full meals now for fear of having BM, I know I have to eat, I am just freaking out. OHGGGG!!!!!

jjdmathnua -   what kind of protein shake did you drink.  I would like to find something for my son but it can't have any milk products in it for him.  He will be 13 in July and only weighs 68.4 lbs.  Any suggestions on gaining weight?  Thanks!