I can hardly believe it - another abscess surgery

Hey everyone,   I had my first abscess surgery about a month ago and had my follow up yesterday. After sleeping all weekend and being in extreme pain (I called my surgeon and asked him to fax a script for some pain meds through to my local pharmacy), I knew something wasn’t right and things weren’t healing properly.   Turns out the setons are working but there is still infection to the side of where my abscess was originally. This area had been tender even after the setons were inserted but I was assuming this was because it was a big abscess and took time to heal. When it started to get increasingly painful I knew something was wrong.   So now I have to have a second surgery tomorrow. I have to take MORE time off work which is so awful because I am still new and this is the second time I have had to have days off for surgery.   I know I shouldn’t worry but I do; my contract is up at the end of June and I worry that they won’t renew it. its so depressing, my boss has been really nice but it is so hard.   I am having a drain (a cylindrical one) put in which will come out of the one of the seton holes. This drain is only temporary, and is in to assist the abscess in draining. Apparently the setons are working, its just that pus is being created faster than it can be drained by the seton.   My 2 nd seton is also too tight apparently so its being replaced.   My dad is coming up on the train to look after me.   I’m frustrated and being really worn down by all of this. When I had the drains put in originally I told myself it was for the best because the abscess would be GONE and I would never have to worry about it again, and that every day I would be getting ‘a little better’ and things would get easier each day and to find that I’m going backwards and things aren’t getting better each day is so disheartening.   I’m hoping this surgery doesn’t smash me around as much as the last one did. I am having tomorrow off for surgery and Thursday off to sleep, hoping to be back Friday. The dr said there is no medical reason why I shouldn’t be back Friday so I am hoping she is right and it isn’t as awful to me as it was last time. At least this time I have decent pain medication!    

I am so sad this is happening to you Phoebe! My first abscess was bad because I had totally ignored it until it was huge and dangerously nasty. I then had a bad surgeon make two incisions that further damaged the area and cut into the fistula. I healed from the first abscess surgery, but the damaged fistula branched. Over the next year, I had two more abscesses in the same area. Unfortunately, it sounds like something similar is happening to you. Each additional abscess was smaller though because just like you did now, I was able to identify what it was very early and get it taken care of when it was small. I'm praying this is the last one for you, and that the abscess is very small.

This just takes time. I have been abscess free for over a year -- yeah!!! You will work through this. You are young and your body heals quickly. Just let the doctors do what they need to do to get you well. Take care and let us know how you do!! I'm glad your Dad is coming to be with you!

I just had abscess surgery 1 and 1/2 weeks ago and I have the drain in now. It's inconvenient but boy do I feel better. I don't know when they'll take the drain out but I can relate to your frustration. Sometimes it feels like I just cant make any progress. I start feeling good, start going back to the gym and then BAM...something else pops up. It's very frustrating. Best wishes, Tony

So sorry, Phoebe. Good luck with the surgery.

Hi everyone thanks for the well wishes. I am not in as much pain as I was when the setons were put in. the drain is big and ugly and stitched in! But I am confident it’s doing its job, the abscess it is draining is quite small and can feel the infection going down already.

I have to go back next week for a follow up. One thing I have no clue about is how long this drain will be left in? What are your experiences? And when they take it out do they put you under general anesthetic again or do they just take the stitches out in the dr’s rom?

I was told the infection was not draining as fast as the infection was being created, hence the need for the drain. It is a small abscess so I am hoping it won’t be in for long?

Hi Fallcolours

 

You’re so right, I think it makes a big difference to catch it early. I could tell it was banking up with infection and it was hardening under the skin, so I caught it nice and early. That’s probably why I was so slow to recover from the first one, because it was a big abscess. This one was off to the side of the original abscess, it just wasn’t draining properly. I can feel already that the skin isn’t hard there any more so I am happy the drain is working! Even if it is BIG and scary and full of stitches and poking out of my poor skinny little bottom!!

 

 

I had a look last night and it looks like they’ve taken out one of my setons!! I had two ties going through the fistula hole/abscess wound and now there’s only one. I wonder whether this is just to make way for the drain….. its all such a mystery, but I guess my follow up next week will sort the mystery out. I hope I don’t have to go under to get the drain removed.

 

Fallcolours and Ivy: I was wondering – do you have facebook accounts? I’d love to add you as friends and ‘see’ you in the flesh!

 

P

 

x

My setons were both bright red – like fire engine red! They have taken one out and I’m not sure why, I had almost grown fond of it and was disappointed to see it gone, I just hope they know what they’re doing in taking it out! There were two – and they both went into the fistula hole/abscess hole – so I am guessing I only need one in order to keep that hold from closing and allow it to heal slowly? I’m not sure; it’s all pretty confusing down there when I take a look! The drain is pretty big so maybe they took the 2^nd seton out to allow room for the big tube and the stitches. I’m not sure. I will have to ask them at my follow-up…….. I kinda miss that 2ns seton because I knew it was doing a good thing and it was just getting comfortable!

 

You’re so right; an abscess can be life-threatening or a minor procedure depending on how long it is left. Now I know why you wanted me to get it seen to ASAP – the longer I left it the worse it was and the longer it took to heal. I caught this one nice and early and I feel so good for doing so! If I had left it a week longer it would have been awful I think

I'm curious, has anyone tried Jini Patel Thompson's protocol for syringing Wild Oregano Oil into an open abscess or fistula?

http://www.listen2yourgut.com/blog/gut/perianal-abscess-natural-treatment/