Posted 5/22/2014 4:15 PM (GMT 0)
Another abscess junkie here, just can't seem to stay away from them 😩
I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis nine years ago but my doctors now thinks it could be Crohn's. I've had a colectomy and everything sewn shut but since I got closed up I've had reoccurring abscesses for the last couple years. I've had several different types of drains. They seem to always heal up but then come back. Finally my surgeon told me that he thinks because of all the scar tissue in my abdominal cavity and down towards my rectum that there are scar tissue pockets that collect fluid and if the fluid gets trapped it can get infected and form an abscess. Has anyone else been told this from their colorectal surgeon? Anyway in January they did a gracilis flap where they took a small muscle from my inner thigh and filled up the cavity. My skin was superthin from all the steroids and my muscle ended up being smaller than they anticipated so the spot was not completely filled up but they thought it it might work. Plastic surgeon did this surgery not my normal colorectal surgeon because he does these types of surgeries fairly often. Things went well until about two months out I start to have that familiar pain again and drainage that just kept increasing. Have since had drains put in and finally they cut me open under anesthesia and put in a wound VAC which I get changed out weekly under anesthesia. I'm not sure how long I'm going to have to have the wound VAC right now it's 25% healed. I'm trying to take vitamins and eat more protein and all I do is rest pretty much. I don't leave the house other than to go to the hospital each week. It's getting really old and I'm so frustrated because I can't see the end in sight at this point. The doctors are thinking they're going to have to take the gracilis muscle from the other leg now to fill out the cavity that they want to fill as much in using the wound VAC first. I trust my surgeon he's awesome and he's also getting with input from a plastic surgeon and the Chief of Staff at the hospital is also a colorectal surgeon. They've all been wonderful, I just want to know when this will all be over. I sympathize with you all, it's humiliating and painful and frustrating. I think I will try going back to that scd diet, II eat very close to that now but not nearly as strict but I'm willing to try anything at this point. At least we can encourage each other and know that we're not alone. My surgeon said that perianal wounds are the toughest to heal because of low blood supply, the thin skin, and just a spot on the body where they are being sat on and moved all the time. Good luck to everyone and keep us posted if you find anything that helps.