Abscess/Fistula surgery Friday, what to expect after?

I've never had one before, but I know a number of folks here have. *bump*

I had the same surgery and share the same occupation. I think it depends on the location of the fistula and what they find when they do some exploring. I had it opened completely to allow self healing. Day of surgery was very sore. Take pain meds before you leave the hospital. I was feeling OK by the third day and was back to work after about a week or so. Thats not to say I wasn't still in pain just that it was bearable. I'd say I was at about 75% at that point. Getting from 75 to 95 % took months to a year. I don't want to make it sound worse than it is, just expect slow healing.

I recommend burning hot baths frequently. Exercise as soon as you are able to. To be honest, I still deal with some minor pains from the surgery and I believe it's been two years. I found weighted squats to be a game changer as far as helping me heal up once I was able to do them. They added muscle to my glutes which help protect the area from long periods of sitting which would irritate the area. I don't know if these are possible with Seton placement, which I did not have.

Intimacy with the wife should not be a big problem. Happy to answer any other questions. Good luck. Don't get caught up reading the horror stories...They are the outliers.

Thanks Uniform Charlie. I will do those things and actually have bidets on my toilets for severa years now. Tried them in Japan, once you do you can never go back.

I've dealt with other surgeries and they usually send a home healthcare nurse to change the wound dressing and monitor you. They will train you to change it but won't discharge you for a few weeks or a month.

Hello,

For me and my abcess and fistula removal was this:

Pain and more pain! I have to warn you!! Take the medication!

Take the metamucil, so you can poop and the gauze will come out nicely! Drink a ton of water to bulk the metamucil too, this is so important! I can't stress that enough!!!!

If you bend over and look (mine abcess was at the entrance of the anal) after surgery, I was surprised by the gaping hole! My butt is still crooked down there! Left side.

Take a lot of sitz baths, especially after BM's ( which is shallow warm water to sit in) and NO you cannot work out or do much of anything!!! It took over TWO years for mine to heal!!!! Because I have crohns with diareeah.

It will drain for a LONG LONG time! Wear a pad in your underwear! Please don't rush the healing process, you don't want another infection down there.

Again take the meds to help with the pain.

Drink carrot juice (make your own ) get a juicer, they help with healing.

I hope you feel better soon.

I HAD THE SURGERY TODAY:

There was no fistula, so every case will be different but for those reading here is what I was told:

-back to work/gym 2 weeks
-nothing to go in the wound, there is a drain there, that is super weird to think about, I'll have to wear a pad and definitely will forgo wearing any nice underwear as the first pair was a blood bath.
-I was in a lot of pain after the surgery, they gave me morphine so we will see how I feel tomorrow.
-Doc thinks 6 weeks for total healing
-Said I can do intimacy w gf when ready, I imagine at least 2 weeks
-knocked out during surgery so all painless there, but they had an LMA in me so my throat hurt after
-no home health care needed.

Happy to answer any follow up questions...

Now I have to wonder though if this is the end of a really bad virus or if its the painful start of living a life with UC, regardless thank you to everyone in this forum in a short time having the people here made all of this less painful physically and mentally.

therearemiracles,

There was an abscess no fistula and I did have a fissure at some point. As far as thinking it's a virus, well part of it I'm sure is denial/depression. But the other part is just what I'm reading, my symptoms just don't match up, some stuff from other posts I've highlighted:

-June 4th, my username I was a completely healthy 37 year old male with no prior medical problems, medications, etc. Normal bowel movements for 37 years
-following day I got really sick with flu like symptoms that went away on their own in 4 days. But diarrhea lasted for much longer. After 4 docs, 1 ER, 1 colonoscopy, stool tests etc the major.findings were :

-Inflammation in the cecum and procitis in the rectal (colonscopy, this can of course be UC, but it can be multiple other things as well)

-No findings in the stool other than positive lactoferein

-No bloody bowel movements

-The antibiotics ER gave me flagyl and cipro cured the frequent bm's and pain completely

-Colonoscopy found same inflammation as CT scan

-P-anca and ASCA negative

-No pain whatsoever until the fissure/abscess formed, just frequent bm's

-No food has ever bothered my stomach

-no family history (I'm white/Mediterranean)

So we shall see where my future goes, I just keep thinking about how normal I was June 4th.