Post by pilonidalstories.com on Sept 4, 2017 7:17:33 GMT
I'm a 20 year old man, and I have been dealing with pilonidal cyst for 3 years now. When I first noticed it back in highschool, it was a dimple like hole at the top of my butt crack and it was draining and painful, when I went to the doctor he explained what it was, a pilonidal cyst with abscess and tract, he pushed the drainage out and referred me to a surgeon who could remove it. The surgeon said it's a typical procedure and
recovery was 3-6 weeks.
He performed the surgery, stitched it up, and from there I was bedridden for a few weeks. I don't remember much more about it during my first encounter, but a little less than a year later it was back! Same as before. I would come home from work with my boxers covered in drainage and it was severely painful so I went back to my surgeon. He explained it's common for reoccurrence and suggested surgery again to remove infected tissue so again I had surgery, this was this last February on the third. Two weeks after the surgery he removed all of the stitches, and we waited. I went to check up every week until mid thru April he informed me there wasn't much improvement.
This whole time I couldn't do anything, no work, no riding in the car for more than 15 minutes because it was so painful. The only other option he Gave me was to redo the surgery but this time give me a wound vac, which as a paramedic student and my girlfriend being a nurse we discussed this option a week or so before, so I agreed. My surgery was on April 27th. I woke up in recovery and had a tube coming from my rear going to a small machine making noise and realized what it was. It's a small machine, no bigger than a small paper back book, weighs about the same too, and it has to go with me EVERYWHERE! I have a home health nurse that comes to my house twice a week, and I go into the doctor once a week, all to change the dressing. After reading about the wound vac I knew what to expect, the dreaded BLACK FOAM!
The first time she changed everything which Was last Monday was soooooo painful, the clear tapelike cover over everything is like getting a bikini wax, and when they take out the black foam you can just feel it ripping tender skin with it, then she cleans it with saline, wipes it, which hurts because of the pressure, measures it by length and depth (but surprisingly it doesn't hurt that bad because there are no nerve endings deep in the wound, only around and on the top layer). My doctor recommend after the first change, because of how painful it was, we tried putting topical lidocaine on before and after removing the black sponge, and it helps so much, everyone should ask their doctor for the lidocaine you get it by RX from any pharmacy.
Next step is to seal around the wound, and because of the incision being so close to the anus, its very difficult, but we have found an absorbent sticky sponge called duo-derm works the best in sealing the very bottom. Then she cuts the black foam, packs it slightly in the wound, hurts a little but not nearly as much as removing which is definitely the worst part, then covers it with clear cover tape stuff, puts the base of the tube over the foam, and then covers it all sealed up and everything. Once turning on the vac it hurts slightly because it pulls the kind to forming around the packed sponge, and that's it. It takes about an hour to change everything, and I have to take pain meds about an hour before the nurse comes, but have notice that each time it gets a little less painful. After having three surgeries and dealing with this for over 3 years this is my final hope, but I have a lot of confidence in this time, I started eating right, lots of green veggies and lots of protein and I feel good. The worst is that I haven't been able to do anything for over 3 months, no work, no friends nothing just lay in bed. It hurts to sit or put any pressure on my tailbone region. I want everyone to know that they you are not alone, I have several problems along this way and have dealt with them all, from infections to bleeding And pain, but just keep going to the doctor, and don't give up. If anyone has any questions please feel free to email you and I WILL answer, the best thing I found is to ask other ppl that have been in the same situation. It sucks but just know other ppl are getting thru it too. Good luck!
recovery was 3-6 weeks.
He performed the surgery, stitched it up, and from there I was bedridden for a few weeks. I don't remember much more about it during my first encounter, but a little less than a year later it was back! Same as before. I would come home from work with my boxers covered in drainage and it was severely painful so I went back to my surgeon. He explained it's common for reoccurrence and suggested surgery again to remove infected tissue so again I had surgery, this was this last February on the third. Two weeks after the surgery he removed all of the stitches, and we waited. I went to check up every week until mid thru April he informed me there wasn't much improvement.
This whole time I couldn't do anything, no work, no riding in the car for more than 15 minutes because it was so painful. The only other option he Gave me was to redo the surgery but this time give me a wound vac, which as a paramedic student and my girlfriend being a nurse we discussed this option a week or so before, so I agreed. My surgery was on April 27th. I woke up in recovery and had a tube coming from my rear going to a small machine making noise and realized what it was. It's a small machine, no bigger than a small paper back book, weighs about the same too, and it has to go with me EVERYWHERE! I have a home health nurse that comes to my house twice a week, and I go into the doctor once a week, all to change the dressing. After reading about the wound vac I knew what to expect, the dreaded BLACK FOAM!
The first time she changed everything which Was last Monday was soooooo painful, the clear tapelike cover over everything is like getting a bikini wax, and when they take out the black foam you can just feel it ripping tender skin with it, then she cleans it with saline, wipes it, which hurts because of the pressure, measures it by length and depth (but surprisingly it doesn't hurt that bad because there are no nerve endings deep in the wound, only around and on the top layer). My doctor recommend after the first change, because of how painful it was, we tried putting topical lidocaine on before and after removing the black sponge, and it helps so much, everyone should ask their doctor for the lidocaine you get it by RX from any pharmacy.
Next step is to seal around the wound, and because of the incision being so close to the anus, its very difficult, but we have found an absorbent sticky sponge called duo-derm works the best in sealing the very bottom. Then she cuts the black foam, packs it slightly in the wound, hurts a little but not nearly as much as removing which is definitely the worst part, then covers it with clear cover tape stuff, puts the base of the tube over the foam, and then covers it all sealed up and everything. Once turning on the vac it hurts slightly because it pulls the kind to forming around the packed sponge, and that's it. It takes about an hour to change everything, and I have to take pain meds about an hour before the nurse comes, but have notice that each time it gets a little less painful. After having three surgeries and dealing with this for over 3 years this is my final hope, but I have a lot of confidence in this time, I started eating right, lots of green veggies and lots of protein and I feel good. The worst is that I haven't been able to do anything for over 3 months, no work, no friends nothing just lay in bed. It hurts to sit or put any pressure on my tailbone region. I want everyone to know that they you are not alone, I have several problems along this way and have dealt with them all, from infections to bleeding And pain, but just keep going to the doctor, and don't give up. If anyone has any questions please feel free to email you and I WILL answer, the best thing I found is to ask other ppl that have been in the same situation. It sucks but just know other ppl are getting thru it too. Good luck!