thanks, it turns out i have 3 abscesses 2 on my right butt cheek and one in my groin area also on the right side but that one burst this mornin, not nice at all... ive had an EUA but they didnt find anythin, ive never had an abscess drained so i dont no what thats like... will they keep tryin to find out why i keep gettin them? i can go a couple of weeks where i dont have one but i always get one at least once a month which is very annoyin this month is the worst as i have 3 :/ the pain aint as bad now so hopefully the antibiotics may b workin but i wont last long haha as i said above im seein my consultant wednesday so i will b tellin her about them... i never thought crohns would affect me as much as it is
i have noticed i keep gettin bad tummy cramps while ive had these abscesses i dont no if its linked to them or its just general tummy pain from crohns itself xx
Yeah, when I had my first in 2006, they did like 5 EUA's. Couldn't find anything, so they sent me home with pain meds and said there was nothing they could do. The last two years though, I DEMAND MRI's and special MRI fistula protocol. They usually don't find anything there either. I basically have to find surgeons who recognize that I am very in tune with my body, and if I say something is wrong, then there is definitely something wrong. The surgeons I went to in Houston had me hospitalized for over a week and did numerous scans and tests, all showed nothing. But once they got in there, they were blown away. It was supposed to be a 30 minute EUA/Exploratory surgery... Ended up taking almost 4 hours to remove the fistulas, drain abscesses, and install Seton drains.
But most abscess drainings are a walk in the park. They just cut it open some to let the puss drain and relieve the pressure, and you usually have immediate pain relief. For people with recurring abscesses they usually put in a Seton drain. This is to keep the abscess from healing on the outside first, which would cause the abscess to return, so it forces the fistula/abscess to heal from the inside-out and to keep it draining to prevent further abscess and infection. The Setons come in all shapes, sizes and materials. Your surgeon will use whatever he/she thinks is best according to size and placement of the abscess. If it's a big one, they will most likely start with something akin to a hard plastic zip-tie. (Mine was a huge horse-shoe perianal fistula, which my surgeon said it "made his career, biggest he had ever seen" lol) But if there are any problems or discomfort with your setons, they are usually happy to change them out with smaller, softer, more flexible ones... which can stay in indefinitely, depending on the patient.
I've had several for years now. Barely even notice them. I would much prefer having a few drains sticking out of my arse than having 2 or 3 new abscesses pop every week and require surgery every week.
Best of luck to you, and hope you feel better soon!
xx:highfive:
