Surgery tomorrow-Draining abscess

[Mejay07]

Hello All,

A question to some of you who have been diagnosed for a while now.

Tomorrow I go in to have a perianal abscess drained, it is not a big surgery I had it done last year and recovery was fairly easy.

But what I worry about now is that I developed an abscess last year, and now again this year, is this going to be a yearly occurrence?

I have done so well on the Remicade, and of course it doesn't work when you have an abscess which is why the last 2 1/2 months have been so bad for me.
I know I have fistulas, and abscesses are at increased risk when fistulas are present. But I hate this, last year when I had my abscess I lost a bunch of weight, and in the past month I have lost almost 15 pounds, plus it puts a real damper on the intimacy in my marriage.

Anyone else who has fistulas and have had reoccurring abscesses offer any advice or personal experiences as to how often you have gotten them and if they had to be surgically drained each time or if they can clear up with antibiotics.
I know it is part of the disease, but it really sucks. :frown:

 

[roundtuit]

Hi Jayme...
I have had 3 perirectal abscess' drained surgically, over a period of 6 years. The last surgeon said I am just lucky.
Here is what I have started doing...but whether or not it prevents a new abcess from forming is yet to be determined. I had my last abscess on year ago, so the jury is still out. When I am flaring (with lots of bathroom trips) I am very careful about cleanliness. I take lots of showers, and I have one of the shower massage things installed with a hose, so I can keep things extra clean. I only use warm water as hot is too drying, and only moisturizing soaps ( i like oatmeal soap the best). I have a soothing oil in the shower and Vitamin A&D ointment to slather next to the toilet. I even have a squirt bottle...sort of like a portable bidet...so I don't have to kill my bottom with gobs of scratchy TP in public restrooms.
Yah..it can wreak havoc on the intimacy part of a relationship...but us Crohnies are very creative people...Hee hee.
Good luck!!!!
Joni O

 

[BigUglyCat]

Yah..it can wreak havoc on the intimacy part of a relationship...but us Crohnies are very creative people...Hee hee.

Good one Joni! I call it my Crohna Sutra

Another thought might be to try a sitz bath...very soothing and really helps to keep things well rinsed. When I had my perianal abscess drained, I had to have the area cleaned (what would we do without our moms!) with one of those really long Qtips and betadine (they left the incision open to make sure it would drain). A month later I had a fistulectomy, followed again by the "left open to heal from the inside out", lots of sits baths, they actually made the area feel a lot better!

 

[Mejay07]

Thanks for the replies.
I have been really good about getting my sitz baths in, so I think that is helping, I am not in much pain which is good. I am just waiting now until the 16th to get my next remi infusion so I can hopefully feel normal again.