Ugh oh...what have I done?

[frankenbutt]

Hi guys, had a partial fistulotomy and seton drain end of September. All have been pretty textbook. The weekend before last, I got on my horse for about 15 minutes. Just at the walk. (I am a horseback rider and have been for 40 years) Except for a little bit of what looked like bruising, all seemed well. So I did it again yesterday. For a bit longer. Easy trail riding. Felt ok when I got off the horse. (had extra padding on the saddle) This morning had a normal BM, even on the soft side, when went to clean up I noticed blood. So checked it out with the upside down mirror trick, only to see what looked like a small hematoma in the part of the fistula that should have been the most healed. The furthest point and the original site of the first abscess cut. I took a hot bath, felt around, bleeding is minimal, but I feel something that is NOT the seton. It is either a stitch or a "string" of granulation tissue? I scrub it, because it painful and needs to come off. It does, but the bubble of hematoma, while small is still there and I now feel like I have barbed wire in my butt. Could be from the scrubbing or?

Any thoughts?

Other than "Don't ride your horse yet, because I got that message."

 

[frankenbutt]

Has anyone gotten an abscess while a fistulotomy was closing? I am wondering if that is what is happening? Of course, I am wondering everything.

 

[Rivers]

Hey there, did you check and see if maybe the seton knot got pushed up into the fistula? Maybe you have more stitches inside that you didnt know about? Mine is very red and raw where the seton exits the fistula as well. I dont know if it is granulation tissue, but its like oozy, red and irritated tissue. I have what looks like a fishermans knot with 2 stiches holding the seton together. I am a month post-seton insertion and its really been throbbing and hurting lately. I cant walk more than a mile without the pain in my butt cheek getting intense. Im thinking your area might have just swelled up a lot from the horse riding? I'd put a phone call into your doc just to check, and maybe a checkup appointment. Hope you feel better.

 

[frankenbutt]

Hi Rivers, I am confused about this "knot." Is it made of different material from the seton? There are these beige strings that I assumed were stitches. If I pull on those, WOW does it hurt. Touching the seton does not really hurt. This looks like a blood blister that takes up the space of the original incision site and it is ballooned a bit. The area around it is a bit raw too, but it was not like this yesterday, so I think the movement of the horse irritated it. Sitting had not been painful, but it sure it now!
I did call the DR, who BTW is 2 1/2 hours away and left a message, but no return call. (teaching hospital)

 

[frankenbutt]

I should add the beige strings are hanging, they don't seem to be holding the wound together at all, just handing out.

 

[Gwkctjh]

I really think you should get this checked out. It may be infected x

 

[frankenbutt]

Just talked to the asst at the Dr's office. She said it sounds like it did not heal over well or completely. Take a hot bath, she says. And she seemed very unconcerned and said when I could make the trip us, please come see them. Hmmm. Said the beige strings were the sutures that were "hanging around."

 

[frankenbutt]

So I don't know....Guess I will get in the tub....

 

[russem2]

Hey guys/gals! I finally get to leave the hospital after 12 days!! I have a wound vac and also a drainage pouch. I'm also gonna have to e on home tpn. I want to use one backpack to contain them all. Any suggestions? There are butt-tons of backpacks on the web, but thought I'd ask my fellow Crohnies first!!

Thanks!
Mike

 

[Rivers]

I hope you all feel better. What I describe as a "knot" is the place where the seton is stitched together with 2 short ends sticking out where it was cut. When it gets stuck up in the fistula or the anus, it hurts, so I try to keep it in the middle. Mine looks like this and its blue plastic tubing with black sutures.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/853/waterknot1.jpg/

 

[frankenbutt]

I see, OK, I will get my readers out and my upside mirror and see what I see. However, the part where the fistulotomy was performed seems to be closed and underneath it may be forming another abscess. I thought that was not supposed to happen once they were laid open?

 

[RFarmer]

Hi Hi Hi! Please do not scrub! That sounds veryyyy painful.

As for the stringy thing: Does it feel like raised, hard skin? If so, it could just be the skin's natural scarring/granulating process. My fistula developed crescents of hard, wrinkled skin, and felt kinda like what you were describing... They went away as everything heal over.

Please be careful. And if it hurts to scrub, do not scrub.

 

[Mountaingem]

New to this thread, hope everyone is feeling much better!