Start of Week 3 post op
It’s been a few weeks since my last post and an update is well overdue. I had my 4th surgery just over two weeks ago. It was more extensive than my consultant had predicted and so I am left with a large open wound because it couldn’t be stitched up. So this is somewhat of a new experience for me, and now I have undergone every different type of commonly used surgical treatment for a Pilonidal Sinus. I haven’t seen the wound, nor do I think I want to at the moment at least. From what I’ve been told I think it’s a rough elliptical shape about 6-8cm wide and about 2 cm deep. This is certainly the most painful of the four surgeries I’ve had. The first couple of days weren’t too bad, but after the anaesthetic wore off, it was pretty sore all the time for about 10 days. I was taking pain killers four times a day either paracetamol or co-codamol depending on how I felt, and if I forgot to take them I knew about it. It’s being packed with Aquacel/Kaltostat, which for those that don’t know are similar dressings which soften and become like a gel in contact with moisture, this helps keep the wound moist and draws exudate away as well as being more comfortable and less abrasive for the wound than just gauze. This is then covered with a Mesorb dressing pad and Opsite topsheet. Packing changes were a lot less painful than I had expected though. In general the pain dropped off sharply at the end of week two and it’s reasonably comfortable at the moment. I can hardly feel it during packing changes now which are happening once a day at my GP’s practice and the district nurse at the weekends. This is going to continue I think until they decide that it can safely be redressed every other day instead. The balance lies between faster healing with less disturbance of the wound but at the same time increased risk of infection.
I’m currently visiting my consultant once a week when he shaves around the wound with a scapel to prevent hair getting into the wound. It’s possible than when I’ve healed I will have some laser treatment in specific problem areas of hair growth to minimise the risk of recurrence since I’ve had so much trouble so far. I’m feeling pretty good about it at the moment, progress seems to be good although I have been warned that it will likely go quickly for a while and then healing will slow down later. Sitting is still not at all comfortable though I can sit for short periods now so at least travelling to the surgery doesn’t invlove lying in the back of the car any more, and eating is no longer a dangerously messy affair. Try eating peas standing up and you’ll understand the problems involved! Summer seems to have arrived with a vengence which is a bit depressing because I can’t really be out enjoying the sun much, but all in all it’s not too bad and I’m alot happier than I was a few weeks back before the op.
I’ll try to update the site more often during the healing process and I’d like to say thank you to those people who have contacted me, with their own stories and experiences. It’s nice to hear from others and to know that people are finding the site helpful.
