Pilonidal abscess/cyst/sinus

iclestu

For those that don't know this is a medical condition usually (although not exclusively) affecting the tailbone area (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilonidal_cyst). I am currently on the waiting list for my third excision operation in order to try and cure mine. I am led to believe that cycling can exasberbate or even bring on this condition which, if true, would turn into a real bummer (oooo AWFUL pun!) for me.

I wondered if any of you guys had suffered from one of these little critters and, if so, how your cycling affected it?

itboffin

Ow sounds painful dude, not wanting to mock your condition but FFS look at the wikipedia images for it http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilonidal_cyst WHO did that surgery????

Do not use the same surgeon I suspect they may have been drunk at the time.

iclestu

lol - mostly they dont stitch it up and your left with an open wound. Had one myself the last time. could show you my own pic to make your eyes water!

itboffin

Erm i'm gonna pass on that very generous offer :roll:

Pigtail

I can't offer any advice - but here's an amusing story about this at my expense.

Many years ago I was working in Accident and Emergency, and a young woman came in. The process was; I was supposed to pick up her card, read what it said, and ask her why she was there. I picked up the card, with a doctor's letter attached and although I couldn't really read the writing I made out the word sinus.

Now there was no way I was going to ask her questions about a tuft of ingrowing hair on her a***, so I took her through to a single room and told her to take off her clothes and put on a green gown. She said 'Do I have to take off all my clothes?' I said 'No, you can keep your bra and pants on just now, but when the Doctor comes through he'll want you to take your pants off as well.'

I came out of the room and the sister said it was time for my break, so I went off to the canteen. When I came back the staff nurse said 'What on earth did you tell that woman?' So I told her.

The young woman had come in because of sinusitis (in her face) because her doctor wanted her sinuses washed out!

James

iclestu

I started this thread in March.

FINALLY had excision on 30th Sep.

Today, this is what my arse looks like (dont click if your squeamish!):

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_6IUfXcVVTY/TqArkKH6S0I/AAAAAAAAABU/XNEhz2PZkdU/s1600/12102011019.jpg_%255BA27656%255D.jpeg

They tried to stitch it closed but as soon as stitches were removed it just opened right up. So looks like ill get back on bike just in time for winter

(still got some Marathon Plus's to keep me going right through)

mudcow007

iclestu wrote:

I started this thread in March.

FINALLY had excision on 30th Sep.

Today, this is what my ars* looks like (dont click if your squeamish!):

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_6IUfXcVVTY/TqArkKH6S0I/AAAAAAAAABU/XNEhz2PZkdU/s1600/12102011019.jpg_%255BA27656%255D.jpeg

They tried to stitch it closed but as soon as stitches were removed it just opened right up. So looks like ill get back on bike just in time for winter

(still got some Marathon Plus's to keep me going right through)

sweet baby jesus it looks like you have a man-gina!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxiVLNA3F7w

clarkey cat

My mate had this done. How we laughed at his misfortune. Kids can be cruel.

SimonAH

AAAAAAAARRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHH Eye bleach, Eye bleach!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nooooooooo

iclestu

mudcow007 wrote:

iclestu wrote:

I started this thread in March.

FINALLY had excision on 30th Sep.

Today, this is what my ars* looks like (dont click if your squeamish!):

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_6IUfXcVVTY/TqArkKH6S0I/AAAAAAAAABU/XNEhz2PZkdU/s1600/12102011019.jpg_%255BA27656%255D.jpeg

They tried to stitch it closed but as soon as stitches were removed it just opened right up. So looks like ill get back on bike just in time for winter

(still got some Marathon Plus's to keep me going right through)

sweet baby jesus it looks like you have a man-gina!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxiVLNA3F7w

That youtube vid is WEIRD!

HebdenBiker

You had to wait six months for an excision? That's a disgrace. When I had mine (about 12 years ago) the GP sent me straight to hospital with a letter. It was drained there and then, and excised within a fortnight.

They had recurred over the years, but these days I notice the signs early and get a course of antibiotics, to get the thing healed up without surgery. I actually have one right now. It has flared up then gone down all by itself. For the record, cycling has never affected them. Your saddle never gets near that area so I can't see how it could.

Get well soon

Stone Glider

Ooh dear. I had those a couple of times 44years ago. So you will understand when I admit that I have not looked at the pictures. The second one took forever to heal until a nurse said to use a depilatory cream on the environs to stop hair messing up the formation of a scab.

Good luck.

iclestu

HebdenBiker wrote:

You had to wait six months for an excision? That's a disgrace. When I had mine (about 12 years ago) the GP sent me straight to hospital with a letter. It was drained there and then, and excised within a fortnight.

They had recurred over the years, but these days I notice the signs early and get a course of antibiotics, to get the thing healed up without surgery. I actually have one right now. It has flared up then gone down all by itself. For the record, cycling has never affected them. Your saddle never gets near that area so I can't see how it could.

Get well soon

HebdenBiker wrote:

You had to wait six months for an excision? That's a disgrace. When I had mine (about 12 years ago) the GP sent me straight to hospital with a letter. It was drained there and then, and excised within a fortnight.

They had recurred over the years, but these days I notice the signs early and get a course of antibiotics, to get the thing healed up without surgery. I actually have one right now. It has flared up then gone down all by itself. For the record, cycling has never affected them. Your saddle never gets near that area so I can't see how it could.

Get well soon

Thanks for your concerns. Yeah - its been a while waiting. I had Antibiotics early doors but antibiotics doesn't cure the sinus, just the particular infection affecting it at the time (and even then they dont always work). The sinus will still be there. Latterly it was sore and inflammed for weeks at a time and the antibiotics did didly squat.

With regard to cycling. I (of course) understand there is no direct pressure there but the issue that causes the sinus (well, as postulated by Bascom & others) is that the movement of the 'cheeks' creates a seal and stretches hair follicles etc etc. Something I felt was entirely possible to be exasperated by movement of 'cheeks' on a bicycle. That the saddle is not in contact isn't really the issue.

chadders81

Is it possible to unsee something?

A worrying number of people seem to have had one of these.

plowmar

Can't understand the sewing up bit, as said earlier the wound is usually left open with sterile packing which is changed daily, after a nice long soak in a Badedas bath. (Get your boats out and have fun I bought a canoe with two Indians in it great time was had by all and then the nurse (wifey) restuffed the wound).

This aids the healing of the incision from the bottom of the wound thereby not leaving a gap to get reinfected. I was off work 6 weeks whilst this was going on.

Had two due only to a hairy bum and being overweight. Never had a recurrence for the last 15 years and certainly not due to cycling.

bigmat

I had one of these. Don't recall having more than a couple of days off with the surgery. The post-operative loss of blood may have triggered type 1 diabetes though.