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Fistulas??
- Thread starter DonnaM383
- Start date
meeting the surgeon on the 29th. I have to have surgery and just wondering if anyone has had surgery for a fistula and what it's like? And what the recovery is like?
Yes, can you tell us a bit more? The type of surgery etc will depend on whether your fistula is internal or external.
I think mine is external near my bum. I haven't really had the chance to talk to my doc properly. But he did say it was a fistula an that there is a few problems down there.
Sorry to be graphic, but when I'm having bad diarrhoea the pain is just awful and sometimes it bleeds. It's like a throbbing pain! They found out I had a fistula when I had a small bowel MRI scan!
Sorry to be graphic, but when I'm having bad diarrhoea the pain is just awful and sometimes it bleeds. It's like a throbbing pain! They found out I had a fistula when I had a small bowel MRI scan!
Oh ok, I have a fistula down there also, and yes it can and does hurt sometimes. Maybe it's a abscess. Just know one thing, be real careful about your game plan. If you have surgical intervention, just know those muscles down there control your bowels. I had a seton that did not work, and to make a long story short, I lost my control over my bowels. I did have that repaired but it was quite the journey to trust the Doc again! But since yours is external maybe that will not be a issue. Have they not tried Remicade or Humira to close it? I hope it all works out! I soaked in hot baths every day, some times 2 times a day just to get pain relief, it helped.
Yeah I think it was an abscess at first but now it's definitely a fistula. I haven't been given anything for the fistula.
The medication I've been on for my Crohn's is Mertronidasole ciprofloaxcin (finished) Asacol (finished) Prednisolone (one week left) and Azathioprine (started two weeks ago).
I've actually had the abscess/fistula for about 4 months.
The medication I've been on for my Crohn's is Mertronidasole ciprofloaxcin (finished) Asacol (finished) Prednisolone (one week left) and Azathioprine (started two weeks ago).
I've actually had the abscess/fistula for about 4 months.
Two years ago I had two bad attacks, the second one developed a couple of fistulas. Three weeks later I went into surgery for a resectional and also had my gall bladder removed. You are going to need painkillers. Granted it was a double whammy, but a 5 day stay in the hospital turned into 12 days due to complications but nothing related to the resectional. The nursing staff will make you walk the halls, I strongly recommend that you do it as often as you can.
The big incision extended from my navel 2/3 across the right half of my abdomen and the cut into my abdominal muscle took a long time to heal. I was on disability for eight weeks and it was a year before I got my physical strength back. Simple things like sneezing or coughing were painful with that abdominal muscle. I couldn't sit up from bed or a chair, walking the stairs was an ordeal. You may need assistance while you recover, and you may not be able to drive. My day job requires sitting at a desk and when I got up it felt like rigor mortis which eventually loosens up. Walking can be an ordeal, you will want a handicap tag for your car.
The muscle can heal faster if you pile on the protein in your diet, and apply cocoa butter to the incisions to help the scars heal. Wear an expendable shirt over the freshly applied cocoa butter to avoid ruining clothes (or apply it before bedtime). I had five incisions, I can no longer locate the four small ones but the big cut can still be seen.
The big incision extended from my navel 2/3 across the right half of my abdomen and the cut into my abdominal muscle took a long time to heal. I was on disability for eight weeks and it was a year before I got my physical strength back. Simple things like sneezing or coughing were painful with that abdominal muscle. I couldn't sit up from bed or a chair, walking the stairs was an ordeal. You may need assistance while you recover, and you may not be able to drive. My day job requires sitting at a desk and when I got up it felt like rigor mortis which eventually loosens up. Walking can be an ordeal, you will want a handicap tag for your car.
The muscle can heal faster if you pile on the protein in your diet, and apply cocoa butter to the incisions to help the scars heal. Wear an expendable shirt over the freshly applied cocoa butter to avoid ruining clothes (or apply it before bedtime). I had five incisions, I can no longer locate the four small ones but the big cut can still be seen.