I've had my j-pouch for nearly 20 years, and things for the most part have gone quite well. Unfortunately, I've recently had an abscess that turned into an anal fistula.
I had outpatient surgery last week and had a seton put in, and I'm just hoping to get some advice from folks who've been through this before. What's "normal" here, in terms of pain? I expected some discomfort and was fully prepared to handle that; what I've got though is more acute pain that's right along the lines of what it felt like before the abscess burst. Sneezing or coughing is excruciating...
I do still seem to be draining, but I've got a couple of hard lumps "down there" near my anus, with one in particular that's very tender and perhaps the source of most of my discomfort. I worry that it somehow is "independent" of the seton and not being drained by it, if that's possible.
I've been doing sitz baths, and they seemed to be more soothing at first than they've been lately. I see the surgeon again at the end of the month, when he's planning on scoping me and getting further data on what the heck is happening to me; I'm trying to figure out at what point I cry "Uncle" and request to be seen sooner -- and what my options even are right now.
I'd love to hear from anyone who's been through this and can offer advice on coping with this, in terms of pain management, what to expect short-term and long-term, etc. This is a frightening development for me, mainly because things have been going very well for a very long time... Any advice would be welcome!
