Hope not tmi but poo is coming through my abcsess hole- right next to me rectum. The bad part is my Crs didnt see it when she cleaned out my abcsess. But I had a diarrhea bm yesterday and pressure built all around in my abscess and poo came out. Of course I went to see her but i took so many baths it's gone. Any ideas? What test would show it? Or should I take a picture of it happening (ew gross I know).

Hi hopefulbutt... Sorry to hear ur having issues but nothing here is tmi ... Issues in this area can be pretty "shitty" wink wink lol .... From what ur saying kinda sounds like u may have a fistula ... There is a 50% chance of developing a fistula when u have an abscess ... I had an abscess and sure enough a few weeks after it was drained I knew I had a fisutla ... While waiting to have surgery to have the fisutla corrected I had poop come through the fistula opening and sometimes I would fart through the hole too ... Totally weird feeling ... U might want to ask the doc about a possible fisutla .. I hear that a mri can show if a fisutla is present mine was that obvious no mri was needed ... Hope u get some resolution on this ... This site is wonderful for these things and don't be afraid of using tmi moments ... That's what this site is for ... We all understand each other .. Keep us updated :)

Thanks dewilly. I'm still waiting another week to see if it's the abcess collecting the poo or a fistula. Overall I am doing better- can actually walk around the house! Bms are still agony from hell afterward and an hour or two after hurt until all the poo is out of the hole. From what I gather though most fistula don't hurt? Crs is still concerned I have one- the abscess hole/fistula is so close to my bum hole- they are literally side by side. I am too loose for a fistulotomy though if I need one so j would have to have a seton first and then a fistulotomy. Are either painful? I'd at least like to have a semblance of a life until I heal.

Hi Hopefulbutt... I had both procedures done when i was under ... a fistulotomy and a seton were placed to correct my fistula as mine was about 3-4 inches in length ... I have to admit that living with my fisutla was very painful .. more pain from the fistula then the surgery .... My fistula would flare up so bad i could not walk ... i would cry due to the pain as being so long of a track mine would try and heal (which is what fistulas do) and it would trap puss and stool in the track and then it would swell up and i would have to bath in very hot water to soften the sink so i could pop/break the opening and the junk would just pour and clump out ... At first my fisutla wasnt too bad and i actually thought i could live with this its not that bad as i was so scared of having incontenence issues after surgery but i wanted 6 months for the surgery and the last 2-3 were the worst ... so i knew i need the surgery and i think i got lucky .... waking up after the operation not knowing what the doc had done as they are basically blind til they get in there ... The seton was actually not bad it would pinch the other cheek from time to time depending on how i would sit or long walks it would rub against the check but i would just move it a lil and put a piece of guaze between the cheeks and i wore a dressing to check the leakage. Even the first BM i had after surgery was not as scary as i had imagined... I only took tyenol one time after my first BM as there was a lot of pressure but after that i didnt need anything. Sorry for the long winded post just people dont talk about these things so when i can help i try to give as much info as possible. hope you dont mind ... I had the seton in for 6 weeks and the doc removed it in his office and said that the leaking should slow off and then stop completely which it did within in 1-2 weeks after it being removed. Sitz baths were a god send for me .. they helped me so much with pain and it was very soothing .. i would sitz bath through the day and then soak in the tub at nite ... i hope things settle for you ... keep us updated :)

Thanks dewilly! The more information the more prepres I will be. I go back on Thursday to see her again- if it's still drainin like this she would probably put me under again so she can see what's going on. As much as I hope it's not a fistula I want to know in my mind the time frame and how bad it would be for work. Did you have to take off. Consider me amount of time? I've already had a month off - was only supposed to be a week- so my boss is very anxious to have me back and my job doesn't feel very secure. Did you have any incontinence after? I already had two lis so I really don't want to be any weaker back there.

When i had my surgery I took the first week to just relax and get used to the new routine... After that i was able to work from home as i have a desk job and sitting was not an option .. I had my surgery on Dec 10 and went back to work in the office on Jan 2 ... sitting was very uncomfortable at first but within a couple of days it let up. ... I dont have any incontinence with my stool but when i did to fart there aint no holding it back lol ... and since all this my farts are rare i hardly ever have any gas might be just mind relating it to the whole butt issue i had but a fart is a proud moment for me .. hubby gets a kick out of it as he knows i cant hold it in so when she blows she blows lol .... I do find i am weaker holding in the poop so when i need to go i have to make sure i am near the bathroom as holding it in isnt as easy as it used to be. ... the other issue i have now is when i need to poop i get a lot of pressure in my bottom but if it is not busting at the seam to get out i cant push it out... pushing to have a poop is very difficult and takes all my might so i try to not push as they say it can actually do more damage then good ... I know its hard taking time off but i will say that you need to listen to our bodies and not rush it ... keep us posted with your upcoming visit .. :)

All you who have had setons- can you please tell me- how soon after you had it placed did some of the pain start being relieved? Even with pain meds the pain is almost unbearable - like my abscess is filling every time I poo.

I had setons twice before and the pain gets better, but never goes away. I have had a fistula for 15 months now have had 2 setons, LIFT procedure, 2 advance flap procedures, numerous drains I have had a drain in now for about 10 months and my latest surgery I had Sept 22 and had to have a Ileostomy. Dr is trying this to see it no feces comes out then maybe the fistula will heal its a temporary Ileo, but I have had it all have any questions feel free to ask. And I have no Crohns, or anything just a fistula that started as a perianal abscess.

wow tll you have been through a lot with a fistula ... going to the length of having an Ileostomy done is a major step ... your fistula must have been very complex for the docs to decide on that surgery ... is your doc a colorectal specialist .. When i read you last post it reminds me of how lucky i was to of had the recovery i did .. did the docs give you a time line as to how long you might have to have your ileo .. sorry for all the questions .. just didnt realize that fistulas could get this complex .. hope you doing well :)

yes I had a very deep cavity and I do see a colo rectal surgeon one of the best ones from where I am from. He did remove the drain 2 weeks ago hoping that the cavity where the drain was will heal closed before he does a reversal which I am scheduled for on Dec 29. Its scary because right now I feel pretty good I just pray when he does the reversal it don't set everything back with me having bowel movements again. He did say that the day of surgery he will check the fistula first to make sure its where it should be and if not I am assuming he will not do the reversal that day.
Because before when I had bowel movements it would come out the end of the fistula so he want to make sure where he did the flap which was the same time he did the Ileo that it is completely healed so there is no chance of that again, yes it has been a long 16 months for me.