Paul, what can I say except that really sucks.. BIG TIME.. I thought draining the abscess would be quite straight forward but on reading your post it looks like you've had complications? What about the Fistula, are they going to deal with that at a later date?
Nothing is ever that easy when it comes to butt issues/pain, we all know the levels of pain involved with surgical procedures in such a delicate area, there's only so much you can take..
I will send healing thoughts and prayers across the pond.

Thanks for the thoughts and prayers.
Steve- The surgery itself seemed pretty straight forward and I felt great on Saturday with mild discomfort from the incision. It didn't seem to bad since they hadn't cut any muscle just an incision to drain. Not sure how often they have the bleeding complication like I had. It was very freaky. I am used to having blood but not having it pouring out. Not really sure about the Fistula. He just said he installed a "drain" when I woke up from surgery. The surgeon I saw in the ER made a drawing showing me what was done with the placement of the Seton. It sounds like the fistula is in the muscle since he couldn't lay it open like the past one I had. I have a follow-up next week so I hope to get a bigger picture of what the game plan is in dealing with the fistula. In reading, fistula's can be very difficult to deal with once in the muscle.
And of course I am back in fissure hell also. I think when I got constipated after the ordeal I tore open one if not both fissures. So 9 months of healing down the drain. My sphincter muscle was very angry this morning.

Hey Paul,
Just wanted to say I have been thinking about you today and still praying

Well I thought I would update my LIS thread/Saga.
I have been officially diagnosed with Mild Crohn's disease.
My surgeon suspected something was going on, only in the peri-anal region, in Jan LIS surgery after he got a good look at the fissure. Looked more like an ulcer to him. Then the abscess and deep fistula in Sept made me finally see a GI doc.
The colonoscopy found some signs of chronic inflammation in my ileocecal valve.
So the next step for me is meds. I am starting Azathioprine to try to close the fistula. Surgery is no longer an option for the fistula repair now that I have IBD. Then they may add Remicade if the Azathioprine isn't effective alone. If the meds fail then the draining seton will just stay in forever.
I guess the positive is that it is mild - and that is why it has taken me so long to get diagnosed. My blood work is normal(which I find strange) and I don't have all the classic symptoms of Crohn's - diarrhea, abdominal pain, vomitting, etc.
All these meds have cancer risks. Which scares the heck out of me but I also want to try to get my peri-anal area healed completely and stop any progression of the disease internally. So it hopefully will be worth the risk...... Time will tell.

Hey Paul, it's nice to hear from you again. I'm so sorry to hear about the Crohn's diagnosis :( But it's good to hear that you're going to be starting appropriate treatment. I've heard good things about Remicade regarding its efficacy for Crohn's. One of the nurses that tended to my son in intensive care had it and said the infusions were what finally got her severe Crohn's under control. She had it real bad for a long time and after Remicade she's been in remission for years now. I'm glad to hear they figured out the root cause before doing fistula surgery since of course the cutting would be a no-no. Please do keep us posted on how things go!

Hi NG- Ya, I think Remicade is considered for mostly the treatment of severe Crohn's . In my case it would be used because it is the most effective med for healing fistula's. - like 70%. I am still apprehensive about it since it can have some nasty side effects and the increased risk of cancer. All the biological meds have a black label warning from the FDA. I think the GI sensed this apprehension and decided to just start with the aza first to see how it goes.
Plus Remicade is very costly. I have read 8-13k per infusion done every 8 weeks. Even though I have insurance I think it might be costly. Plus the insurance company has to approve it. The GI made it sound this usually isn't an issue though.

Sorry Paul. It's good they know what's going on now though and you are beginning the proper treatment. I never really knew anything about Crohns before this board.
The increased risk for cancer is scary though. I hope the aza does the job for you...
Take care:)

Paul,
My son has been on AZA for several years. He also takes the Humira shot which many patients switch to (sometimes) after using Remicade.
You might want to go to a conference (CCFA.org). Attending one helped me realize how many people have IBD and are walking around with it. The speakers are enlightening also. The next one in Rosemont (Chicago area) is going to be on April 9. They are trying to make it more of a regional conference this coming year since the Chicago conference is one of the largest and one of the best in the US. Good luck with your treatment.
Hoping and praying for more effective treatments for CD for you, my son, and the many others who suffer from this debilitating disease. Fortunately, researchers are getting a better idea of what Crohn's is all about and the mechanics of how the various medicines now available help Crohn's patients. Sorry to sound like an advocate, but that is what I am!!

Paul, hopefully insurance covers the infusions if you get to that point. Take care of your body and worry about the money later. Hopefully you won't even have to get there though. My kid's nurse gets infusions up at UC San Francisco every few months and says it's been an absolute lifesaver for her. She was scheduled to have a colon resection before she tried Remicade and has now been symptom free for some time.
We're all pulling for you.

Hi Paul,
Sorry to hear about this diagnosis :( Glad that a proper diagnosis has been made, and hopefully you can start treatment and begin feeling better soon!
:)