My Experience With Pilonidal Disease as a 21M in Australia
I first developed a pilonidal cyst 5 years ago. It appeared suddenly and was extremely painful, making it hard to sit or move. I had it drained and went back to school with a pad to catch any leakage. It healed in about 2 weeks.
Over the 12 months since first cyst, I noticed a small pit and mild discomfort but ignored it. Around a year later, the cyst flared up again, with pain, swelling, and pus. I chose to ignore it and as a result developed a recurrent cyst that would be super painful and drain almost one every month.
I eventually was booked in to have an EPSIT to get it removed (it was a 6 month wait as it was a cat 3 procedure - recommended within 365 days). It didn’t work at all, and it kept coming back so I got it again (3 month wait) and again (another 3 month wait) until it felt like it worked and I had no symptoms for a year.
But the game was not over, a month and a half ago I had another recurrence and it was so bad - 10/10 pain constantly not been able to walk etc. I had to get emergency drainage again, and was eventually booked for an excision +/- flap under cat 3 - within 365 days.
I ended up been extremely lucky, got the surgery in 26 days the day after a call. I stopped everything and agreed to have surgery and I’m so grateful. They needed up doing a limberg flap and I’m 1 week post op and everything is healing very well and pain has been no more than a 2-3/10 this whole time, even after taking oxycodone for one day and paracetamol until day 3 after surgery. Nothing since. It was also day surgery and went very smooth.
I just wanna say, anyone experiencing this I feel for you. It’s so hard but everything happens for a reason. It will work out.
If anyone has any questions please ask.