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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
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Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
racole re: pilonidal cyst
I also have a pilonidal dimple and had a cyst removed about 3 years ago. ?Luckily it was only a small cyst with pretty easy outpatient surgery and minor wound packing. ?I have never heard the connection between the dimples/cysts and spina bifida, though I guess it makes sense. ?My cyst started after I was cycling a lot one summer so they thought maybe that was part of the reason it appeared. ?
Re: racole re: pilonidal cyst
I didn't see the OP, but I had one when I was 21. It got abscessed, & after the infection was gone, it was surgically removed. I still have a scar at the top of my butt crack.
Off to find the post with the spina bifida connection.
I think that because there's less cushioning in that area due to the pilonidal dimple, the irritation of sitting can cause a cyst to develop.
Without being graphic, was your dimple large?
Were you also born with a pilonidal dimple?
Mine is at the top of my, um, crack... it's literally an indent. It's pretty funny.
Yep! I thought everybody had one? I always remembered feeling an indentation there, but had no idea what it was (or that it was anything!). I never paid attention to it until it got infected. It hurt so effing bad. It was just like this big red lump. My doctor had to lance it (gross) and put me on antibiotics. Once the infection was gone, the cyst was barely noticeable.
They've certainly improved surgery over the years. My brother had one when he was in HS, and he was in the hospital for days post-surgery.
Mine is in the sample place...a small dimple with what feels like a pinhole inside.
?I can see how the lack of tissue might lead to cysts there from sitting...particularly on a hard bike seat. ?
?My cyst was not too large...maybe about the size of a nickel when inflamed. ?In some ways I think I was lucky because the skin would blister and then abscess to drain. ?I dealt with that on my own for several months (while trying some antibiotics) before they moved forward with surgery. ?It would flare up every few weeks (usually around my period), abscess, and then be fine for a while.
I do have a small scar there still, but man, I am so happy to have it gone. ?They warned that they are likely to come back, but I really have been cycling as much lately, so that hopefully has helped.?
Pilonidal dimples aren't common - they shouldn't be there. It has something to do with how your embryonic sac/neural tubes (early spinal development) close at the base of your back.
If it doesn't close and the spine is exposed at birth, it's true Spina Bifida.
I only know this because my mom was a pediatric nurse when I was growing up, so the doctor she worked for kept a close eye on me. They were expecting me to have Spina Bifida when I was born based on the amnio tests my mom had done - but I merely had a large dimple.
Same here! Everything I read always made it sound like everybody's got one. Interesting!
Everyone's back fuses closed in the same spot in utero - however, you're not supposed to be left with a dimple. If you had/have a dimple, your lower back didn't seal up the way it should have. Thus, making the area prone to cysts. That's right where the pointy area of the base of your spine is.
I had to go to the health center every few days to have the packing changed and my friend was so kind to change the dressing for me. I had to bend over with my pants half pulled down so that she could put the bandage on it. What a good friend.
I never had mine removed. The surgeon I saw said that we should wait and see if there are any flare ups before removing it. I've not had one flare up, and it's been over 10 years.
My new home: http://tinyurl.com/6r4rrlm
I feel SO fortunate to never have had a flare up.
One thing I love about the Nest, is you meet people that have the same problems as you, that you never would have touched base with in real life.
I've never met anyone with a pilonidal dimple before!
I've also never met anyone in person that's young like me, with congenital heart defects.
I PPH the internets!
Oh goodness, you should have seen how many people were in the room when I had a post-op echo at Columbia back in August.
"Say hello to Rachel's heart on the screen, and keep your eyes off of her ta ta's."
Another thing to be thankful for.
I don't think my mom could ever have gone through with termination. She merely needed to know what to be prepared for.
Definitely! ??
I was embarrassed enough to have to expose my a$$ to the doctors, my mom and my friend. I'm glad I didn't have med students staring at it too.
For me, having it lanced was the first time I cursed in front of my mom. When the doctor lanced it, I screamed "Oh, f*ck!!" The doctor said that this was probably more painful than childbirth will be. I hope so, because it really hurt.
I am always extra conscious about making sure I rinse off all of the extra soap and conditioner from my body when I'm in the shower. I know you all wanted to know that.
My new home: http://tinyurl.com/6r4rrlm
I have had a pilonidal cyst. It's come back 3 times. I had a doctor lance the first time because I went in petrified that I had colon cancer or hemoroids or something because I had no idea what it was.
They had a medical resident examine me and he was hot hot hot. Single most embarrassing moment of my entire life was being bent over this thing, ass in the air, and having this hot guy the same age as me ask me questions about my bowel movements and sex life. After enduring that embarrassment, explaining the situation to my then boyfriend and to my boss much easier. (I had to miss work because I couldn't sit and they wanted an explanation.)
The other two times it came back, I just iced it or put a warm compress on it until it went away. It has not come back in 5 years or so.
So does everyone who has a pilonidal cyst have a pilonidal dimple? This relationship to spina bifida is fascinating. I have always had issues with my spine...I don't like it touched and just generally get freaked out if someone touches it the wrong way. I wonder if there's a connection.
Yeah, I definitely scrub extra good down there now....Dr's orders. ?:)?
And it definitely hurt like he!! when the cyst would be infected and swollen. I couldn't sit comfortably anywehre! ?In some ways I welcomed the lancing as the pain/pressure would go away.?
Well, I think if it's a true pilonidal cyst, then you have a dimple.
A dimple looks like, well... an extra, um...
So, do you have a dimple? Go check. We're curious.
j.bug and womet: I think one of the main reasons I've grown up being aware of my dimple is because my mom taught me to take extra good care of that area while showering, etc.
Hey look, our post got a star. Lurkers are reading about our special areas.
So no one has had to have full-on surgery for their removal?
Just asking. Not that I know anyone who's had one. Or had to doctor their bum. And keep it clean and bandaged. Nope.
Call me Kat =^..^=
When I saw the surgeon 10 years ago, she said that I would have to be out of school/work for at least a week and spend most of my time on my stomach. That did not sound appealing to me, espcially since they were not sure if it would ever get infected again. I am so glad I didn't have the operation.
My new home: http://tinyurl.com/6r4rrlm
LOL I definitely have an indentation there. I guess I just assumed everyone had an indention there. Apparently not.
My best friend has also had pilonidal cysts. We both got our first ones around the same time, so we occassionally refer to each other as butt cysters.
You're funny.
Yep, thats about right. I think it was on Tues and I didnt leave my apt til Friday afternoon when I came to visit work (I'm a work dork) and I laid on the couch 99% of that time at home. I was sooooooooo miserable for the few weeks before, like couldnt sit down straight, walking was starting to get miserable. Horrible! I'm sooooo glad its been gone for this long and I really really really hope it doesnt come back!!
"Butt cysters" ?<--- that is awesome!
I did have surgery, but outpatient. ?I was mostly on my stomach for a few days and stayed out of work for about 2 weeks (although I likely could have gone back sooner). ?I camped out on DH's (then FI) couch and he helped me clean, repack, and bandage the would. ?I was lucky that it was pretty small so it healed rather quickly and without too much trouble.
?I will say that the "cleaning" of the wound process was almost as painful as the abscessing itself. ?Nothing like scrubbing very raw skin. ?Or perhaps it was the burning of the would with silver nitrate when I saw the Dr on follow-up appointments to make sure the would healed/scarred well. ?
Oh the joys....?