Pilonidal Cyst -- how long to drive again?

[Blue Oval84]

Please forgive any spelling errors, this hospital bed keyboard is pants!

To keep it brief, has anyone else on here had the delight of suffering one of these? If so, how long was it before you could drive again? I currently have a hole in me that is packed with gauze and it hurts like hell, juust waant to know how long it might be before i'm driving again!

I've already been looking for cheap automatocs to drive as a stop gap!

[Norfolk Enchance]

You have my utmost sympathy I was off work for a couple of weeks with the same, and then fine to drive for short periods. it even got me special treatment at football (with photo proof ) as they allowed me to stand when I felt the need. Took about 4 weeks to heal enough to not have to worry

Ask your nurse to measure the depth, you will think you have a new aris hole

[Graebob]

Oh sweet jesus, I just googled that. I'm in equal parts disgusted and sympathetic. Speedy recovery chap.

[broken biscuit]

I had one of these in 2007 - burst while at work - absolute agony. I didn't drive for two weeks, in fact I dont think i got in a car for two weeks. I took 6 weeks off work with it, and went back fully healed rather than going back too early. After three weeks or so I was back to normal, just taking it easy.

[mrtwisty]

oooo christ, that picture on wikipedia looks nasty. You have my utmost sympathies op.

It also says on wiki that you can get them on your John Thomas! Maybe you've got something to be thankful for after all, eh op?

Hope your back in the driving seat soon buddy.

[Superhoop]

Just hope thst you don't hasve the problems one of my mates is having at the moment with one of these.

So far, he's had 3 operations and has been off work for nearly 7 months and counting

[nelly1]

I had one of these in 1993.

Ended up much as you describe with a letterbox sized hole in my (very) lower back which had to be re-packed every other day as it has to heal from the bottom up (if you'll pardon the expression).

I was off work for nine weeks, and couldn't drive for the same.

You have my sympathies - chin up!

On the plus side, some of the nurses were very cute

[Blue Oval84]

Thanks for the good wishes guys! It certainly caught me by surprise at the weekend!

Fortunatelly mine is no where near my chap, it's on the left bum cheek, nd yes, I do now have 2 arris holes! :O

Thissoundslike recovery shouldn't be bad then, as u can imagine, I have found myself really strugling to lower myself into the Z4, I can imagine it will be just as hard after the op as it was before!

was looking at getting a cheap second car anyway so may just bring it forward and get a shed like this:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2011...

My dad says the risk fators that cause this are

• White males up to mid 20s. Check!
• Doing a job that involves lots of sitting. Check!
• Driving a car with fim suspension. Check!

Hopefully having ssoft barge to drive some of tthtime will help lol.

[Fat Albert]

I had 'Jeep Driver's Bum' as it is also known when I was in the RAF in the late '80s
I had it excised after I had left in late '89 and I seem to remember I was able to drive about 3 weeks afterwards, but I was a young buck at the time so fast healing and felt no pain....

[LukeSi]

bloody el just googled it. Looks painful. If you don't mind my asking. Does it hurt when you go for a st? Cause that looks fing painful.

[Blue Oval84]

I hvent had the pleasure of taking a dump yet but i expect it to hurt like hell

The pain is much improved now but it will continue to be sore for a while i think.

Dr says theyre very common so if u meet the risk factors above then congrats, u may have this to look forward to

[sleep envy]

Had one of these in 2000, was off work for 3 months

42 stitches and couldn't sit down for 3 weeks as it would rip the stitches

you can get foam cushions with cutouts which will help, I was driving again after 4 weeks

oh, if you need the loo take some laxatives for the first few times, ripping stitches on you back and arse cheeks isn't fun

btw, if they cut your nerves they will take a very long time to heal, I still don't have any feeling in my lower back

[Blue Oval84]

Yours sounds worse than mine! They have left my wound open and packed with gauze rather than close it up

[igiveup]

I had this Op in Oct 1999, finally fully healed up in Dec 2000!! It was a biggie. And Ouch is a word when dressings are changed, that comes to mind.

[PJ S]

Drove home 5-6 hours after the operation - short 5 mins up the road from the hospital.
Drove to Health Centre next to it, a couple of days later again for dressing to be changed.
Hospital gave me some padded stuff, which certainly helped with the discomfort, but sitting on the sofa was an exercise in perseverance. Constant swapping of cheek taking the weight was quite frustrating.
Can't fully recall when I drove any great distance again, but 15-20 minute ones weren't any problem about a week or so after being operated on.

[carreauchompeur]

Ow, ow ow, I have just Googled this.

[skeggysteve]

OP, I wouldn't worry about when you can drive I'd worry about when you can sit down again!

I've had one and I feel for you - if your's is the sort that the nurse changes the dressing everyday then get in the (salt) bath to soak the dressing just before it need changing - trust me it's the best way. Also ask your doc for zinc tablets, my doc reckoned they helped, I trust him!

Only other advise I'd give is - you will have another so learn to recognise the signs and the moment you do get to the docs and insist on some antibiotics, it will save you much pain.

[Blue Oval84]

I think a few people have had a nice surprise from Google tonight! I aim to please

[Blue Oval84]

skeggysteve - thanks for the advice, not sure about the aftercare yet as no one has spoken with me properly since i woke up but Ill bear that in mind!

[Blue Oval84]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

ortunately my manger was commentng the other day that ive not had a sick day in years so i hae enough brownie points and 6 monthes full sick pay accrued to deal with this!