The Colon Club

I had a very rough few weeks, starting with horrendous diarrhea and landing in the hospital with intense pain in the rectum and a fever. I landed in the hospital and had to endure four rectal examinations by doctors with different findings by each. Only my GP was willing to suggest I might be suffering an abscess. The hospitalist and infectious disease doctors were not willing to definitely call my situation an infection in the rectum. They treated me with three different antibiotics for 3 days then released me to my oncologists to get chemo. I was sent home with flagtyl and ceftin antibiotics.
I'm worried that antibiotics won't resolve my issue if it is a rectal abscess and the infection will just come back.
Has anyone out there had a similar situation? How did you get an accurate diagnosis?

That sounds awful!*hugs* I hope you feel better soon!*hugs*

I really don't have any suggestions, except I hope you are doing better soon. Does your Onc have any ideas.

(((KElizabeth))) All the best,

Lee

Maybe ask your onc to refer you to a wound specialist? Most hospitals have one or a nurse that specializes in it. Just a suggestion, my only experience was with anal fissure caused by the radiation treatment and I was treated by the best doctor in Houston for it. Different doctor from my Oncologists at md Anderson

Lee wrote:I really don't have any suggestions, except I hope you are doing better soon. Does your Onc have any ideas.

(((KElizabeth))) All the best,

Lee

I talked with the GP today and I guess the verdict is colitis. She said if it happens again she will prescribe the same oral meds again and try to avoid the hospital stay.
Fingers crossed.

I hope you won't have to have a hospital stay!*hugs*

Sorry, but be prepared for torture. I had one. There is a cavity by the cheeks right before the hole. It got infected. Dr shot a sedative in the site, which hurt like hell, the site was already hurting like hell, and then he dug in to take out the pus. 10+ pain level. Treatment was an anal ring and subsequent cleanings. Everything in this process hurt. And then the final procedure to cut the sphincter so the abscess could heal, with the possibility of not having full anal control, or live with the anal ring. I gambled on the sphincter cut, and I think it's at 90%. Hopefully you catch it before going through all the shit I went through. GL!

BIG ROB 69 wrote:Sorry, but be prepared for torture. I had one. There is a cavity by the cheeks right before the hole. It got infected. Dr shot a sedative in the site, which hurt like hell, the site was already hurting like hell, and then he dug in to take out the pus. 10+ pain level. Treatment was an anal ring and subsequent cleanings. Everything in this process hurt. And then the final procedure to cut the sphincter so the abscess could heal, with the possibility of not having full anal control, or live with the anal ring. I gambled on the sphincter cut, and I think it's at 90%. Hopefully you catch it before going through all the shit I went through. GL!

Ugh! That sounds terrible. I'm sorry you had to endure that.
I'm guessing mine is something similar. I finished antibiotics not 48 hours ago and now I have pain and a fever again. Thank goodness I messaged my GP this morning when I just felt the slightest pressure in the area because now I'm really hurting. I'm back on the antibiotics and I'll schedule tomorrow for another exam
I'm so flipping tired of Iriotecan and the bathroom issues!!!

Hope the antibiotics are doing there job. What Big Rob went thru sounds very painful. So sorry you are having these problems.

Thinking of you,

Lee

The exciting conclusion:
Today I saw a general surgeon because he was the only surgeon who could see me away. He checked out my bum and saw imeadieatly that I have an anal fissure, and tiny fistula and an abscess. He pulled some strings and got me into the colorectal surgeon who I had wanted to see. She fit me in and under local anesthesia drained my abscess, placed a drain and addressed the fistula. I feel better already!

I am just amazed that last week I was subjected to 4 rectal exams and not one of the doctors had any idea what they were looking for. The general surgeon was not surprised. He said the ER is definitely not the place to go to get help with an abscess.

I hope that sharing my experience helps someone else avoid misdiagnosis in the future.

KElizabeth,

Wow I am so happy for you that the surgeon pulled the strings to put an end to your pain.
The complications make for a really "bad ass"

I was wondering if they even tested for the type of infection you had/have?

Hopefully you will heal soon.

Chrissy

Glad you are already starting to feel better and got a proper diagnosis. Sounds like you've been through the ringer. Thinking of yiu lady.