I would like to take some time to talk about some of the really fun adventures in health I have been having over the past few months. Since moving out into my own apartment in August, it is like a tornado of ailments have decided to decend themselves upon me like no other time in my life (this also came at the exact moment I lost my health insurance, figures).
I would like to get in depth to just one issue. Pilonidal.
Some of you may be familiar with what this is, but if you're like me it could be completely foreign. For more indepth information you can visit: http://www.pilonidal.org/index.php
but for the abbreviated version:
"A Pilonidal (Abscess, Cyst, Sinus, Dimple) is an abscess in the natal cleft (more commonly referred to as your butt crack) that tends to become infected and cause intense pain and drainage. Sometimes a Pilonidal contains hair and sometimes they don't." (http://www.pilonidal.org/education/whatisit.php, 1/17/11)
Some things I didn't know about this condition is that it is VERY common in young women in the early 20's (check), It can be hereditary (check), and it can be brough on by excess sitting at work, and weigh gain (check and check). I had my first Pilo show up in August soon after I moved in to my new apartment, It was painful as all heck and the worst part about it was that nothing I did could make myself feel better. No position was comfortable, I couldn't sit or lay down for days... it basically sucked. One of the only ways to take care of it is to go to a doctor and have in lanced (which I did). The follow up then includes a few days of soreness from the procedure, and weeks of wound care (and in the end you get a really neat scar! not).
Well once that whole ordeal was over with I thought I could carry on and be done with it all. Subsequently my insurance ran out but I thought no big deal right? wrong. I had a little flair up about a month after my insurance expired. I frantically called the hospital to ask what the procedure cost without insurance... she wouldn't even tell me. I was so panicked until, magically, it "took care of iteself" if you catch my drift. I breathed a sigh of relief and made sure to keep the area clean & dry etc.
So, March rolls around (its been nearly 7 months since this whole ordeal) I have gotten my insurance back and low and behold what decides to show up? So I resolve to get it taken care of before it gets horrible, and start doing some research. Turns out if people see a re-currence they are likely to continue to recurr because of they way they are shaped. Basically it wasn't because I was or wasn't doing anything that it came back, it just did. I then found out that in these circumstances a more dramatic surgery needs to happen that could keep you away from work etc for weeks (yikes)! Something i definitely can't do right now. My surgeon decided to once again do the less invasive approach, do a more aggressive wound care regimen and then... wait and see.
Honestly, I would rather just get this over with (if i need surgery let's just do it already), especially while I'm covered! I've read horror stories of people dealing with this for years, and I can't let that be me. Fingers crossed that I can get this taken care of and done with soon.
The moral of the story is: pay attention to your body, take care of yourself, and for gods sake don't take your health insurance for granted.....
This was a gross post, Sorry.
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