Let’s talk about bum abscess! 🍑 📌 Anorectal abscess refers to a collection of pus in the anal or rectal region 📌It can be caused by blockage of anal glands which can lead to infection. It may also be due to infection of anal fissure or sexually transmitted infection (STI). 📌 Most patients are between the ages of 20 to 60 with a mean age of 40. Male>Female. 📌The abscess can happen in 4 different areas (as shown by the diagram above) 👉🏽Perianal (most common) 👉🏽Ischiorectal 👉🏽Intersphincteric 👉🏽Supralevator Risk factors that increase your chances of getting the abscess: 📍Diabetes 📍Inflammatory bowel disease 📍Immunosuppressed patients Signs and symptoms: 🔥Discharge of pus from the rectum 🔥Painful and hardened tissue/lump around the anus 🔥Fever 🔥Constipation 🔥Pain is usually worse when sitting down, cough and when you poo Treatment 🏥Surgery to drain the abscess under local or general anaesthetics, the wound is normally left open (no stitches) and is packed with special dressing until it is healed. However, some may spontaneously drain by themselves and not need any surgery. 🏥Pain relief 🏥Stool softener 🏥Antibiotics - usually not needed unless if you have diabetes or have problem fighting off infection (immunosuppressed patients) Complications 👉🏽Anorectal abscess can lead to formation of fistula (small tunnel that develops between the end of the bowel and the skin near the anus (where poo leaves the body)) in up to 30% of patients 👉🏽Recurrence 👉🏽Scarring 👉🏽Systemic infection - infection in the bloodstream

Today I’m opening up to all of you. I’ve been wanting to write this for the longest time but never had the courage to do so until today. I’ve had the greatest battle of my life for my life since the end of 2016. It all started from an abusive relationship. I was dying and we couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me even after getting out of the abusive relationship. We’ve been to so many doctors and none to figure out what was wrong with me. I was in constant pain. I was crying everyday. I lost almost half of my weight. I lost almost all of my hair. I was embarrassed to go outside. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t sleep. I was a wreck inside out. September 2017, I developed an abscess near my vagina the size of a golf ball. I refused to get it treated out of fear and left it there for another 9 months until one day, it was ready to rupture internally. I was screaming in pain and was sent for emergency I&D and had 60cc of pus drained out. In the first picture, I was receiving blood transfusion while puking from the anaesthesia from the surgery. One week later, I developed another abscess also the size of a golf ball and again was in pain. It ruptured on its own but it wouldn’t stop draining pus for the next few months. One month later, I developed ANOTHER abscess and that ruptured as well but continued draining. These two abscesses never stopped draining for the next 6 months. Eventually I was getting really tired of this. Along with the abscesses, I was running to the toilet maximum 20 times a day, I had blood in my stools, I was having terrible burping, I couldn’t sit, I couldn’t stand, I couldn’t walk and sometimes I couldn’t even lie down. I couldn’t eat. Usually only a handful. I went to my gynaecologist who was at Hospital Mawar at the time. We got an MRI done on me to figure out why these abscesses were coming and not going away. Results came in and I was told I had 5 perianal fistulas. I then consulted my colorectal surgeon at Pantai Hospital, Bangsar and had an endoscopy and colonoscopy done. Results came in and my diagnosis came out to be Crohn’s Disease. (cont. in comments)