abscesses Warning TMI, please need your help.

[morethanyoubargainfor]

A litttle bit of history, i have a condition called hidradenitis suppurative so abscesses are very common for me. I have had several ops to remove them for various places of my body.

Anyway yesterday i felt the common pain and knew what was coming, this morning it was fairly small but very painful, this evenig however it has swelled up to about 6 times the size it was this morning, it is right at the back, but right on my labia . it is about 8cm in length and probably the same deep. I managed to gt a little out of it but nothing great. I do feel like i am growing a testicle (but can assure you it isn't!)

So what do i do? do i just grin and bear it or do i go to A&E to have it lanced? It is worth it? Please help!

Just for the record i have had this done before and it helped greatly, and anti-biotics are a complete waste of time because of my condition.

[Marne]

Go to A&E and get it lanced.

[morethanyoubargainfor]

i just feel like i would be wasting thier time. Am i wrong?

[FrannyandZooey]

omg are you mad, get it treated
it must be immensely painful and surely you should not be attempting it yourself?

[FrannyandZooey]

meant to add

you poor sod! i hope it is dealt with quickly and you can recover

[morethanyoubargainfor]

thanks Franny, not mad but brought up by family who don't bother doctors unless you are dying!

I should really go shouldn't i

[whomovedmychocolate]

Go to A&E today - you must know that these can develop into blood poisoning very quickly and if it's swelling at that rate it won't be long before you start to get the flu like symptoms which indicate things are getting bad.

My sincere sympathies for your condition, it is truly horrible and not a lot of people in the UK (including in the medical profession) understand it.

[whomovedmychocolate]

Oh and don't be embarrassed, it's actually no worse than getting a boil on yer bum really - and at least you won't be wasting NHS time by being pissed in Casualty on a weekend! They'll be delighted to see someone who is actually sick.

[morethanyoubargainfor]

thats my problem, no ones really understands it.

i know what you say is true, i am tempted to go now.

[whomovedmychocolate]

You need to go. Look I have a different condition, equally unknown to most medics. Write it on a bit of paper and say 'go look on pubmed if you haven't seen it before' (they will).

I've had blisters turn to septacemia within four hours and had to have major surgery because of them - your immune system does what mine does - it overreacts. If you do not get it dealt with, you will develop problems and each time you ignore it you are risking cardiac problems.

[FrannyandZooey]

oh i see - i think you must go - if you are worried phone nhs direct and talk it through with them?

[morethanyoubargainfor]

i do tend to ignore the little ones, they go within a few days, some hang around longer. Just looked at it again and think i should seek treatment.

I have a whole pack on the condition that i could take with me, so think i will do that, and highlight the bit where it says antibiotics are worthless!

[MrsMattie]

I have had the most hideous, huge, recurring bartholin's cyst (great big cyst just inside fanjo)., so kind of relate to what you are going through

Just go and get it sorted at A&E. They really, really won't give a shit. They're there to help.

[whomovedmychocolate]

NHS direct is staffed by nurses F&Z - they know nothing of autoimmune disorders such as SH. You may as well phone your local pizza hut for all the help you'll get from them (at least you get fed if you do that).

[morethanyoubargainfor]

I'm of now! might be back later

[FrannyandZooey]

oh dear! surely if told it was an 8 cm abscess they would advise medical attention though?

[whomovedmychocolate]

I have never had a conversation with NHS direct which didn't end with them advising me to go to the hospital or to the out of hours clinic to see a doctor.

If you are vaguely self-aware I think you probably don't call them unless it's something fairly serious though so it's understandable.

Mind you, did you know that the majority of callers are from people with colds?