Pudendal Nerve Decompression Surgery - post surgery recovery

[seanashton42]

Thank you Ladies and wise advice. My wife strong armed me to the Dr and straight to hospital. I'm having surgery tomorrow to drain the abscess and have it packed. Not looking forward to having it cleaned every day but I was rapidly going downhill today. One of the risks of surgery.....lets hope it's worth all the trouble?

[helenlegs 11]

Honestly Sean you are going to have to take it easier mate. You seem to have a 'this won't beat me being the man I really am' contest going on with yourself. If I am way off track, forgive me.
Do do plenty of nerve glide work , which to me means easy stuff, but a fair bit of it and well paced out; As in, water walking, knee raises ( lying down (on side?) if needed), gentle, slow squats (not too low) always holding on to something so there is no strain getting back up again and more (water) walking but not for miles at a time and nothing at speed (please)
Pushing the envelope makes stuff come undone, and you are probably driving your lovely wife bonkers!
Take care,
Helen

[Rosemary]

Hi Sean

Hope that it has gone well for you today and you are feeling better.

I would like to back what Helen has said - you need to be gentle with yourself after any sort of surgery and listen to your body - have you been given any guidelines by your surgeon for post surgery ?

Have you looked under the Seating/Lifestlyle section - there are threads on different cushion ideas - something may help you with any sitting now.

You must take care of hundreds of us in your job to get us to our destinations safely - now take care of you !

Rosemary x

[seanashton42]

Hi All,

A quick update. Well I had the "mother" of all abscesses and have seen both the best and the worst of the NHS over the last 2 days. However, to the core issue. The abscess has been drained and flushed and I am the proud owner of a hole with a 2" depth in my right buttock. The pressure from the abscess really made the nerve painful but that pain increased dramatically after surgery. I asked my wife to shoot me at one point! Thank goodness that Dr Wong (my PNE surgeon) is so contactable as he advised my wife that the wound had probably been packed so tightly that it was putting pressure on the nerve. That's now been removed and with the assistance of our friend Tramadol I'm semi in the land of the living.

A easy few days now then try and get back on ones feet. I understand the call to take it easy, I know it's sensible. Unfortunately, when your life for the last 30yrs has been active and fit.....it's not that simple.

I have to add that the support of good people like yourselves on this site really help.

Thank you.

[janetm2]

Sean,
Glad they got you straightened out, ouch. Taking it easynow will allow you to heal.allthe better so in the future you can get back to those active days but it maybe a longer road than you estmated. Sorry but thes surgeries are more than any of us would have believed until we went through them. I am just getting close to my 2 year post op and may finally be nearing success once I get off the medicines, I will post in the sugery success section. It does take time a lots of helpfrom PT, acupunture for me just found the last way to release my last part of major pain, etc. Hang in there!
Janet

[seanashton42]

Hi Janet

Would it be possible to have some more info on your experiences with Acupuncture?

I'm pleased to say this morning the pressure on my nerve has diminished some what but the hole in my buttock hurts like ****!!!!

Best wishes all,

Sean

[molly]

Hi Sean,

I,m also from the uk and had decompression surgery a year ago in turkey. Iknow how frustratingi is to take it easy when you have previously been fit and active, but if there is one seemi gly common tthread ablot of us share it is that many of us were formerly VERY fit people.

You just have to ease up and remember yoy have the rest of your life to do the things you love. But this is a big operation and you have to give your body chancevto recover. Gentle exercise means just that. Sorry for the lecture , and I hope things get easier for you.
Regards Molly.

[seanashton42]

Thanks Molly and again wise words. It's true that PNE seems to hit those of us that led fit and active lives.

I'm trying now to work around the problem. Tomorrow I have my 1st remedial gym session. Where beforehand it would be the X-trainer, for cardiovascular work I'm going to use the hand cycle. The remainder with be on stabilised core work, trying to strengthen while immobilising the pelvis as much as possible. Press ups seem to work as do slow, controlled pull ups. Frequency is replaced by control and stability.

The abscess has left quite a dent. I had it measured today: 5cm long, 1.5cm wide and up to 4cm deep. The point is the pressure placed on the nerve by the abscess and then the packing was extreme. Once that was released I'm starting to see benefits of the decompression surgery. There is still some discomfort but its only been 12 days since the Op. On a bizarrely positive note the pain from the hole in my bum is an excellent distractor from the previous nerve pain. I'm going to give it another 12 days before I start the slow process of trying to come off the Pregabalin.

[seanashton42]

Folks can I recommend a spinal cushion to all fellow suffers recovering from surgery. I bought mine of eBay for £30 and it makes car journeys far smoother.

[Meliora]

You just had surgery for an abscess and now going to the gym...woah! I agree with Helen, I bet you wife is going bonkers! You have got to let yourself heal some. Even after childbirth you have to "cool it" for at least 6 weeks! Please be careful!!!

Yes, would like to hear about the cushion you found as nothing has helped me sit thus far. Take care!