Recovery Time

See about getting it removed as soon as possible. This is easy early on, but gets substantially more difficult if the cyst remains over time. In terms of recovery, give it all the time it needs. You will know when you are ready. Listen to your body. If not, things can get complicated and you could miss substantial time.

It was removed. Last Wednesday, but they don't stitch it up, so I have an open wound. I just want to know how long it takes till its done healing and I can play again.

im concerned why you would ask that question here instead of asking your doctor these questions.

do you think our answers will make you heal any faster.

give it the time it needs to heal. would you like to be sliding on that open wound.

catch43,
Sorry to hear about your medical problem. Good question but no one can tell you for sure how long it will take to heal. My son had pilonidal cysts removed. About half the time the stitches will hold after the operation and the recovery time is just a month or two but in the other cases the stitches will not hold and the wound will remain open and has to heal from the inside out --- as in my son’s case. These can take well over a year to heal. However, even if the wound does not close after the operation, you can still play a few months after the operation, you just have to continue to keep the area shaved and treat the incision. My son’s is still not completely healed but he continues to play without any discomfort. Get yourself a good pillow for a few weeks!
Good Luck,
Fungo

Thanks Fungo, as long as I can play, I'll be fine. I'm still not sure its a cyst because there was no hair in the sac that was lanced. Also, was your son's an open wound when he played? I never got stitches b/c doc said they could get infected.

Of course I asked my doctor, but he didn't really give me a definite answer, so i wanted to hear it from somone who had it. I have an appointment tomorrow for a follow-up, I hope I can play. Got 3 games in 4 days. One Thursday night, and 2 Sunday. Thats all I'm thinking of right now.

I just got back from the doc. I can play, but the wound is not yet healed completely. He did this thing that gives it a 60% chance of closing, otherwise I'll need an operation with anastesia. I must treat it minumum twice a day and take 2-4 showers a day. well, as long as i can play, i am satisfied. i just hope i will never need an operation, not a front row seat to watch everyone play for 1-2 months.

Catch - a little more insight.

My son has a pilonidal cyst and has had it for almost 2 years. Didn't want to get it removed during football, then it would interfere with baseball, then summer baseball, etc. No good time for removal. His doc said that he too would not be stitched - has to heal that way - if it doesn't heal properly, then they have to "pack it" - NASTY. For the uninformed, at least in my son's case, involves about a 4" incision and removal of the path from the cyst to the area where it drains - path meaning all of the skin and 'meat' along the way. Doc said that doing nothing is an option [his partner had one for 10 years - just deals with it b/c he can't afford the down time involved]. Son merely keeps an eye on his [I do, actually], soaks it when necessary and gets it drained when really necessary. Ran into trouble last time by trying to soak it then squeeze it to force it to drain - this merely encouraged minor internal bleeding, which dried and further clogged up the works. We know his is doing well when his skivvies have blood on them - means it's draining and not blocked up.

First time it was drained, doc actually sewed in a 5 inch long tube for a drain, but first, lanced it and dug around a little - a 4 inch long hair popped out - DISGUSTING!! Had the pleasure of going right from the doc's to a JV football game - 3 plays in, gets dumped on the butt by a guy listed at 275# !!! Drained REAL good that night!!

Had 2 kind of funny incidences with his:

1) messing around in gym class: teacher/freshmen football coach smacked him on the can with his clipboard as he walked by [don't give me the "abuse/corporal punishment argument here, either"]. 30 seconds later classmate sees blood running down Tom's legs, teacher almost dies - Tom is laughing, thanked Coach for draining his cyst, it had been bothering him lately!! Coach calls me at home all apologetic - I gave him the same story as Tom - THANKS!! he wanted to report it to the administration - I begged him not to [he didn't]. I told him I figured that for whatever reason he did it, Tom probably deserved it anyway!!

2) Tom out sledding with friends, slips and falls on his tail on the ice, little later leaves in friend's car, after departing friend notices basketball size blood stain on seat!! Maybe not as funny as gym class, but just as effective at draining the cyst!

The good news : Many times they return!!! [son's teammate last summer had a return/encore presentation after prior removal = kid is 23 YO]. Right now, doing nothing is Tom's best option.

Hope your's works out for you

Yea, its not the best thing. I wouldn't want it forever. Right now I'm very happy I can play, and I just hope that I'll never need surgery. But I don't understand one thing- with your son, does he have some trouble sitting and laying on his back ever still? And also, when you say you lanced it, what does that entail?
Right now, just trying to keep clean...

Tom only has trouble when it flares up [i.e. fills up without draining] -- football season it always seemed better - maybe from the more violent movement, maybe from the tailbone pad always rubbing against it, thereby allowing it to drain - not sure.

The only lancing that was done was performed by a doctor in his office - sorry if I confused you. He takes a small razor blade and makes a small incision - definitely not something to to yourself!! His has gotten infected a couple times - needed antibiotics to help clear that up. [Tom's bigger problem is he has Crohn's Disease and Rheumatoid Arthritis - medication he takes suppresses his immune system, so his body does not fight infection that well on its own].

His has never kept him from playing, but we keep a close eye on it. He knows enough that when it starts to bother him [these are the only times it bother shim to sit], it's time for a doc visit. In the meantime - do continue to keep it clean, soak in a tub once in a while. Reiterate: don't try to break it open or squeeze it yourself - definitely for a trained professional!!

Good Luck

My son had this same issue last year....

It seems that my son was aware of the cyst and for the most part not bothered by it, and of course, did not want to take time off college baseball to deal with it.....He did not tell us about it....until it had grown....what started as a pea size......grew to a nickel size and began to exert pressure on the nerves in his back.....

By the time we had it examined and confirmed it had grown to the size of a golfball and had become extremely painful.....surgery was scheduled and he had it removed....... like most it is not sewn up, but left to heal from the inside out.

I wont kid you, his recovery was MONTHS......Id say at least 3 but his was very large. You have to be very careful with an open wound...

Unlike some, I dont blame you for asking your questions here...I dont expect everyone to understand that there is some embarassment to this and knowing you can go to a place and seek advice on many subjects is what makes the HSBBW a great place...

This is not a unusual thing for young male athletes to have.....and to be honest it was that embarassment that led my son to avoid discussing it with his trainer or even us, his parents...... and that eventulyy led it to grow larger and make surgery the ONLY option.....

So, Best of luck to you......and follow your Doctors orders!!

and everyone heals differently

good point.....everyone and every situation is different....

good points both - no telling which side of that coin you reside, not to mention the re-occurrence issue - good doc with the right type and size of cyst - one time surgery with minimal recovery. Larger cyst in a slightly worse location, maybe enhances the chances of re-occurrence. Important thing is to keep an eye [somebody's eye, anyway] on it, keep it clean, and seek professional help as soon as it starts to grow or cause discomfort.

I caught 11 innings yesterday, I felt great. When I got on base, I was able to have a pinch runner without being taken out, but only to be cautious, I was able to run.

I came from the Doc, he said that I may need surgery. I can have preventitive surgery or just keep area clean, many showers, and hope it doesn't flare up. I'm probably going to go with the latter because recovery time isn't even set with this surgery. Stitches could get infected, and wound could remain open for a long time. There's also the term "surgery" which "makes me wince" when I hear it. I can play at full capacity- no more pinch runners.

Windmill, Fingo, Piaa Ump, what did your sons do? What motivated you to do what you did? Thanks...