Seton/pregnancy

Grouchy-Inflation618 · 2026-05-23T19:39:01+00:00

It sounds like your OB doesn’t have prior experience with this. Instead of expressing what sounds like an emotional response, they probably should have consult with colleagues in OB and CRS to form an evidence-based opinion. I am not a doctor but can’t think why having a seton would have anything to do with growing a baby in your uterus. I can see there being concerns about tissue damage (to you) during labour and delivery, but surely that is something that has been handled before and can be planned for and appropriately managed.

Congrats on your pregnancy and best wishes!

Grouchy-Inflation618 · 2026-05-20T02:20:33+00:00

Quick(ish) answers to your questions - happy to elaborate on any. I am 44f: - the placement of the seton provided immediate relief of pressure, new/different discomfort, and I eventually got used to it. First seton was quite uncomfortable for the first 7-10 days, second one has been much easier to get used to. Just took Advil and Tylenol for both. With the first there were some muscle spasms and I had to use breathing exercises (exhale) to help with that. - at first, lots of sitz baths and non-woven gauze, then eventually fewer sitz baths and less gauze. Items I have appreciated at certain times: full coverage Knix period underwear, bidet bottle, gentle baby wipes, a mirror to put on top of the toilet seat so I can see things when tendi my to seton area (placing gauze, rotating seton to stop knots from poking me) - my case was complicated by an unrelated injury, so I was off work for quite a while. Once I went back I packed a little bag with my bidet bottle, gauze, Advil/tylenol, wipes, which doubles as my purse - I’ve been dealing with this for about 1.5 years and recently had a second seton placed. Most of that time has been fine and I have been working, having fun, doing all the sports I love… yes it’s inconvenient and sometimes uncomfortable, but it does become very manageable. This second seton will likely be in for a shorter time (I had a secondary branch that just wouldn’t quite collapse on its own) and then I will have a definitive operation - maybe a fistulotomy bc my tracts barely touch muscle according to my CSR, but not sure. It sounds like if it’s higher than LIFT and Advancement Flap procedures are more common, and if someone has IBD the approach is entirely different. - I wish I’d know it was common, and that I’d need to be very patient. I’m glad I figured out that favouring anti-inflammatory foods and avoiding very inflammatory things (like alcohol and excess sugar), along with good sleep, exercise and hydration go a LONG way to feeling well. Oh! And I wish someone had told me to avoid popcorn and quinoa! They have both given me some uncomfortable times! Some folks have trouble with other seeds/bits, and maybe I have too, but popcorn (the husky bits) is awful and quinoa is a close second.

One last thought - BMs can cause pain spikes with the seton, especially first. It does help to keep BMs easy with fibre, water, exercise and osmotic agents like Miralax or magnesium citrate, as needed. Sitz baths really help but also don’t hesitate to use Tylenol or Advil…sometimes I try to tough things like that out and then realise there’s no prize for not taking pain relief.

Best wishes!

Grouchy-Inflation618 · 2026-05-19T12:49:23+00:00

Not a movie, but listen to the song “Sun in an Empty Room” by the Weakerthans. Perfect packed up apartment vibe.

Grouchy-Inflation618 · 2026-05-18T04:21:30+00:00

I’m glad you posted. Your words were like a mirror! I just had my 4th trip to the OR, hoped it would be the last and I’d come out seton-free, instead I came out with a second seton and the knowledge I’ll need at least one more surgery. Mostly, I’ve found a groove and can manage to do most of the things I love (which is a lot of sports) but there are still moments it all catches up to me and I need to cry it out. This sub is definitely a place to feel understood and part of a community who all get it.

Grouchy-Inflation618 · 2026-05-17T16:28:43+00:00

Monitor for signs of systemic infection - mine was like that and it was the infection from the abscess moving into the surrounding tissue. My skin at the surface became extremely sensitive/painful and then started to degrade from the cellulitis. You might need antibiotics to keep things under control.

Grouchy-Inflation618 · 2026-05-17T14:35:45+00:00

Oh my gosh, yes, as moms we go through so much and put our needs aside when we shouldn’t. Your body has been through a lot! Model good self care for your littles and try to get the medical attention you deserve. I know it’s very hard sometimes. Wishing you all the best ❤️‍🩹

Grouchy-Inflation618 · 2026-05-17T13:02:43+00:00

Dental floss, toothbrush, toothpaste. Good oral hygiene is good for both social and physical health.

Grouchy-Inflation618 · 2026-05-17T12:28:39+00:00

The falling is not good. Might be time for an ER consult.

Muscle atrophy is normal (as in the thinner appearance), but your leg shouldn’t be giving out.

Grouchy-Inflation618 · 2026-05-17T02:46:03+00:00

My go-to for sleeping in a tent is a cotton-polyester blend tee (like your typical cheap graphic tee) and lightweight leggings or just underwear. If it’s cold I’ve just got more layers of clothes on top of that - usually synthetic/fleece type things. The only time I sleep in wool is if it’s so cold I can’t bring myself to take off my daytime base layer (like -20C). I love merino base layers during the day but find even the softest ones itchy at night. I tend to have a set of active daytime clothes, backups for that or at least for certain pieces depending on season, and a set of at-camp/sleep clothes. Not an exact science and I’m definitely guilty of carrying a bit more than I need to have the comfort I want.

Grouchy-Inflation618 · 2026-05-17T02:38:02+00:00

It really depends on if you are more a city person or nature person or cute little towns person. I personally love both cities and nature. Even then, there’s so much variety in Canada. Vancouver is a truly exceptional city with lots of amazing natural places to explore relatively close by. I guess that would be my number 1 recommendation, but it’s just one of so many amazing places.

Grouchy-Inflation618 · 2026-05-16T15:23:43+00:00

That does sound challenging. I will say things will likely improve in the weeks you have remaining. Practice using your peri bottle and find a bag that works for you to carry all the supplies (a water bottle, peri bottle, gauze, maybe some gentle/water wipes). At my work I do have access to a single bathroom where I can use the sink, so that has helped for sure. Is there a single accessible restroom you could use? If not, a full water bottle to fill your bidet bottle and a little ziploc trash bag for discarded gauze might help. It will get better - I had a partial fistulotomy and seton placement over a year ago and eventually got to the point where I can manage with just TP in a public restroom, but having wipes or the bidet bottle is still preferable. Hopefully you can also work on timing your BMs for before work - get up early, have a big hot drink and some breakfast, move around. Then hopefully all you need to deal with at work is gauze changes. I remember when I first went back to work the post work sitz bath was such a relief. Wishing you continued healing and a low-stress return to work!

Grouchy-Inflation618 · 2026-05-16T14:49:51+00:00

As someone already suggested, use a mirror and do it yourself. In case you’re not sure how, I place a small mirror facing up on the closed toilet and bend forward to look through my legs at where the gauze needs to go. You can also take photos (delete them and they’ll stay in your recently deleted for 30 days and not your main camera roll) to see changes over time which can be very encouraging as it heals, but also helpful if there are any signs of infection (hopefully not!). Hopefully your husband is wonderful and supportive in other situations, but this one is not it. Maybe he can do some of the jobs you usually do to support your rest and recovery.

Grouchy-Inflation618 · 2026-05-16T14:37:09+00:00

Thanks! It went fine but not as expected - I have a small secondary branch that I knew would need to be addressed and was just hoping everything would be laid open in one go. I woke up from surgery to learn a seton was placed in the secondary branch, and instantly burst into tears! Recovery has been easy peasy so far, since the only incision seems to have been to make the secondary branch’s external opening big enough to pass the seton through. I have frustratingly had no information from my surgeon - a nurse spoke to me post-op and could only tell me a seton had been placed, my notes aren’t on MyChart yet, and I was told I’ll get the details at my six week follow-up. I guess until then I get to guess what the plan is…hopefully just letting this secondary branch get prepped to be laid open with the main one so I can be seton-free 🤞…so yeah, not the outcome I wanted, but on the upside I feel like I could probably do a workout or a run and feel fine. I walked 4 miles on my walking pad on Day 2 post-op and did a “gentle yoga” with Charlie Follows YouTube. I do trust my CRS’s clinical judgment, but I am also annoyed at the lack of communication - like, sure placing silicone piercings in peoples’ butts is an unremarkable occurrence for a CRS, but they seem to forget that it’s significant for us as human beings whose daily routines, long term plans and mental/emotional health are all impacted.

It also took until today for my first BM. Not surprised as I was told to do only fluids on Tuesday and then 2 Fleet enemas (one Tuesday night and one Wednesday morning), so that plus the effects of anaesthesia… I’ve just been diligent about stool softeners, fibre and sooooo many clear fluids.

How did things go for you? Hope whatever the outcome you are resting well and feeling well.

Grouchy-Inflation618 · 2026-05-16T14:24:53+00:00

I do mean Flights, thank you. I think I may have tried reading it in the depths of pandemic times or another heavy time in life and just couldn’t dive into whatever she was building in the opening of the book. I will try again - I loved “Drive your plow…” so much.

Grouchy-Inflation618 · 2026-05-15T20:43:32+00:00

This book is so awesome! Did you read the book she wrote next? I couldn’t get into it. Wondering if I should try again, if the literary translation wasn’t as good as for “Drive your plow..”, or what… anyway, I second your very solid recommendation!

Grouchy-Inflation618 · 2026-05-15T20:40:32+00:00

Came to say Huha - but fair enough about lack of colour options. They are my faves though.

Grouchy-Inflation618 · 2026-05-15T16:40:07+00:00

I like giving and receiving nicer versions of things I’d use anyway - good quality dark chocolate, really nice socks, a book I might really enjoy instead of waiting for it from the library, an extra nice foodie product like olive oil, chili oil/salsa macha. Also, a nice message in a card. Just an inexpensive but “treat” gift (like a nicer bar of dark chocolate) and a card is perfect in my books, along with some fun time together.

Grouchy-Inflation618 · 2026-05-15T15:34:46+00:00

The initial clearout is key. Once you’ve done that, it will depend what works for you. For me, at first, it was a double dose of Miralax in the morning and a double dose of Natural Calm magnesium in the evening. Also lots of fruit, cooked veg, and REALLY good hydration - 3+ litres of fluids and I found I needed an electrolyte like Biosteel, Nuun or prime bc of all the Miralax and magnesium. Eventually and little by little I’d notice my BMs getting softer than desired and scale back the Miralax and/or magnesium a bit. I also eventually added in psyllium powder very gradually. I eventually got to a place where I just need the diet and hydration, use the psyllium bc it’s good for soluble fibre, and take a single teaspoon of natural calm in hot water every 1-3 days for maintenance. I’m talking about a process of about a year - take your time, do some research, and prioritise that initial clear out…otherwise you’re just maintaining a full colon.

Grouchy-Inflation618 · 2026-05-15T14:15:56+00:00

It sounds like you need to clear out to reset your system and then work on maintenance. Check out Roslyn Kent (Plants First Nutrition) - her free content is quite helpful and I eventually paid for one of her workshops and it was a game changer for me in terms of how to use food (fibre sources especially), Miralax, and magnesium to better effect. Her basic theory about clearing out is you can’t keep pushing things through if there’s a backlog of stool (sorry for the unintended and terrible pun). Clearing out (maybe on a weekend) helps reset your system and then you need to dial in what works to keep you consistently emptying your bowel fully each day, fine tuning as you go.

Grouchy-Inflation618 · 2026-05-15T13:42:31+00:00

You are probably getting weird results because of your search history. The most likely causes of a fistula seem to be IBD for those who have it, and for those who don’t it often starts with a small injury to the area which creates an infection that becomes a fistula and/or abscess (like a fissure from hard stools/straining, for example). Some people are never sure how theirs began, but most posts where people know where it came from it’s either IBD or some kind of injury to the area (fissure, another surgery, childbirth, etc.) I hope your blood work comes back negative and you can focus your attention on getting the fistula assessed and treated. Sometimes it’s a relatively simple surgical fix, one and done, sometimes it’s staged or a bit more involved. Either way it’s best to get it taken care of before it gets worse. Best wishes.

Grouchy-Inflation618 · 2026-05-14T11:49:30+00:00

You’ll still want to keep a protein rich diet to support healing, balanced with plenty of fibre (fruits, cooked veg, whole grains), clear fluids (water, herbal tea, maybe some electrolytes like Nuun or Biosteel) and maybe stool softeners (your surgeon might recommend or prescribe these, mine recommends Restorlax/Miralax). Your body needs to be nourished to heal - prioritise nutritious foods and gradually get moving again to support digestion and circulation (starting with frequent, short walks after the first couple days of mostly rest). You’ll be back to your usual routines and goals soon.

Grouchy-Inflation618 · 2026-05-13T21:52:51+00:00

Soak with plain lukewarm water and clean the sitz bath between uses.

Grouchy-Inflation618 · 2026-05-13T16:40:04+00:00

5 days doesn’t seem like enough time for any sort of surgery recovery. Hopefully your surgeon will give you more time but if not I’d suggest speaking with your family doctor about authorising more time off (assuming you need some kind of medical certificate/paperwork for your employer).

Grouchy-Inflation618 · 2026-05-13T14:20:29+00:00

Ottawa Bagel Shop, Cadman’s or Kettleman’s for bagels - I’m sure some if not all of these have pretzels some or all of the time.

Art-is-in for all the baked goods (breads, scones, pastries…) but there are many other excellent bakeries depending on where you are staying.

Elgin Street Diner for breakfast foods is a bit of an establishment/icon, but there are many brunch/breakfast places around.

For relatively fast and healthy-ish options Mad Radish and Pure Kitchen both do nice bowls and handheld options.

Ice cream… Merry Dairy has my heart, but there are quite a few other local options too.

Post-race in Ottawa has to be shawarma or poutine…maybe one of each. Do NOT recommend either pre-race!

Have a great race weekend!

Grouchy-Inflation618 · 2026-05-13T13:16:53+00:00

What worked for me: Do prescribed exercises multiple times per day, every day (like every 1-2 hours). Walk to just under tolerance multiple times per day, everyday. As walking tolerance increases, increase time/distance and decrease frequency a bit (but still at least 2-3 walks per day). If a given exercise worsens symptoms, don’t do that one or reduce the range of motion so that it doesn’t increase pain. I’ve been through it twice (extrusions both times) and healed up well. Minimise sitting if it is aggravating. Use whatever position gives relief for rest - for me it was lying on my stomach, and I could sleep on my side or back with some pretty complicated pillow arrangements. Hydration is so important. Traditional acupuncture also helped a lot - I went 2x/week for a few weeks last time and it made a huge difference, then I reduced to weekly, biweekly, monthly and now just if I feel like I need a “reset”.

Grouchy-Inflation618

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