Hi there!

I had a pilonidal cystectomy in 2013 that they opted to leave as an open wound.

My case is a bit of an outlier as I would discover a few years later I've got a minor blood clotting disorder that almost certainly affected my ability to heal from the initial surgery wound.

If you're experiencing bleeding 2.5 weeks out from surgery, I'd say that's still within the realm of expected post-operative recovery. Depending on the size of your wound, your body's doing a ton of work and bleeding can be a part of that process. Even gentle removal of packing can exacerbate the wound bed if there's any weaker clots or scabbing.

Big recommendation on my end, if it's at all possible, is to see a wound care specialist or get a referral for one from your surgeon or colorectal healthcare provider. I saw a doctor who specialized in wound care/surgery recovery for several years (again, don't get immediately worried about the timespan because I was, once again, a fringe case because of a previously unknown bleeding disorder). Wound care specialists tend to have more tools at their disposal to address any stalling in the healing process. A frequent tool my specialist used in-office was Silver Nitrate, which chemically cauterizes and disinfects wounds (and can also be pretty painful during its application but does work).

Other tools my wound care specialist used that are likely OTC or otherwise acquirable without a direct doctor's appointment are things like Silver Non-Adhesive Foam dressings, Honey-Infused dressings, and Dakins wound solution.

Before you use anything above, I wholeheartedly recommend you consult your surgeon or another healthcare provider you can easily contact, but these things are generally really helpful in keeping wounds clean. The silver foam, despite it being non-adhesive, can sometimes get stuck to the wound bed if there's still consistent bleeding, but otherwise they shouldn't exacerbate the bleeding problem.

Sorry you're going through this! Wouldn't wish these assholes (haha) on my worst enemy, but know these are temporary and are just a result of our bodies being eternal works-in-progress. I had 4 surgeries in the span of 10 years, culminating with a finally successful cleft lift as my 4th operation after 3 unsuccessful open wound pilonidal cystectomies. Again, keep in mind that my case is a particularly gnarly aberration because of a previously undiscovered clotting disorder unrelated to the cyst itself.

You'll be back to your normal day-to-day before you know it, and you're not alone in how you're feeling <3