My Journey with a Pilonidal Cyst: Part Two

Here is the third and most recent email update sent to friends and family regarding my recovery from my journey with a pilonidal cyst.

"Hello everyone!

Again, thank you for your prayers, emails, and letters of encouragement! I apologize that I have not recently updated all of you on how I am doing...

I had an appointment with the surgeon, Dr. Valerie Gorman, last week (June 24). We had hoped that she would remove the stitches, however, after changing the packing, it was decided that the wound had not healed enough. She scheduled our third appointment for August 2 and told us that we would evaluate things at that point.

The afternoon of my appointment on the twenty-fourth, I watched my family swim at the Wycliffe pool and then spent some time outside with my younger siblings. This was the most activity I had performed since before the surgery! I enjoyed myself, but my body did not respond well to the exertion. By that evening, I was in quite a bit of pain, the most pain I had experienced since the surgery. I remained on the couch for the next couple of days recovering. My brother, Tella, asked whether or not the activities were worth the pain; it wasn't! :) Please pray for me to have patience during the recovery process.

By Sunday or Monday, I was feeling much better and was looking forward to having the stitches removed. However, on Tuesday of this past week (June 31), I slipped and fell coming down the stairs! It was unexpected and a little startling, to say the least! I landed almost directly on my low back and the wound immediately began bleeding. I also experienced a high level of pain. My mother examined the area directly after I fell and was concerned that the incision might have slightly opened.

The surgeon was unable to see me on August 2 due to illness she was experiencing. However, the nurse encouraged me to come to the office yesterday morning in order to evaluate the potential set-back. She examined the wound and determined that a portion of the incision has indeed opened. This was disappointing and results in some adjustments in the packing process that initially make things a little more uncomfortable. We have another scheduled appointment with the surgeon on Thursday, August 9. Please pray with us as we deal with this new situation.
Classes at Texas Woman's University in Denton begin for me on August 27th. We are considering contacting the Health Center on campus, as it is likely that I will have to continue packing the wound for some time. Please join us in praying that the wound will heal well and swiftly. Also, pray that my transition to school will go smoothly.

Thanks again,
Morelle Cummins"