Hey, so back in January '21, I had an emergency ileostomy revision. They left me with a mess of a wound, cut away too much tissue. I had lots of problems with it healing, lesions that would not heal, lots of pus, infections, etc. I saw a new surgeon who thought it was maybe pyoderma gangrenosum and suggested opening it up to let the pus out. Wrong! I have seen two dermatologists who said it was classic PG and even a small biopsy would make it worse. It is caused by trauma and made worse by trauma, it's autoimmune (I have Crohn's so pretty much everything that happens is my immune system overreacting, even when I am not having a GI flare). A dermatologist gave me corticosteroid injections at the site about a month ago, and it completely healed. Yay! The lesions are opening up again, so I am going back for another injection. I tried the corticosteroid ointment, interfered with adhesion, and solution, alcohol-based - need I say more. One of the dermatologists that I am seeing specializes in autoimmune skin issues and said that PG is usually misdiagnosed and made much worse with improper treatment. Even the ostomy nurses didn't catch it. So just a heads up to everyone that PG is usually misdiagnosed. Not sure if this is something that I will have to deal with for a long time or not. I have to change my ostomy every other day at least and use wound dressing (Aquacell and Duoderm) when it's flaring.

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Hollister
Ostomy surgery is stressful both for the patient and the caregiver, and creates a major life change for both people in a relationship.
Learn how to care for your loved one, while still taking care of yourself.
Learn how to care for your loved one, while still taking care of yourself.
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Hollister
Your stoma care nurse can be a valuable resource when you need help.
Learn about the common issues and symptoms that warrant a call for assistance.
Learn about the common issues and symptoms that warrant a call for assistance.