64th and last! Clinic visit

Well that's it then! I saw the doc today for the last time. He is happy he's sorted it all out and all that remains is for the last wound to heal up. 2/3 weeks he thinks. 

It has been an incredible journey and had its ups and downs. But in short he had fixed in three months almost to the day what the UK could not in six years. 

Do not doubt that this 1000 year old treatment works as I and many others are living proof it does. 

Dr Bhat is a kind caring compassionate man and frankly a magician !

If you are afflicted with this dreadful condition then do not despair. Instead seriously consider him or one like him. Yes it is a thought coming to a foreign country but living is cheap here and it should be doable for most. 

We have made some great friends and met some wonderful people. I have no doubt we will be back one day!

We fly home tonight!

Thanks to all my readers!

--

Kev Thompson

63rd clinic visit

Saw doc again today. After another deep examination, he is happy! All that's left to go is for the wounds to heal up. So he confirmed I'm good to go next week!
There will be one (last) visit on Tuesday then we fly home Wednesday 2:00am!


Sent from my iPhone

62nd clinic visit

Had a day off then back in tonight. 

Doc happy all is healing.  Still some discharge and inflammation but he's sure all is well and will heal up in a couple of weeks. 

So still on track for flight home next week.

61st clinic visit

I was asked to be in early today so the doc could see progress so at 9:00 I met him.
He was taken aback at how bad this rash/broken skin has become and apologised profusely for the obvious pain I was in.
Another set of drugs prescribed. So we'll see how this goes.
It's been a very uncomfortable few days with a lot of discharge which has made the skin very red and inflamed and now broken.
Just when I thought the worst was done.

On a positive note, the (very) large wound he opened up seems to be starting to heal.

I've to rest tomorrow and go back Wednesday.  Not quite the closing weeks of treatment I had hoped for.  Flight home booked for 12th so here's hoping I'm fit to travel!

60th clinic visit

Another milestone reached!  Hard to believe I've been here 60 times now but needs must.

Doc away so nurse packing wound today.  Seemed ok at the time - in and out quite quickly.
It was a good chance to catch up with some of the many new friends (or fellow travelers!) I've made whilst here.
Back to the hotel but some hours later the whole area started to itch like mad - almost a burn.
I had to sit in the sitz bath in cold water for a while until it calmed down.
Having taken another photo which I'll spare you as the wound is gaping and bloody, it all appears very red and angry looking again :o(

I put more of the antihistamine cream on and things seem to have calmed down again.

I think the discharge from wherever is sensitising the whole area.  I thought I was over the worst but this has been a challenging few days.

59th clinic visit

I saw the doc today and he wanted a closer look at the results of his operation.
He thinks it needs daily dressing, so sadly I've had to cancel the trip up North we had booked - just the way it goes I'm afraid.

There is a large hole that needs to heal, but he still thinks we will be on track for flights back, Feb 12th.

There 's still a lot of pain and itching too from around the wound site and it bled for a good 10 minutes in the shower tonight.

He is not there tomorrow but the nurse will dress it, and I'll see him again first thing Monday.
Fingers crossed.

57th and 58th clinic visit.

Two visits a week so I went Monday and all was well. Itch subsiding and all looking well. 

We had a few days away In Mysore which was grand but back at clinic today. 

Sadly the second tract is not healing so well so in a sudden and slightly backward step the doc decided another surgery was needed 😢

Back home there would delays and paperwork and procedures but not here. He just did it 10 minutes later. 

So more local anaesthetic (lots) and then it was laid open, into a large wound which he then cauterised. This felt like a long time but probably was 15 minutes or so. 

I won't lie. It hurt today and again the smell of burning flesh is not fun. Not when it's your own. 

I came out looking grey, Fiona says. 

I had to lie down for about 30 mins. I had a pain pessary in, but needed something else too. Dr gave me diclofenac and more to take away. 

Struggled back to hotel and slept three hours. 

Awake now but lots of stabbing pain in wound area. I hope this doesn't set us back as flights home booked.

Anyway, back to daily visits again!  Let's see what tomorrow brings.

--

Kev Thompson

55th and 56th visit

Thursday was regular visit with nurse doing packing. No problems other than this dreadful itch.
Friday I whAtsapp the doc and ask to see him about it. It's needing some treatment.
He immediately agrees and on seeing me gives a script for antihistamine cream and pills.
I've now used them both twice and it's already subsiding. He says only twice a week visits from now. Yah!
We are almost there.

53rd and 54th clinic visits

So yesterday was wound packing - uneventful - today a bit less so.
I've had a "holding" or "safety thread" in place - not doing kshar sutra but just for draining like a seton - for many weeks now - Thread B.
Today the doc cut it and removed it.  It was quite painful being drawn through and there was some bleeding which he says will continue for a few days.
He then added some sterilizing solution that stung like mad for a good 20 mins.

Thereafter a few of us went to Shoba Hospital to visit another patient who has just had surgery but it was a bit painful for me and I couldn't really sit down.  This is a common issue here!

Now back at the hotel recovering.

52nd clinic visit

Another short one today.  Doc there but consulting with others, so the nurse did the packing.  The wound seems to be getting smaller as less packing needed each day.
In and out in 5 mins although Ubers were in short supply for some reason.  It took ages to get back to the hotel.

51st Clinic Visit

So on it goes.... A quick visit today for packing of wound which is getting smaller as time goes on.

The meds seem to be helping the inflammation and the pain too, so things have calmed down a lot over the last 24 hours.

50th clinic visit

Something of a landmark today.  This was my 50th visit to the clinic!
Doc says all internal piles mass has gone!  External should shrivel up and go!
2/3 days and he will cut last (secondary) thread.  Then it's all about healing up the wounds and my poor skin which has suffered greatly!

 

 Last thread                              Red sores

48th and 49th clinic visits and more antibiotics!

Although I'm told the fistula has gone there is still a large wound that needs daily attention. This has been packed now for 8 weeks plus!  So it was fairly sizable to begin with.

I also have the aftermath of the haemorrhoids procedure which has caused more pain than anything else so far!
The doc is keeping an eye on it but thinks all is on track with approx 2 more weeks of treatment needed.  However, I have found these estimates to be a movable feast!  So I'll wait and see.

There is a lot of red angry skin around the area simply because it is constantly wet from discharge.  He has given some meds for that and also another antibiotic to speed up the healing process.

47th Clinic Visit

The doc said not to come yesterday due to the headaches - just to rest.
It felt like a day off but I've not had a good week pain-wise so the rest was welcome.
Feeling better today so went in as usual.
He is happy both the fistula wound and the Haemerrhoid treatments are on schedule.
Two-three weeks for the wound to close up but still needs daily dressing/packing.

Visits 44, 45 and 46

No more thread changes! The worst is done.
I'm left with a large hole which needs to heal and get packed regularly.
Each of these was for that. I saw the Dr sat and he's well pleased. Nurse did the other two. In and out in 5 mins.
I'm having a bit of an issue with headaches after the spinal so he's suggested lots of water and lots of rest. Also just to stay away the next day or two.

On a different note the haemorrhoid pain has kicked in. If anything it's the worst so far so lying down is an attractive option.

I was hoping to be at the lodge tonight but sadly that's not going to happen.

43rd clinic visit, another operation and some news

As previously mentioned a flare-up of heamorrhoids to stage 4 was interfering with the fistula treatment.
It was also important that at this stage (4) these were treated quickly before they became dangerous.
Dr B uses another ayurvedic treatment kshar karma to do just that. So rather than wait until back in UK I decided to have it done here.  Again its not a quick fix, taking 7/8 days to work but it should be permanent.

This time the op was in the smaller clinic hospital - Anugraha which has its own operating theatre.
So on Thursday, I went in for approx 7:30 to be prepped.

The op was cheduled for 9:00 but due to a late anaesthetist it didn't happen until 10:15.

I went through and was given a spinal anaesthetic once more, and then a procedure lasting approx 20 mins.
The doc also used the situation to do "deep examination and cleansing" of the fistula.

Lo and behold he discovers it has virtually gone apart from a small skin segment which he cuts!

So at the end of the op he announces "You are now Fistula Free"! 

Joy of joys.
Only those with this dreadful ailment will know how life-changing those words can be.
After 6 years with this in the UK and almost 20 surgeries which have achieved next to nothing, the fistula was totally eradicated here in 8 weeks!

It's not quite that simple in that there is now an open wound which needs to heal so there will be several more weeks of wound dressing and packing but the actual fistula is gone!

The day was a long one - the spinal took 10 hours to wear off and this led to a few issues such as needing to be catheterised for a very full bladder which I had no control over, however by 21:30 feeling a little rough I was back in the hotel.

So in summary - no more thread changes, no more operations, just daily would dressing/packing until it all heals over.

I was very pleasantly surprised today (Friday) when Dr Bhat himself phoned me to see how I was after the operation.  Was I in pain? Was there any issue? etc etc
How good is that!
I've never had a doc in the UK phone me after an op and I have had many.

I think this simply shows once what a genuinely caring man he is.

My new best friend!

 

42nd clinic visit

In early today to discuss a few things. The whole area has been very red and itchy lately. It's a form of "nappy rash" as it's always wet 😏with discharge




Some cream helps a bit.



We also spoke about the piles again.  It's now a major issue and so needs to be sorted as they are stage 4.  So another op is planned for Thursday.... No hanging about!

This one in Anugraha and once again with a spinal anaesthetic.
I've to report 7am - empty stomach!

There will be some extra costs but needs must.

Watch this space

40th and 41st clinic visits and the mosquitoes

I can't believe that's over 40 visits here!

Long slow process but the time is passing.
Both of these were routine now with wound packed and oil applied.
Bit disappointed doc wasn't there but he is fully stretched and the nurse is quite capable.

It's worth a word about the Mosquitoes here which be a pain. Literally. We have great deterrent called Smidge(love it).



But when you forget it they quickly remind you!  These aren't particularly harmful but they do swell up and the itching is unbelievable!

38th and 39th clinic visit and thread change no 8!

Straight forward yesterday. Usual packing and oil coating.
Today the doc was back and he changed thread A. That's now thread eight.

36th and 37th clinic visits

More of the same really.  Wound packed and oil put on the whole area.
Gently done but there is definitely one very painful spot.
Doc back on the 3rd so we'll see what he says.

The doc's "chamber"  where all the action is.










One of the blog readers was asking today about the operation side of things having thought Kshar Sutra didn't involve surgery.
It's worth saying that some doctors do the whole process with threads but this can take a long time, others - presumably the ones qualified to do so - use surgery too where it is appropriate.
ie where to do so would cause no harm to the muscles.  This "partial fistulotomy" speeds up the whole process, leaving the thread to do its job where the fistula cuts through the sphincter muscle.