bowel movement

I had a child 2 months ago. But the last few weeks I have had diarrhea then two days ago the only thing that will come out is mucus. I am also am having stomach pains which have not gone away since I gave birth. My stool has been bloody for a few yrs. I did get a sack of puss that grew on my butt crack right before I gave birth. Which it popped but it hasn't gone away. it keeps leaking puss every so often. Now it hasn't leaked but it has grown to were its big enough so its like under my butt cheek. It hurts to sit down. I don't know what to do with all of this. I don't have insurance so I can't see a dr. Thanks

[Ratnakar ., MD]

Hi,
Blood and mucus diarrhea lasting for weeks needs to be evaluated for IBD.
I would suggest that you undergo colonoscopy for evaluation.
The pus discharging sac you have mentioned could be a perianal abscess.

[RJ92]

I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis over a year ago and what you’re going through sounds quite similar to what I did.  I don’t know much about the 'sack of pus' but what really concerns me is the blood and pus that you’ve been having in your stool.  I’m sure that you’ve done your own research and I am not a professional but I will tell you to relax.  Statistics work in your favour; you are probably suffering from something very treatable.  It could be as simple as hemorrhoids, but not necessarily which is why you should get it checked out.  

To make sure that you don’t let your symptoms worsen and so that when you see a doctor you can make the visit as productive as possible – write things down.  Important things to note: the colour of the blood.  Is it bright or dark?  Bright means that the bleeding is likely coming from the lower section of your colon, dark could mean elsewhere.  Have you had much cramping or bloating?  (Almost like you’re always menstruating).  Have you had changes in your bowel movements?  Are you regular?  Are you constipated or having diarrhea?  Or maybe both?

Because you are losing blood you need to make sure that you aren’t becoming anemic.  Stick out your tongue in the mirror (next to someone else would help!) is it pale?  Check the skin under your eyelids and the palms of your hand.  The paler they are, the more concerned you should be.  Especially if you’re breastfeeding you need to make sure you aren’t losing too much blood.  A little lost everyday really adds up - trust me.

You should become very conscious of what comes in and out of your body for the next while.  Keep note of what you eat and what you poop (actually write it down!).  If it were a form of IBD I would ease off on your insoluble fibre intake.  Eat root vegetables that have been well-cooked (the mushier the better), skin your fruit, stop eating whole wheat bread (switch to oat bread or white) and maybe try avoiding products with lactose.   If you can, increase your iron intake.  Eat red meat, spinach, kale.  Be careful of supplements as they can hurt your stomach – also breastfeeding could be a concern.

Again if you notice any changes, write them down.  Keep tabs on your stress levels too; the mind is a powerful thing.  I always get worse when I'm stressed out.

Even if this works for you – see a doctor.  Diet alone can never keep your symptoms away.  You will need medication.

I realize your hesitation in visiting a doctor.  For one thing bowel movements isn’t an enjoyable discussion to have with someone, another of course, is the price.  I saw my symptoms for a two years before I got hit with a flare up, hard.  I was sick for a month, hospitalized for 8 days, hooked up to more fluids than I can count.  It was not a fun experience.  Luckily for me, I live in Canada.  Even if you're from the States and without insurance, I strongly recommend seeing a doctor in case it is something serious.  A quick visit and a prescription for suppositories could save you a long stay in the hospital.  If it turns out to be really serious, it could save your life.  The fact that you've been bleeding this long means that something is wrong!

I wish that I hadn’t put off telling a doctor about my bleeding.  I’m not going to lie, I think that the whole ordeal in the hospital could have been avoided if I had spoken up sooner.

As for the cyst (I’m guessing), I can’t think of anything that would relate the two in a single diagnosis.  It's probably unrelated but you might need antibiotics for that.

Hope this helps!