25-year-old Owen Wiliams has been left in agony, and is unable to work
A handyman says a mysterious pain in his bum turned into his worst nightmare when doctors finally discovered the real cause after months of misery and a dramatic dash to the hospital. Owen Williams, 25, says he spent four months battling severe pain that left him unable to sit comfortably, struggling to use the toilet and, at times, virtually housebound.
The labourer, from Atherstone, Warwickshire, says he repeatedly sought medical help but says the cause of his symptoms went undiagnosed. Then, everything changed.
What doctors later identified as a large abscess suddenly burst, triggering an emergency hospital admission and surgery the following day. Now Owen is recovering but faces months of treatment while the wound heals.
“What happened to me was terrifying – but the worst part is I had been trying to get help since February,” he said. “The reason it exploded is because it was left undiagnosed and untreated for so long. The puss and swelling kept growing and growing and growing until it had nowhere else to grow, so it exploded out of my bum cheek.
“Over the course of months, I went to the doctors, A&E, Surgical Assessment Unit and even had paramedics out, but no one found it.”
Owen says his symptoms worsened dramatically at the start of June. He claims he became unable to sit down properly, struggled to use the toilet and spent several days confined to bed at his girlfriend’s house.
After the abscess burst, his father drove him to George Eliot Hospital in Nuneaton, where he was admitted and later underwent surgery. He said: “It turned out I had a large abscess in my bottom. The treatment was an operation under general anaesthesia.
“Around two-and-a-half hours after going under, I woke up and was discharged the next day.” While the operation was successful, Owen says the recovery has been far from straightforward. He currently attends regular appointments to have the wound cleaned and dressed and says he remains unable to work.
He said: “The wound remains open to allow for drainage to continue for however many months it takes to heal. It is extremely painful. The packing process is by far the most painful.”
Owen says the ordeal has also left him facing financial uncertainty. As a self-employed worker, he does not receive sick pay and fears that a full-time job opportunity he had been working towards may no longer be available.
He said: “It could be months, and further surgeries may be needed, which would extend it. It’s hard with no income coming in, uncertain about the job opportunity, and still having all my bills to cover.”
Doctors have warned him that there is a possibility he could develop further complications that may require additional treatment. Despite the uncertainty, Owen says he has been overwhelmed by support from strangers after sharing his experience online.
He said: “The amount of amazing messages and support that I have received has been incredible. One person asked me to set up a GoFundMe and since then I have raised over £160 to help me pay bills while I’m out of work.
“The people out there who have loved and supported me have been absolutely amazing.”
Owen says he remains frustrated that the abscess was not identified sooner. He claims he received several different explanations for his symptoms over the course of months, including haemorrhoids, anal fissures and inflammatory bowel disease.
He added: “I believe if someone had seen me there and then, all of this could have been avoided. At every turn, I felt like I got fobbed off.”
For now, Owen is awaiting further scans and tests as doctors monitor his recovery and determine whether any additional treatment will be needed.